Display system having electrode modulation to alter a state of an electro ...

United States Patent

McKnight

[19]

US006104367A [ii] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

6,104,367 Aug. 15, 2000

[54] DISPLAY SYSTEM HAVING ELECTRODE MODULATION TO ALTER A STATE OF AN ELECTRO-OPTIC LAYER

[75] Inventor: Douglas McKnight, Boulder, Colo.

[73] Assignee: Colorado MicroDisplay, Inc., Boulder, Colo.

[21] Appl. No.: 08/920,602 [22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1997

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation-in-part of application No. 08/801,994, Feb. 18, 1997, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 08/770,233, Dec. 19, 1996, Pat. No. 5,920,298.

[51] Int. CI. G09G 3/36

[52] U.S. CI 345/94; 345/95; 345/99;

345/103; 345/208

[58] Field of Search 345/87, 88, 90,

345/93, 95, 98, 99, 50, 51, 84, 113, 115, 150, 151, 205-208, 94, 103, 210

[56] References Cited

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Methods and apparatuses for display systems which modulate a control electrode to cause an electro-optic layer to be reset to a state in which display data is not viewable. In one embodiment of the invention, a display system includes a first substrate having a first plurality of pixel electrodes for receiving a first plurality of pixel data values representing a first image to be displayed. The display system further includes an electro-optic layer which is operatively coupled to the pixel electrodes, a control device coupled to at least one of the pixel electrodes and an electrode operatively coupled to the electro-optic layer. The display system displays the first image and then applies a first control voltage to the electrode to alter a state of the electro-optic layer such that the first image is substantially not displayed and then the display system displays a second image represented by a second plurality of pixel data values after the electrode receives a second control voltage. The control device applies a first reference voltage to the at least one pixel electrode before the display system displays the second image. Various other apparatuses and methods are described.

34 Claims, 30 Drawing Sheets

Page 2

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