Patent · US Expired

Light guide device enhancing a polarized component and liquid crystal display device

US6118503A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
1References
9Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateSep 20, 1999
Grant dateSep 12, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 20, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/13362
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A polarized component is obtained with a high conversion efficiency in a light guide which produces one of the polarized components by having it transmitted. The light from a light source is incident to a light guide which comprises a plurality of light guide layers and reflected by the end surface to an interface between the light guide layers. The polarized component transmitting through the end surface is rotated in its polarization plane by a wave length plate and reflected by a reflecting plate for reentrance to the light guide at the end surface of the light guide toward the interface. The reentering light mostly transmits through the interface because the polarization plane is rotated. A reflected light polarized component is returned to the wave length plate and the reflecting plate, and directed back to the interface again. The polarized component transmitting through the interface is similarly transmitted and reflected in the next interface. The number of interfaces can be reduced by increasing the reflection of the polarized component reflected in the interface. For this purpose, the index of refraction in the direction along the axis of the reflected polarized component…

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