Circuits for controlling display apparatus
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for forming images on a display utilizing a control matrix to control the movement of MEMs-based light modulators.
1. A direct-view display apparatus comprising:
a transparent substrate,
an array of pixels including, for each pixel, a MEMS-based light modulator formed on the substrate and including a first actuator and a second actuator opposing the first actuator for controlling the state of the light modulator; and
a control matrix connected to the substrate including, for a pixel in the array of pixels, i) a write-enabling switch for enabling the pixel to respond to a data voltage, ii) a data switch for selectively controlling actuation of one of the first and second actuators, and iii) only one data voltage interconnect that carries a voltage corresponding to image data for the pixel to control both the first actuator and the second actuator of a pixel and setting a desired state of the light modulator to form an image, wherein a voltage applied to the data voltage interconnect controls the data switch.
2. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein for each pixel, the control matrix comprises a voltage inverter circuit.
3. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the voltage inverter circuit comprises one of an nMOS voltage inverter circuit, a pMOS voltage inverter circuit, and a CMOS voltage inverter circuit.
4. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light modulators comprise shutter assemblies.
5. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 4 , wherein in a pixel, the first and second actuators of the modulator force a shutter relative to an aperture.
6. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the aperture is formed in a layer of material on the substrate.
7. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the aperture is formed in a layer of material deposited on a substrate that is different from the substrate on which the array is formed.
8. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a voltage regulator for substantially limiting variation in a voltage applied across the first and second actuators during actuation that would otherwise be caused by movement of portions of the first and second actuators.
9. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the voltage regulator comprises a display driver, including a DC voltage source, directly electrically connected to at least one of the first and second opposing actuators via an actuation voltage interconnect.
10. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 8 , comprises a display driver, including a DC voltage source, electrically connected to at least one of the first and second opposing actuators via an actuation voltage interconnect, wherein the application of the voltage output from the direct-view display driver to the pixel is controlled by a switch at the pixel other than the data switch.
11. The direct-view display of claim 1 , comprising a global actuation interconnect electrically connected to pixels in at least two rows and two columns of the control matrix for causing substantially simultaneous actuation of the pixels to which it is connected.
12. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a first voltage actuation interconnect, distinct from the data voltage interconnect, in electrical communication with the first actuator, for providing a voltage sufficient to actuate the first actuator.
13. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 12 , comprising, for a pixel, a switch, other than the data switch, for regulating the application of the voltage provided via the first actuation voltage interconnect.
14. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the data switch comprises a discharge transistor for selectively discharging the voltage provided via the first voltage actuation interconnect.
15. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 12 , comprising a common voltage interconnect coupled to the light modulators of a plurality of pixels for applying a common bias voltage to the light modulators.
16. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a global actuation interconnect coupled to discharge transistors included in a plurality of pixels for selectively enabling the voltage provided to the respective pixels via the data voltage interconnects corresponding to the pixels to control the discharge transistors.
17. The direct-view display apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a voltage actuation interconnect electrically connected directly to one of the first and second actuators of pixels in multiple rows and multiple columns of the array of pixels.