Abstract: A controllable waveguide display based on a cladding (3), supercladding (1 and 6) and/or core (4) utilizing liquid crystals is described. An electric field applied through a fiber causes the liquid crystal layer to become aligned. Changes in the refractive index of the liquid crystal layer causes light to switch out of the fiber. In one embodiment light is coupled into a supercladding (6) running alongside the core and reflected out of the fiber at a reflector pit (35) cut in the fiber. Parallel arrays of fibers are used to cover a substrate and make large viewing screens. A tapered supercladding (6) helps improve the contrast ratio of screens using fiber taps. A thin cladding (3) and closely spaced dark cladding (2) also help improve the screen contrast ratio. Color techniques based on a three core fiber that shares a single supercladding (1) is introduced.

Abstract: A thin, large, high-definition television screen employs optical waveguides. Light (32) flows through waveguides (28) arranged, in parallel, across a substrate (64). Light from a source (44) is coupled into the waveguides using a Graded Index (GRIN) microlens array (56). Taps (37) direct light out and make it visible at different locations along the length of the waveguides. Long interaction length (8) taps with deflectors (10) are introduced which enable many waveguides to be placed side-by-side and still maintain high screen resolutions. Polymers, both electro-optic and non-electro-optic, are used in one embodiment as a waveguide building material. However, acousto-optic, thermo-optic (86) and magneto-optic effects may also be used with other materials such as glass and silicon dioxide. This display can be economically produced by forming a flexible waveguide ribbon (62) which integrates multiple waveguides (1), intensity modulators (40) and taps (38) into a single unit.

Abstract: A thin, large, high definition television screen (2) employs optical waveguides (22). Light continually flows through waveguides closely arranged, in parallel (86), across a substrate. Light is prematurely made to exit (32) the waveguide cores by intensity modulators (66) and taps (64) placed along the length of the waveguides. The intensity modulators control the brightness of light in the waveguides. Taps direct intensity-modulated light out of the waveguides to the viewer (68). Systematically modulating the intensity of light and tapping light out of a system of parallel waveguides allows still and moving images to be formed. The preferred embodiment employs acoustic intensity modulators and taps. Sound waves (34) propagate perpendicularly (3) to the direction of light flow (5) causing changes in the index of refraction in the waveguides via the acousto-optic effect. Electro-optic modulators (42) and thin-film (86) waveguides can also be used in place of acousto-optic modulators and discrete fibers.

Abstract: A thin-panel, large, high-definition television screen employs optical waveguides. Light (32) flows through waveguides (28) arranged, in parallel, across a substrate (64). Light from a source (44) is coupled into the waveguides using a Graded Index (GRIN) microlens array (56). Taps (37) direct light out and make it visible at different locations along the length of the waveguides. Long interaction length (8) taps with reflectors (10) are introduced which enable many waveguides to be staggered and placed side-by-side to maintain high screen resolutions. Polymers, both electro-optic and non-electro-optic, are used in the preferred embodiment as a waveguide building material. However, acousto-optic, thermo-optic (86) and magneto-optic effects may also be used with other materials such as glass and silicon dioxide. This display can be economically produced by forming a flexible waveguide ribbon (62) which integrates multiple waveguides (1), intensity modulators (40) and taps (38) into a single unit.

Abstract: A hand held scanning device (20) has a sensing unit (26) consisting of a first linear array (30) of light emitting diodes (LEDs) (32) spaced from and parallel to a second linear array (34) of photosensitive element integrated circuits (36). The LEDs (32) and integrated circuits (36) are mounted on a common substrate (60) facing opening (29) in bottom surface (24) of housing (22). A roller (28) is parallel to the sensing unit (26). A wheel (82) containing light and dark areas is positioned to be rotated by the roller (28). The roller (28) assures that the scanning device (20) travels in a straight line path when it is moved along a sheet of paper. The light and dark areas of the wheel (82) are sensed to define line scans of the device (20) and uniform light exposure by the LEDs (32) on the basis of distance travelled along the sheet of paper. A light collimating fiber optic plate (67) is positioned over each integrated circuit (36).