Abstract: A vessel mooring system which includes at least two mooring robots that can be secured to a terminal and/or a vessel, each robot includes an attractive force attachment element and a base structure. The attachment element can be engaged with a vertically extending side surface and to exert an attractive force normal to the surface. Each robot can measure the attractive force between the attachment element and the surface to provide an “attractive force capacity reading”. The force between the attachment element and the fixed structure of the mooring robot can be measured to provide a “normal force reading”. From monitoring of the relationship between the attractive force capacity reading and the normal force a control of the mooring robot can be provided such that if there is a tending to separate the attachment elements from said vessel the attractive force may be increased and/or alarm is sounded.

Abstract: An optical device is provided, for example for use as a brightness enhancing film in a display. The device comprises a sheet (31) carrying a plurality of light-concentrating elements in the form of prism-like structures (171). The sheet (31) is non-flat, for example by being bent or curved, in one direction. Each of the prism-like structures (171) has first and second surfaces (34, 35) extending from the sheet (31) and intersecting at a line (33). A line (32) parallel to the viewing direction and passing through the intersection line (33) bisects the opposite surface (36) where it intersects (38) the film (31). When used in a display, such a device provides improved and uniform display brightness across a display of curved or other non-flat shape.

Abstract: A phosphor-based multi-coloured display is provided which includes a spatial light modulator comprising an addressable array of apertures each corresponding to a respective sub-pixel in the display; an array of phosphor regions each indexed to a corresponding aperture of the spatial light modulator; and a backlight which provides quasi-monochromatic light to phosphor within each of the phosphor regions. The phosphor within each of the phosphor regions, upon being excited by the quasi-monochromatic light of the backlight, emits light having a colour different from a colour of the quasi-monochromatic light, through the corresponding aperture of the spatial light modulator.

Abstract: A display panel incorporates the functionality to determine the three dimensional position of a light reflecting or emitting object (400, 401, 410) in front of a display surface (100). An array of sensors (310) is disposed in the panel and provided with optical arrangements such as apertures in masks (321, 331) within the panel. These arrangements prevent light incident normally on the display surface (100) from reaching the sensors (310) but allow obliquely incident light (602, 604) to reach the sensors (310). The object position is determined by analyzing the sensor responses.

Abstract: Floats having a buoyant portion and a chamber portion hold liquid within their chambers above the interface of the surrounding body of liquid and gas which creates a downward force which stabilizes the float. If the liquid is water, the float holds water in the inner chamber which is disposed above the waterline of the body of water in which the float is suspended. The elevated water exerts a downward force that acts against rocking, swaying, and other destabilizing forces.

Abstract: An illumination system comprises at least one light source (2) and a light-guide (1). A first part of the light-guide (1) is defined by a surface (12) for light emission and a back surface (13), and a second part of the light-guide is defined by a light receiving surface (14) and a light reflecting surface (15). The light source (2) is disposed adjacent or substantially adjacent to the light receiving surface (14), and light from the light source enters the light-guide through the light receiving surface (14), and is reflected by the light reflecting surface (15) into the first part of the light-guide. Light is emitted from the waveguide through the surface (12) for light emission, and may be used to illuminate, for example, a display device placed over the surface (12) for light emission. The light source and the light receiving surface are on the same side of the waveguide as the surface for light emission.

Abstract: A light guide includes a light guide substrate having a top surface through which light is to be emitted, a bottom surface, an incident edge surface through which incident light is to be introduced into the light guide substrate, and another edge surface. The another edge surface includes at least one micro structure operative to reflect at least a portion of the incident light, which travels through the light guide substrate and is incident on the another edge surface, back within the light guide substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for acquiring an image comprises a display (60), such as an LCD and backlight, for illuminating the object. A photosensor array (61) detects light reflected from the object. A controller (62) causes the display (60) and the photosensor array (61) to: illuminate the object (100); acquire (102) a first image (104) of the object; display a first illuminating pattern (106) for illuminating the object, which first illuminating pattern is derived (108) from the first image; and acquire (102) a second image (110) of the object illuminated by the first illuminating pattern (106). The controller (62) preferably causes the display (60) and the photosensor array (61) to: display a second illuminating pattern (112) for illuminating the object, which second illuminating pattern is derived (108) from at least the second image; and acquire a third image (114) of the object illuminated by the second illuminating pattern (112).

Abstract: An illumination panel is provided, for example for use as a backlight for illuminating an at least partially transmissive display (1). The panel comprises a light source (18), for example in the form of a light emitting diode which emits light in a relatively narrow waveband. A light guide (3) receives the light from an edge surface and guides light by total internal reflection. Combined light extraction and phosphor elements (19) on at least one of the major surfaces of the light guide (3) permit extraction of the light but also convert at least some of the light from the light source (18) to a different visible waveband.

Abstract: A camera flash comprises a light guide arranged to extract light at least through one surface; and one or more light sources arranged, in use, to emit light into the lightguide. Each light source is an LED or a laser diode. The camera flash is connectable, in use, to drive circuitry, the drive circuitry being for driving the light source(s) to emit a pulse of light. The waveguide spreads out the light from the light source(s), so that a flash of light from the camera flash does not present a safety risk, while minimising loss of the light from the light source(s). The camera flash can thus provide a high overall optical output, spread over an extended area (as defined by the waveguide). The lightguide may for example be disposed around a camera module of a mobile telephone camera.

Abstract: A backlight is provided for illuminating an at least partially transmissive display. The backlight includes a light source. A light guide receives the light from an edge surface and guides the light by total internal reflection. Groove structures which are located on at least one of the major surfaces of the light guide permit redistribution of light around obstacles that may be present within the light guide structure, thereby maintaining brightness uniformity of the backlight or illumination panel.

Abstract: A display comprises: a transmissive pixilated spatial light modulator (21); and a backlight (22). The backlight has a light-transmissive waveguide (26), with a first face of the waveguide being opposed to the spatial light modulator (21). The first face of the waveguide comprises a plurality of regions that are not totally internally reflective for at least one polarization of light propagating within the waveguide, and the remainder of the first face of the waveguide is totally internally reflective for light propagating within the waveguide. Light is extracted from the waveguide at the regions where first face of the waveguide is not totally internally reflective. The pitch of the regions where first face of the waveguide is not totally internally reflective is substantially an integer multiple of the pitch of the pixels of the spatial light modulator.

Abstract: A backlight is provided for illuminating an at least partially transmissive display. The backlight includes a light source. A light guide receives the light from an edge surface and guides the light by total internal reflection. The light extracted from the lightguide has an angular emission profile such that when incident on a prism film, collimated light is produced.

Abstract: A profile scanner for locating a target zone on a profile of a vessel comprising an emitter adapted to progressively or instantaneously radiate towards the vessel; a receiver providing a signal indicative of radiation incident thereon; a controller or processor including stored instructions, for energizing the emitter and receiving the signal, and adapted to determine the vertical location of the target zone relative to scanner.

Abstract: A pet enclosure kit can include multiple discrete flat panels and multiple panel connectors. Each panel can include joined edge segments forming a rigid perimeter of the panel. An area bound by the perimeter can include a mesh, where a weave of the mesh is sufficiently tight to restrain a pet for which a pet enclosure is constructed. Each panel connector can couple two adjacent panels together by connecting to an edge segment of each of the adjacent panels, each of the panels can be coupled using only the panel connectors to other ones of said panels at either approximately one hundred and eighty degree angle or approximately ninety degree angle relative to an adjacent panel. The panels and the panel connectors can be designed to construct multiple different configurations of pet enclosures. Each configuration can have a different height, width, or depth from other ones of the different configurations.

Abstract: A backlight is provided for illuminating an at least partially transmissive display. The backlight includes a light source. A light guide receives the light from an edge surface and guides the light by total internal reflection. The light is extracted from the lightguide using sub-wavelength extraction features designed on the basis of two interleaved grating structures. The emitted light, using this arrangement has a high level of polarization.

Abstract: An illumination system comprises at least one light source (2) and a light-guide (1). A first part of the light-guide (1) is defined by a surface (12) for light emission and a back surface (13), and a second part of the light-guide is defined by a light receiving surface (14) and a light reflecting surface (15). The light source (2) is disposed adjacent or substantially adjacent to the light receiving surface (14), and light from the light source enters the light-guide through the light receiving surface (14), and is reflected by the light reflecting surface (15) into the first part of the light-guide. Light is emitted from the waveguide through the surface (12) for light emission, and may be used to illuminate, for example, a display device placed over the surface (12) for light emission. The light source and the light receiving surface are on the same side of the waveguide as the surface for light emission.

Abstract: An adapter is provided for adapting an optical instrument, such as a camera (3) or a projector, to capture or display panoramic three-dimensional images. The adapter comprises a plurality of mirrors (1a, 1b, 1c), each of which has a reflective surface which is in the shape of a curved non-circular conic section rotated about an axis of symmetry (15a, 15b, 15c). The reflective surfaces have first foci which are spaced perpendicularly from a longitudinal axis of the adapter and which are angularly spaced around the longitudinal axis. For example, the conic section may be a hyperbola with first foci equidistantly spaced from the longitudinal axis and equiangularly spaced around 15b the longitudinal axis. The axes of symmetry (15a, 15b, 15c) of the mirrors (1a, 1b, 1c) converge to intersect the longitudinal axis at a point which is coincident with the front principal point of, for example, a camera lens (12).

Abstract: An optical device is provided, for example for use as a brightness enhancing film in a display. The device comprises a sheet (31) carrying a plurality of light-concentrating elements in the form of prism-like structures (171). The sheet (31) is non-flat, for example by being bent or curved, in one direction. Each of the prism-like structures (171) has first and second surfaces (34, 35) extending from the sheet (31) and intersecting at a line (33). A line (32) parallel to the viewing direction and passing through the intersection line (33) bisects the opposite surface (36) where it intersects (38) the film (31). When used in a display, such a device provides improved and uniform display brightness across a display of curved or other non-flat shape.