Abstract: A surface light source includes a prism sheet placed on one side of a liquid crystal display panel, and having elongated prism portions formed to form a patterned indented entrance surface having an angular cross-section, and an exit surface. A reflecting plate is placed to face the prism sheet through a space. First and second light source units are disposed on two end sides. A control unit sequentially writes left-eye image data and right-eye image data on respective pixels of the display panel, causes the light source unit on the right side when viewed from an observation side of the surface light source to emit light in synchronism with the writing of the left-eye image data, and causes the light source unit on the left side to emit light in synchronism with the writing of the right-eye image data.

Abstract: On a side opposite to an observation side of a liquid crystal display panel, a plane light source is disposed which emits an illuminative light for the left eye of three colors of red, green and blue having such a directivity that a peak of emitted light intensity exists in a direction of the observer's left eye, and that for the right eye of three colors of red, green and blue having such a directivity that the peak of emitted light intensity exists in a direction of the right eye.

Abstract: A surface light source includes a prism sheet placed on one side of a liquid crystal display panel, and having elongated prism portions formed to form a patterned indented entrance surface having an angular cross-section, and an exit surface. A reflecting plate is placed to face the prism sheet through a space. First and second light source units are disposed on two end sides. A control unit sequentially writes left-eye image data and right-eye image data on respective pixels of the display panel, causes the light source unit on the right side when viewed from an observation side of the surface light source to emit light in synchronism with the writing of the left-eye image data, and causes the light source unit on the left side to emit light in synchronism with the writing of the right-eye image data.

Abstract: On a side opposite to an observation side of a liquid crystal display panel, a plane light source is disposed which emits an illuminative light for the left eye of three colors of red, green and blue having such a directivity that a peak of emitted light intensity exists in a direction of the observer's left eye, and that for the right eye of three colors of red, green and blue having such a directivity that the peak of emitted light intensity exists in a direction of the right eye.

Abstract: A display device includes a non light-emitting type display element for controlling the transmission of incident light to display an image, a light radiating unit having a light source and a photoconductor, and arranged at the back of the display element for emitting illuminating light toward the display element and reflecting ambient light incident from the front of the display element at a given reflectivity toward the display element. An illumination brightness controller is provided for controlling the intensity of the illuminating light so that the screen brightness of the display element comprising the total of reflected light of the ambient light reflected on the photoconductor and transmitted light of the illuminating light is set up into a predetermined range according to the reflectivity of the photoconductor and the environmental illumination of the ambient light radiated from the front of the display element.

Abstract: A light beam emitted by a surface illuminant reaches the surface of a transparent base layer of a recess/projection detection optical element. A light beam emitted almost vertically is emitted to an air layer. A light beam incident on the transparent base layer at an angle larger than a total reflection angle returns to a two-dimensional photosensor at a portion contacting the air layer, but scatters in a transparent particle at a portion contacting the transparent particle. When a finger is brought into contact with a scattering reflection layer, the scattering reflection state does not change in an area corresponding to a valley of a fingertip. As indicated by an arrow, an amount of reflected light beam is large. In an area corresponding to a ridge of the fingertip, the light beam scattered by the transparent particle is absorbed. The amount of reflected light beam is small, as indicated by an arrow.

Abstract: An illumination panel comprises a light source, a photoconductor for guiding light from the light source, and an optical film for emitting light emitted from the photoconductor ahead of an observer. The photoconductor comprises a stepwise face having an incident end face onto which the light from the light source is projected, step faces, and step differentiating faces for emitting the light guided from the light source and connecting the step faces, and reflective films formed on the step faces. The optical film is arranged at the front side of the photoconductor, and has projected incident portions which are opposite to the step differentiating faces in a light emitting direction. The optical film emits the light emitted from the step differentiating faces ahead, and causes the light that is projected from the front to be reflected ahead on reflective faces on the step faces.

Abstract: An organic electroluminescence device is placed as a back light of a liquid crystal display panel. The organic electroluminescence device is constituted by a front electrode (#112) having transparency to visible light, a rear electrode (#113) having reflection to visible light and an organic electroluminescence layer (#114) for emitting light as a predetermined voltage is applied between the front and rear electrodes. A scatter control member (#120), located between the liquid crystal panel and the organic electroluminescence panel, passes incident light within a predetermined range without scattering and passes light outside the predetermined range with scattering. Preferably, the scatter control member is constituted by a plurality of lightguiding portions (#121) having transparency to visible light and a plurality of reflection films (#122) having a reflection property to visible light.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device has a pair of substrates having a plurality of electrodes arranged on facing surfaces thereof, aligning films, rubbed in a predetermined direction, for covering the surfaces of the substrates and the surfaces of the electrodes, a nematic liquid crystal disposed between these aligning films, and a pair of polarizing plates disposed outside the substrates. The liquid crystal device has an optical anistropy .DELTA.n of 0.12 or below, a dielectric ratio .DELTA..epsilon./.epsilon.1 of 1.0 or below, expressed by a ratio of a dielectric anistotropy .DELTA..epsilon. of a dielectric constant in a direction normal to the axes of liquid crystal molecules, and a retardation .DELTA.n.multidot.d of greater than 0.4 .mu.m and less than 1.0 .mu.m, which is expressed by a product of the optical anisotropy .DELTA.n and the thickness d of a liquid crystal layer. The nematic liquid crystal is twised 180.degree. to 270.degree. between the aligning films.