Imaging element

Abstract

Imaging elements are provided. An imaging element has a wireless communication circuit adapted to detect a wireless communication signal and to generate a control signal; an illumination circuit having an illumination element, the illumination circuit being adapted so that the illumination element generates light at an intensity that is based upon the control signal and a body containing the wireless communication circuit and the light source, wherein the body occupies a space that is less than about five cubic millimeters. The imaging element can also incorporate radiation sensors and can provide wireless signals indicative of sampled radiation.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is related to U.S. Serial No. (Attorney Docket No. 89233RRS) entitled DISPLAY, in the name of Kerr et al.; and U.S. Serial No. (Attorney Docket No. 89234RRS) entitled METHODS FOR MAKING DISPLAY, in the name of Kerr et al., all filed concurrently herewith. [0002] Reference is made to commonly assigned, co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 10 / 631,092, entitled A DIGITAL IMAGING ELEMENT in the name of Daniel Haas, filed on Jul. 31, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0003] The invention relates generally to the field of light emitting image displays. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] There is a general desire in the art of display technology to provide displays with high-resolution as measured in a number of imaging elements per unit area of the display surface and to provide displays that are low in cost. These objectives can be difficult to achieve in a single display. In particular, it is...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, an imaging element is provided. The imaging element has a wireless communication circuit adapted to detect a wireless communication signal and to generate a control signal; an illumination circuit having an illumination element, the illumination circuit being adapted so that the illumination element generates light at an intensity that is based upon the control signal and a body containing the wireless communication circuit and the light source, wherein the body occupies a space that is less than about five cubic millimeters.

[0010] In another aspect of the invention, an imaging element is provided. In this aspect, the imaging element has a radiation sensor adapted to sense radiation that is incident on the radiation sensor during an exposure period; a sensor driver adapted to determine an amount of radiation; an illumination circuit having an illumination element. The illumination circuit is adapted so that the illumination element generates light at an intensity that is based upon an control signal. A wireless communication circuit is adapted to detect a wireless communication signal and to generate a control signal based upon the wireless communication signal and is further adapted to generate a wireless communication signal indicative of the amount of sensed radiation during an exposure period; and a body containing the wireless communication circuit and the light source. Wherein the body occupies a space that is less than about five cubic millimeters.

[0011] In still another aspect of the invention an imaging element is provided. In this aspect, a radiation sensor is provided and is adapted to sense radiation that is incident on the radiation sensor including the amount of light emitted by the illumination element. A sensor driver is adapted to determine an amount of radiation radiate by the illumination element based upon the sensed radiation during an exposure period. An illumination circuit is also provided having an illumination element, the illumination circuit is adapted so that the illumination element generates light at an intensity that is based upon an control signal; a calibration circuit adapted to monitor the amount of light sensed by the radiation sensor and to adjust the amount of light emitted by the illumination element in response to control signals so that the amount of light corresponds to an amount of light that is to be generated by the illumination circuit in response to the control signal. A body contains the wireless communication circuit and the light source wherein said body occupies a space that is less than about 5 cubic millimeters.

[0012] In a further aspect of the invention an imaging element is provided. In this aspect of the invention, a radiation sensing and emitting material operable to provide a signal indicative of radiation that is incident on the radiation sensor and to generate radiation when energy is introduced into the radiation sensing and emitting material. A sensor driver is adapted to determine an amount of radiation sensed by the radiation sensing and emitting material. An illumination circuit is provided, the illumination circuit being adapted to controllably introduce energy into the radiation sensing and emitting material so that the radiation sensing material emits radiation at an intensity that is based upon a control signal. A wireless communication circuit is adapted to detect a wireless communication signal and to generate a control signal based upon the wireless communication signal and further adapted to generate a wireless communication signal indicative of the amount of sensed radiation during an exposure period; and a body containing the wireless communication circuit and the light source, wherein the body occupies a space that is less than about five cubic millimeters.

Problems solved by technology

These objectives can be difficult to achieve in a single display.

However, as the number of light emitting elements per unit area on a display increases, there is a decrease in available space between light emitting elements for the control lines and other circuits of the backplane.

Therefore, as the number of light emitting elements in the display increases, it becomes substantially more difficult to define a backplane on the same surface as the light emitting elements.

This approach can cause a variety of problems.

For example, inter-layer registration problems become difficult to solve in high-resolution displays.

This is because as the size of the light emitting elements is reduced it becomes increasingly difficult to align the circuits of the backplane with appropriate light emitting elements formed as another layer on the surface.

Further, the forming of multiple layers adds assembly steps and introduces the possibility of damaging the light emitting elements in the process of applying the backplane.

It will be appreciated that, even a single damaged light emitting element in a display can introduce an artifact in a displayed image that renders the display unsatisfactory for use by a consumer.

One barrier to the development of displays on flexible substrates is that it is difficult to maintain the integrity of the relationship between the backplane and the light emitting elements when the surface upon which they are formed can be deformed.

Further, there is a desire to form displays using non-flat surfaces such as curved or non-flat contours, fabrics, bottles, and the like as substrates, however, it is difficult to form backplanes using such surfaces.

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