EP0518612B1 - Dispositif de visualisation pour des dispositifs électroniques - Google Patents

Dispositif de visualisation pour des dispositifs électroniques Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0518612B1
EP0518612B1 EP19920305272 EP92305272A EP0518612B1 EP 0518612 B1 EP0518612 B1 EP 0518612B1 EP 19920305272 EP19920305272 EP 19920305272 EP 92305272 A EP92305272 A EP 92305272A EP 0518612 B1 EP0518612 B1 EP 0518612B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cold cathode
field emission
display
cathode field
devices
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19920305272
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0518612A1 (fr
Inventor
James E. Jaskie
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Motorola Solutions Inc
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Motorola Inc
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Publication date
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Publication of EP0518612A1 publication Critical patent/EP0518612A1/fr
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J31/00—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes
    • H01J31/08—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes having a screen on or from which an image or pattern is formed, picked up, converted, or stored
    • H01J31/10—Image or pattern display tubes, i.e. having electrical input and optical output; Flying-spot tubes for scanning purposes
    • H01J31/12—Image or pattern display tubes, i.e. having electrical input and optical output; Flying-spot tubes for scanning purposes with luminescent screen
    • H01J31/123—Flat display tubes
    • H01J31/125—Flat display tubes provided with control means permitting the electron beam to reach selected parts of the screen, e.g. digital selection
    • H01J31/127—Flat display tubes provided with control means permitting the electron beam to reach selected parts of the screen, e.g. digital selection using large area or array sources, i.e. essentially a source for each pixel group
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J2201/00—Electrodes common to discharge tubes
    • H01J2201/30—Cold cathodes
    • H01J2201/319—Circuit elements associated with the emitters by direct integration

Definitions

  • the present invention pertains, in general, to a display for electronic devices and more particularly to an integral image source incorporating field-emission devices.
  • LCDs liquid crystal displays
  • LEDs light emitting diodes
  • computers were limited to the standard cathode ray tube display, which made the device very large and unwieldy.
  • lap-top computers were designed which used an LCD, plasma, or electroluminescent display.
  • the display on these computers was hard to see in many brightly lit areas and the computers were not popular. Also, this type of display was relatively expensive.
  • a back-lit LCD display was then developed, which improved the display substantially.
  • resolution still suffers in these displays.
  • Sufficient resolution can be obtained by increasing the size of the display, however, as the display size increases so does the size of the device.
  • portability and resolution are inversely related.
  • a display which is too small or too dark to read easily results in a useless or, at the very least, an unpopular product.
  • a portable product that is too large to conveniently carry, or move around also results in an unpopular product.
  • a display for electronic devices having an electrical output signal for controlling the display comprising: a substrate having a plurality of cold cathode field emission devices formed thereon in a preferred pattern and having an electrical input terminal; control electronics having an input terminal for receiving the output signal from the electronic device and further connected to supply operating voltages and control signals to the electrical input terminal of said substrate; and a faceplate affixed over the plurality of cold cathode field emission devices on said substrate and in sealing engagement with a substantial vacuum formed between said substrate and said faceplate; said faceplate further including a layer of fluorescent material which radiates light when struck by emissions from the cold cathode field emission devices; the display characterized by a lens system affixed to said faceplate for directing light from the fluorescent material onto a surface remote from the electronic device.
  • a method for generating a display from an electronic device having a plurality of cold cathode field emission devices formed on a substrate, which plurality of cold cathode field emission devices are encapsulated by a luminescent material covered faceplate, wherein a volume between said substrate and said faceplate is substantially evacuated comprising the steps of: a) selectively applying a field between at least one of said plurality of cold cathode field emission devices and said faceplate, whereby emissions from said at least one cold cathode field emission devices strike the luminescent material of the faceplate therein causing the luminescent material to luminesce and form an image; and characterized by the step of b) projecting and focusing said image from said faceplate onto a remote surface independent of said electronic device.
  • an invention so designed and described, and implemented within a display of an electronic device produces the novel advantages of a display with substantially improved brightness and resolution. Furthermore, the invention, when incorporated in such a device, has the desirable advantage of substantially eliminating the size dependence of the device from that of the display associated therewith.
  • the control electronics are substantially included on the substrate.
  • the cold cathode field emission devices are arranged into a plurality of rows and columns wherein emitter electrodes of each cold cathode field emission device in each row are coupled together, collector electrodes of each cold cathode field emission device in each row are coupled together and gate electrodes of each cold cathode field emission device in each column are coupled together.
  • the control electronics supplies, sequentially, operating voltages to emitters/collectors of one row of said cold cathode field emission devices at a time, and a separate control signal to each gate of one column of cold cathode field emission devices having operating voltages applied to the emitter/collector thereof.
  • Display 10 includes a substrate 12 having a plurality of cold cathode field emission devices (FEDs) formed thereon. Each of the FEDs includes an emitter 14, formed on substrate 12 using any of the usual semiconductor manufacturing methods, with electrical connections 16 thereto.
  • An insulating layer 18 is formed over emitters 14 and a first conductive layer 20 is formed over insulating layer 18, which conductive layer operates as a control gate for the FED.
  • a second insulating layer 22 is formed over conductive layer 20 and a second conductive layer 24 is formed over second insulating layer 22.
  • Conductive layer 24 is used as a focusing electrode and, depending upon the application of the display, is optional.
  • a cavity is formed around each emitter 14, through layers 18, 20, 22 and 24.
  • a face plate 25 is affixed to substrate 12 in overlying engagement over the FEDs. Faceplate 25 is shaped generally like an inverted cup and is sealed to substrate 12 along the lower edges of face plate 25, so that the inner surface of faceplate 25 is spaced from conductive layer 24 a predetermined distance.
  • the volume under faceplate 25 is evacuated and in communication with the cavity around each emitter 14. Since any electronic particles emitted from emitters 14 travel through a vacuum to reach faceplate 25, there is very little resistance and, consequently, the particles can travel very fast and require a minimum amount of applied energy.
  • the inner surface of faceplate 25, opposite and in direct alignment with emitters 14, is coated with a fluorescent material 27 which will emit light when struck by emissions from emitters 14.
  • fluorescent material 27 will contain a phosphor or the like. Since much of the known fluorescent material is relatively easily removed when struck by high speed particles from emitters 14, the operation and longevity of faceplate 25 can be greatly enhanced by applying a thin coating of electrically conductive material, such as aluminum coating 29, thereover.
  • Aluminum coating 29 may be applied over the entire inner surface of faceplate 25 and electrically connected into the circuitry to remove accumulated charge from luminescent layer 27.
  • Aluminum coating 29 prevents particles of luminescent layer 27 from breaking off as it is struck by emissions from emitters 14, thereby substantially increasing the life.
  • aluminum coating 29 improves the luminous efficiency by approximately 50%. At sufficiently high voltages, in the present embodiment 10kV is applied between aluminum coating 29 and conducting layer 24, aluminum layer 29 is invisible to emissions from emitters 14.
  • the FEDs will be grouped into pixels for redundancy and each pixel contains from one to any convenient number of FEDs, all connected in parallel.
  • a pixel is formed by twenty five FEDs, operating in parallel as a single FED, illustrated schematically in FIG. 2.
  • the pixels are formed on substrate 12 in a regular pattern as, for example, in rows and columns, illustrated in simplified block form in FIG. 3.
  • the entire display includes 1280 pixels by 720 pixels, which numbers are selected for the high definition. If lower definition is required, a smaller number of pixels can be used with the consequent reduction in size and power.
  • signals are applied to the pixels a row at a time, rather than a pixel at a time as in television, so that an entire row is activated simultaneously and the brightness is much greater than the brightness achieved in television.
  • display 10 there is no limitation in display 10 on the number of pixels that can be operated simultaneously. In another embodiment, all of the pixels in the display are operated simultaneously. In the embodiment in which all pixels are operated simultaneously, the amount of brightness is generally much higher than required and the current flowing in each FED can be reduced to as low as 0.05 microamperes.
  • Display 10 includes a matrix 30 of pixels organized into rows and columns on substrate 12, as explained above.
  • a data input terminal 35 appears as an electrical connection to substrate 12 and is adapted to receive digital data signals in a serial mode from a portable electronic device. It will of course be understood that data could be supplied in parallel, a row at a time, for example, or in any other convenient form.
  • sequencer 39 uses the row of data stored in memory to control a plurality of constant current sources 41, one for each pixel in a row of pixels. Each constant current source 41 turns on the associated pixel by supplying an appropriate current to the emitters of the FEDS in the pixel.
  • a high voltage supply 42 is connected to the collector/faceplate to enhance the operation of display 10, but it will be understood that this is an optional feature. Thus all required operating voltages are applied to an entire row of pixels, simultaneously, each time a clock pulse is generated by synchronous clock 37.
  • the emitters 14 of the FEDs can be connected together into rows of pixels and the entire aluminum coating 29 can be a one piece collector connected in common.
  • the emitters of all of the FEDs can be connected together through substrate 12 and aluminum coating 29 can be formed in rows, rather than a continuous coating.
  • the control electronics for matrix 30 is formed by normal semiconductor manufacturing techniques in substrate 12. Forming matrix 30 and the control electronics in the same substrate not only reduces the connecting procedure to a relatively well known and simple manufacturing technique, but greatly reduces the inter-circuit power requirements.
  • high voltage supply 42 is constructed exterior to substrate 12, but synchronous clock 37, sequencer 39 and enable circuit 40 are all formed internal to, or as a portion of, substrate 12. In fact, the control electronics may actually be formed in substrate 12 beneath matrix 30, to save on chip size.
  • each FED conducts approximately 0.5 microamperes of current, so that each pixel in the described embodiment draws 12.5 microamperes of current when activated. Since the display is operated a row at a time, if the rows are situated so that there are 1280 pixels per row, matrix 30 will draw a maximum current of sixteen milliamperes. If the rows are situated so that there are 720 pixels per row, matrix 30 will draw a maximum current of nine milliamperes. As explained above, the maximum current drawn depends upon the brightness required for a particular application and the number of pixels, (number of rows or the entire display), being operated simultaneously. Thus, it can be seen that the described display offers a great amount of flexibility in the production thereof and the amount of power required can be greatly reduced in specific applications where power is a problem.
  • display 10 Since it is intended that display 10 project images onto a remote flat surface, which it is assumed will generally be relatively light in color, display 10 has been described such that pixels are normally off and are only activated to produce the desired image. It will be understood, however, that display 10 could be operated in an opposite mode.
  • Display 10 is illustrated in conjunction with a portable electronic device 50.
  • Portable electronic device 50 is a portable computer which, because display 10 has substantially eliminated the dependence upon the size of the display, is substantially only a keyboard with the various semiconductor chips mounted therein.
  • Display 10 is mounted in a front edge of the computer and projects a visual, easily viewed image directly onto a remote surface in front of the computer. For example, in FIG. 5 the visual display is being projected onto the rear surface 54 of an airplane seat 55.
  • display 10 produces an image many times brighter than a television receiver, the projection is very bright and easily viewed.
  • display 10 includes an additional adjustable lens system 52, including one or more lenses that are relatively adjustable to change the focal length of lens system 52, which can be used to focus the projected image onto any convenient surface at substantially any practical distance from the viewer. Also, because of the number of FEDs used and the resolution possible in each FED, the resolution of the projected image is substantially better than the projected images of television and the like.
  • a new and improved display for portable electronic devices has been disclosed.
  • the improved display substantially eliminates the dependence of the size of the portable electronic device on the associated display.
  • the new display has improved resolution and brightness.
  • the size of the display can easily be adjusted with a simple movement of the position of the portable device relative to a remote surface and/or adjustment of the lens system.
  • the combination of variable size, better resolution and brighter images greatly improves the usefulness of an electronic device and allows its use for many more applications.
  • the present display can be utilized on a great variety of portable electronic devices, such as computers, pagers, telephones, especially for the hearing impaired, etc. While the described display has been directed chiefly at portable electronic devices, because of its small size and convenience, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the display could be conveniently connected to computers, telephones and the like that are movable but not normally sold as portable. Also, it should be understood that portable electronic devices with projection displays can be constructed with the manual controls as the only size limiting feature. This is a great advantage over the normal portable electronic devices because the normal devices must include a directly viewed display as a portion of the device. While the described cold cathode field emission device type of display is preferred for this purpose because of its brightness and superior definition, it will be understood that other types of projection systems might be utilized in conjunction with portable electronic devices to substantially reduce their size and improve their usefulness.

Claims (11)

  1. Dispositif d'affichage (10) pour des dispositifs électroniques, délivrant un signal de sortie électrique pour commander le dispositif d'affichage, comportant :
    un substrat (12) possédant une pluralité de dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) formés sur celui-ci selon une configuration préférée et possédant une borne d'entrée électrique;
    des moyens électroniques de commande (37, 39, 40, 41) possédant une borne d'entrée (35) pour recevoir le signal de sortie du dispositif électronique et en outre reliés pour délivrer des tensions de fonctionnement et des signaux de commande à une borne d'entrée électrique dudit substrat (12); et
    une plaque faciale (25) fixée au-dessus d'une pluralité de dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) sur ledit substrat (12) et en engagement hermétique sous un vide poussé établi entre ledit substrat (12) et ladite plaque faciale (25);
    ladite plaque faciale (25) comportant en outre une couche d'un matériau fluorescent (27) qui rayonne la lumière lorsqu'il est frappé par des émissions provenant des dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30); le dispositif d'affichage étant caractérisé par :
    un système de lentilles (52) fixé à ladite plaque faciale (25) pour diriger une lumière provenant du matériau fluorescent (27) sur une surface éloignée du dispositif électronique.
  2. Dispositif d'affichage (10) pour des dispositifs électroniques selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le système de lentilles (52) est en outre caractérisé par au moins deux lentilles montées ensemble pour un déplacement relatif entre elles pour assurer une longueur focale variable du système de lentilles.
  3. Dispositif d'affichage (10) pour des dispositifs électroniques selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel l'agencement préféré des dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) est en outre caractérisé par une pluralité de rangées et de colonnes des dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide, chaque dispositif à émission de champ à cathode froide possédant une électrode émettrice (14), une électrode collectrice (25) et une électrode de grille (20); dans lequel :
    les électrodes émettrices (14) de chaque dispositif à émission de champ à cathode froide dans chaque rangée étant reliées ensemble, les électrodes collectrices (25) de chaque dispositif à émission de champ à cathode froide dans chaque rangée étant reliées ensemble et les électrodes de grille (20) de chaque dispositif à émission de champ à cathode froide dans chaque colonne étant reliées ensemble; et
    les moyens électroniques de commande (37, 39, 40, 41) délivrent, séquentiellement :
    i) des tensions de fonctionnement aux collecteurs/émetteurs (14, 25) d'une rangée de dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) à la fois; et
    ii) un signal de commande séparé (40) à chacune des électrodes de grille (20) d'une colonne des dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) possédant des tensions de fonctionnement appliquées aux collecteurs/émetteurs (14, 25) de ceux-ci.
  4. Dispositif d'affichage (10) pour des dispositifs électroniques selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel les moyens électroniques de commande (37, 39, 40, 41) sont en outre caractérisés par un circuit de commutation et de mémoire (39, 40, 41) qui est formé sur le substrat (12) et relié aux dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) par l'intermédiaire de conducteurs formés sur le substrat.
  5. Dispositif d'affichage (10) pour des dispositifs électroniques selon la revendication 4, dans lequel l'agencement préféré des dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) est caractérisé par des pluralités de dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide reliés ensemble, avec les dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide dans chaque pluralité fonctionnant simultanément comme un élément d'image.
  6. Dispositif d'affichage pour des dispbsitifs électroniques selon la revendication 5, dans lequel les moyens électroniques de commande (37, 39, 40, 41) sont en outre caractérisés par un circuit (39, 40, 41) pour délivrer simultanément des tensions de fonctionnement aux électrodes d'émetteur/collecteur (14, 25) et des signaux de commande aux électrodes de grille (20) de chacun des éléments d'image dans une rangée.
  7. Dispositif d'affichage (10) pour des dispositifs électroniques selon la revendication 6, dans lequel
    la mémoire (39) mémorise des données concernant une rangée d'éléments d'image et la mémoire est reliée pour recevoir lesdites données de ladite borne d'entrée (35); et
    le circuit de commutation (40, 41) est couplé à la fois à ladite mémoire et à ladite borne d'entrée.
  8. Dispositif d'affichage (10) pour des dispositifs électroniques selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le dispositif électronique est un dispositif électronique portable (50).
  9. Dispositif d'affichage (10) pour des dispositifs électroniques selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le dispositif électronique est un calculateur, un dispositif de recherche de personnes ou un téléphone.
  10. Procédé pour générer un affichage d'un dispositif électronique possédant une pluralité de dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) formés sur un substrat (12) sont encapsulés par une plaque faciale recouverte de matériau fluorescent (25), dans lequel un volume entre ledit substrat et ladite plaque faciale est sous un vide poussé, le procédé comportant l'étape consistant à :
    a) appliquer sélectivement un champ entre au moins l'un de ladite pluralité de dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) et ladite plaque faciale (25), dans lequel les émissions dudit au moins un dispositif à émission de champ à cathode froide frappe le matériau luminescent de la plaque faciale à l'intérieur provoquant la luminescence du matériau luminescent et la formation d'une image; et caractérisé par l'étape consistant à :
    b) projeter et concentrer ladite image de ladite plaque faciale (25) sur une surface éloignée indépendante dudit dispositif électronique.
  11. Procédé selon la revendication 10, dans lequel ladite pluralité de dispositifs à émission de champ à cathode froide (30) sont agencés en une pluralité d'éléments d'image, de sorte que chaque élément d'image comprend au moins un dispositif à émission de champ à cathode froide, et ladite pluralité d'éléments d'image sont agencés en une pluralité de sections, de sorte que chaque section comprend plus d'un élément d'image, dans lequel des émissions d'un élément d'image spécifique à l'intérieur d'une section, comme déterminé par les émissions provenant de chaque dispositif à émission de champ à cathode froide compris à l'intérieur, sont contrôlables de façon indépendante de tout autre élément d'image de cette section; dans lequel ladite étape d'application d'un champ applique séquentiellement le champ à chacune de la pluralité de sections.
EP19920305272 1991-06-10 1992-06-09 Dispositif de visualisation pour des dispositifs électroniques Expired - Lifetime EP0518612B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US71282691A 1991-06-10 1991-06-10
US712826 1991-06-10

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EP0518612A1 EP0518612A1 (fr) 1992-12-16
EP0518612B1 true EP0518612B1 (fr) 1996-02-07

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JP (1) JP3275185B2 (fr)
DE (1) DE69208154T2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR0156032B1 (ko) * 1993-05-28 1998-10-15 호소야 레이지 전자방출소자 및 그 전자방출소자를 이용한 화상표시장치, 화상표시 장치의 구동장치, 화상표시장치의 화상표시 구동회로
US5646479A (en) * 1995-10-20 1997-07-08 General Motors Corporation Emissive display including field emitters on a transparent substrate
GB2321335A (en) * 1997-01-16 1998-07-22 Ibm Display device

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2593953B1 (fr) * 1986-01-24 1988-04-29 Commissariat Energie Atomique Procede de fabrication d'un dispositif de visualisation par cathodoluminescence excitee par emission de champ
US4857799A (en) * 1986-07-30 1989-08-15 Sri International Matrix-addressed flat panel display

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DE69208154T2 (de) 1996-08-29
EP0518612A1 (fr) 1992-12-16
JPH05343015A (ja) 1993-12-24
JP3275185B2 (ja) 2002-04-15
DE69208154D1 (de) 1996-03-21

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