Abstract: A projection system includes first and second light valve projectors which project a composite image onto a screen by overlapping the first and second images in an overlap region. Each projector includes a light source, a light valve for reflecting or transmitting image light, a condensing lens for directing light from the light source to the light valve, and a projection lens. An improved light valve projector includes a blending device, associated with the first and second light valve projectors and being located in the path of the light between the light valve and the projection lens, the light source and the condensing lens, or the projection lens and the screen. The blending device smoothes off-state and on-state illumination levels in the overlap region without reducing the contrast ratio of said light valve projector. The blending device includes physical devices such as filters, solid masks, and/or a combination thereof as a substitute for electronic blending.

Abstract: An electron beam addressed liquid crystal light valve (LCLV) produces an AC voltage across a liquid crystal layer from a single polarity electron beam, and exhibits very high resolution. A thin layer of partially conductive material is deposited on a support membrane on the electron beam side of the liquid crystal. A conductive, electron beam permeable sheet is formed on the back of the partially conductive layer. Electrons from the beam are absorbed by the partially conductive layer, and then flow back out to the conductive sheet to produce an AC voltage prior to the next electron beam scan. The conductive sheet is connected in circuit with a transparent electrode which provides a voltage reference on the readout side of the liquid crystal. The device is designed with electrical parameters that produce a discharge rate from the partially conductive layer fast enough to complete an AC cycle between successive electron beam scans, but slow enough for the liquid crystal to respond and produce an image.

Abstract: An electron beam addressed crystal light valve (LCLV) produces an AC voltage across a liquid crystal layer from a single polarity electron beam, and exhibits very high resolution. A mirror and a thin layer of partially conductive material are deposited on a support membrane on the electron beam side of the liquid crystal. The partially conductive layer is divided into a series of pixel elements by a conductive matrix which faces the electron beam. Electrons from the beam are absorbed by the partially conductive layer to establish a negative voltage across the liquid crystal, and then flow out to the conductive matrix to produce an AC voltage prior to the next electron beam scan. The conductive matrix is connected in circuit with a transparent electrode which provides a voltage reference on the readout side of the liquid crystal.

Abstract: A compact, full color, light projection system using a liquid crystal light valve (LCLV) and a unique combination of optical devices. The LCLV operates to modulate a light beam which has been polarized by one of the optical devices. The modulated light beam is converged and registered by other optical devices to form the output image.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for operating an image display system using a hybrid field effect liquid crystal light valve of the type wherein the molecules of the nematic liquid crystal layer are helically twisted through an acute angle. A polarized projection beam is oriented with its polarization direction within the acute twist angle and applied to a reflective face of the light valve. A writing light input image is applied to a photoresponsive opposite face in order to modulate the reflected projection beam. An electric field applied across the light valve is adjusted between two levels to produce either a simultaneous display of multicolor symbology and achromatic (black-white) gray scale images or a separate display of either one of them.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for operating an electro-optical system for producing high quality images from a liquid crystal light valve.A polarized projection beam is directed to the reflective surface of a liquid crystal light valve for polarization modulation by means of an input image. The beam is polarization analyzed to thereby generate an output image which typically suffers from color and brightness defects caused by economically unavoidable tolerance variations in the electro-optical system. A second beam of light is generated having a light of a selected color different from the projection beam, is spatially varied in intensity by a spatially graded filter, and super-imposed on the output image so as to eliminate the color and brightness defects as well as enhance color contrast and brightness of the image.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a semiconductor structure that includes at least one wafer that is fully depleted of all mobile carriers and is used as a medium for the movement of spatially modulated signal represented by charge carriers through the wafer with a spatial resolution that is smaller than the thickness of the wafer. This may be used in the form of a continuous high resolution silicon photodiode substrate to serve as an image input means for an electro-optical display medium, such as a liquid crystal. Next to the photoactivated substrate is a liquid crystal and next to the crystal is a transparent electrode. The photodiode is reverse biased and both of its sides are depleted of all mobile charges throughout its entire thickness. Thus, charges generated in the substrate move to the display not by diffusion as in prior art devices (e.g.

Abstract: There is disclosed a reflective type liquid crystal light valve means for converting a visible wavelength dynamic image to an infrared wavelength dynamic image. The device employs an infrared reflecting and visible transmitting indium-tin-oxide film which is external to the liquid crystal layer and active films and which also serves as a conductive electrode for the device. In operation, a visible image is transmitted through a visible transmitting faceplate and through this ITO film to a photosensor to modify its impedance. An infrared projection beam is transmitted through a second infrared transmissive faceplate, through the liquid crystal means and the photosensor to the IR reflective dichroic film and thence back through the rest of the liquid crystal cell for projection.

Abstract: A new, useful and nonobvious process is disclosed wherein vapor phase controlled stoichiometry is employed to obtain compound semiconductor films having large crystallite textures. The process has been found to be particularly useful in the formation of compound semiconductor films where one of the components is a high vapor pressure element and the substrate material is amorphous.

Abstract: There is disclosed an anisotropically conductive interface comprising a plurality of cermet and dielectric layers for use in electro-optical devices to separate a substrate driver from an electro-optical display medium to prevent display light from affecting the driver. The substrate may be a photosensor, a charge coupled device or other matrix addressing circuitry arrangement. In general the substrate is one which can provide spatially modulated voltage and/or current patterns. The display medium may be a liquid crystal, an electro-chromic, an electro-luminescent material or the like. The interface provides direct current conductivity through the interface, insulative maintenance of the spatial modulation of the signal across the interface, light reflectivity, and high attenuation of transmitted light.

Abstract: There is disclosed a silver doped silicon single crystal charge storage photodiode substrate suitable for use in an alternating current driven liquid crystal light valve. The gain capability of the charge storage photodiode makes it possible to construct a single crystal substrate ac light valve very similar in structure to that presently being used with a cadmium sulphide photodiode, but having improved operating characteristics and benefitting from a more fully developed manufacturing technology for silicon devices. One specific embodiment of such a single crystal substrate is a silicon substrate doped with a slow recombination center element such as silver.

Abstract: In a light actuated device such as an alternating current driven light valve or other display device requiring the photocapacitance of a light responsive layer in a photodiode to be modulated in response to changes in incident or writing light, sensitivity is an important factor, especially when a cathode ray tube phosphor image is the source of such light. This sensitivity can be improved by more than an order of magnitude by using a graded defect center (as defined hereinbelow) concentration, graded band gap layer in said diode which can produce a graded optical absorption coefficient between two regions of the layer so that most of the incident light is absorbed in the region near the semiconductor rectifying junction of the diode to store charge near this junction by this or any similar action.