Abstract: Disclosed are various types of metal-air FCB-based systems comprising a Metal-Fuel Transport Subsystem, a Metal-Fuel Discharging Subsystem, and a Metal-Fuel Recharging Subsystem. The function of the Metal-Fuel Transport Subsystem is to transport metal-fuel material, in the form of tape, cards, sheets, cylinders and the like, to the Metal-Fuel Discharge Subsystem, or the Metal-Fuel Recharge Subsystem, depending on the mode of the system selected. When transported to or through the Metal-Fuel Discharge Subsystem, the metal-fuel is discharged by (i.e. electro-chemically reaction with) one or more discharging heads in order produce electrical power across an electrical load connected to the subsystem while H2O and O2 are consumed at the cathode-electrolyte interface during the electrochemical reaction.

Abstract: Disclosed are various types of metal-air FCB-based systems comprising a Metal-Fuel Transport Subsystem, a Metal-Fuel Discharging Subsystem, and a Metal-Fuel Recharging Subsystem. The function of the Metal-Fuel Transport Subsystem is to transport metal-fuel material, in the form of tape, cards, sheets, cylinders and the like, to the Metal-Fuel Discharge Subsystem, or the Metal-Fuel Recharge Subsystem, depending on the mode of the system selected. When transported to or through the Metal-Fuel Discharge Subsystem, the metal-fuel is discharged by (i.e. electro-chemically reaction with) one or more discharging heads in order produce electrical power across an electrical load connected to the subsystem while H2O and O2 are consumed at the cathode-electrolyte interface during the electro-chemical reaction.

Abstract: A metal-air FCB power producing module of compact construction for supplying electrical power to a host system having a battery storage compartment. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the metal-air FCB power producing module incorporates a module housing of compact construction with a discharging head enclosed within the module housing and a partition into which a metal-fuel card can be slid for discharging. The module housing has a pair of electrical terminals for contacting the power terminals of a host system when the module housing is loaded into the battery storage compartment.

Abstract: In an air-metal fuel cell battery (FCB) system, wherein a plurality of movable cathode structures are mounted within a compact housing through which metal-fuel tape is transported along a predetermined path while an ionically-conductive medium is disposed between the metal-fuel tape and each movable cathode structure at points of contact. In illustrative embodiments, the movable cathode structures are realized as rotatable cathode cylinders, and transportable cathode belts. The ionically-conductive medium is realized as a solid-state ionically-conductive film applied to the cathode structures and/or metal-fuel tape, as well as ionically-conductive belt structures transported at the same velocity as corresponding cathode structures (e.g. cathode cylinders or belts) at the locus of points at which the ionically-conductive medium contacts the moving cathode structure and the moving metal-fuel tape.

Abstract: A switch element utilizes a single polarizer to couple two discreet inputs to any combination of two discreet outputs along non-blocking optical paths. This switch element may be conveniently networked to additional switch elements for scaling to switches having larger numbers (N) of inputs and outputs. The present invention provides advantages typically associated with conventional polarization gates, including terabit per-second data rates, to facilitate use in fiber-optics networks. This switch element is relatively robust and insensitive to environmental disturbances and has a reconfiguration time which is an order of magnitude faster than conventional optomechanical switches which generally require tens of milliseconds before reconfiguration. The switch element provides constant data pathlength for constant latency, loss, and unskewed data output.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrical power generation system comprised of a network of metal-air fuel cell battery (FCB) subsystems connected to an output power bus structure and controlled by a network control subsystem. The operation of each metal-air FCB subsystem is controlled so that, on the average, the amount of metal-fuel in each of the FCB subsystem is substantially the same, regardless of the total amount of metal-fuel remaining within the system available for electrical power generation. The electrical power generation system can be used as an electrical power plant that can be installed in virtually any system, device or environment in which there is a need to satisfy the peak power demand of an electrical load (e.g. motor, appliance, machinery, tools, etc.) independent of the total amount of metal-fuel remaining within the system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for extending path-length of metal-fuel tape during discharging and/or recharging operations so that a supply of metal-fuel tape contained within a cassette device or on a supply reel can be rapidly discharged and/or recharged in an improved manner. During discharging operations, a plurality of discharging heads are selectively arranged about the extended path-length of metal-fuel tape so as increase the rate at which electrical power is powered from the system. During recharging operations, a plurality of recharging heads are selectively arranged about the extended path-length of metal-fuel tape to decrease the time required to recharge the metal-fuel tape transported through the system.

Abstract: In an air-metal fuel cell battery (FCB) system, wherein metal-fuel tape, the ionically-conductive medium and the cathode structures are transported at substantially the same velocity at the locus of points at which the ionically-conductive medium contacts the moving cathode structure and the moving metal-fuel tape during discharging and recharging modes of operation. In a first generalized embodiment of the present invention, the ionically-conductive medium is realized as an ionically-conductive belt, and the metal-fuel tape, ionically-conductive belt, and movable cathode structure are transported at substantially the same velocity at the locus of points which the ionically-conducing belt contacts the metal-fuel tape and the cathode structure during system operation. In a second generalized embodiment of the present invention, the ionically-conductive medium is realized as a solid-state (e.g.

Abstract: In an air-metal fuel cell battery (FCB) system, wherein metal-fuel tape, the ionically-conductive medium and the cathode structures are transported at substantially the same velocity at the locus of points at which the ionically-conductive medium contacts the moving cathode structure and the moving metal-fuel tape during discharging and recharging modes of operation. In a first generalized embodiment of the present invention, the ionically-conductive medium is realized as an ionically-conductive belt, and the metal-fuel tape, ionically-conductive belt, and movable cathode structure are transported at substantially the same velocity at the locus of points which the ionically-conducing belt contacts the metal-fuel tape and the cathode structure during system operation. In a second generalized embodiment of the present invention, the ionically-conductive medium is realized as a solid-state (e.g. gelatinous) film layer integrated with the metal-fuel tape.

Abstract: An LCD panel employing a novel scheme of systemic light recycling. A single polarization state of light is transmitted from the backlighting structure to section of the LCD panel where both spatial intensity and spectral filtering of the transmitted polarized light simultaneously occurs on a subpixel basis. At each subpixel location, spectral bands of light not transmitted to the display surface during spectral filtering, are reflected without absorption back along the projection axis into the backlighting structure. At a subcomponent level within the LCD panel, spectral components of transmitted polarized light not used at any particular subpixel structure location are effectively reflected either directly or indirectly back into the backlighting structure.

Abstract: Disclosed are super broadband circularly polarizing film materials and novel methods of fabricating and using the same. The circularly polarizing materials are made from polymerizable CLC film material having a cholesteric order, in which a liquid crystal material, such as a nematic liquid crystal material, is distributed in a non-linear fashion across the thickness of the film in a plurality of liquid crystal-rich and liquid crystal-depleted sites in the CLC polymer. The pitch of the helices of the CLC molecules in the polyermized CLC material varies in a non-linear (e.g. exponential) manner along the depth dimension (i.e. transverse to the surface) thereof. The resulting circularly polarizing materials have reflection and transmission characteristics over bands of operation approaching 2000 nm. Depending on the final spiral structure of the polymeriable CLC materials utilized, the CLC circularly polarizing materials reflect either left-handed or right-handed circularly polarized light.

Abstract: Disclosed are liquid crystal (LC) phase-retarders and linear polarizers and methods and apparatus for making the same. The liquid crystal phase-retarder is realized by a liquid crystal film structure having one or more phase retardation regions formed therein. Each phase retardation region has an optical axis specified by the direction and depth of orientation of liquid crystal molecules along the surface of the liquid crystal film structure. The liquid crystal linear polarizer is realized by a liquid crystal film structure having a chiral phase region within which liquid crystal molecules are cholesterically ordered. One or more nematic phase regions are formed along the surface of the liquid crystal film structure within which liquid crystal molecules are oriented along a direction and to a surface depth sufficient to realize one or more phase retardation regions therein having optical axes along the direction of liquid crystal molecule orientation.

Abstract: A Method and apparatus is provided for producing and displaying pairs of spectrally-multiplexed gray-scale or color images of 3-D scenery for use in stereoscopic viewing thereof. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, pairs of spectrally-multiplexed color images of 3-D scenery are produced using a camera system records left and right color perspective images thereof and optically processes the spectral components thereof. In another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, pairs of spectrally-multiplexed color images of 3-D imagery are produced within a computer-based system which generates left and right perspective images thereof using computer graphic processes, and processes the pixel data thereof using pixel-data processing methods of the present invention.

Abstract: An electro-optical backlighting panel construction for use in portable computer-based systems having direct and projection viewing modes of operation. In the illustrative embodiments of the present invention, the electro-optical backlighting panel is integrated with a LCD display panel, a micropolarization panel, and a touch-screen writing panel to provide several different types of portable computer-based systems including, for example, a portable notebook computer, a computer-driven image display device, and a portable pen-computing device. In general, each of these computer-based systems are capable of selectively displaying color video images on an actively driven display surface, or projecting such video images onto a wall surface or projection screen. These computer-based systems can be easily reconfigured for projection viewing without any sort of physical modification to the LCD display panel assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel optical information storage media having M information storage decks. Each information storage deck has N information storage layers, and each information storage layer has a pair of information storage structures. Each paired information storage structure has a characteristic wavelength and polarization state, and from which recorded information can be read by a laser beam having similar wavelength and polarization-state characteristics. A novel system is provided for reading the optical information storage media of the present invention. In the illustrative embodiment, an optical storage device of the present invention having M.times.N.times.2 information storage layers can be read using only N laser lines (i.e. spectral components), thereby providing a 2M-fold increase in information storage capacity over prior art systems. The information storage and retrieval system of the present invention is completely backward compatible to allow for the reading of conventional CD-ROM devices.

Abstract: A desktop-based stereoscopic projection display system affording high-resolution stereoscopic and peripheral viewing of three-dimensional color imagery over a field of view of at least 180.degree.. The projection volume required by each image projector of the display system is disposed substantially within the overall display volume of the display system, while maximizing the viewing volume within which the viewer is free to move during interactive stereoscopic viewing sessions. The display system utilizes high-resolution image projectors, keystoning correcting optics and projection-beam folding mirrors which are compactly mounted immediately above the upper volume-boundary surface of the overall display volume of the system, in order to permit the use of three-dimensional display structures having footprints and display volumes that are supportable upon desktops and in other viewing environments characterized by spatial restrictions.

Abstract: Disclosed are super broadband circularly polarizing film materials and novels methods of fabricating and using the same. The circularly polarizing materials are made from polymerizable CLC film material having a cholesteric order, in which a liquid crystal material, such as a nematic liquid crystal material, is distributed in a non-linear fashion across the thickness of the film in a plurality of liquid crystal-rich and liquid crystal-depleted sites in the CLC polymer. The pitch of the helices of the CLC molecules in the polyermized CLC material varies in a non-linear (e.g. exponential) manner along the depth dimension (i.e. transverse to the surface) thereof. The resulting circularly polarizing materials have reflection and transmission characteristics over bands of operation approaching 2000 nm. Depending on the final spiral structure of the polymerizable CLC materials utilized, the CLC circularly polarizing materials reflect either left-handed or right-handed circularly polarized light.

Abstract: A transportable image display system having direct and projection viewing modes of operation. The image display system comprises a spatial light modulation structure for spatially modulating the intensity of light produced from a light source, and light diffusing panel of electro-optical construction having a light scattering state in which light being transmitted therethrough is scattered in a diffusive manner, and a light transmission state in which light being transmitted therethrough is transmitted without substantial scattering. In the illustrative embodiments, the spatial light modulation structure can be an electrically-addressable LCD panel, or slide-film structures to be viewed. During the direct viewing mode, light produced from the light source is scattered by the light diffusing panel and spatial intensity modulated by the spatial light modulation structure to form a first image for direct viewing.

Abstract: A Method and apparatus is provided for producing and displaying pairs of spectrally-multiplexed gray-scale or color images of 3-D scenery for use in stereoscopic viewing thereof. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, pairs of spectrally-multiplexed color images of 3-D scenery are produced using a camera system records left and right color perspective images thereof and optically processes the spectral components thereof. In another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, pairs of spectrally-multiplexed color images of 3-D imagery are produced within a computer-based system which generates left and right perspective images thereof using computer graphic processes, and processes the pixel data thereof using pixel-data processing methods of the present invention.

Abstract: An intelligent system and process for producing and displaying stereoscopically-multiplexed images of either real or synthetic 3-D objects, for use in realistic stereoscopic viewing thereof. The system comprises a subsystem for acquiring parameters specifying the viewing process of a viewer positioned relative to a display surface associated with a stereoscopic display subsystem. A computer-based subsystem is provided for producing stereoscopically-multiplexed images of either the real or synthetic 3-D objects, using the acquired parameters. The stereoscopically-multiplexed images are on the display surface, for use in realistic stereoscopic viewing of either the real or synthetic 3-D objects, by the viewer.