Optical films for controlling angular characteristics of displays
First Claim
1. A display device comprising:
- a reflecting light-modulating array comprising a plurality of light-modulating elements arranged in an array, said light-modulating elements including first and second optical surfaces, the second optical surface movable with respect to the first optical surface, the reflecting light-modulating a front side from which a viewer can view an image produced by the modulation of light; and
a diffuser element having forward and rearward surfaces and a plurality of edges therebetween, said diffuser element being disposed forward of the array such that said forward and rearward surface of the diffuser element are parallel to said array and the forward surface of the diffuser element is farther from the light-modulating array than said rearward surface is from the light-modulating array, the diffuser element being configured to collimate light incident on the forward surface of the diffuser element and direct the collimated light out the rearward surface of the diffuser element to the light-modulating elements, wherein said diffuser element is arranged across the front side of the light-modulating array such that the light reflected from the light-modulating array is received by the rearward surface of the diffuser element and propagated out the forward surface of the diffuser element towards the viewer such that a viewer can view the image through the forward surface of the diffuser element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In various embodiments of the invention, an interferometric display device is provided having an external film with a plurality of structures that reduce the field-of-view of the display. These structures may comprise, for example, baffles or non-imaging optical elements such as compound parabolic collectors. The baffles may comprise a plurality of vertically aligned surfaces arranged, e.g., in a grid. In certain preferred embodiments these baffles are opaque or reflective. These vertical surfaces, therefore, can substantially block light from exiting the interferometric display device in a substantially non-perpendicular direction. These vertical surfaces may, however, permit light directed in a substantially vertical direction to exit the display. The non-imaging optical elements, e.g., compound parabolic collectors, redirect light from large incident angles into more normal angles towards the display. As a result, the light reflected by the display to the user is also at a more normal angle.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A display device comprising:
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a reflecting light-modulating array comprising a plurality of light-modulating elements arranged in an array, said light-modulating elements including first and second optical surfaces, the second optical surface movable with respect to the first optical surface, the reflecting light-modulating a front side from which a viewer can view an image produced by the modulation of light; and a diffuser element having forward and rearward surfaces and a plurality of edges therebetween, said diffuser element being disposed forward of the array such that said forward and rearward surface of the diffuser element are parallel to said array and the forward surface of the diffuser element is farther from the light-modulating array than said rearward surface is from the light-modulating array, the diffuser element being configured to collimate light incident on the forward surface of the diffuser element and direct the collimated light out the rearward surface of the diffuser element to the light-modulating elements, wherein said diffuser element is arranged across the front side of the light-modulating array such that the light reflected from the light-modulating array is received by the rearward surface of the diffuser element and propagated out the forward surface of the diffuser element towards the viewer such that a viewer can view the image through the forward surface of the diffuser element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A display device comprising:
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a means for reflectively modulating light comprising a plurality of light-modulating elements arranged in an array said light-modulating elements including first and second optical surfaces, the second optical surface movable with respect to the first optical surface, the plurality of light-modulating elements having a front side from which a viewer can view an image produced by the modulation of light; and a means for diffusing light comprising a diffuser element, wherein said diffuser element has a forward and rearward surface and a plurality of edges therebetween, said diffuser element being disposed forward of the array such that said forward and rearward surface of the diffuser element are parallel to said array and the forward surface of the diffuser element is farther from the array than said rearward surface is from the array, the diffuser element being configured to collimate incident light received on the forward surface of the diffuser element, and direct the collimated light out the rearward surface of the diffuser element to the light modulating elements, wherein said diffuser element is arranged across the array such that the light reflected from the light-modulating elements is received by the rearward surface of the diffuser element and propagated out the forward surface of the diffuser element towards the viewer such that a viewer can view the image through the forward surface of the diffuser element. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A display device comprising:
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a reflective light-modulating array comprising a plurality of light-modulating elements arranged in an array, said light-modulating elements including first and second optical surfaces, the second optical surface movable with respect to the first optical surface the plurality of light-modulating elements having a front side from which a viewer can view an image produced by the modulation of light; and a diffuser element having forward and rearward surfaces and a plurality of edges therebetween, said diffuser element being disposed forward of the light-modulating array such that said forward and rearward surface of the diffuser element are parallel to said array and the forward surface of the diffuser element is farther from the array than said rearward surface is from the array, the diffuser element being configured to receive light incident on the forward surface of the diffuser element and direct the incident light out the rearward surface of the diffuser element onto the light-modulating elements, wherein the diffuser element is further configured to direct the light incident onto the light-modulating elements more collimated than the light received by the diffuser element, wherein said diffuser element is arranged across the array such that the light reflected from the light-modulating elements is received by the rearward surface of the diffuser element and propagated out the forward surface of the diffuser element towards the viewer such that a viewer can view the image through the forward surface of the diffuser element. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification