Two dimensional displays, transparent displays, and three dimensional displays

• US 20120139903A1
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew William Rush, Devin Clark Phillips
• Original Assignee: Andrew William Rush, Devin Clark Phillips
• Inventors: Rush, Andrew William, Phillips, Devin Clark
• Granted Patent: US 8,917,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0136 for the control of polarisation, e.g. state of polarisation [SOP] control, polarisation scrambling, TE-TM mode conversion or separation G02F1/0353 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13355 Polarising beam splitters [PBS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a display apparatus for displaying two and three dimensional images and video. In some embodiments, the display is at least partially transparent, allowing the viewer to receive visual information from the display and see objects and the environment behind the display apparatus.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a polarized light source configured for providing edge illumination,

a display area comprising at least one pixel row assembly positioned in the plane the light source is configured to emit light in, where the pixel row includes a polarization modifying element with a first side and second side, positioned to receive light emitted from the light source across substantially all of one side, modify the polarization of the light in response to a signal from a controller, said light leaving the polarization modifying element via the second surface in the direction the light was emitted from the light source and contacting a polarization selective reflective surface positioned to receive that light and angled such that the polarization selective reflective surface reflects light of a chosen polarization at a desired angle and transmits light of an orthogonal polarization in the direction the light was emitted from the light source, and

a computer controller for changing the amount the polarization modifying elements change the polarization of the incoming light based on the image to be displayed.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polarized light source comprises a light source configured for providing edge illumination which emits a variety of polarizations of light and a polarizer configured to polarize the light emitted for providing edge illumination.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel row assembly is configured to reflect light to a viewer along the entire width of the display area.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polarization selective reflective surface is chosen from the group consisting of reflective polarizers, dielectric materials placed at Brewster'"'"'s Angle, Macneille polarizers, thin film polarizers, and wire grid polarizers.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polarization selective reflective surface has a surface geometry corresponding to at least one pixel area that is chosen from the group consisting essentially of a flat surface, a surface curved along one axis, a surface defusing a portion of a hemisphere, or a rough surface.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1, where in the pixel row assembly comprises a polarization selective reflective surface having a width substantially similar to the width of the display area and the polarization modifying element and the polarization selective reflective surface forms a 45 degree angle with the polarization modifying element and the light reflected by the polarization selective reflective surface forms at least a portion of the image displayed.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polarization modifying element is a liquid crystal cell.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display area is constructed of materials which are at least partially transparent to some visible light of some polarization and orientation.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein light reflected by the polarization selective reflective surface is reflected toward the viewer.

10. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel row assembly is configured to produce images for one pixel row and has a display area height of one pixel.

11. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel row assembly is configured to produce images for multiple pixel rows and has a display area corresponding to multiple pixel rows and the polarization modifying element alters the polarization for those multiple pixel rows and the desired light for the multiple pixel rows is reflected by a single polarization selective reflective surface.

12. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel row assembly comprises a polarization modifying element configured to modify the polarization of light for subpixels in an additive color display and the polarization selective reflective surface is configured to reflect light in a subpixel configuration.

13. The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a retarder layer disposed on the side of the display area where reflected light is directed by the polarization selective reflective surface, configured to convert reflected light of a given first linear polarization into circularly polarized light, a holographic film disposed on the side of the display area where the reflective light is directed by the polarization selective reflective surface such that the retarder layer is disposed between the holographic film and the pixel row assemblies of the display area for reflecting the circularly polarized light such that the polarization is maintained and the polarization of the light will be modified to a linear polarization which is orthogonal to the first linear polarization when the light passes back through the retarder layer and the polarization selective reflective surfaces contained in the display apparatus are transmissive for the polarization orthogonal to the first linear polarization.

14. The display apparatus of claim 1, configured for displaying two dimensional and three dimensional images comprising a column of a first set of pixel row assemblies forming a first display area of a given area wherein the first display area generates an image consisting of a first single linear polarization of light and the polarization selective reflective surfaces contained in the first set of pixel row assemblies reflect the first single linear polarization and are at least partially transparent to light of a second linear polarization which is emitted from a second display device of the same display area disposed and given area disposed behind the first set of pixel row assemblies such that the image generated from the second display device passes through the first set of pixel row assemblies before reaching the viewer wherein light of a first linear polarization forms an image seen by one of the viewer'"'"'s eyes and light of a second linear polarization forms an image seen by the viewer'"'"'s other eye when the viewer has donned headgear configured to allow each eye to see select polarizations of light.

15. The display apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second display device is chosen from the group consisting essentially of a display apparatus of claim 1, an LCD monitor, a projection display, and an OLED display.

16. The display apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a retarder layer disposed on the side of the display apparatus where the image forming light is sent to the viewer, configured to convert the image forming light from linearly polarized light of two given, orthogonal polarizations to circularly polarized light of right and left-handedness.