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 mooring system for receiving and exercising at least partial control over the approach of a vessel approaching a mooring facility. An array of mooring robots are mounted to the mooring facility. Each robot has at least one vessel contact member supported by a moving mechanism in a manner to thereby be (i) movable relative to the mooring facility and (ii) presentable to engage the side of said vessel. A sensor can sense the position of the vessel relative the mooring facility. A processor can calculate movement instructions based on information received by the processor to calculate instructions for the movement of the contact member during the receipt of the vessel by the mooring system. A controller can preposition the contact member and then control the condition of each mooring robot such as to reduce the approach speed of the vessel at least in a direction towards the mooring facility.

Abstract: An optical device directs light from a light source to a region of space, such as the field of view of a camera when the optical device is used as a camera flash unit. This device includes a first optical element which converges light from the light source towards an inner portion of the region to be illuminated and a second optical element which diverges part of the light from the first element outwardly towards an outer portion of the region to be illuminated so as to achieve adequate central illumination with improved uniformity of illumination across the region to be illuminated. The second optical element may have a concave multiple-faceted surface comprising plane facets in the shape of an open-base inverted truncated pyramid, contiguous sector-shaped facets, at least some of which are concave, or a face divided into an elongate portion disposed between first and second diverging portions.

Abstract: A light output arrangement is provided and may be used as a backlight for a display. The arrangement comprises a bendable light-outputting layer (51), for example, comprising a light-guide, and a bendable light-directing layer (50), for example, comprising a lens array. The layers (50, 51) are fixed together so as to prevent relative lateral movement at the mid-points but otherwise are constrained to bend in conformance with each other. The light-directing layer comprises a plurality of structures, such as lenses (81), which cooperate with, for example, light extraction features (80) in the light guide (51) so as to direct light output from the light-directing layer (50) in substantially the same direction (82, 83) irrespective of bending of the layers (50, 51).

Abstract: A multiple view display comprises a display device such as a liquid crystal device, a parallax optic such as a parallax barrier, and a controller. The device comprises rows and columns of pixels and the controller supplies image data for a first view to first ones of the pixels and second ones of the pixels such that the first and second pixels alternate in the rows and in the columns. The parallax optic comprises rows and columns of parallax elements with the arrangement of pixels and parallax elements being such that each element co-operates with a respective pair of first and second pixels adjacent each other in the same row to form first and second viewing regions. Each row of parallax elements is off-set in the row direction by half the horizontal barrier pitch. Such an arrangement allows wider angles between the viewing regions to be achieved.

Abstract: An illumination system comprises at least two light sources (101,102,103) having different emission spectra to one another; a detection circuit (131,132,133) for sensing a light intensity using at least one of the light sources as a photosensor; and driving means (161,162,163) for driving the light source in dependence on the sensed spectral distribution of light. The emission spectrum of a light source with the smallest bandgap overlaps the emission spectrum of a light source with the second-smallest bandgap. The illumination system is possible to measure the intensity of light emitted by the light source with the smallest bandgap by putting the light source with the second-smallest bandgap in detection mode. The illumination system may also sense the spectral distribution of ambient light, to allow the output from the illumination system to be adjusted in dependence on the ambient light.

Abstract: A backlight is provided for a transmissive spatial light modulator such as a liquid crystal device (1). The backlight comprises a light source (5), which supplies light through an input edge surface (12) of a non-flat light guide (4) having a front surface (4a) and a rear surface (4b). The rear surface (4b) comprises a plurality of concave features (10), each of which has a surface (11) which faces the input surface (12) and which is oriented so as to direct light towards and out of the front surface (4a). The surfaces (11) have slope angles with respect to a tangent plane to the rear surface (4b) at the feature (10) which vary with distance from the input surface (12) so as to concentrate output light from the light guide (4) into a desired angular output range.

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 pixellated 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 polarisation 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 display comprises a light source and an image display panel disposed in an optical path from the light source. The light source comprises a primary light source for illuminating a re-emission material which comprises at least a first nanophosphor material for, when illuminated by light from the primary light source, re-emitting light in a first wavelength range different from the emission wavelength range of the primary light source. The image display panel comprises a first filter having a first narrow passband or a first narrow absorption band, the first narrow passband or first narrow absorption band being aligned or substantially aligned with the first wavelength range. The combination of a narrow wavelength range emitted by the first nanophosphor material and the narrow passband or narrow absorption band of the filter allows a display with high efficiency and a high NTSC ratio to be obtained.

Abstract: A backlight is provided for a direct-view display. The backlight comprises a plurality of discrete light sources (11), such as light emitting diodes, spaced from a diffuser (5). The light sources are arranged as sets cooperating with a mirror structure (101), which surrounds the set to form a region. The regions substantially tessellate the area of the backlight. Each mirror structure (101) comprises a plurality of mirror segments which are curved and concave in cross-section perpendicular to the diffuser (5). The mirror segments extend from around the light sources (11) towards the diffuser (5). The edges of adjacent mirror segments of adjacent regions meet at a meeting line such that all of the meeting lines are at the diffuser (5) or between the diffuser (5) and the light sources (11).

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, a light guide is provided which 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: A display comprises: a transmissive pixellated 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 polarisation 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 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 comprises an input polarizer 4, a patterned retarder 5 and an output polarizer 12. The retarder 5 has regions 8 and 9, at least one of which alters the polarization of light from the input polarizer 4. The output polarizer 7 has a transmission axis 12 such that light passing through the regions 8 and 9 of the retarder 5 and through the output polarizer 7 is matched in amplitude, phase and polarization. Such a device may be used as a switchable parallax barrier with an LCD 2 to provide a display which is switchable between an autostereoscopic 3D mode and a 2D mode with the 2D mode having more uniform intensity across the display.

Abstract: A composition comprises, based on the total weight of the composition from 79 to 99.79 weight percent of a polyester ionomer component, wherein the polyester ionomer component comprises, based on the polyester ionomer component, 0 to 40 wt. % of a non-ionomeric polyester, and 60 to 100 wt. % of a ionomeric polyester copolymer (i) non-ionomeric ester units and (ii) sulfonated ionomeric ester units, wherein the sulfonated ionomeric ester units are present in an amount from 0.05 to 5 mole percent of the total moles of ester units in the ionomeric polyester copolymer, from 0.1 to 6 weight percent of an organoclay; from 0.1 to 10 weight percent of an epoxy compound; and from 0.01 to 5 weight percent of a catalytic metal salt.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to microfluidics and more particularly to the design of customized microfluidic systems using a microfluidic computer aided design system. In one embodiment of the present invention a microfluidic circuit design method is provided. The method includes developing synthesizable computer code for a design. Next, a microfluidic circuit schematic, including a plurality of symbols for microfluidic components, is generated either interactively or using the synthesizable computer code. The microfluidic circuit schematic is then functionally simulated. The microfluidic components are placed and routed on a template to form a physical layout. Then the physical layout is physically simulated using dynamic simulation models of the microfluidic components; and the physical layout is written to a layout file.

Abstract: An autostereoscopic display comprises a pixellated transflective spatial light modulator which is arranged to provide a visual indication to an observer of the amount of crosstalk caused by reflection of ambient illumination. The display comprises a rear parallax barrier between a backlight and the modulator. Part of the barrier is formed as a screen blocking transmitted light from a first region of the modulator so that the pixels in this region are visible only by reflection of ambient illumination. In a second region, the pixels are illuminated with both transmitted and reflected light. A controller sets the pixels of the first region to maximum intensity and the pixels of the second region to a fraction of the maximum intensity. The fraction corresponds, for example, to a maximum amount of crosstalk which is permissible for autostereoscopic viewing.

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: 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 energising the emitter and receiving the signal, and adapted to determine the vertical location of the target zone relative to scanner.