Patent · US Expired

Spatial light modulators

US6064366A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
11References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 3, 1997
Grant dateMay 16, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 3, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N2005/7466
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A spatial light modulator in the form of a deformable mirror device (110) receives from a frame store (116) data which has been formatted by a data formatter (114) subsequent to gamma correction in a ROM look-up table (112). The DMD (110) displays different light levels by being ON for selected periods of a series of durations 4, 8, 16 . . . 1024 varying in proportion to a basic period multiplied by powers of two. The shortest duration 4 for which the DMD can be turned on is a multiple of the basic period, and the series includes additional durations 5, 6 and 7 in the series between the shortest displayable duration 4 and the next power of two 8. Durations 1, 2 and 3 of less than the shortest displayable duration can be displayed by adjusting the turn-on time of a proportion of the adjacent mirrors. The longest duration for which the mirror can be turned on can be employed twice.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.