Abstract: Permutations of features of an invention are ranked in accordance with factors such as importance and specificity to identify a reasonable number of (i.e. 20 or fewer) permutations as candidates for structuring a corresponding number of claims for a patent application. The identified permutations desirably include permutations corresponding to claims of broad scope, claims of narrow scope, and claims of intermediate scope; and exclude illogical or impractical permutations of features.

Abstract: A 3D display has a backlight, image panel, lens array, and aperture mask. The lens array has a plurality of converging lenses having optical axes perpendicular to the image panel. The aperture mask has a plurality of electro-optic elements. Each element is aligned closely proximate to a corresponding one of the lenses and is selectably switchable between “on” to permit passage of light rays through the element, or “off” to prevent passage of light rays through the element. The elements are arranged in subsets of adjacent elements. A controller electronically coupled to the image panel and to the aperture mask repetitively selects an electro-optic element in each subset, switches the selected elements “on”, switches all other elements in each subset “off”, and applies to the image panel a selected plurality of representations of an image, each representation corresponding to a plurality of different viewing directions of the image.

Abstract: A brightness enhancement film having a monolayer of approximately hemispherical, transparent, closely packed larger diameter hemi-beads. Due to the hemi-beads' hemispherical shape, gaps remain between adjacent ones of the larger diameter hemi-beads. A substantial number of the gaps are provided with at least one approximately hemispherical, transparent hemi-bead having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the larger diameter hemi-beads. Provision of smaller diameter hemi-beads within the gaps increases the film's reflectance value, such that the film's apparent brightness declines as a relatively smooth, continuous function of viewing angle, for viewing angles ranging from 0° (normal incidence) to about 40°, which is the preferred angular viewing range.

Abstract: A reflective display having a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive index (?1) transparent hemi-beads substantially covering and protruding inwardly from a transparent sheet's inward surface. The transparent sheet, which has an outward viewing surface, has a refractive index (?2) which can be low (i.e. ?1?1.92 and ?2?1.59). A member is selectably moved into an intense evanescent wave region at the hemi-beads' inward side to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light rays. The member can be a plurality of light scattering particles suspended in a low refractive index (?3?1.27) electrophoresis medium and electrophoretically moved into or out of the intense evanescent wave region.

Abstract: A reflective display having a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive index (?1) transparent hemi-beads substantially covering and protruding inwardly from a transparent sheet's inward surface. The transparent sheet, which has an outward viewing surface, has a refractive index (?2) which can be low (i.e. ?1?1.92 and ?2?1.59). A member is selectably moved into an intense evanescent wave region at the hemi-beads' inward side to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light rays. The member can be a plurality of light scattering particles suspended in a low refractive index (?3?1.27) electrophoresis medium and electrophoretically moved into or out of the intense evanescent wave region.

Abstract: An image display has a transparent front sheet with a prismatically microstructured inward surface and a rear sheet substantially parallel to and spaced from the front sheet. An electrophoretic suspension fills the space between the sheets. The suspension is formed by suspending non-light-scattering light absorptive particles in an electrophoresis medium until the particles form a substantially unitary thermodynamically stable agglomeration. Application of a voltage across the suspension establishes an electric field for controllably electrophoretically moving the particle agglomeration as a substantially unitary whole toward the front sheet's inward surface to frustrate total internal reflection at the inward surface of light rays passing through the front sheet.

Abstract: A reflective display having a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive index (&eegr;1) transparent hemi-beads substantially covering and protruding inwardly from a transparent sheet's inward surface. The transparent sheet, which has an outward viewing surface, has a refractive index (&eegr;2) which can be low (i.e. &eegr;1≈1.92 and &eegr;2≈1.59). A member is selectably moved into an intense evanescent wave region at the hemi-beads' inward side to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light rays. The member can be a plurality of light scattering particles suspended in a low refractive index (&eegr;3≈1.27) electrophoresis medium and electrophoretically moved into or out of the intense evanescent wave region.

Abstract: An image display has a transparent front sheet with a prismatically microstructured inward surface and a rear sheet substantially parallel to and spaced from the front sheet. An electrophoretic suspension fills the space between the sheets. The suspension is formed by suspending non-light-scattering light absorptive particles in an electrophoresis medium until the particles form a substantially unitary thermodynamically stable agglomeration. Application of a voltage across the suspension establishes an electric field for controllably electrophoretically moving the particle agglomeration as a substantially unitary whole toward the front sheet's inward surface to frustrate total internal reflection at the inward surface of light rays passing through the front sheet.

Abstract: A reflective display having a plurality of approximately hemispherical high refractive index (&eegr;1) transparent hemi-beads substantially covering and protruding inwardly from a transparent sheet's inward surface. The transparent sheet, which has an outward viewing surface, has a refractive index (&eegr;2) which can be low (i.e. &eegr;1≈1.92 and &eegr;2≈1.59). A member is selectably moved into an intense evanescent wave region at the hemi-beads' inward side to selectably frustrate substantial total internal reflection of light rays. The member can be a plurality of light scattering particles suspended in a low refractive index (&eegr;3≈1.27) electrophoresis medium and electrophoretically moved into or out of the intense evanescent wave region.

Abstract: A light deflector/recombiner is longitudinally symmetrical with respect to an X axis perpendicular to a Z axis. An X and Z vector components inverter longitudinally symmetrical with respect to both the X axis and a Y axis perpendicular to the X and Z axes lies parallel to the deflector/recombiner. A Y vector component inverter longitudinally symmetrical with respect to the X axis lies parallel to and between the deflector/recombiner and the X and Z inverter. The Y inverter has many reflector elements. Light rays incident in the Z direction encounter an element only once during return passage between the deflector/recombiner and the X and Z inverter. The X and Z inverter directionally inverts the rays with respect to the X and Z axes and the reflector element directionally inverts them with respect to the Y axis, such that substantially all incident rays are retro-reflected with respect to the X, Y and Z axes.

Abstract: A color image display having a spatially uniform distribution of at least two different “types” of prism structure. The first type consists of a prism, a color filter associated with one of the prism's facets and two color absorbing control members, each of which can be biased away from or into optical contact with one of the prism's other two facets. The color filter has a first spectral absorption characteristic, and the control members have second and third spectral absorption characteristics respectively. The second type of prism structure consists of a second prism, a color filter associated with one of the second prism's facets and at least one color absorbing control member which can be biased away from or into optical contact with one of the second prism's other two facets. The second prism's color filter and control member have fourth and fifth spectral absorption characteristics respectively.

Abstract: A color image display having a spatially uniform distribution of at least two different “types” of prism structure. The first type consists of a prism, a color filter associated with one of the prism's facets and two color absorbing control members, each of which can be biased away from or into optical contact with one of the prism's other two facets. The color filter has a first spectral absorption characteristic, and the control members have second and third spectral absorption characteristics respectively. The second type of prism structure consists of a second prism, a color filter associated with one of the second prism's facets and at least one color absorbing control member which can be biased away from or into optical contact with one of the second prism's other two facets. The second prism's color filter and control member have fourth and fifth spectral absorption characteristics respectively.

Abstract: Charged particles suspended in a medium such as Fluorinert™ Electronic Liquid are used to electrophoretically control total internal reflection (TIR) at a retro-reflective surface formed on a high refractive index material. Prismatic structures redirect ambient light from an overhead light source toward a display image and then from the image to the region in front of the image, yielding a high contrast reflective display. A transparent planar waveguide front lights the display with sequential flashes of red, blue and green light to generate a full color display. TIR can also be controlled at retro-reflective surfaces by means of a vapor-liquid phase transition, or by changing the absorption coefficient of a material using electrical, chemical and/or electrochemical methods.

Abstract: A display device and method in which electrophoresis and/or dual prismatic surfaces are used to controllably frustrate total internal reflection at an interface between materials having different refractive indices. In one embodiment, an array of solid dielectric light fibers is surrounded by an electrophoretic medium such as acetonitrile. In the absence of electrophoretic activity, the fibers totally internally reflect light which passes into the fibers, and a reflector returns the light for diffuse emission through the fibers ends. If the fibers are subjected to electrophoretic activity their TIR capability is frustrated. A second embodiment redirects light through two prismatic surfaces in a manner which permits the TIR phenomenon to occur and to be controlled at a flat surface. A third embodiment uses both electrophoresis and dual prismatic surfaces to achieve gapless control of the TIR phenomenon at a flat surface.