Abstract: A substrate for liquid crystal display elements is provided, which can meet a variety of required optical characteristics and, at the same time, improve the utilization factor of light without the possibility of inducing a signal delay. A predetermined number of pairs of a transparent film having a high refractive index and a transparent film having a low refractive index, each composed of a dielectric material, are stacked on a transparent substrate. The high refractive index transparent film and the low refractive index transparent film have refractive indices of light of not less than 1.8 and not more than 1.5 at a wavelength of 550 nm, respectively. The predetermined number of pairs is 1 or more, and the high refractive index transparent film and the low refractive index transparent film each have a film thickness thereof set to such a value that the light reflectance in a visible light region of each of the transparent films is within a range of 5-95%.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having a back side light source, which can perform displays of both a transmissive type and a reflective type, employs interference filters formed with a multilayer film 18, 19 and 20 as color filters to be used for color display. The back side light source is switched off in use as a reflective type display. The display in the liquid crystal display device can be inverted to a negative. The normal direction of the multilayer film of the interference filter may differ from the normal direction of a substrate.

Abstract: A reflection type color display device and a reflection type of direct-view color display device are provided. The reflection type color display device includes a spatial light modulator having a collection of pixels and a controllable transmittance per pixel, with a reflection type hologram color filter located on the back side of the modulator. The reflection type of direct-view color display device includes a hologram color filter which has an array of light-collecting holograms. Each of the light-collecting holograms has its own hologram color filter, reflection type hologram, and transmission type spatial light modulator located between the hologram color filter and the reflection type hologram.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises an optically uniaxial or optically biaxial transparent stretched film. A Re retardation value in plane of the transparent stretched film measured at 550 nm fluctuates, in any direction parallel to the transparent stretched film surface, within the range of ±5 nm based on the average Re value in each direction. A Rth retardation value along a thickness direction of the transparent stretched film fluctuates, in any direction parallel to the transparent stretched film surface, within the range of ±10 nm based on the average Rth value in each direction.

Abstract: A reflection-type liquid crystal display apparatus capable of securing sufficient brightness, gray scale display and reducing color changes with a viewing angle, and a cost-effective manufacturing method of the same. As a reflector, a light interference reflector having preferably a grating structure for selectively reflecting light only in a particular wavelength range by using light interference is used, incident light is selectively reflected by the light interference reflector, and reflected light having only wavelengths of R, G and B is individually made incident on respective pixel portions of R, G and B. The light interference reflector performs the function of a color filter. Thus, a reflection-type liquid crystal display apparatus is provided, which is capable of securing sufficient brightness without using any color filters, in addition to providing gray scale display and reducing color changes with a viewing angle.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of polarizing plates; a liquid crystal panel interposed between the pair of polarizing plates and including a liquid crystal layer having a pair of regions corresponding to each of pixels, alignment directions of liquid crystal molecules in the pair of regions being different by about 180 degrees from each other, the liquid crystal panel having a first slow axis; a first phase plate having a second slow axis which is horizontal to a surface thereof and perpendicular to the first slow axis; and a second phase plate having a third slow axis which is perpendicular to both of the first slow axis and the second slow axis. The liquid crystal material has a dependency of birefringence anisotropy (&Dgr;n) from 20° C. to 60° C. ([&Dgr;n(20° C.)−&Dgr;n(60° C.)]/40) of 0.00026 or less.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a normally white super twisted nematic (NW-STN) display comprising a super twisted nematic (STN) display cell and a compensation layer, characterized in that the compensation layer is a twisted liquid crystalline polymer and has an optical retardation (OR) which is 10 to 50% of the OR of the display cell in the off-state, and wherein the absolute value of the twist angle of the compensation layer is between 150° and 10° and is at least 90° smaller that the absolute value of the twist angle of the STN display cell. Preferably, the compensation layer of the NW-STN display is temperature matched with the STN display cell.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display for displaying an image to be visible for a viewer, has a liquid crystal, a pair of electrodes for controlling an orientation of at least a part of the liquid crystal in accordance with an electric field between the electrodes, a light source for generating a light to be transmitted through the liquid crystal to the viewer, a pair of first and second polarizer plates, the first polarizer plate being arranged between the liquid crystal and the light source, and the second polarizer plate being arranged between the liquid crystal and the viewer, and a band-pass filter for absorbing a component of the light, a wave-length of which component is not more than 440 nm, and the band-pass filter being arranged between the light source and the viewer.

Abstract: A light valve (1) for controlled transmission of light comprises a first (4, 5, 6) and a second (8, 9) element at least one (8, 9) of which two elements is controllably movable into optical contact with the other element (4, 5, 6). Each facing side of the elements is provided with an interference filter layer (6, 8), which interference filter layers (6, 8), when being in optical contact with each other, have a transmission for light projected onto the light valve in a wavelength range determined by the interference filter layers (6, 8), which transmission differs from the transmission in the case where the interference filter layers (6, 8) are not in optical contact with each other. Such light valves (1) are used in devices comprising a light source (3) and for displaying signals that are present in an electronic form. The light valve (1) is used to control the transmission of light emitted by the light source (3) based on signals which are present in an electronic form.

Abstract: A reflection liquid crystal display of the multilayered interference film type with both sufficient color purity and sufficient white level is provided using interference films having a large difference in refractive index, &Dgr;n, between two kinds of dielectric. In this reflection type liquid crystal display, at least two combinations of a transparent substrate, a multilayered film, and a light transmission layer, each for a different color, are stacked on a plane of the display. It is desirable that the difference between refractive indexes of the two different kinds of dielectric layers is &Dgr;n>1.2.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display has a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal between transparent substrates, and a plurality of phase gratings are formed in the holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal so as to selectively reflect light components for the three primary colors.

Abstract: A reflection type liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is constructed to include: a light modulation layer having a light scattering state changed when a voltage is applied between electrode faces; at least one kind of color separation layer arranged at the back of the liquid crystal; and a reflection layer arranged at the back of the color separation layer. The light modulation layer is a polymer network type polymer scattered liquid crystal layer or a phase conversion type liquid crystal layer, and the color separation mirror is a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer layer or a dielectric multi-layered thin film characterized to reflect a light within a predetermined wavelength range in the visible light region selectively. A reflection preventing layer and an ultraviolet ray cut-off layer are further arranged on the surfaces of the electrode faces.

Abstract: Methods of and apparatuses for reducing the solar or infrared loading on display devices. A reflective material is positioned between a radiant energy source and the absorptive material of a display device to reflect wavelengths of radiant energy in the infrared or near-infrared range. The reflective material allows visible radiant energy to be transmitted, while reflecting the infrared radiant energy to reduce the infrared loading on the display device. The present invention reduces the temperature rise of the display device due to infrared loading by reflection rather than absorption of the radiant energy, while preserving the integrity of the visible wavelength range. The reflective material reduces the infrared loading on the display device by up to 50%.

Abstract: A display panel having compensation using holographic birefringent films. Due to the natural birefringence of liquid crystals, contrast suffers when a liquid crystal cell is viewed at an oblique incident angle. Compensation devices made of birefringent media are used to correct this deficiency. The compensation devices include at least one film, the birefringence of which is induced by the recording of a volume hologram consisting of parallel fringes. The choice of the optical birefringent axes depends only on the orientation of the fringes so that it is easy to achieve compensation using uniaxial films which are inclined with respect to the plane of the film.

Abstract: A substrate provided with a multi-layer film, the reflectance of which is incidence angle dependency is disposed between a planar light emitting body and a liquid crystal panel. Rays of light within a predetermined angle from the light emitting body are selectively caused to enter the liquid crystal panel through the substrate provided with the multi-layer film.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises a reflective type liquid crystal panel with pixels which are arranged in two-dimentionally and which modulate irradiated light utilizing polymer dispersed liquid crystal capable of exhibiting two conditions including scattering and unscattering. The device is provided with an optical member having a multiple-interference effect at a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the reflective type liquid crystal panel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid-crystal display device and a process for manufacturing the same, wherein the unit achieves an inhibition of reduction in the displaying brightness even when used for a color reflection-type liquid-crystal display device, and a restriction of variation in the color tone which varies depending on the quantity of incident light. For each of the pixel regions, a pixel reflective layer 13 is formed with Ta. On the surface of each of a plurality of the pixel regions, three anodic oxide films 13a, 13b and 13c are formed with mutually different thicknesses. The thicknesses of the anodic oxide films are determined such that light reflected by the pixel reflective layer 13 is colored into three different colors.

Abstract: A display system having a non-absorbing and reflective color filtering array and a reflector to improve light utilization efficiency. One implementation of the color filtering array uses a surface plasmon filter having two symmetric metal-dielectric interfaces coupled with each other to produce a transmission optical wave at a surface plasmon resonance wavelength at one interface from a p-polarized input beam on the other interface. Another implementation of the color filtering array uses a metal-film interference filter having two dielectric layers and three metallic films.

Abstract: A color active pixel sensor cell is formed by utilizing four photodiodes which are each covered with a layer of oxide. The thicknesses of the layers of oxide are set so that a first layer of oxide prohibits red light from entering the first photodiode, a second layer of oxide prohibits green light from entering the second photodiode, a third layer of oxide prohibits blue light from entering the third photodiode, and a fourth layer of oxide allows visible light to enter the fourth photodiode. The amount of red light received by the cell is then determined by subtracting the light energy collected by the first photodiode from the light energy collected by the fourth photodiode. Similarly, the amount of green and blue light received by the cell is determined by subtracting the light energy collected by the second and third photodiodes, respectively, from the amount of light energy collected by the fourth photodiode.

Abstract: This optical filtering device includes a dichroic separator on the path of a light beam to be processed. According to the invention, it also includes a holographic filtering device situated in series with the separator on the path of the same beam. The holographic device can be oriented so as to adjust the angle of incidence of the beam and hence adjust its range of filtering wavelengths.

Abstract: The present invention relates to holographic multicolor optical elements for use as multicolor filters in liquid crystal displays and methods of making the elements. The elements can be used as multicolor reflective or transmission filters The elements can have one, two, three or more holographic recording film layers Each layer comprises at least first and second pixel volumes containing holographic mirrors and preferably third pixel volumes containing a holographic mirror.

Abstract: An optical filter is provided for use in color projection display imaging systems which utilize liquid crystal light valves for image modulation. The optical filter is a dichroic coating which separates light into different colors. The optical filter is located on a light transmissive surface of a color splitting device such as a Philips prism. The optical filter is formed from layers of at least two different dielectric materials including a high refractive index material, such as zirconium oxide and a low refractive index material such as aluminum oxide. The low refractive index material has an average refractive index of no less than about 1.6. The high refractive index material has an average refractive index which is sufficiently greater than the average refractive index of the low refractive index such that the average refractive index of the high refractive index material divided by the average refractive index of the low refractive index material yields a ratio that is greater than about 1.

Abstract: A liquid crystal projection panel construction includes an incident light substrate assembly spaced apart from an light exiting substrate assembly having a plurality of pixel elements for enclosing a liquid crystal assembly therebetween. The incident light substrate assembly includes a microlens array having a plurality of microlenses disposed at about a surface of engagement between the incident light substrate assembly and the liquid crystal assembly for converging light through corresponding pixel elements. The incident light substrate assembly further includes a plurality of interference filters disposed at about the surface of engagement, and in registration with the corresponding microlenses and pixel elements for projecting a bright, high quality, full color image.

Abstract: A very low reflectance optical coating comprising alternating layers of materials such as chromium oxide and chromium, silicon oxide and silicon, titanium oxide and titanium, and tantalum oxide and tantalum is suitable for use as a black shadow mask in liquid crystal displays, among various applications. Certain designs such as silicon oxide/silicon benefit from a transmission-decreasing overcoat of material such as molybdenum, germanium or titanium.

Abstract: A color display device includes a display medium; a display-side substrate including electrodes for driving the display medium; a counter substrate opposed to the display-side substrate with the display medium therebetween and including electrodes or driving the display medium; a first absorptive color filter provided on the display-side substrate; a second reflective color filter provided on a face opposite to the display-side substrate of the first color filter for reflecting light having a complementary color of light transmitted through the first color filter; and reflecting means provided on a face opposite to the first color filter of the second color filter.

Abstract: The angular and/or spectral bandwidth of a holographic lens assembly can be widened to accomodate highly diverging and/or wide spectral bandwidth illumination sources, respectively. Each lens in the lens assembly is comprised of a plurality of angularly customized holograms (an angularly customized hologram set). Each of the individual holograms in an angularly customized hologram set has an acceptance angle range that is centered on a discrete peak acceptance angle. The separation between the holograms' peak acceptance angles is chosen so that the acceptance angle ranges of the individual holograms overlap. The resulting cumulative acceptance angle range of each angularly customized hologram set provides a holographic lens assembly that has a wider angular bandwidth than prior holographic lenses.

Abstract: Solid films with novel optical properties are produced from colloidal suspensions of cellulose crystallites; the colloidal suspensions are prepared by acid hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose under carefully controlled conditions; the solid materials possess a helicoidal arrangement of the constituent crystallites; by appropriate selection of conditions for preparation and treatment of the colloidal suspensions, solid films are produced that reflect circularly polarized visible light; the wavelength of the reflected light can be controlled to give colours across the visible spectrum from red to violet, and if necessary to infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths.

Abstract: A chromium blank for forming a black matrix-screen to be used as a color filter for a liquid crystal display is formed by forming at least a first antireflection film, a second antireflection film and a screening film sequentially in that order on one major surface of a transparent substrate. Each of the first and the second antireflection film is a semitransparent film formed of a chromium compound or a chromium mixture, containing chromium as a principal component, and the screening film is formed of chromium, a chromium compound containing chromium as a principal component. The transparent substrate, the first antireflection film, the second antireflection film and the screening film meet an inequality: n.sub.s <n.sub.1 <n.sub.2 <n.sub.3, where n.sub.s is the refractive index of the transparent substrate, n.sub.1 is the real part of the complex index of refraction of the first antireflection film, n.sub.2 is the real part of the complex index of refraction of the second antireflection film, and n.