Illuminating apparatus, display panel, view finder, video display apparatus, and video camera mounting the elements

• US 6,992,718 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahara, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US09/386,991
• Time in Patent Office: 2,345 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01, 348/333.06, 348/333.08, 348/333.1, 348/333.11, 348/333.13, 348/335, 348/207.99, 348/333.09, 348/341, 348/207.1, 348/65, 396/374, 353/98, 345/7, 345/8, 345/87, 345/102
• US Class Current: 348/333.09
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/14 Viewfinders for photographic apparatus G03B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/026 and a display device, e.g. CRT, LCD, for adding markings or signs or to enhance the contrast of the viewed object
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133524 Light-guides, e.g. fibre-optic bundles, louvered or jalousie light-guides
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133526 Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133616 Front illuminating devices

Abstract

Light emitted from a white LED 15 is converted by a lens 11 into light having an excellent directionality. The light illuminates a display panel 863 from the direction of an angle θ_k. The display panel 863 is a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display panel in a normally white mode. The display panel 863 modulates incident light by scattering it, the scattered light is incident on a magnification lens 866, and light from the magnification lens reaches an eye 21 of the observer. Light which passes straight through a liquid crystal layer in the display panel 863 is absorbed by an optical absorbing film 12. The observer fixedly positions his/her eye 21 to an eyepiece cover 852 and observes the displayed image.

Claims

1. A view finder comprising

light generating means,

a lens that converts light emitted from the light generating means into substantially parallel light,

display panel of a reflecting type that reflects the substantially parallel light as a display image, and

a magnification lens for enlarging the display image observed by an observer.

2. A view finder comprising

a LED for emitting a while light,

a concave transparent block having reflecting means on the back face,

display panel of a transmitting type, and

a magnification lens for allowing a display image on the display panel to be enlargedly observed by the observer,

wherein the light emitted from the white LED is converted by the reflecting means into substantially parallel light and illuminates the display panel.