Mirror with built-in display

• US 20050185278A1
• Filed: 02/17/2003
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Cornelissen, Hugo Johan, Broer, Dirk Jan, Van Herk, Johannes Johanna, Lazeroms, Markus Cornelis Jakobus, Horsten, Jan Baptist Adrianus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/487
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/08 Mirrors vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133638 Waveplates, i.e. plates with a retardation value of lambda/n
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/12 using a transparent mirror or other light reflecting surface transparent to transmitted light whereby a sign, symbol, picture or other is visible only when illuminated

Abstract

A mirror device (1) which can be simultaneously used for display purposes, based on e.g. an LCD display (5) with a polarizing mirror (2) placed in front of it. The polarizing mirror (2) has the characteristics that it does not disturb the transmission of the light from the display (5), but does reflect the light from outside the area of the screen.

Claims

1. A polarizing mirror for viewing purposes having a first plane reflecting light of a first kind of polarization to a viewing side, the mirror passing light of a second kind of polarization and being provided with a display device at its non-viewing side, which display device during use provides light of the second kind of polarization.

2. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 1 comprising a switchable optical element between the display device and the viewing side of the polarizing mirror.

3. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 2 in which the switchable optical element is a switchable ½

λ

plate between the display device and the polarizing mirror.

4. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 3 comprising a further polarizing mirror between the display device and the switchable optical element.

5. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 2 in which the viewing side of the polarizing mirror is provided with a switchable polarisor.

6. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 2 in which the display device at the side remote from the mirror is provided with a reflecting layer.

7. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 1 in which the display device emits or reflects light of the second kind of polarization.

8. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 1 in which the first kind of polarization and the second kind of polarization have substantially perpendicular linear polarization direction.

9. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 2 in which the reflecting mirror is a linear polarization selective mirror.

10. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 1 in which the first kind of polarization and the second kind of polarization are circular or elliptical polarizations of an opposite kind.

11. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 1 in which the reflecting mirror is a cholesteric mirror.

13. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 1 in which the mirror and the display device are rotatable with respect to each other with respect to an axis substantially perpendicular to the first plane.

14. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 1 in which the mirror and the display device have a polarizer in common.

15. A polarizing mirror as claimed in claim 1 in which the display device belongs to the group of liquid crystal display devices and light emitting devices.

12. A polarizing mirror for viewing purposes having a first plane reflecting light of a first kind of polarization to a viewing side, the mirror passing light of a second kind of polarization and being provided with a display device at its non-viewing side, which display device during use provides light of the second kind of polarization, which display device at the side remote from the mirror is provided with a reflecting layer.