Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus, such as a display, film, or other material or device, includes liquid crystal material in a containment medium which are cooperative selectively to scatter or to transmit light. Fluorescent dye colors, brightens and/or whitens the scattered light and may effect a light amplification function.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus includes a plurality of volumes of liquid crystal material in a containment medium such as a polymer. Some or all of the volumes of liquid crystal material can be interconnected. The walls defining the volumes tend to distort the natural liquid crystal structure in the absence of an electric field, and the optical and electrical properties of the material are such that in the absence of a field incident light is scattered or absorbed and in the presence of a field scattering and/or absorption are reduced. Pleochroic dye in the liquid crystal material increases absorption of incident light. The liquid crystal material may include an additive which tends to align the liquid crystal material in a direction generally normal to the walls. The apparatus may be used in an optical display, optical shutter, billboard, etc., and it functions independently of polarization.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus includes a plurality of volumes of liquid crystal material in a containment medium such as an epoxy or polymer. The volumes of liquid crystal material can be interconnected. The walls defining the volumes tend to distort the natural liquid crystal structure in the absence of an electric field, and the optical and electrical properties of the material are such that in the absence of a field incident light is scattered or absorbed and in the presence of a field, scattering and/or absorption are reduced. Pleochroic dye in the liquid crystal material increases absorption of incident light. The apparatus may be used in an optical display, optical shutter, billboard, etc., and it functions independently of polarization. Methods of making and using the apparatus also are included in the invention, including a method of applying an electrode using optically reflective particulate material with a binder medium.

Abstract: A liquid crystal moving picture projector (1) includes a liquid crystal imager (2) for creating characteristics of an image, and projection optics (3) for projecting images sequentially created by the imager, the imager including a liquid crystal material (4) capable of temporarily storing information at respective areas thereof to create image characteristics capable of being projected sequentially by the projection optics. The temporary storage may be a function of charge storage directly on liquid crystal material or by structural storage characteristics relying on bulk effect of smectic liquid crystal.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus, such as a display, film, or other material or device, includes liquid crystal material in a containment medium which are cooperative selectively to scatter or to transmit light. Fluorescent dye colors, brightens and/or whitens the scattered light and may effect a light amplification function. Total internal reflection, intereference or both principles may be used to increase the path length that scattered light travels in the apparatus.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) is connected in series with a capacitor having a capacitance C.sub.0 such thatC.sub.1 <C.sub.0 <C.sub.2where C.sub.1 is the capacitance of the LCD at its threshold voltage and C.sub.2 is the capacitance of the LCD at its saturation voltage.

Abstract: A liquid crystal moving picture projector (1) includes a liquid crystal imager (2) for creating characteristics of an image, and projection optics (3) for projecting images sequentially created by the imager, the imager including a liquid crystal material (4) capable of temporarily storing information at respective areas thereof to create image characteristics capable of being projected sequentially by the projection optics. The temporary storage may be a function of charge storage directly on liquid crystal material or by structural storage characteristics relying on bulk effect of smectic liquid crystal.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a system for controlling light, includes (1) apparatus for responding to incident electromagnetic radiation, including a first medium through which incident electromagnetic radiation may be transmitted; liquid crystal means positioned with respect to said first medium for responding to a characteristic of the incident electromagnetic radiation to cooperate with such first medium to effect refraction of such electromagnetic radiation at an interface of said first medium and said liquid crystal means; and (2) apparatus for filtering a wavelength of light, including a variable polarization rotator means for supplying input light at a prescribed angle of polarization, variable dispersion means for rotating the plane of polarization of such input light an amount that is a function of the wavelength of such input light, and analyzer means for blocking transmission of that light which is output by said variable dispersion means and has a plane of polarization which is crosse

Abstract: A reflector system including a reflector for reflecting incident electromagnetic energy, a shutter for controlling at least one of electromagnetic energy incident on and electromagnetic energy reflected by the retroreflector, a controller for controlling the shutter to control such incident or reflected electromagnetic energy, and a coding or modulating device for causing the controller to modulate such energy according to a prescribed code. The reflector system may be used in a closed communications system and/or in a system for seeking, locating and/or identifying an object.

Abstract: A liquid crystal color device (10) includes at least one pel (14) for affecting light (36) incident thereon to produce output light (38), the pel includes three complementary color subsets (30, 32, 34) each having controllable color filtering capability in the respective complementary colors thereof. The color subsets are arranged in optical additive relation, and the color subsets include complementary color parts (30a, 30b, 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b) which are arranged, respectively, in optical serial/subtractive relation. The color filtering function is carried out using liquid crystal materials with respective pleochroic dyes. A method of parametric color control of a liquid crystal device, formed of plural picture elements, each picture element including plural pairs of complementary color filters, comprising directing light to or through an array of such electrically controllable pairs of complementary color filters, and controlling the filtering characteristics of at least one of such filters.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus including a latex containment medium, a liquid crystal material dispersed in plural volumes in the medium, and a barrier means forming a wall in plural volumes in said medium so as to preserve the integrity of the volumes of the liquid crystal material.

Abstract: A liquid crystal color display provides a transmitted light output that is of one or more colors, black, and/or white, as a function of the color of the incident light input and controlled energization or not of respective optically serially positioned liquid crystal color layers and/or multicolor composite liquid crystal color layer(s) in the display. In one case the display includes a plurality of liquid crystal color layers, each being dyed a different respective color, and apparatus for selectively applying a prescribed input, such as an electric field, to a respective layer or layers or to a portion or portions thereof. Each liquid crystal layer includes plural volumes of operationally nematic liquid crystal material in a containment medium that tends to distort the natural liquid crystal structure in the absence of a prescribed input, such as an electric field, and pleochroic dye is included or mixed with the liquid crystal material in each layer.

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus includes a plurality of volumes of liquid crystal material in a containment medium. At least some of the volumes are interconnected. The walls defining the volumes tend to distort the natural liquid crystal structure in the absence of an electric field, and the optical and electrical properties of the materials are such that in the absence of a field incident light is scattered or absorbed and in the presence of a field, scattering and/or absorption are reduced. The apparatus may be used in an optical display, optical shutter, billboard, etc., and it functions independently of polarization. Methods of making and using the apparatus also are included in the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to liquid crystal temperature indicating compositions, preferably absent cholesteric liquid crystal material, and the containing of such compositions in volumes formed in a containment medium that tends to distort the liquid crystal structure when the temperature thereof is below a transition or clearing point temperature. The containment medium is water resistant, e.g. insoluble in water, and preferably has heat and optical stability, e.g. does not brown or otherwise discolor, at relatively high temperatures, e.g. above 100.degree. C. Plural liquid crystal materials having different transition temperatures may be mixed to form a liquid crystal material having a transition temperature intermediate those of the ingredients.

Abstract: A liquid crystal color display (20) provides a transmitted light output of one or more colors, black, and/or white, as a function of incident light and controlled energization or not of respective optically serially positioned liquid crystal color layers (2, 3, 4) and/or multicolor composite liquid crystal color layer(s) in the display. Plural optically serially arranged volumes (21) of operationally nematic liquid crystal material (25) having different optical characteristics, e.g. being dyed with different pleochroic dyes (28), may be selectively aligned or not with respect to an electric field to determine optical output of the device in a subtractive color mode. Exemplary colors of pleochroic dye include yellow, cyan and magenta, and black dye may be used to control saturation or hue. Non-pleochroic dye also may be used in one or more layers of the liquid crystal color display to filter or to color light transmitted therethrough thereby to cooperate with the pleochroic dye to provide a final color output.

Abstract: The present invention relates to use of liquid crystal material encapsulated in a containment medium to produce a controlled colored output, for example, in response to the application, removal and variation in an electric field. In one embodiment a non-pleochroic dye is in the containment medium itself and in another embodiment the non-pleochroic dye is in the liquid crystal material itself; and in both cases the dye preferably is fluorescent or a combination of fluorescent and non-fluorescent, and the object is to color light and/or to whiten or to brighten the light emitted out from a display embodying the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to use of liquid crystal material encapsulated in a containment medium to produce a controlled colored output, for example, in response to the application, removal and variation in an electric field. In one embodiment a non-pleochroic dye is in the containment medium itself and in another embodiment the non-pleochroic dye is in the liquid crystal material itself; and in both cases the object is to color light.

Abstract: Encapsulated operationally nematic liquid crystal is contained in plural volumes formed by a containment medium. The volume walls tend to distort the natural structure of the liquid crystal in the absence of a prescribed input, such as an electric field; the liquid crystal structure tends to align in parallel in the presence of such prescribed input. An additive, for example a chiral additive, in the liquid crystal tends to expedite return to distorted alignment upon removal of the prescribed input. Moreover, an additive can be employed to cause the liquid crystal structure near the wall of the containment medium to be oriented approximately normal to the wall when in distorted or random alignment in the absence of the prescribed input.

Abstract: The present invention relates to use of liquid crystal material encapsulated in a containment medium to produce a controlled colored output, for example, in response to the application, removal and variation in an electric field. In one embodiment a non-pleochroic dye is in the containment medium itself and in another embodiment the non-pleochroic dye is in the liquid crystal material itself; and in both cases the object is to color light.

Abstract: A liquid crystal color device (10) includes at least one pel (14) for affecting light (36) incident thereon to produce output light (38), the pel includes three complementary color subsets (30, 32, 34), each having controllable color filtering capability in the respective complementary colors thereof. The color subsets are arranged in optical additive relation, and the color subsets include complementary color parts (30a, 30b, 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b) which are arranged, respectively, in optical serial subtractive relation. The color filtering function is carried out using liquid crystal materials with respective pleochroic dyes. A method of parametric color control of a liquid crystal device, formed of plural picture elements, each picture element including plural pairs of complementary color filters, includes directing light to or through an array of such electrically controllable pairs of complementary color filters, and controlling the filtering characteristics of at least one of such filters.