Abstract: A reflective display device includes a panel, a light guide plate and a light source. The panel is provided with a transparent first substrate lying on the side of the external incident light, a second substrate joined to the first substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween and lying on the reflection side, a guest-host liquid crystal layer held in the gap between the substrates, and electrodes provided on each substrate for applying a voltage to the guest-host liquid crystal layer. The light guide plate is composed of a transparent material and is arranged on the outside of the first substrate. The light source is arranged on the end of the light guide plate and generates illumination light as required. The light guide plate normally transmits external light onto the first substrate and emits the external light reflected from the second substrate, and also, as required, guides illumination light onto the first substrate and emits the illumination light reflected from the second substrate.

Abstract: A curved surface is provided under a range of conditions whereby light rays from a light source that are input from an end face of a light guide plate are guided within light guide plate. When light rays reach projecting shapes that are provided on plate face of light guide plate, they are output from light guide plate and illuminate object to be illuminated. With this construction, light guide plate has the function of transmitting with scarcely any dispersion rays of light that are directed on to object to be illuminated and that are reflected by object to be illuminated.

Abstract: Charged particles suspended in a medium such as Fluorinert™ Electronic Liquid are used to electrophoretically control total internal reflection (TIR) at a retro-reflective surface formed on a high refractive index material. Prismatic structures redirect ambient light from an overhead light source toward a display image and then from the image to the region in front of the image, yielding a high contrast reflective display. A transparent planar waveguide front lights the display with sequential flashes of red, blue and green light to generate a full color display. TIR can also be controlled at retro-reflective surfaces by means of a vapor-liquid phase transition, or by changing the absorption coefficient of a material using electrical, chemical and/or electrochemical methods.

Abstract: In a front light type liquid crystal display device, to prevent a reduction in the quality of a visible image to be displayed caused by dust entering the liquid crystal display device. To prevent a reduction in the quality of a visible image to be displayed caused by ununiform close contact between the light-guiding member and another member of the liquid crystal display device. A liquid crystal display device 21 including a liquid crystal structure 6 consisting of a pair of substrates 17a and 17b with liquid crystal L filled therebetween; a light source 2 which emits light; a light-guiding member 3, disposed at the observer side of the liquid crystal structure 6, for guiding the light from the light source 2 to the liquid crystal structure 6; and a cover 23 disposed at the observer side of the light-guiding member 3.

Abstract: A reflection type liquid-crystal display which is excellent in contrast when viewed with or without illumination and also in display brightness and in which displayed images viewed through a light conductive plate are less apt to be disturbed, i.e., excellent in clearness, and are less apt to have a decrease in perceptibility caused by moire phenomenon; and to develop a light conductive plate and a surface light source device with each of which the liquid-crystal display can be fabricated.

Abstract: In a transparent and sheet-shaped lighting apparatus 1 disposed so as to cover a surface F of a member to be illuminated 51, a light source lamp 4 is disposed along a side end surface 3 of a transparent substrate 2 made of a translucent material, and a plurality of grooves 11 which are substantially triangular in section are formed in parallel with an axial direction of the light source lamp 4 are formed. In this structure, since the amount of light caused by the reflection on the grooves 11 and the amount of light depending on a distance from the light source lamp 4 become equal to each other on the entire back surface 8 of the transparent substrate 2, the light emitted from the light source lamp 4 progresses in the transparent substrate 2 and also goes out from the back surface 8 to enter the member to be illuminated 51, thereby to illuminate a screen.

Abstract: A reflection type display device includes a panel, a light guide plate placed external to the panel, and a light source placed at the end of the light guide plate for generating illumination light as required. The light guide plate normally transmits external light onto a first substrate of the panel and emits the external light reflected from a second substrate of the panel, while, as required, guides illumination light onto the first substrate and emits the illumination light reflected from the second substrate. The light guide plate includes a planar section divided into bands and an inclined section lying between each planar section. The light guide plate reflects the illumination light guided from the light source at each inclined section so as to lead it onto the first substrate and emits the illumination light reflected from the second substrate through each planar section and inclined section.

Abstract: A color filter which, in a reflection type color picture projector using a polarized light component as a projection light, improve the utilization factor of light and a color picture display device using the same color filter are provided. The color filter 3 using a transmission type hologram diffracts and spectroscopically separates P polarized light components related to respective primary colors and condenses them to pixel electrodes 13r, 13g, and 13b on the side of an LCD panel 1. A reflection light which is modulated by an optical modulator 16 on the side of the LCD panel 1 and becomes S polarized light component is incident on the color filter 3. The color filter 3 transmits the S polarized light component and uses it as the projection light.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display has excellent viewing angle characteristics and prevents any reduction of transmittance.

Abstract: An illumination structure which is for viewing an image in a dark environment without deterioration of image quality in a bright environment is incorporated in a reflective display. A reflective display comprises a panel, a light guide plate, and a light source. The panel is provided with a transparent first substrate located on the incident side of the outside light, a second substrate bonded to the first substrate with interposition of a prescribed space and located on the side opposite to the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer held in the space between both substrates, and an electrode for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer. The light guide plate is placed on the outside of the first substrate. The light source is located on the end of the light guide plate, and emits the illumination light as required. The light guide plate allows the outside light to be transmitted, which is incident on the first substrate, and allows the outside light reflected on the second substrate to come out.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display has s a liquid crystal cell having a front surface serving as a viewing-side surface and a back surface, a reflecting film is attached to the back surface of the liquid crystal cell, and a light guide panel having a first major surface provided with minute irregularities and a second major surface finished in a smooth flat plane is disposed on the front surface of the liquid crystal cell with the second major surface thereof finished in a smooth flat plane in contact with the front surface of the liquid crystal cell. A light source is disposed beside a side surface of the light guide panel. When the liquid crystal display is used in a dim environment, the light source is turned on. Light emitted by the light source is guided and scattered toward the reflecting film by the light guide panel, so that the light can be transmitted efficiently by the light guide panel and the liquid crystal cell to the reflecting film.

Abstract: A back light device 10 comprises a light source 12, a lightconductor 14 for outputting light from the light source from its outputting surface 14B, a light diffusing sheet 16 for receiving diffused light from the lightconductor 14 and shifting the maximum intensity direction to the direction of the normal standing on the light outputting face 16B, a polarized beam splitting sheet 18 through which one polarized light component among the light from the light diffusing sheet 16 is transmitted and on which the other polarized light component is reflected.

Abstract: In a transparent and spread illuminating apparatus closely disposed to cover a surface of a reflection type liquid-crystal display device, a transparent substrate 2 which covers an observation face F of a reflection type liquid crystal display element L is disposed, a light reflection pattern 11 is formed on a top surface 6 of the transparent substrate 2, the light reflection pattern 11 is formed of a plurality of recesses 12 formed at given intervals P1 in parallel with the axial direction of the light source lamp 4 disposed along one side end surface 3, in which assuming that intervals between stripes which are in parallel with the recesses 12 in the arrangement of liquid cells of the reflection type liquid-crystal display device L are P2, the intervals P1 are set to satisfy a relation between P1 and P2:Pl:P2=1:(N+1.3) to 1:(N+1.6)orP1:P2=1:1/(N+1.6) to 1:1/(N+1.3)where N is an integer: 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . .

Abstract: A reflective liquid crystal display contains, a holographic reflector that provides either a white or more neutral background color to the display when viewed with ambient white light. The holographic reflector comprises a holographic recording film layer that includes at least first and second pixel volumes containing holographic mirrors and, preferably, third pixel volumes containing holographic mirrors.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator and a lighting system used in, for example, projection displays are provided. The lighting system has a polarizing plate optically disposed in parallel to a light modulating layer of the spatial light modulator, thereby orienting the polarization of readout light beams incident on the spatial light modulator in the same direction to increase the contrast of images projected on a screen. The spatial light modulator is provided with a coupling prism having a side surface opposed to an entrance surface on which the readout light beams are incident. The side surface is so inclined inward as to allow stray light in the coupling prism to go out of the coupling prism without being reflected, thereby eliminating a decrease in contrast of images with a screen caused by the stray light.

Abstract: A front-light, to be used by mounting on the front of a reflection-type LCD, etc., is provided with a light-conducting body having a light-entry surface, through which light enters from a light source, and a light exit surface, through which light is projected toward a liquid crystal cell; the light-entry surface being provided so as to incline with respect to the normal direction of the light exit surface.

Abstract: A display adapted for use in head mounted display systems. The display includes an array of reflecting pixels, a first light source for illuminating the array of reflecting pixels, and a mask screen located between the light source and the array of reflecting pixels. The mask screen includes a plurality of mask elements, one mask element corresponding to each of the pixels. The mask elements have a first state in which the mask element is transparent and a second state in which the mask element is opaque. The state of the mask element is determined by a potential generated by the corresponding pixel. Each of the pixels includes a reflector for reflecting light from the first light source into a cone having an opening angle and an axis which depends on the position of the pixel in the display and on the telecentricity of the imaging optic. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the reflectors is an off-axis portion of a diffractive micro Fresnel mirror.

Abstract: A reflective liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal cell formed by laminating upper and lower orientation layers 11 and 21, upper and lower electrodes 14 and 24, upper and lower substrates 12 and 22, and upper and lower polarizers 13 and 23 arranged in order above and below a liquid crystal layer 10 so that they may face their counterparts respectively. The liquid crystal cell is provided with viewing angle dependence so that the light transmission ratio of the dark display section to the bright display section for the light incident at the required angle may be less than 2 at the required azimuth angle of the liquid crystal cell, and the direction of the required azimuth angle is aligned with the direction of the main light source incident into the liquid crystal cell.

Abstract: A display device (1) has a display panel (2) which comprises a first substrate (6) on which a first picture electrode (11-27) is provided as well as a substantially parallel second substrate (7) on which a second picture electrode (20) is provided, both substrates (6, 7) sandwiching an electro-optical medium (8). Said electro-optical medium (8) is capable of switching between an at least substantially transparent state and a scattering state under the influence of an electric field. A transparent insulating layer (10) is provided between the first picture electrode (11-17) and the electro-optical medium (8), said insulating layer reflecting the light (30) which, at least during operation, is emitted by a light source (3) and sidelong captured by the panel (2), so that it does not reach the first picture electrode (11-17).

Abstract: An object of the present invention iso attain switching at a high contrast ratio and a high light utilization factor. Incident light from a second surface of a prism is not reflected by the surface of a transmission substrate but guided to refractive index substance layers. The incident light is split into light reflected by the interface between the refractive index substance layers and light passing through the interface in accordance with the relationship between the refractive indices of the refractive index substance layers. The transmitted light is reflected by the surface of a reflecting electrode tilted by angle .delta. with respect to the surface of an insulating substrate. The light reflected by the interface goes out in a direction different from the direction of the light reflected by the surface of the reflecting electrode.

Abstract: A display device (1) has a display panel (2) which comprises a first substrate (6) on which a first picture electrode (11-27) is provided as well as a substantially parallel second substrate (7) on which a second picture electrode (20) is provided, both substrates (6, 7) sandwiching an electro-optical medium (8). Said electro-optical medium (8) is capable of switching between an at least substantially transparent state and a scattering state under the influence of an electric field. A transparent insulating layer (10) is provided between the first picture electrode (11-17) and the electro-optical medium (8), said insulating layer reflecting the light (30) which, at least during operation, is emitted by a light source (3) and sidelong captured by the panel (2), so that it does not reach the first picture electrode (11-17).