Abstract: A gaming machine including a display, a game controller, and a selector. A player operates the selector to enable the player to place one of a plurality of possible wagers on a play of the game comprising at least a first wager consisting of a base wager, and second and third wagers each consisting of a base wager portion and an additional wager portion. There is no guarantee that the at least one added feature will eventuate in a specific play of the game as a result of the player having staked the additional wager portion.

Abstract: A polarization optical apparatus including a reflection-type polarization element for transmitting a predetermined polarization component light. A slidably supported reflection-type optical modulation element is held by a holding member that includes a sliding support surface for slidably supporting the reflection-type polarization element. The reflection-type polarization element is urged toward the sliding support surface while the reflection-type polarization element is enabled to be slid along the sliding support surface.

Abstract: An illumination optical system which illuminates an illumination objective surface with a light from a light source. The illumination optical system includes a spatial light modulator which includes a plurality of optical elements arranged within a predetermined plane and controlled individually, and which forms a light intensity distribution in an illumination pupil of the illumination optical system; and a polarization unit which is arranged in a position optically conjugate with the predetermined plane, and which polarizes an incident light beam having a first and second partial light beams, coming into the polarization unit such that the first and second partial light beams have polarization states different from each other, and emits the polarized incident light beam as an outgoing light beam, wherein the polarization unit changes, in a cross section of the outgoing light beam, a ratio between a cross sectional areas of the first and second partial light beams.

Abstract: A polarized film apparatus comprising printed bands of successively alternating polarization orientations is disclosed. The printed bands of alternating polarization orientations repeat throughout the length of the film. The polarized film can be installed in an object, for example a window where the amount of energy through the object has to be controlled. Two identical films are superimposed to create polarization patterns that can be varied when one film is displaced with respect to the other. The resulting variable polarization patterns can be utilized to control the amount of energy allowed through this arrangement. The polarized films with bands of alternating polarization orientations can be utilized to control the amount of energy for example sunlight, radiated heat transmission, illumination level, electromagnetic radiation, etc.

Abstract: A light transmissive panel comprising a first sheet and a second sheet, wherein each sheet is made up of a non-birefringent substrate and a wire grid polarizer pattern of continuously varying absorption axis orientation formed on the non-birefringent substrate. The wire grid polarizer patterns on each of the first and second sheet are mechanically translatable relative to each other, wherein the mechanical translation controls transmission of light through the light transmissive panel. Light transmissive panels wherein each sheet of the panel is made of a wire grid polarizer that is laminated with a continuous variable thickness wave plate retarder, wherein the continuous variable thickness wave plate retarder rotates input light by an amount determined by the thickness of the wave plate retarder.

Abstract: The various embodiments include variable optical transmission devices with uniform or patterned polarizers or wave retarders configured to provide continuous or nearly continuous variations in light transmission based on linear translation. For example, embodiments include a variable transmission window including a first uniform polarizer with a first polarization axis, a second uniform polarizer with a second polarization axis, a first patterned wave retarder positioned between the first and second polarizers and including a first plurality of domains configured to vary in at least one of optic axis, thickness, or birefringence, and a second patterned wave retarder positioned between the first and second polarizers and including a second plurality of domains configured to vary in at least one of optic axis, thickness, or birefringence. The first or second wave retarder is configured to be linearly translatable relative to the other wave retarder.