Abstract: A backlight unit contains a light source, a light guiding plate, and a turning film having a light entry and a light exit surface comprising first prismatic structures on the exit surface, wherein (a) the first prismatic structures on the turning film are characterized by a far base angle (?1) and a near base angle (?2); (b) the light source comprising an array of individual sources of differing colors; (c) the light guiding plate being located to provide light from each individual light source having a different principle angle to the turning film for each color; and the light guiding plate being arranged in a manner relative to the light source and the turning film and its first prismatic structures and base angles so as to reduce the amount of color separation at the exit surface of the turning film compared to the same device using a single light source.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a turning film and a backlight containing the film. The turning film comprises a light entry and a light exit surface comprising first prismatic structures on the exit surface and second prismatic structures or lenticular structures on the light entry surface, wherein (a) the first prismatic elements are characterized by a far base angle (?1) and a near base angle (?2); and (b) the second prismatic or lenticular elements are characterized by a far base angle (?1) and a near base angle (?2); provided that the values of the angles in subparagraphs (a) and (b) are selected to provide a reduced degree of color separation compared to the same film with only the first prismatic elements on the exit surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of generating a second peak wavelength of reflected light from a cholesteric liquid crystal having a first peak wavelength of reflected light comprising by exposing or conditioning the cholesteric liquid crystal to a high temperature or a high humidity. The invention also relates to an electrically modulated imaging layer and a display containing a liquid crystal material that has conditioned and unconditioned forms, wherein the unconditioned form of liquid crystal material reflects a first wavelength of light and wherein the conditioned form of liquid crystal material reflects a second wavelength of light.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a wire grid polarizer includes a plurality of parallel conductors having a pitch (P), a width (W), and a height (H). In example embodiments, a fill-factor (W/P) is greater than approximately 0.18 and less than approximately 0.25. In another example embodiment, a display system includes a light source and a light-valve. The display system also includes a wire grid polarizer that includes a plurality of parallel conductors having a pitch (P), a width (W), and a height (H). In example embodiments, a fill-factor (W/P) is greater than approximately 0.18 and less than approximately 0.25.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical device comprising a polarizer package comprising an integrated combination of an absorbing layer and a compensator. Two of the identical polarizer packages can be crossed and used in a transmissive optical device. This polarizer package can also be used in combination with a reflective plate and a quarter wave plate in a reflective optical device. Such polarizer packages exhibit an improved viewing angle characteristic across all wavelengths of interest, has a large tolerance for compensators to be aligned relative to their preferred directions, and can be used within an LCD or emissive display system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of forming a nanostructured pattern on a substrate. The steps include providing a substrate and coating the substrate with functional material to form a layer of functional material. A block copolymer of at least an A polymer chain and a B polymer chain is coated on the functional material to forma a layer. The block copolymer is dried to form ordered nanodomains. The A polymer chain of the dried block copolymer is removed to form voids and the functional material is then removed from where the A polymer chain has been removed.

Abstract: A backlight apparatus comprises (a) a light source; (b) a light guiding plate; and (c) a light redirecting article for redirecting light toward various angles, the light redirecting article comprising a plurality of prismatic structures with a selected apex angle, a selected first base angle, a selected second base angle and comprising a material having a selected refractive index value, the selections being sufficient to provide improved luminance at a 60° polar angle wherein the prismatic structures are essentially parallel to the length direction of the light guiding plate.

Abstract: The invention relates a wire grid polarizer that includes a micropatterned substrate having channels. An electrically conductive material is disposed on the micropatterned substrate in strips having a width of 10 to 20 nm and oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the channels.

Abstract: Apparatus for driving a cholesteric liquid crystal display wherein the display includes cholesteric liquid crystals having a first planar reflective state and a second transparent focal conic state, which is respectively responsive to different applied fields. The apparatus further includes an addressing structure having rows and columns of conductors arranged so that when a column and a row overlap, they define a selectable pixel or segment to be viewable or non-viewable, and a single drive chip responsive to a single input voltage for applying selected voltages to rows and columns of conductors, so that selectable unipolar fields are applied across the cholesteric liquid crystals of the pixels to selectively change the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a diffusely-reflecting polarizer comprising: a first polymer which is amorphous and having a birefringence of less than about 0.02 and a second polymer, the first polymer being a continuous phase, and the second polymer being a disperse phase whose index of refraction differs from said continuous phase by greater than about 0.05 along a first axis and by less than about 0.05 along a second axis orthogonal to said first axis; wherein the diffuse-reflectivity of said first and second polymers taken together along at least one axis for at least one polarization state of electromagnetic radiation is at least about 50%, the diffuse transmittance of said first and second polymers taken together along at least one axis for at least one polarization state of electromagnetic radiation is at least about 50%.

Abstract: A process for making a diffusely reflecting polarizer comprises the steps of arranging polymeric fibers containing certain fibrils and forming a solid film. A diffusely-reflective polarizer employs the film to effect polarization.

Abstract: A fiber comprises a birefringent fibril discontinuous polymeric phase dispersed in a continuous polymeric phase with prescribed matched and mis-matched refractive indices. A diffusely polarizing organic film, optical element, display, and method of making such a film are also disclosed.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a backlight unit for providing substantially unpolarized illumination, a rear polarizer proximate the backlight unit for receiving the incident substantially unpolarized illumination and transmitting substantially polarized illumination. A liquid crystal spatial light modulator forms a modulated beam by selective, pixel-wise modulation of the polarization of the substantially polarized illumination. A color filter array transmits selected wavelengths of the modulated beam from the LC spatial light modulator. A front polarizer has a transmission axis for transmitting the portion of the modulated beam having polarization in alignment with the transmission axis. A reflective polarizing element is disposed between the liquid crystal spatial light modulator and the front polarizer for reflecting a portion of dark state light back toward the backlight unit.

Abstract: A display apparatus (30) has an LC device (14) exhibiting its maximum contrast with incident light at an oblique angle ? from normal, wherein oblique angle ? is greater than about +/?10 degrees from normal. A backlight unit (32) provides substantially collimated illumination with a central ray at an incident angle ?2 with respect to the LC device (14), wherein incident angle ?2 within about +/?5 degrees of oblique angle ?. The full-width half-maximum intensity of the illumination is within about +/?10 degrees of the central ray at incident angle ?2.

Abstract: A light redirecting article redirects light toward a target angle. The light redirecting article is made from a material having a refractive index greater than 1.6. The light redirecting article has an input surface for accepting incident illumination over a range of incident angles and an output surface with a plurality of light redirecting structures, each light redirecting structure having a near surface and an exit surface for emitting an output light at an emitted light angle, wherein the exit surface is at an oblique angle relative to the plane of the input surface. For incident illumination at either of at least two different principal angles, each principal angle being greater than 60 degrees from normal and the principal angles having a difference of 5 degrees or greater, the emitted light angle is within 5 degrees of the target angle.

Abstract: This invention relates to a light redirecting article that redirects light toward a target angle, the light redirecting article having an input surface for accepting incident illumination over a first range of incident angles when in a first position and over a second range of incident angles when in a second position: the output surface having a number of light redirecting structures, each having a first exit surface sloping away from normal in one direction as defined by a first base angle ?1, wherein the first exit surface redirects illumination with the light redirecting article in the first position, and a second exit surface sloping away from normal, in the opposite direction relative to the first exit surface, wherein the second exit surface redirects illumination with the light redirecting article in the second position and wherein first and second base angles ?1 and ?2 are unequal.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus for providing illumination, comprising: a) an array of surface-emitting light sources, wherein each surface-emitting light source directs a source illumination beam, over a beam angle ?, toward an illumination plane; b) an array of beam spreading optical elements corresponding with the array of surface-emitting light sources, wherein refraction of the source illumination beam by each beam spreading optical element substantially satisfies a distribution function: dy / d ? ? ? = f ? ( ? ) wherein y is a radial distance along the illumination plane from the optical axis of the beam-spreading optical element, dy is an arbitrarily small increment of the radial distance, d? is the angular increment of the beam angle corresponding to dy, and ƒ(?) is the distribution function for the angular distribution of the light source, such that each beam spreading optical element adjusts the luminous intensity of the source illumination beam from the corresponding surface-emitt

Abstract: A system for creating a patterned polarization compensator (550) has a retardance characterization system (560) for optically scanning the spatially variant retardance of a spatial light modulator (210). A compensator patterning system (565) writes a spatially variant photo-alignment pattern on a substrate (555) of a polarization compensator. The patterned polarization compensator is completed by a process that includes providing a photo-alignment layer onto which spatially variant photo-alignment layer is formed, providing a liquid crystal polymer layer onto the photo-alignment layer, and then fixing the liquid crystal polymer layer to form a spatially variant retardance pattern into the structure of the patterned polarization compensator.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus for providing illumination, comprising: a) an array of surface-emitting light sources, wherein each surface-emitting light source directs a source illumination beam, over a beam angle ?, toward an illumination plane; b) an array of beam spreading optical elements corresponding with the array of surface-emitting light sources, wherein refraction of the source illumination beam by each beam spreading optical element substantially satisfies a distribution function: dy/d?=ƒ(?) wherein y is a radial distance along the illumination plane from the optical axis of the beam-spreading optical element, dy is an arbitrarily small increment of the radial distance, d? is the angular increment of the beam angle corresponding to dy, and ƒ(?) is the distribution function for the angular distribution of the light source, such that each beam spreading optical element adjusts the luminous intensity of the source illumination beam from the corresponding surface-emitting light source to provide a uniformized

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical compensator comprising two substantially identical integral optical components, each of the said optical components containing a substrate, an orientation layer, and an anisotropic layer, in that order, wherein the said two optical components are bonded together in parallel so that the anisotropic layer in one component is positioned orthogonally relative to the anisotropic layer in the other about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the substrates. Also disclosed is a process for making such a compensator.