Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
  • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
  • G09G3/02—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes by tracing or scanning a light beam on a screen
  • G09G3/025—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes by tracing or scanning a light beam on a screen with scanning or deflecting the beams in two directions or dimensions
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B26/00—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements
  • G02B26/08—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements for controlling the direction of light
  • G02B26/10—Scanning systems
  • G02B26/101—Scanning systems with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
  • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
  • G09G3/001—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
  • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
  • G09G3/02—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes by tracing or scanning a light beam on a screen

Definitions

• This invention relates to scanning display devices, and more particularly to light sources and scanners for scanning display devices.
• a typical scanning display device light is emitted from a light source, collimated through a lens, then passed through a scanner.
• the scanner deflects the light along a scanning pattern.
• the scanned light is directed toward a viewing screen, or in a retinal display, toward a viewer's eye.
• An image is perceived by a viewer's eye, either from viewing the screen or from the direct scanning of light on the eye.
• Fig. 3 is a side view of an apparatus for scanning a light emitter along a scanning axis according to an embodiment of this invention
• Fig. 6 is a side view of an apparatus for scanning a fiber optic light emitter along a scanning axis according to an embodiment of this invention
• Fig. 7 is a top view of the apparatus of Fig. 6;
• Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the apparatus of Figs. 6 and 7 along line VIII- V1TI of Fig. 7;
• Fig. 11 is a diagram depicting image pixels scanned by a plurality of light sources at a given time t j
• Fig. 12 is a diagram depicting image pixels scanned by the plurality of light sources of Fig. 12 at a later time t 2 ;
• Fig. 13 is a diagram depicting image pixels scanned by the plurality of light sources of Fig. 12 at a later time t 3 ;
• the scanning light source 12 includes one or more point sources of light. In one embodiment a monochromatic light source is used. In another embodiment red, green, and blue light sources are used. In various embodiments each light source is formed by a light emitting diode, a laser, or a light emitting plasma source. In some applications, the light source may be located remotely by coupling light into an optical fiber. Preferably the emitted light 22 is spatially coherent. In one embodiment the light source 12 is modulated as a function of the image signal 19. In another embodiment the light source includes a modulator which responds to the image signal 19 to modulate light from the light source. The light source 12 is a scanning light source which moves light emitters along a scanning path. The emitted light 22 passes through the optical subsystem 24 and onward to the display field 14.
• the support 44 is anchored at one end 45 and is free at an opposite end 47.
• the frequency of scanning is determined by the scanning signal 20'.
• the scanning signal 20' is preferably chosen to match the resonant frequency of the support 44 for the most efficient energy transfer.
• the frequency of the scanning signal 20' can be manually matched to the resonant frequency of the support or may be actively controlled by monitoring the motion of the support, as described U.S. Patent No.
• the emitter 42/62 moves in a first direction along the scanning axis 56 during a first half of the scanning period to generate one line of pixels.
• the support 44 moves through the predetermined angle to a first extreme deflection position.
• the emitter 42/62 moves in a second direction along the scanning path to generate another line of image pixels.
• the support 44 moves through the predetermined angle to a second extreme deflection position.
• the support 44 and light emitter move along the scanning axis 56 through the predetermined angular range to either the first or second extreme deflection position for each image line.
• the motion of the support 44 and emitter is driven alternatively in first and second directions along the scanning axis 56 during subsequent scanning periods to generate additional lines of the image.
• emitter 42762' emits red light 22' directed to a location in the display field 14 corresponding to pixel P 2 .
• emitter 42762" emits green light directed to a location in the display field 14 corresponding to pixel P and emitter 42"'/62'" emits blue light directed to a location in the display field 14 corresponding to a pixel P 4 .
• emitter 42762' emits red light 22' directed to a location in the display field 14 corresponding to pixel P 3 .
• emitter 42762" emits green light directed to a location in the display field 14 corresponding to pixel P 4 and emitter 42"V62'" emits blue light directed to a location in the display field 14 corresponding to a pixel P 5 .
• Fig. 14 shows diagrammatically how wavefronts of red, green and blue light from the various emitters arrive sequentially at the pixel locations for pixels P 2 , P 3 , P .
• Pixel P 2 is formed by pixel component wavefronts 90, 92, 94 from the blue, green and red emitters impinging on the P 2 location at differing times t 0 , t 1 ; and t 2 , respectively.
• the time interval between wavefronts is very short - on the order of 650 microseconds. Because the retina integrates light energy, the user perceives the three sets of light energy as arriving substantially simultaneously. The user perceives the pixel as a combination of the red, green and blue light energy.
• the volume 112 gets shorter and fatter, while the volume 114 gets longer and thinner.
• the support 44 is driven about the axis 88 in the opposite direction to a second extreme deflection.
• the light sources 84 are carried with the support 44 moving along the scanning axis 56.
• the period of the scanning signal 20 corresponds to the natural resonant frequency of the moving parts (e.g., frame 110, volumes 112, 114, support 44 and light emitter(s) 84).
• the scanning source 80 includes a position sensor for monitoring the position of the support 44 and light emitter 84.
• a common mode rejection piezoelectric sensor is used.
• An exemplary sensor 58 is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,694,237 issued December 2, 1997 entitled “Position Detection of Mechanical Resonant Scanner Mirror,” naming inventor Charles D. Melville, which is incorporated by reference.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Mechanical Optical Scanning Systems (AREA)
• Video Image Reproduction Devices For Color Tv Systems (AREA)
• Eye Examination Apparatus (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=21940162

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (5)

Families Citing this family (78)

Family Cites Families (16)

• 1998
  • 1998-05-04 US US09/072,013 patent/US6046720A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-05-05 DE DE69832795T patent/DE69832795T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-05-05 JP JP54804598A patent/JP2002514321A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 1998-05-05 AT AT98919710T patent/ATE313140T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-05-05 WO PCT/US1998/003192 patent/WO1998049927A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-05-05 EP EP98919710A patent/EP1006857B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

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