Abstract: A display for presenting selected images to a viewer including a substrate; a photosensitive layer provided over the substrate which is adapted to be exposed and developed to provide viewable and conductive images; and a light modulating layer formed over the photosensitive layer and effective in two conditions, in a first condition to prevent the viewing of the viewable and conductive images and in a second condition to permit viewing of the viewable and conductive images. The display includes an electrical conductive structure connected to the viewable and conductive images for applying a field to selected ones of such viewable and conductive images to cause the light modulating layer overlying the selected ones of the viewable and conductive images to change from the first condition to the second condition so as to present such viewable and conductive images for viewing to the viewer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an information recording medium having a liquid crystal phase, which can be repeatedly used. In an information recording medium where an information recording layer comprising a liquid crystal phase and a resin phase is laminated on an electrode, a mixture containing a smectic liquid crystal having good memory property and a liquid crystal having low memory property is used as the liquid crystal phase, the information recorded on the liquid crystal disappears as time elapses without being heated and the information recording medium can be repeatedly used for further information recording.

Abstract: In data projection display device (6) of data-projection device (1), outgoing-light side light-shielding mask (622) is provided on outgoing-light surface (602b) of outgoing-light side electrode substrate (602) of liquid crystal cell (604). Gap G among translucent segments (701-710) formed on light-shielding mask (622) is determined according to the thickness of outgoing-light side electrode substrate (602). If Go is used to indicate gap G that can produce a clear projection image when electrode substrate (602) having a thickness t=0.4 mm is used, a value obtained by adding the increase in diffusion ?.DELTA.=0.017 mm! when light is passing through the electrode substrate to gap Go is used as the gap G between the translucent segments of light-shielding mask (622) when an electrode substrate having a thickness t=0.55 mm is used.

Abstract: A photographic printer has a lamp which projects light through a cut-off filter, a filter unit, and a diffusion plate. The light travels further through a film negative, an objective lens, and to a polarizing beam splitter. The beam splitter provides the light to a spatial light modulator and to an exposing/enlarging lens. The spatial light modulator includes a light modulating layer of a homeotropically oriented nematic liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy. Layers of transparent electrodes in the spatial light modulator are provided with a predetermined voltage of a predetermined frequency. A write CRT, controlled by a controller and control unit, provides light to the spatial light modulator so that the light from the beam splitter can be modulated with an appropriate correction. The modulated light and the light from the beam splitter are made incident on a photographic color paper. The photographic printer has improved compensation for blur caused by dust on the optical path.

Abstract: A real-time, optical, nonlinear attenuator device situated in the image plane of an ocular of special construction provides a highly sensitive, broad spectral band, selective, glare reduction ocular. This system is suitable for the eye or camera which is directed at scenery with illumination ranging from that of a room interior to outside daylight. Special adaptations from spatial light modulator technology and modifications of optical power limiter art increase the nonlinear attenuator device sensitivity to bright light by orders of magnitude over that in current systems using known passive, optical, nonlinear materials. The ocular concept includes an input lens which gathers more light rays than can pass to the eye in order to further enhance nonlinear sensitivity, contains places for filters, operates with either an absorption-promoting or scattering nonlinear device in the intermediate image plane, corrects image inversion and provides embodiments for transmissive or reflective operation.

Abstract: An image display method for a liquid crystal mask marker displays an image of a high sharpness even when the marking speed is high. To this end, when the display image of a liquid crystal mask (4) is to be rewritten, the method includes performing at least one of (a) making all of the opaque picture elements (B) of the current image (P1) to become transparent, and (b) making all of the transparent picture elements (A) of the current image (P1) to become opaque; then making the electrodes of all of the picture elements (A,B) to be grounded or set equipotentially; and then starting the display of the next image (P2).

Abstract: An image-wise exposure apparatus comprises a light source for producing recording light, to which a photosensitive material is to be exposed, and a spatial modulation device, which is provided with an array of picture elements and carries out spatial modulation of the recording light. A shifting device changes the optical relationship between the spatial modulation device and the photosensitive material.

Abstract: This invention relates to customized electronic identification of desirable objects, such as news articles, in an electronic media environment, and in particular to a system that automatically constructs both a "target profile" for each target object in the electronic media based, for example, on the frequency with which each word appears in an article relative to its overall frequency of use in all articles, as well as a "target profile interest summary" for each user, which target profile interest summary describes the user's interest level in various types of target objects. The system then evaluates the target profiles against the users' target profile interest summaries to generate a user-customized rank ordered listing of target objects most likely to be of interest to each user so that the user can select from among these potentially relevant target objects, which were automatically selected by this system from the plethora of target objects that are profiled on the electronic media.

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser marking method in which a laser beam is used for raster scanning of a liquid-crystal mask, on which a desired marking pattern is formed and the laser beam passing through the liquid-crystal mask gives a marking to an object. A marking pattern on the liquid-crystal mask is successively switched over to a subsequent marking pattern every scanning line, to reduce variation in transmissivity of the liquid-crystal mask, thereby obtaining marking with less unevenness of image.

Abstract: Mask patterns and their exposure times are stored in a memory within a controller. The controller transfers the mask pattern to a memory in the liquid crystal controller. The mask pattern stored in the memory is displayed on the matrix liquid crystal display element. The controller transfers the next mask pattern to memory after the elapse of exposure time. By this exposure apparatus, a plurality of mask patterns is exposed on a photosensitive material. The exposure time of each portion of the photosensitive material is adjusted in three or more grades by exposing a plurality of mask patterns sequentially. If the photosensitive material is positive, the film thickness becomes low in a portion which has a long exposure time and high in a portion which has a short exposure time. A combination of a plurality of mask patterns enables the section of the photosensitive material to be formed into a desired shape.

Abstract: A lens is arranged to form a spatially varying intensity distribution at a photoreceptor within a pixel region so as to form a charge pattern thereon. The photoreceptor is associated with a liquid crystal device such that the presence of a suitable recording voltage across the photoreceptor and liquid crystal device causes regions of the liquid crystal device to switch to an opaque state when the light intensity on an associated region of the photoreceptor exceeds a threshold value l.sub.th. Removal of the recording voltage allows the image held in the liquid crystal device to be stored in a non-volatile manner and to be replayed by illumination with a read beam. An analog image having a grey scale can be reproduced from the pixel region. A plurality of pixel regions can be provided as an array so as to record and replay monochrome images.

Abstract: A reversible display medium capable of repeatedly exhibiting a transparent state and a light-scattering state by an action of at least one of heat, electric field, and magnetic field, the medium comprising a substrate having thereon a recording layer comprising a side-chain high molecular weight liquid crystal, which is a copolymer comprising at least a liquid-crystal monomer component and a non-liquid-crystal monomer component having a substituent capable of making a hydrogen bond.

Abstract: A liquid crystal polymer or copolymer is disclosed of structure (A) where X=CN, COR, CO.sub.2 R, CHO, CF.sub.3 ; R=branched chain, straight chain or chiral alkyl; .rect-hollow.=any suitable mesogenic group; Z=single covalent bond, oxygen, sulfur, CO.sub.2 or OCO; n=1 to 20; Y=H, OH, F, OCH.sub.3 ; m=3 to 200; P=a single covalent bond, oxygen, or OCO.

Abstract: A packaged integrated information recording system has a plurality of information recording media radially arranged on a disk substrate. Each of the recording media comprises a liquid crystal recording medium including a liquid crystal-polymer composite layer with polymer balls filled in a liquid-crystal phase, stacked on a first electrode layer and a photoelectric sensor including a second electrode layer and a photoconductive layer formed on a transparent substrate. The liquid crystal recording medium and photoelectric sensor are stacked directly, or through an interlayer on each other while the liquid crystal recording layer and photoconductive layer are opposed to each other. The recording media may also be arranged in a row on a film substrate provided with feed holes on both side edges and received in a closable case such that it can be drawn. Alternatively, the recording media on a film substrate may be received in a packaging case having a window openable and closable by a shutter to unroll the film.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is formed by disposing a chiral smectic liquid crystal between a pair of substrates, each having thereon a group of electrodes for driving the chiral smectic liquid crystal and an alignment control film comprising a fluorine-containing polyimide provided with a uniaxial rubbing axis such that the uniaxial alignment axes provided to the pair of substrates intersect each other at a prescribed intersection angle. In the device, the liquid crystal molecules are aligned to provide a director forming a pre-tilt angle with the polyimide film surfaces of the substrates, whereby formation of splay alignment state in the chiral smectic liquid crystal molecules is suppressed. The liquid crystal device provides an improved contrast and also a broad drive margin.