Scanning Mirror Position Determination with Amplifier Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Scanning display devices with non-linear beam trajectories often fail to accurately intersect pixel locations, leading to image distortion and inefficiencies due to the beam traversing areas without underlying pixel data.
Innovation Solution
A projection system employing a microelectromechanical scanning mirror with position sensors and an amplifier compensation circuit, which determines and corrects the beam's position in real-time, allowing for accurate interpolation of pixel intensity values even when the beam trajectory is non-linear, ensuring proper alignment with pixel grids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a non-linear beam trajectory is used for scanning, then the beam can cover the display surface more flexibly, but the beam fails to accurately intersect pixel locations causing image distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures the actual angular displacement of the scanning mirror using position sensors and feeds this information back to determine the true beam position. This feedback mechanism allows the system to compensate for non-linearities in the mirror's motion, ensuring accurate beam positioning even when using flexible non-linear scan trajectories.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical positioning assumptions with an optical/electrical measurement system. Instead of relying on the mechanical scanner to perfectly follow a predetermined trajectory, the system uses position sensors to measure the actual trajectory and uses this measured information to determine pixel locations, substituting mechanical precision requirements with measurement and computation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the beam scans in a non-linear pattern, then the display can achieve complex scan patterns, but the beam traverses portions with no underlying pixel data leading to data loss
Solution Approach 1:
By continuously measuring the actual beam position through position sensors and using this feedback information, the system can determine which pixel locations the beam actually visits during non-linear scanning. This allows the system to maintain complete pixel data coverage even when using complex scan patterns that would otherwise miss certain pixel locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter used to define beam position from a simple function of mirror drive signals to a measured parameter based on actual angular displacement. This parameter change allows the system to accurately track beam position during complex non-linear scans and ensure all necessary pixel data is captured.
3Device complexity
If amplifier characteristics are not compensated, then the system is simpler, but time-variant characteristics cause beam position determination errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from position sensors to measure the actual angular displacement of the scanning mirror. This measured feedback information is used to compensate for time-variant amplifier characteristics, allowing the system to maintain accurate beam position determination despite the added complexity of compensation circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces position sensors as an intermediary element between the scanning mirror and the beam position determination system. These sensors provide an independent measurement of mirror position that is not affected by amplifier characteristics, serving as a mediator that enables accurate position determination even when the amplifier's time-variant behavior cannot be perfectly compensated.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables precise alignment and interpolation of pixel data, reducing image distortion and improving display accuracy by compensating for time-variant amplifier characteristics, thus effectively addressing the inefficiencies caused by non-linear beam trajectories.
Implementation Method 1
Some display devices create an image by scanning a beam of varying intensity across a display surface
Implementation Method 2
A projection system employing a microelectromechanical scanning mirror with position sensors
Data Source
AI summary
A scanning projector includes a mirror that scans in two dimensions, at least one of which is sinusoidal. A position sensor provides a position signal that represents an angular displacement of the mirror. The position signal is amplified by an amplifier with time variant characteristics. A beam position determination component compensates for the time variant characteristics of the amplifier.