Patent · US Expired

Optical devices having reflective and transmissive modes for display

US6894821B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
15References
50Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 28, 2002
Grant dateMay 17, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 6, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F2203/09
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Display apparatuses are shown capable of displaying information in a reflective mode using only ambient light and in a transmissive mode using a light source. In one embodiment, the display apparatus includes a reflecting polarizer disposed between a light modulating layer and an isotropic light cavity. The light cavity reflects incident light with a first degree of depolarization. The reflecting polarizer reflects light with a second degree of depolarization for at least one polarization that is greater than the first degree of depolarization. In another embodiment of the display apparatus, a microstructured film is included above a light cavity and below a light modulating system where the microstructured film includes sawtooth formations having at least a tilted surface. In another embodiment of a dual-mode display device, the display includes a cholesteric reflecting polarizer disposed between a light modulating layer and a light cavity where the light cavity causes a polarization phase shift upon reflectance.

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