Liquid crystal display for projection systems
First Claim
1. A compact information projector for projecting electronically generated display images on a remote surface, said projector comprising:
- means for projecting a beam of light along an optical path to a viewing screen, said projecting means including a light source;
computer control means, responsive to at least one of stored commands and a keyboard input, for generating liquid crystal means energizing signals;
keyboard means for providing a keyboard input to said computer control means;
twisted nematic liquid crystal means, located along said optical path, for controlling polarization of light passing therethrough in response to localized energization and de-energization of said crystal means in accordance with said crystal means energizing signals;
means, responsive to said computer control means energizing signals, for selectively and locally energizing and de-energizing said crystal means;
back polarizing means disposed in said beam and located between said crystal means and said light source, for polarizing light passing therethrough; and
front analyzing means, located between said crystal means and said remote surface, for allowing light of a selected polarization to pass therethrough and for blocking light not having said selected polarization.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display unit comprising liquid twisted nematic liquid crystal material sandwiched between two polarizers. Transparent electrodes are provided on each side of the layer of liquid crystal for locally energizing liquid crystal material in the vicinity of two energized transparent electrodes. Polarized light passing through one polarizer is twisted or not twisted depending upon the energization state of the liquid crystal material and depending upon the second polarizer orientation does or does not pass therethrough. Accordingly, depending upon energization locations, images are formed which can be projected upon a screen. In preferred embodiments the liquid crystal display unit is used in conjunction with a cabinet to provide a low stress work station. A further embodiment includes a folded optical path in combination with the liquid crystal display so as to provide a compact projector. When operating in conjunction with an overhead projector, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is powered by light energy from the overhead projector and in a further preferred embodiment is controlled through the use of infrared or other non-visible electromagnetic communication.
72 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A compact information projector for projecting electronically generated display images on a remote surface, said projector comprising:
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means for projecting a beam of light along an optical path to a viewing screen, said projecting means including a light source; computer control means, responsive to at least one of stored commands and a keyboard input, for generating liquid crystal means energizing signals; keyboard means for providing a keyboard input to said computer control means; twisted nematic liquid crystal means, located along said optical path, for controlling polarization of light passing therethrough in response to localized energization and de-energization of said crystal means in accordance with said crystal means energizing signals; means, responsive to said computer control means energizing signals, for selectively and locally energizing and de-energizing said crystal means; back polarizing means disposed in said beam and located between said crystal means and said light source, for polarizing light passing therethrough; and front analyzing means, located between said crystal means and said remote surface, for allowing light of a selected polarization to pass therethrough and for blocking light not having said selected polarization. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A compact projector for projecting electronically generated display images from a computer onto a remote surface, said projector comprising:
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means for projecting a beam of light along an optical path to a viewing screen, said projecting means including a light source; control means, responsive to said electronically generated display images from said computer, for generating liquid crystal means energizing signals on a pixel-by-pixel basis; twisted nematic liquid crystal means, located along said optical path, for controlling polarization of light passing through a plurality of pixels in response to localized energization and de-energization of each pixel of said crystal means in accordance with said crystal means energizing signals; means, responsive to said control means energizing signals, for selectively and locally energizing said crystal means; back polarizing means disposed in said beam and located between said crystal means and said light source, for polarizing light passing therethrough; and front analyzing means, located between said crystal means and said remote surface, for allowing light of a selected polarization to pass therethrough and for blocking light not having said selected polarization. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification