Bi-stable projection screen

• US 7,839,568 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wang, Wen-Hsien, Wu, Yaw-Ting, Wen, Chun-Hsiang, Kuo, Hui-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHONEY, CHRISTOPHER E
• Application Number:
  US12/078,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20090168143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 359452-453, 359/460, 359/449, 359/443, 349/16, 349/56, 349/112
• US Class Current: 359/443
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/005 arranged along a single direction only, e.g. lenticular sheets G02B3/0043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/02 Diffusing elements; Afocal elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13718 based on a change of the texture state of a cholesteric liquid crystal
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/60 characterised by the nature of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0473 Use of light emitting or modulating elements having two or more stable states when no power is applied
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A bi-stable projection screen includes a light diffusion unit and a bi-stable display unit stacked together. The bi-stable display unit, when actuated, selectively operates in a first mode or a second mode. When operating in the first mode (e.g., a transmission mode or a reflection mode), the bi-stable display unit receives a projection light from a front projection or a rear projection, and emits the projection light after modulation. When operating in the second mode (a non-transmission mode or a non-reflection mode), the bi-stable display unit is a pattern to become a part of a scene. The light diffusion unit receives and diffuses the modulated projection light to be perceived by human eyes.

Claims

1. A bi-stable projection screen, at least comprising:

a bi-stable display unit, selectively operating in a first mode or a second mode when actuated, wherein when operating in the first mode, the bi-stable display unit receives a projection light and emits the projection light after modulation, when operating in the second mode, the bi-stable display unit is a pattern, and the display unit maintains the first mode or the second mode without electrical power; and

a light diffusion unit, receiving and diffusing the modulated projection light and then emitting it.

2. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 1, wherein the light diffusion unit is a bulk light diffuser, the bulk light diffuser comprises a body and a plurality of particles disposed in the body, and a light refractive index of the body is different from that of the particles.

3. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 2, wherein a material of the body and the particles is at least one selected from a group consisting of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), methacrylate-co-styrene copolymer (MS), polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), cycloolefin polymer (COP), or hydrogenated polystyrene.

4. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 2, wherein the light diffusion unit comprises at least one light diffusion surface to diffuse the modulated projection light.

5. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 1, wherein the light diffusion unit is a surface diffuser comprising at least one light diffusion surface to diffuse the modulated projection light.

6. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 5, wherein the light diffusion surface comprises a lenticular lens array.

7. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 1, wherein the projection light is modulated by the bi-stable display unit after passing through the light diffusion unit, and when the bi-stable display unit operates in the first mode, the projection light that has passed through the light diffusion unit is reflected and enters the light diffusion unit again.

8. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 7, wherein the bi-stable display unit is a cholesteric liquid crystal display comprising a transparent substrate, an light absorbing substrate, and a plurality of multilayer nematic liquid crystals between the two substrates, in which when the cholesteric liquid crystal display is actuated to the first mode, the multilayer nematic liquid crystals operate in a stable state of a planar texture, and when the cholesteric liquid crystal display is actuated to the second mode, part of the multilayer nematic liquid crystals operate in a stable state of a planar texture, and part of the multilayer nematic liquid crystals operate in a stable state of a focal-conic texture, so as to form the pattern.

9. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 7, wherein the bi-stable display unit is a cholesteric liquid crystal display comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of micro-cells dispersed in the transparent substrate, and each of the micro-cells comprises a transparent liquid and a plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal micro-particles disposed in the transparent liquid, in which when the cholesteric liquid crystal display is actuated to the first mode, the micro-cells operate in a stable state of reflecting light, and when the cholesteric liquid crystal display is actuated to the second mode, part of the micro-cells operate in a stable state of reflecting light, and part of the micro-cells operate in a stable state of absorbing light, so as to form the pattern.

10. The bi-stable projection screen according to claim 1, wherein when the bi-stable display unit operates in the first mode, the projection light passes through the bi-stable display unit.