Geometries for mitigating artifacts in see-through pixel arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11698557-B2
Application number	US-202016920332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2020
Priority date	Jul 5, 2019
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are dimming assemblies and display systems for reducing artifacts produced by optically-transmissive displays. A system may include a substrate upon which a plurality of electronic components are disposed. The electronic components may include a plurality of pixels, a plurality of conductors, and a plurality of circuit modules. The plurality of pixels may be arranged in a two-dimensional array, with each pixel having a two-dimensional geometry corresponding to a shape with at least one curved side. The plurality of conductors may be arranged adjacent to the plurality of pixels. The system may also include control circuitry electrically coupled to the plurality of conductors. The control circuitry may be configured to apply electrical signals to the plurality of circuit modules by way of the plurality of conductors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dimming assembly comprising:
an optically-transmissive substrate;
a plurality of electronic components disposed on the optically-transmissive substrate, the plurality of electronic components comprising:
a plurality of electrodes that are arranged spaced apart from one another in a two-dimensional array along a first direction and a second direction, the second direction being different than the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of electrodes has a two-dimensional geometry corresponding to a shape with a plurality of curved sides;
a plurality of conductors that are arranged within channels between neighboring electrodes from the plurality of electrodes in a two-dimensional lattice, wherein each of the plurality of conductors follows a curving path that conforms to the two-dimensional geometry of the plurality of electrodes, wherein a particular channel of the channels formed only between a first electrode and a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes includes a first conductor and a second conductor arranged within the particular channel and following a curving path of the particular channel, the second conductor being separate from the first conductor, and wherein the first conductor extends across the dimming assembly along the first direction and the second conductor extends across the dimming assembly along the second direction; and
a plurality of circuit modules that are arranged adjacent to the plurality of electrodes in a two-dimensional array, wherein each of the plurality of circuit modules is electrically coupled to (i) a respective electrode from the plurality of electrodes, and (ii) a respective pair of conductors from the plurality of conductors;

a planar electrode layer that is positioned in alignment with the plurality of electrodes;
one or more layers that are positioned between the optically-transmissive substrate and the planar electrode layer, wherein the one or more layers comprise one or more layers of material that respond to electric fields;
a light-blocking mask that is positioned in alignment with the plurality of conductors, wherein a width of the light-blocking mask is greater than a width of the channels between the neighboring electrodes, and wherein the light-blocking mask is configured to impede light from passing between the plurality of electrodes; and
control circuitry electrically coupled to the plurality of conductors and the planar electrode layer, the control circuitry configured to apply electrical signals to the plurality of circuit modules by way of the plurality of conductors to selectively generate one or more electric fields between the planar electrode layer and one or more of the plurality of electrodes in the two-dimensional array, respectively.

2. A display system comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of electronic components disposed on the substrate, the plurality of electronic components comprising:
a plurality of pixels that are arranged in a two-dimensional array along a first direction and a second direction, the second direction being different than the first direction, wherein each of the plurality of pixels has a two-dimensional geometry corresponding to a shape with at least one curved side;
a plurality of conductors that are arranged within channels between neighboring pixels from the plurality of pixels, wherein a particular channel of the channels formed only between a first pixel and a second pixel of the plurality of pixels includes a first conductor and a second conductor arranged within the particular channel and following a curving path of the particular channel, the second conductor being separate from the first conductor, and wherein the first conductor extends across the display system along the first direction and the second conductor extends across the display system along the second direction; and
a plurality of circuit modules that are arranged adjacent to the plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of circuit modules is electrically coupled to a respective pixel from the plurality of pixels and at least one conductor from the plurality of conductors;

a light-blocking mask that is positioned in alignment with the plurality of conductors, wherein a width of the light-blocking mask is greater than a width of the channels between the neighboring pixels, and wherein the light-blocking mask is configured to impede light from passing between the plurality of pixels; and
control circuitry electrically coupled to the plurality of conductors, the control circuitry configured to apply electrical signals to the plurality of circuit modules by way of the plurality of conductors.

3. The display system of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of conductors follows a curving path that conforms to the two-dimensional geometry of the plurality of pixels.

4. The display system of claim 2 , wherein the substrate is an optically-transmissive substrate.

5. The display system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of pixels are a plurality of electrodes.

6. The display system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a planar electrode layer that is positioned in alignment with the plurality of pixels.

7. The display system of claim 6 , further comprising:
one or more layers that are positioned between the substrate and the planar electrode layer, wherein the one or more layers comprise one or more layers of material that respond to electric fields.

8. The display system of claim 6 , wherein the control circuitry is further electrically coupled to the planar electrode layer.

9. The display system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry configured to apply electrical signals to the plurality of circuit modules by way of the plurality of conductors to selectively generate one or more electric fields between the planar electrode layer and one or more of the plurality of pixels in the two-dimensional array, respectively.

10. The display system of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of circuit modules is electrically coupled to a pair of conductors from the plurality of conductors.

11. The display system of claim 2 , wherein each of the shapes includes a plurality of curved sides.

12. The display system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of pixels form a particular tessellation.

13. A display system comprising:
a first optically-transmissive substrate upon which a first set of one or more electrodes are disposed;
a second optically-transmissive substrate upon which a second set of one or more electrodes are disposed;
a plurality of conductors that are arranged within channels between neighboring electrodes from either the first set of one or more electrodes or the second set of one or more electrodes, wherein a particular channel of the channels formed only between a first electrode and a second electrode includes a first conductor and a second conductor arranged within the particular channel and following a curving path of the particular channel, the second conductor being separate from the first conductor, and wherein the first conductor extends across the display system along a first direction and the second conductor extends across the display system along a second direction, the second direction being different than the first direction;
one or more layers that are positioned between the first set of one or more electrodes and the second set of one or more electrodes, wherein the one or more layers comprise one or more layers of material that respond to electric fields;
a quantity of material disposed in a particular geometric pattern over the second optically-transmissive substrate, wherein the quantity of material includes a light-blocki

Assignees

• Magic Leap Inc

Inventors

• Russell Andrew Ian
• Trisnadi Jahja I
• Mathur Vaibhav
• Manly David
• Johnson Michael Robert
• Carlisle Clinton

Classifications

• G02F1/1393

  the birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells (G02F1/1396, G02F1/141 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02C7/101 Primary

  having an electro-optical light valve (electro-optical elements per se G02F) · CPC title

• G02F1/136286

  Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line · CPC title

• G02F1/1345 Primary

  Conductors connecting electrodes to cell terminals · CPC title

• G02F1/134336

  Matrix · CPC title