Fiberoptic Faceplate Patents (Class 349/159)
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Publication number: 20020154265Abstract: The present invention replaces liquid crystal light control elements in fiber-optic faceplate liquid crystal displays (LCD) with suspended particle devices (SPDs), and provides for passive light control without the need for either polarized light or special alignment layers. A fluid or film containing suspended particles may be asymmetric in shape so that their optical density depends strongly upon their orientation. The orientation of the particles within the fluid can be manipulated by an application of an electric field, so that the fluid or film may appear to be transparent to both polarizations of light when the electric field is applied, and opaque when the electric field is removed and the orientation of the particles is allowed to randomize naturally.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2001Publication date: October 24, 2002Inventor: Laurence M. Hubby
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Patent number: 6462800Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, and a manufacturing method thereof, having an existing box-like counter electrode connected to the source/drain electrode through a first contact hole in the gate insulating film and so is used as the pixel electrode, and the existing slit-shaped counter electrode is connected to the non-transparent metallic common bus line through a second contact hole in the gate insulating film and so becomes the counter electrode while maintaining the existing process layer structure as it is, so that even if a short circuit occurs between the gate bus line and the pixel electrode in the same layer due to the particle, degradation is limited to only one pixel, which results in enhancing of the process yield.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2000Date of Patent: October 8, 2002Assignee: Hyundai Display Technology Inc.Inventors: Hyang Yul Kim, In Cheol Park, Seung Hee Lee
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Patent number: 6339463Abstract: A non-polarizing, Bragg-reflecting liquid crystal display is provided including a first and second substrate, liquid crystal material located between the first substrate and the second substrate. A fiber-optic faceplate may function as a first surface. Alternatively, a fiber-optic faceplate may be located on the side of the first substrate opposite from the liquid crystal layer. The fiber-optic faceplate may include optical fibers that extend between a front face and a rear face and fiber cladding materials located between the optical fibers. The fiber cladding material may be further opaquely masked on the front face.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1997Date of Patent: January 15, 2002Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Louis D. Silverstein, Thomas G. Fiske, Greg P. Crawford
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Publication number: 20010046027Abstract: An electrode structure has independent pixel electrodes and connected common electrodes for a wide viewing angle liquid crystal display. The pixel electrode being a plate-shaped structure is fabricated on a lower layer above a substrate. The common electrode being a striped-shape structure is formed in an upper layer above the substrate. The common electrode may be a herringbone-shaped structure. The pixel electrodes and the common electrodes may overlay the data signal lines of the liquid crystal display. The arrangement of the electrode structure increases the effective light transmission. The electrode structure has the advantages that the tolerance for an electrostatic breakdown or residual electric charges is increased, and reproduction process is simplified.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 1999Publication date: November 29, 2001Inventors: YA-HSIANG TAI, LISEN CHUANG, CHIH-HONG CHEN
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Patent number: 6295106Abstract: Novel liquid crystal display (LCD) structures for full-color liquid crystal displays using photoluminescent (PL) fibers. The new architectures simplify the LCD fabrication process by replacing complicated, time consuming photolithography steps for color filter fabrication to a low-cost, high-throughput fiber spinning technology. The new LCD architecture implementing the approach has a higher power efficiency than conventional LCDs. Three structures of LCD devices utilizing photoluminescent (PL) fiber arrays includes: a first structure having PL fiber arrays situated behind the LC shutter (relative to viewers); a second structure having PL fiber arrays situated on top of the LC shutter; and a third structure where the PL fiber arrays are located outside the LC cell. In one of these structures, the fibers not only photoluminesce, but also polarize incident light thus reducing LCD fabrication cost.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2000Date of Patent: September 25, 2001Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Tadashi Fukuzawa, Sayuri Kohara, Victor Yee Way Lee, Robert D. Miller, John Campbell Scott, Sally A. Swanson
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Patent number: 6219184Abstract: A stereoscopic image display apparatus includes an image display apparatus main body and a multi-angle image information generating unit for generating image information for a plurality of viewing angles from which a three-dimensional object is viewed. The image display apparatus main body includes a liquid crystal panel for displaying an angle-specific image derived from the angle-specific image information supplied from the multi-angle image information generating unit, and an angle-specific image radial distribution unit which, provided at the front of the liquid crystal panel, radially distributes the angle-specific image by providing directivity to a light beam carrying the angle-specific image displayed on the liquid crystal panel and thus directing the angle-specific image to a corresponding angle. When a viewer changes a view position or viewing angle, the viewer can experience one stereoscopic image turning into another.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 1999Date of Patent: April 17, 2001Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventor: Shinpei Nagatani
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Patent number: 6184967Abstract: The invention relates to an essentially pressure-insensitive liquid crystal cell. Electrode-equipped (5, 6) plates (1, 2) are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other and define a liquid crystal layer of a thickness d. At least a first (1) of the plates is transparent and has a thickness b not exceeding 1 mm, and a modulus of elasticity E. Spacers (11) fixed in the cavity and having a height h are distributed with a spacing L and have substantially the same modulus of elasticity E as said first plate. The spacers (11) have a width not exceeding 50 &mgr;m, at least in one direction. The degree of the surface coverage s by the supporting areas of the spacers (11) on said first plate (1) exceeds or is equal to a minimum value which is dependent on the type of liquid crystal.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 1997Date of Patent: February 6, 2001Assignee: EMT AGInventors: Sven T. Lagerwall, Anatoli A. Muravski, Sergei Ye Yakovenko, Viktor A. Konovalov, Anatoli A. Minko, Valeri P. Tsarev
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Patent number: 6160606Abstract: Optical plates which have columnar features approximately in the direction of light propagation which are capable of total internal reflection, a controllable numeric aperture (NA) at input and output surfaces, rotational azimuthal averaging and translation of the object plane from a back surface of the plate to a front surface of the plate and are optical equivalent of a FOFP. These plates are made from a composition of irradiation sensitive glass which has been etched in either the columnar features or the surrounding features. If the surrounding features have been etched, the etched areas are filled with either a low melt glass or plastic or a light blocking material such as a black composition material. If the columnar features have been etched the etched areas are filled with a low melt glass or plastic.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1997Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventor: Robert A. Sprague
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Patent number: 6044196Abstract: An optical device for collecting light and selectively outputting or concentrating the light. A layer has an optical index of referaction n.sub.1, and top, bottom and side surfaces defining an angel of inclination .phi.. A back surface spans the top, bottom and side surface. A first layer is coupled to the bottom surface of the layer and has an index of refraction n.sub.2. The first layer index n.sub.2 causes light input through the back surface of the layer to be preferentially output into the first layer. A second layer is coupled to the bottom of the first layer and selectively causes output of light into ambient. Additional layers, such as alight polarization layer, a polarization converting layer and a post LCD diffuser layer can be used to make preferential use of polarized light of diffuse light having passed through the LCD layer to enhance viewing of the output light.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 1997Date of Patent: March 28, 2000Assignee: Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing, Co.Inventors: Roland Winston, Robert L. Holman, Benjamin A. Jacobson, Robert M. Emmons, Philip Gleckman
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Patent number: 5963682Abstract: A data communication system comprising a plurality of fiber optic cables and a fiber optic switching system, comprising: a support structure for securing light emitting/light receiving ends of the plurality of fiber optic cables in predetermined positions; and, means for re-directing light emitted from the light emitting/light receiving end of one of the fiber optic cables to the light emitting/light receiving ends of one, or more than one, of a plurality of the plurality of fiber optic cables. The re-directing means includes means for collimating and directing the light emitted from the end of one of the cables as a beam propagating along a predetermined direction and for re-directing the beam towards the end of another one of the cables selectively in accordance with an electrical signal. More particularly, the re-directing means includes electro-optical phase shifting medium, preferably liquid crystal molecules.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 1997Date of Patent: October 5, 1999Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: Terry A. Dorschner, Lawrence J. Friedman, Douglas S. Hobbs
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Patent number: 5959711Abstract: A transmissive, backlit color twisted-nematic or super-twisted-nematic liquid crystal display employing a front fiber-optic faceplate or optical equivalent as a front retaining element of a liquid crystal cell that increases viewing angle between the display and a viewer while minimizing or eliminating undesirable variations in luminance, contrast ratio and chromaticity is described. In particular, the fiber-optic faceplate or optical equivalent includes cylindrical optical features and interstitial cladding material. The interstitial cladding material may include an opaque mask blocking layer to prevent the interstitial apertures from diffracting off-axis light into an observer's viewing cone. Further, the interstitial cladding material may be opaque.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 1996Date of Patent: September 28, 1999Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Louis D. Silverstein, Thomas G. Fiske, Greg P. Crawford
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Patent number: 5894364Abstract: A stereoscopic image display apparatus includes an image display apparatus main body and a multi-angle image information generating unit for generating image information for a plurality of viewing angles from which a three-dimensional object is viewed. The image display apparatus main body includes a liquid crystal panel for displaying an angle-specific image derived from the angle-specific image information supplied from the multi-angle image information generating unit, and an angle-specific image radial distribution unit which, provided at the front of the liquid crystal panel, radially distributes the angle-specific image by providing directivity to a light beam carrying the angle-specific image displayed on the liquid crystal panel and thus directing the angle-specific image to a corresponding angle. When a viewer changes a view position or viewing angle, the viewer can experience one stereoscopic image turning into another.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1997Date of Patent: April 13, 1999Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventor: Shinpei Nagatani
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Patent number: 5867240Abstract: A transmissive, backlit color twisted-nematic or super-twisted-nematic liquid crystal display employing a front fiber-optic faceplate or optical equivalent as a front retaining element of a liquid crystal cell that increases viewing angle between the display and a viewer while minimizing or eliminating undesirable variations in luminance, contrast ratio and chromaticity is described. The fiber-optic faceplate or optical equivalent includes cylindrical optical features and interstitial cladding material of greater optical index than the cylindrical optical features. The interstitial cladding material may include an opaque mask blocking layer to prevent the interstitial apertures from diffracting off-axis light into an observer's viewing cone.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 1996Date of Patent: February 2, 1999Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Gregory P. Crawford, Thomas G. Fiske, Louis D. Silverstein
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Patent number: 5771039Abstract: Display device integration techniques and structures are disclosed that improve display performance, usability, and reduce system cost. The improved designs and techniques involve direct view display devices, pen/stylus input devices, Integrated Circuit (IC) driver units (74), backlight devices (41) and fiberoptic faceplates (3, 6). The types of display devices, included in the inventions, may involve Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays, Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), as well as other type of displays, including flat panel displays. The pen/stylus input device consists of a pen/stylus (5), a sensor/emitter film (4), and pen encoding electronics (20). One or more fiberoptic faceplates may be included. The inside surface of the fiberoptic faceplate may be reticulated, having reflective structures (28) and phosphor dots (12) applied. Distributed Index planar micro lens arrays may be incorporated instead of fiberoptic faceplates.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 1994Date of Patent: June 23, 1998Inventor: Richard J. Ditzik
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Patent number: 5760850Abstract: A projection type color image display apparatus includes: a light source for emitting white light; a first optical element for dividing the white light into a plurality of colored lights and for converging each colored light to form a plurality of spots, the spots of each colored light being formed at different positions from the spots of the other colored light; a liquid crystal display element including a plurality of pixels, the pixels corresponding to the spots and modulating the respective colored lights, whereby an image displayed by the liquid crystal display element is carried by the colored lights; a second optical element for diffracting the colored lights modulated by the liquid crystal display element to make a principal ray of each colored light substantially parallel to a principal ray of the other colored light; and a third optical element for receiving the colored lights from the second optical element and for projecting the image displayed by the liquid crystal display element while the imageType: GrantFiled: February 9, 1996Date of Patent: June 2, 1998Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Nakanishi, Hiroshi Hamada, Takashi Shibatani, Yoshihiro Mizuguchi, Hiromi Kato
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Patent number: 5751390Abstract: A transmissive, backlit color twisted-nematic or super-twisted-nematic liquid crystal display employing a front fiber-optic faceplate or optical equivalent as a front retaining element of a liquid crystal cell that increases viewing angle between the display and a viewer while minimizing or eliminating undesirable variations in luminance, contrast ratio and chromaticity is described. The fiber-optic faceplate or optical equivalent includes cylindrical optical features and interstitial cladding material of greater optical index than the cylindrical optical features. The interstitial cladding material may include an opaque mask blocking layer to prevent the interstitial apertures from diffracting off-axis light into an observer's viewing cone.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 1996Date of Patent: May 12, 1998Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Gregory P. Crawford, Thomas G. Fiske, Louis D. Silverstein
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Patent number: 5659378Abstract: A polarizing fiber-optic layer for use within a liquid crystal multilayer structure, particularly for use in a computer system having a liquid crystal display screen. The invention relates to a specially designed thin polarizing fiber-optic layer which functions both as a polarizer of light in a specific direction and as a fiber-optic material for optically resolving an image to its surface from a position optically below the fiber-optic material layer. Using this double functioning material the problems of off axis viewing, contrast (and color) distortion and parallax can be solved in flat panel displays. This inventive layer replaces several complex layers of a conventional liquid crystal display thereby greatly simplifying display manufacture and improving performance.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1995Date of Patent: August 19, 1997Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.Inventor: David Jacob Gessel
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Patent number: 5654783Abstract: An optical switching element having a variable optical path length layer whose optical path length is varied and whose refractive index anisotropy is controlled by application of an external field; external field application device for applying the external field to the variable optical path length layer; a first non-varying optical path length layer formed at at least one surface of surfaces of the variable optical path length layer in a direction of thickness thereof, and having a refractive index which is greater than a maximum refractive index of the variable optical path length layer; and a second non-varying optical path length layer formed at at least one surface of the surfaces of the variable optical path length layer in the direction of thickness thereof, and having a refractive index which is less than a minimum refractive index of the variable optical path length layer. By controlling refractive index anisotropy of the variable optical path length layer, natural light can be modulated.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1996Date of Patent: August 5, 1997Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yoshihisa Usami
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Patent number: 5594561Abstract: A flat panel liquid crystal display module (34) has its front face adjacent a rear projection screen (40) and is illuminated by a pre-polarized collimated light source (10,14,16,18,22,26). Collimation is provided by either a Fresnel lens or a projection lens having a long focal length. The characteristics of the projection screen (40) provide narrowed vertical viewing angle and a fiber optic face plate (38) between the liquid crystal module (34) and the screen (40) provides sunlight rejection. The arrangement has greatly improved display brightness, with only minimal changes in contrast and color as viewing angle changes.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1993Date of Patent: January 14, 1997Assignee: Palomar Technologies CorporationInventor: Randall D. Blanchard