One-way transparent display systems

• US 20070206156A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cang Quach
• Original Assignee: Cang Quach
• Inventors: Quach, Cang
• Granted Patent: US 7,854,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/20
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/604 Polarised screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/62 Translucent screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3031 Two-side emission, e.g. transparent OLEDs [TOLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/868 Arrangements for polarized light emission H10K50/86 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8793 Arrangements for polarized light emission H10K59/8791 takes precedence

Abstract

A display system includes a projection screen and a projector. The projection screen includes a retarder plate between a polarizer and a transparent screen. The projector projects an image through the polarizer and the retarder plate onto the transparent screen. The image is visible from a first side of the transparent screen but invisible from a second side of the transparent screen because any light passing twice through the retarder plate is blocked by the polarizer.

Claims

1. A display system, comprising:

a projection screen, comprising a retarder plate between a polarizer and a transparent screen; and

a projector for projecting an image through the polarizer and the retarder plate onto the transparent screen, wherein the image is visible from a first side of the transparent screen and invisible from a second side of the transparent screen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the polarizer, the retarder plate, and the transparent screen are mounted on each other.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein any light that passes twice through the retarder is blocked by the polarizer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the polarizer comprises a linear polarizing film.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the retarder plate is a quarter-wave plate.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transparent screen is a transparent diffusion screen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the polarizer comprises a linear polarizing film, the retarder plate is a quarter-wave plate, and the transparent screen is a transparent diffusion screen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the projector is selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a digital light processing (DLP) projector, a laser projector.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising another polarizer between the projector and the projection screen, the another polarizer and the polarizer having the same polarizing direction.

10. A method for projecting an image on a transparent screen so the image is visible from a first side of the transparent screen but invisible from a second side of the transparent screen, the method comprising:

projecting the image through a polarizer and then a retarder plate onto the transparent screen, wherein any light traveling back from the transparent screen through the retarder plate a second time is blocked by the polarizer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the polarizer comprises a linear polarizing film.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the retarder plate is a quarter-wave plate.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the transparent screen is a transparent diffusion screen.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the polarizer comprises a linear polarizing film, the retarder plate is a quarter-wave plate, and the transparent screen is a transparent diffusion screen.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the projector is selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a digital light processing (DLP) projector, a laser projector.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising projecting the image through another polarizer before the polarizer, wherein the another polarizer and the polarizer have the same polarizing direction.

17. A display system, comprising:

a transparent display; and

a polarizer on one side of the display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein any light from the transparent display that reaches the polarizer is blocked by the polarizer.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the polarizer is mounted on the one side of the transparent display.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the transparent display is a transparent organic light-emitting diode display that emits polarized light.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the polarizer comprises a polarizing film.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the transparent display is a transparent organic light-emitting diode display and the polarizer comprises a polarizing film.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising a one-way vision film between the transparent display and the polarizer, wherein the one-way vision film allows a person on the side of the polarizer to look through the display system but does not allow another person on the side of the transparent display to look through the display system.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one-way vision film comprises a perforated film comprising a light side facing the transparent display and a dark side facing the polarizer.

25. A method for displaying an image on a transparent display so the image is visible from a first side of the transparent display but invisible from a second side of the transparent display, the method comprising:

generating the image on the transparent display, wherein the image comprises polarized light propagating from the first and the second sides of the transparent display;

blocking the polarized light from the second side of the transparent display with a polarizer.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the transparent display is a transparent organic light-emitting diode display that emits polarized light.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the polarizer comprises a polarizing film.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the transparent display is a transparent organic light-emitting diode display and the polarizer comprises a polarizing film.

29. The method of claim 25, further providing one-way vision by locating a one-way vision film between the transparent display and the polarizer.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the one-way vision film comprises a perforated film with a light side facing the transparent display and a dark side facing the polarizer.

31. A display system, comprising a pattern of nontransparent light-emitting pixels and transparent non-emitting pixels.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the pattern comprises alternating lines of light-emitting pixels and transparent non-emitting pixels.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the pattern comprises light-emitting pixels interspersed with transparent non-emitting pixels.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the nontransparent light-emitting pixels comprises organic light-emitting diodes with opaque substrates and transparent cathodes and anodes.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the transparent non-emitting pixels comprises dummy organic light-emitting diodes with transparent substrates and devoid of an emissive layer.