Optical screens

• US 4,231,068 A
• Filed: 06/12/1978
• Issued: 10/28/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Technology Group Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The secretary of state for defence in her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain And Northern Ireland
• Inventors: Hunt, Geoffrey H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolff, John H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Popek, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US05/914,771
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 358/230, 358/232, 358/252, 358/253, 350/160 LC, 350/156, 350/157, 350/268, 350/276 R, 313/461, 313/463
• US Class Current: 348/805
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1313 specially adapted for a particular application
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1393 the birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells G02F1/1396, G02F1/141 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2229/8926 Active components, e.g. LCD's, indicators, illuminators and moving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/896 Anti-reflection means, e.g. eliminating glare due to ambient light

Abstract

A cathode ray tube has an optical screen formed of a series of strips aligned with the writing direction of the cathode ray tube raster. The strips each comprise a layer of electro-optical material, and are electrically interconnected with the cathode ray tube circuitry so that each strip is transparent when the raster is writing on a cathode ray tube display face behind it. The electro-optical material is preferably a liquid crystal material.

Claims

1. An optical screen for use with a cathode ray tube having a display face and a raster, comprising a series of parallel strips aligned with the writing direction of said raster, each of said parallel strips comprising a layer of electro-optical substance, and means for sequentially varying a voltage applied across said strips so that each strip is transparent when said raster is writing behind it and becomes light absorbent when said raster is not writing behind it.

2. An optical screen as claimed in claim 1 wherein the level of said voltage is varied.

3. An optical screen as claimed in claim 1 wherein said voltage is alternating and its frequency is varied.

4. An optical screen as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said optical screen also comprises an anti-reflection coating.

5. An optical screen as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said electro-optical substance is a liquid crystal material sandwiched between two plates of transparent electrically conducting material.

6. An optical screen as claimed in claim 5 wherein said liquid crystal material is nematic.

7. An optical screen as claimed in claim 6 wherein said nematic liquid crystal material is arranged in a twisted nematic form.

8. An optical screen as claimed in claim 7 wherein said layer of liquid crystal material is sandwiched between at least two sheets of polaroid material.

9. An optical screen as claimed in claim 7 wherein a pleochroic dye is dissolved in said liquid crystal material and said screen further comprises a sheet of polaroid material.

10. An optical screen as claimed in claim 6 wherein said nematic liquid crystal material is arranged to exhibit a Freedericksz effect.

11. An optical screen as claimed in claim 10 wherein said layer of liquid crystal material is sandwiched between at least two sheets of polaroid material.

12. An optical screen as claimed in claim 10 further comprising one or more sheets of birefringent material located between at least one of said plates and said electro-optical substance.

13. An optical screen as claimed in claim 10 wherein a pleochroic dye is dissolved in said liquid crystal material and said screen further comprises a sheet of polaroid material.