Abstract: A method of writing an image on a liquid crystal display of the type having a layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material disposed between a pair of unpatterned conductors and a light absorbing layer for forming an image wise thermal pattern in response to an image wise pattern of light, including applying a first voltage to the conductors; applying a second voltage different from the first voltage to the conductors after applying the first voltage, wherein the first and second voltages are non-zero; and exposing the liquid crystal display to the image wise pattern of light.

Abstract: A modulation optical system (40) provides modulation of an incident light beam. A wire grid polarization beamsplitter (240) receives the beam of light (130) and transmits a beam of light having a first polarization, and reflects a beam of light having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. Sub-wavelength wires (250) on the wire grid polarization beamsplitter face a reflective spatial light modulator. The reflective spatial light modulator receives the polarized beam of light and selectively modulates the polarized beam of light to encode data thereon. The reflective spatial light modulator reflects back both the modulated light and the unmodulated light to the wire grid polarization beamsplitter. The wire grid polarization beamsplitter separates the modulated light from the unmodulated light. A compensator (260) is located between the wire grid polarization beamsplitter and the reflective spatial light modulator (210).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of forming a display comprising the steps of (a) providing a substrate; (b) forming a plurality of first conductors over the substrate; (c) depositing a layer of cholesteric liquid-crystal material, in the form of droplets of liquid crystal in a liquid carrier, over a preselected area of each of said first conductors so that a preselected portion of each of said first conductors is uncoated; (d) drying the liquid carrier to form a layer of polymer-dispersed cholesteric-liquid-crystal domains in a continuous matrix; and (e) forming a plurality of second conductors, electrically isolated from the first conductors, over the layer of polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal domains so that an electric field between the second conductors and the uncoated portions of the first conductors is capable of changing the optical state of the polymer-dispersed cholesteric liquid-crystal material.

Abstract: A projection display apparatus (10) uses a modulation optical system (200) that includes a liquid crystal device (210) in combination with a wire grid polarization beamsplitter (240), a wire grid polarization analyzer (270) and a projection lens (285) to form an image. In order to achieve high contrast and maintain high brightness levels, a compensator (260) is provided for minimizing leakage light for pixels in the black (OFF) state. A number of configurations are possible, such as with the compensator (260) disposed in the optical path between the liquid crystal device (210) and the wire grid polarization beamsplitter (240) and with a secondary compensator (265) disposed between wire grid polarization analyzer (270) and the wire grid polarization beamsplitter (240).

Abstract: A display system includes a light writable display associated with an identification code and arranged to receive an image wise pattern of light to form an image on the display; a display writer for producing the image wise pattern of light for writing the image on the display; a scanner connected to the display writer for sensing the identification code; and a processor linked to the scanner and the display writer and responsive to the identification code for programming the display writer to write an image associated with the identification code.

Abstract: A driving scheme for chiral nematic (cholesteric) liquid crystal displays comprises a preparation step, a holding-selection step, and an evolution step. The column and row drivers require only 2 voltage levels: U or 0. Duty cycles and phases in the preparation step, the holding-selection step, and the evolution step, are varied to generate optimized contrast, brightness, and gray levels on cholesteric liquid crystal displays.

Abstract: A display system includes a display arranged to receive an image wise pattern of light to form an image, including, a pair of conductors, at least one conductor being transparent, a layer of cholesteric liquid crystal material disposed between the conductors, the liquid crystal material having multiple stable optical states at zero electrical field, and a light absorber for forming an image wise thermal pattern in the liquid crystal sufficient to change the optical state of the cholesteric liquid crystal in response to an image wise pattern of light; a display writer, including, a light source for producing a flash of light of sufficient intensity to generate sufficient heat in the light absorber to change the optical state of the cholesteric liquid crystal, a mask located between the light source and the display for defining the image wise pattern of light, a display drive connectable to the conductors for generating an electric field between the conductors for changing the optical state of the cholesteric l

Abstract: A method for writing pixels in a cholesteric liquid crystal display having opposing rows and columns of electrodes and cholesteric liquid crystal material disposed between the rows and columns of electrodes to define an array of pixels, the cholesteric liquid crystals having a plurality of reflective states stable in the absence of an electrical field, one state having a minimum reflection, and another state with maximum reflection includes the steps of: applying voltages to the row an column electrodes to establish a pre-selection pixel voltage having a magnitude and duration effective to change at least one possible reflective state, but ineffective to drive the liquid crystal material to a common state; applying voltages to the row and column electrodes to establish a selection pixel voltage for selecting a final reflective state for the pixel; and applying voltages to the row and column electrodes to establish a post selection pixel voltage for achieving a final desired reflective state.

Abstract: A method of driving an active matrix cholesteric liquid crystal display that includes a matrix of data and select lines and an array of pixels connected to the data and select lines through active switching elements, a pixel being capable of producing two or more gray levels includes providing a select voltage and a plurality of data voltages, and during a pixel writing cycle, applying the select voltage and the data voltages to the select and data lines of the display to produce only three pixel voltage levels 0, +U and ?U, having respective duty cycles and controlling the duty cycles of the pixel voltage levels to determine the gray levels of the pixels, and wherein the average voltage applied to a pixel during the pixel writing cycle is zero.

Abstract: A system for processing a multilayer liquid crystal film display material, with multiple irradiation apparatus (60) for applying a zone of polarized UV irradiation onto a substrate fed from a web (16) with incident light at a desired angle. Each irradiation apparatus (60) includes a UV light source (64), and one or more optional filters (82). A polarizer (90) is provided, sized and arranged to polarize light over the web (16) as it moves. The irradiation apparatus (60) employs an array of louvers (81) and/or a prism array (72). One irradiation apparatus (60) irradiates a first LPP1 layer (22) at a 0-degree alignment, in the web movement direction, the other irradiation apparatus (60) irradiates an LPP2 layer (26) with an orthogonal 90-degree alignment.

Abstract: A display comprising: a) a substrate; b) first transparent conductors; d) second conductors patterned to form segments; e) inter-segment material disposed between said second conductors, electrically conductive and having optical properties similar to said second conductors; f) an imaging layer comprising a light-modulating material disposed between said first and second conductors, electrically switched between two field-stable optical states and having a third as-coated optical state; and g) applying an electrical field to said inter-segment material and said first conductors to write said light-modulating material from the as-coated optical state to a different optical state more closely matching one of the two field-stable optical states.

Abstract: A brightness enhancement article for conditioning luminance from a light source (18) in a viewing direction is provided. A prism surface side (44) collects light from the light providing surface (14), where, in one embodiment, the prism surface side (44) has a series of substantially parallel grooves (30) forming a series of longitudinal trapezoidal prism elements (38). Each trapezoidal prism element (38) has a face plane (46) disposed toward the light source (18) and first and second legs (34,36) extending back from said face plane (46), respectively, forming first and second base angles ? with the face plane (46), where both first and second base angles ? satisfy: 90 degrees<base angle ?<120 degrees.

Abstract: A wire grid polarizer (100) for polarizing an incident light beam (130), comprising a substrate (505) having a first surface (410) and a second surface (510); and a first array of parallel, elongated wires disposed on the first surface (410). Each of the wires are spaced apart at a grid period less than a wavelength of the incident light; and a second array of parallel, elongated wires disposed on said second surface (420) where the second array of wires are oriented parallel to the first array of wires.

Abstract: A display apparatus (10) comprises a light source (20) for forming a beam of light. Illumination optics shapes and directs the beam of light. A splitter for splits the beam of light into at least three color beams of light. A modulation optical system (120) for each of the three color beams of light comprises a pre-polarizer (160), a wire grid beamsplitter (170), a reflective spatial light modulator (30), and a polarization analyzer (165). An imaging relay lens (130) in each color provides an intermediate image of the reflective spatial light modulator from the modulated light for that color. A dichroic combiner (26) recombines the modulated light for each given color, such that the multiple color beams form the respective intermediate images along a common optical axis to form a combined intermediate image. A projection lens (32) images the combined intermediate image to a display screen. An imager field lens (140) provides nominally telecentric light to the spatial light modulators.

Abstract: A display apparatus (10) comprises a light source (20) for forming a beam of light. Illumination optics shapes and directs the beam of light. A splitter for splits the beam of light into at least three color beams of light. A modulation optical system (120) for each of the three color beams of light comprises a pre-polarizer (160), a wire grid beamsplitter (170), a reflective spatial light modulator (30), and a polarization analyzer (165). An imaging relay lens (130) in each color provides an intermediate image of the reflective spatial light modulator from the modulated light for that color. A dichroic combiner (26) recombines the modulated light for each given color, such that the multiple color beams form the respective intermediate images along a common optical axis to form a combined intermediate image. A projection lens (32) images the combined intermediate image to a display screen. An imager field lens (140) provides nominally telecentric light to the spatial light modulators.

Abstract: An optical compensation film for liquid crystal displays comprises first and second optically anisotropic layers containing positively birefringent material disposed on a substrate, wherein the optic axis, thickness, and retardation of these layers are within prescribed limitations.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical compensation film for improves viewing angle of twisted nematic liquid crystal display, especially in the vertical viewing direction. The said optical compensation film contains a positively birefringent material oriented with its optic axis tilted in a plane perpendicular to the film plane, wherein the phase retardation value defined by (ne-no)d is 100±20 nm at the wavelength of 550 nm and the average tilt angle relative to the film plane is 10±5°, where ne and no are the extraordinary and ordinary refractive indices, respectively, and d, the thickness of the birefringent material.

Abstract: A cholesteric liquid crystal display with gray scales is disclosed which includes a substrate, a patterned first conductor disposed over the substrate, and a layer including a cholesteric liquid crystal material dispersed over the first patterned conductor. The display further includes a patterned second conductor disposed over the lay including cholesteric liquid crystal, and control means for applying voltages across particular portions of the patterned first and second conductors to cause electric fields to portions of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer to directly change its reflectance into a plurality of reflectance. The gray scale of the display can be obtained by a single pulse voltage independent of the initial state of the said display.

Abstract: A projection display apparatus (10) uses a modulation optical system (200) that includes a liquid crystal device (210) in combination with a wire grid polarization beamsplitter (240), a wire grid polarization analyzer (270) and a projection lens (285) to form an image. In order to achieve high contrast and maintain high brightness levels, a compensator (260) is provided for minimizing leakage light for pixels in the black (OFF) state. A number of configurations are possible, such as with the compensator (260) disposed in the optical path between the liquid crystal device (210) and the wire grid polarization beamsplitter (240) and with a secondary compensator (265) disposed between wire grid polarization analyzer (270) and the wire grid polarization beamsplitter (240).

Abstract: A method of making display having a display area capable of displaying a plurality of characters in a background, the characters including a plurality of segments, includes the steps of: providing a substrate; forming a first patterned conductor layer on the substrate having electrically separate areas defining character regions, the first patterned conductor being substantially coextensive with the display area; depositing a layer of light modulating material over the first patterned conductor layer; forming a second patterned conductor layer over the layer of light modulating material and having electrically separate areas defining the segments of the characters and the background, the second patterned conductor being substantially coextensive with the display area; depositing a dielectric layer over the second patterned conductor layer, the dielectric layer defining holes over each segment and the background area of the second patterned conductor layer; and forming a third patterned conductor layer located