Abstract: An apparatus including an autostereoscopic image selection device having a plurality of lenticules is provided. The autostereoscopic image selection device has an opaque material applied thereto in gaps between the plurality of lenticules. The opaque material is applied to the autostereoscopic image selection device in a soft aperturing manner, the soft aperturing manner comprising applying the opaque material such that the opaque material is tapered from the gaps over the plurality of lenticules. The opaque material can be applied in accordance with a windowing function.

Abstract: A super-twist nematic (STN) liquid crystal (LC) light shutter with improved contrast performance, lower power requirements and enhanced off-axis performance. Compensator components may be disposed in front of and, in some cases, behind the liquid crystal cell. In some embodiments, a STN LC cell with a twist angle of 270 degrees may be used. In other embodiments, a STN LC cell with a twist angle ranging between just greater than 270 degrees and 285 degrees may be used. Also disclosed is a system incorporating the various disclosed STN LC shutters.

Abstract: An alternating unipolar carrier waveform is used to drive a pi-cell modulator. The pi-cell is driven by the carrier, but the carrier never changes polarity within the time period that the cell is energized. However, each time the cell is energized, i.e., once per field, the polarity alternates. Further, a burst of pulses each separated by a short rest period is used on initial application of power to more quickly drive the pi-cell to its activated state.

Abstract: A display system is convertible between a planar display and a stereoscopic display. The system includes a flat panel display having a display surface. An alignment strip is affixed to the flat panel display proximate to the display surface. A lenticular screen is removably held in close proximity to the display surface by the alignment strip. An alignment method using software to generate test patterns ensures proper alignment of the lenticular screen the the display. A rotational pattern is displayed, and the user moves the pattern to align it with the lenticular slant. A vertical test pattern is displayed, and the user moves the pattern to center it within the display field.

Abstract: Disclosed is a head-mounted single panel display system that uses one or more liquid crystal switches and a polarizing beam splitter to redirect images from a single microdisplay panel to the viewer's eyes. The light emanating from the display panel is first directed, using a polarizing beam splitter, into two near-identical optical imaging systems, each forming an image in the left and right eyes. For stereoscopic (3D) operation, the light is modulated such that an image is seen in only one eye at a time. By providing time sequential stereoscopic imagery at a frame rate greater than 50Hz in each eye, flicker free, full resolution 3D can be visualized.

Abstract: A method and system for use in conjunction with a push-pull liquid crystal modulator system for creating circularly polarized light of alternating handedness is provided. The method and system comprise a pair of surface mode liquid crystal cells and a driver electrically coupled to the cells. The driver is configured to move an electrical charge using a quenching pulse comprising a relatively brief voltage spike at a beginning of a waveform period. Multiple additional improvements are provided, including reducing the thickness of the LC gap (the distance between cell electrode plates), creating a charge connection or wiring connection to the cell electrodes, employing anti-reflection coating technology, thinner ITO and ITO index matched to the LC material, bonding all possible air to material surfaces, using superior glass, employing more efficient polarizers, and reducing projector blanking time.

Abstract: Described is an optical compensator device that can maintain a high degree of performance in the demanding environment of projection display. A mounting process involves using a sealant between optically clear glass or ceramic substrate and low elastic polymer retarder film. The sealant may mitigate or prevent the degradation of the retarder film by acting as an oxygen barrier that seals the substrate and increases the lifetime of the device in high luminance.

Abstract: Described in the present application are multiple systems for high-performance compensated shutter lens designs, including compensators for compensating for performance problems that stem from real-world performance limitations in present shutter-glass designs.

Abstract: Two or more spectral emitters are used to provide spectrally separated light illumination onto modulating pixels of a visual display. The spectral emitters may be lasers or LEDs, typically having coherent properties. Generally, a display system includes a spectral emitter array, a light collimating element, a lens array, and a light modulating panel. The spectral emitter array includes a first spectral emitter operable to emit light of a first wavelength and a second spectral emitter operable to emit light of a second wavelength. The light collimating element is operable to direct light from the spectral emitter toward the lens array, and the lens array is operable to direct light toward the light modulating panel.

Abstract: Described are methods, systems and apparatuses that provide light sources to illuminate an LCD panel for a visual display. A light source includes a light emitting diode (LED) and a spectral filter. The spectral filter is operable to transmit a first set of spectral bands and block a second set of spectral bands from the LED. The spectral filter may be based on retarder stack technology or dichroic filter technology. Polarization and light recirculation techniques are disclosed and implementations into display systems described. These approaches are deemed useful for LED illuminated direct view color encoded stereoscopic systems based on LCD technology.