John H Waterman

US Patent:

6469766, Oct 22, 2002

Filed:

Dec 18, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/740187

Inventors:

John K. Waterman - Mesa AZ
John D. Titus - Phoenix AZ

Assignee:

Three-Five Systems, Inc. - Tempe AZ

International Classification:

G02F 11343

US Classification:

349144, 349145

Abstract:

The present invention comprises a flat panel display, such as a liquid crystal microdisplay having a plurality of square and rectangular pixel electrodes that are addressable separately to produce a fine resolution display or addressable in combination to create a lower resolution display. By providing an array of square pixel electrodes with adjacent rectangular electrodes, the display is capable of displaying, for example, XGA or SXGA video data, full-size undistorted and in its native display format, thus obviating the need for expensive image processing chips to convert the image data from one format to another.

US Patent:

6693613, Feb 17, 2004

Filed:

May 21, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/862075

Inventors:

John Karl Waterman - Mesa AZ
Jason Wellman - Scottsdale AZ

Assignee:

Three-Five Systems, Inc. - Tempe AZ

International Classification:

G09G 318

US Classification:

345 87, 345 53

Abstract:

A liquid crystal display (LCD) system, comprising a matrix of pixels, actuates each pixel by applying positive and negative voltage differences across a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer is parallel to a transparent cover. The transparent cover is adjacent to a cover electrode. Each pixel includes a pixel electrode positioned on the opposite side of the liquid crystal layer from the cover electrode. The positive and negative voltage differences are asymmetric to compensate for polarity-dependent characteristics of the LCD materials. The positive and negative voltage differences are applied for durations that counterbalance the asymmetric rates of charge accumulation.

US Patent:

6714179, Mar 30, 2004

Filed:

Oct 9, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/685834

Inventors:

John Karl Waterman - Mesa AZ

Assignee:

Three-Five Systems, Inc. - Tempe AZ

International Classification:

G09G 336

US Classification:

345 87, 345 98, 345204, 345690

Abstract:

A matrix of liquid crystal pixels ( ) is provided. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) ( , and ) is coupled to the matrix and produces an output voltage that can be applied to one or more pixels in the matrix. The DAC ( , and ) receives a calibrated multi-bit digital input and generates its output voltage to correspond to the digital input. A reference voltage generator ( ) generates at least two reference voltages at an output that is coupled to one input of a comparator ( ). Another input of the comparator ( ) is coupled to the DAC ( , and ) output. When the comparator ( ) is activated, it outputs one of two signals: a first signal when one input receives a higher voltage; and a second signal when the other input receives a higher voltage. A digital calibrator ( ) has at least one output and at least one input. The digital calibrator ( ) is adapted to receive an uncalibrated multi-bit digital signal at the input.

US Patent:

6727872, Apr 27, 2004

Filed:

Oct 8, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/972745

Inventors:

Matthias Pfeiffer - Mesa AZ
Terrence R. Klein - Averill Park NY
Russell J. Flack - Scottsdale AZ
John Karl Waterman - Mesa AZ

Assignee:

Brillian Corporation - Tempe AZ

International Classification:

G09G 336

US Classification:

345 87, 345 89

Abstract:

A liquid crystal display (LCD) system, comprising a matrix of pixels, analyzes a video data stream for grayscale level jumps from extreme black to moderate gray levels. Transitions in grayscale levels are restricted between adjacent pixels so as to reduce image degradation due to fringe field effects. A memory, such as a shift register, may be used to store and then grayscale levels to be written to adjacent pixels are compared and if a difference between these grayscale levels exceed a certain value then at least one of the grayscale levels is modified.

US Patent:

6731257, May 4, 2004

Filed:

Oct 8, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/972746

Inventors:

Matthias Pfeiffer - Mesa AZ
Terence R. Klein - Averill Park NY
Russell J. Flack - Scottsdale AZ
John Karl Waterman - Mesa AZ

Assignee:

Brillian Corporation - Tempe AZ

International Classification:

G09G 336

US Classification:

345 87, 345 89

Abstract:

A liquid crystal display (LCD) system, comprising a matrix of pixels, analyzes a video data stream for grayscale level jumps from extreme black to moderate gray levels. Transitions in grayscale levels are restricted between adjacent pixels so as to reduce image degradation due to fringe field effects. A memory, such as a plurality of shift registers, may be used to store grayscale levels of adjacent pixels which are compared and if a ratio between these grayscale levels exceeds a desire value then at least one of the grayscale levels is modified.

US Patent:

6738056, May 18, 2004

Filed:

Jul 25, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/912783

Inventors:

John Karl Waterman - Mesa AZ

Assignee:

Brillian Corporation - Tempe AZ

International Classification:

G09G 500

US Classification:

345213, 348500

Abstract:

A system for handling an input video stream comprises an internal clock generator generating a first clock and a synchronization unit receiving the input video stream having an associated second clock being slower than the first clock. The synchronization unit samples the second clock with the first clock thereby generating a third clock synchronized with the first clock having no signal in case of a data gap. This signal can be used to determine the dwelling time for a charge being applied to a pixel which will be constant even without a buffer memory.

US Patent:

6744415, Jun 1, 2004

Filed:

Jul 25, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/915172

Inventors:

John Karl Waterman - Mesa AZ
Russell Flack - Scottsdale AZ
Terry Klein - Averill Park NY
Andreas Grubert - Houston TX

Assignee:

Brillian Corporation - Tempe AZ

International Classification:

G09G 336

US Classification:

345 87, 345 88, 345 89, 345 93, 345 94, 345 95, 345100, 345101, 345204, 345208, 345210, 345211, 345690, 345699

Abstract:

A matrix of liquid crystal pixels ( ) is provided. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) ( ) is coupled to the matrix and produces an output voltage that can be applied to one or more pixels in the matrix. The DAC ( ) receives a multi-bit digital input and generates its output voltage to correspond to the digital input. The conversion function of the DAC is adapted to have a higher resolution within a voltage range in which most grayshade changes of the LCD occur.

US Patent:

6850218, Feb 1, 2005

Filed:

Dec 18, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/740287

Inventors:

John Karl Waterman - Mesa AZ, US

Assignee:

Brillian Corporation - Tempe AZ

International Classification:

G09G 336

US Classification:

345103, 345 87

Abstract:

A liquid crystal display (LCD) having a matrix of liquid crystal pixels is provided. A plurality of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are coupled to the LCD matrix through analog voltage switches and are adapted to produce output voltages that are applied to the pixels in the LCD matrix. Through the combination of DACs and analog voltage switches, groups of pixels are pre-written to an average value of the pixels in that group which is fairly close to their final voltage values of each pixel so that the liquid crystal material can begin slewing and settling as early as possible. Then one or more writes to each of the pixels is made of the precise voltage value desired at each of the pixels. Alternate, adjacent odd and even rows of pixels may be written together and then only the even or odd rows are finally written to obtain the desired final voltage values at each of the pixels in the LCD.