Patent ID: 7018052

Claim:
A rear or front projection TV, comprising: an array of micromirrors, wherein the micromirrors comprise micromirror plates that are connected via hinges to a substrate, and wherein the substrate, micromirror plates and hinges are disposed in different planes; a light source for providing light to the array of micromirrors; a screen on which an image to be viewed is displayed; wherein light from the light source is incident on the array of micromirrors during operation and directed as the image to be viewed on the screen; wherein the micromirrors are capable of movement between an OFF state and an ON state by pulse width modulation to form the image on the screen; and wherein the micromirror array is rectangular with four sides, and wherein each micromirror of the array has no micromirror plate sides that are parallel to any of the four sides of the micromirror array, and wherein light from the light source incident on the array of micromirrors is a) substantially perpendicular to a side of the micromirror array, b) substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the micromirrors, and c) not perpendicular to any micromirror plate sides of the micromirrors.