Patent · US Expired

Display device incorporating one-dimensional grating light-valve array

US5982553A · kind A · utility

482Cited by
356References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 20, 1997
Grant dateNov 9, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 20, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B26/10
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A display system for providing a two dimensional image includes an essentially one dimensional light valve array. The diffractive light valve array includes modulator elements which diffract or reflect light incident thereon to an extent determined by an image element to be represented. The display system is arranged such diffracted light from the light-valve array passes through a magnifying lens and is separated from the reflected light from the array. A magnified virtual image of the array formed by the diffracted light is viewed through the magnifying lens. A scanning arrangement between the viewer and the magnifying lens scans the image of the light-valve array across the field of view of the viewer sufficiently quickly that the viewer perceives the scanned image as a two-dimensional image. In another arrangement a printer is formed by scanning a real image of the diffractive light valve array over a printing or recording medium.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.