Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Grant Bourhill

Jonathan Francis Mather

Diana Ulrich Kean

David James Montgomery

Robert Winlow

Emma Jayne Walton

Allan Evans

Marina Vladimirovna Khazova

Akira Nakagawa

Graham Roger Jones

Bronje M Musgrave

Adrian M S Jacobs

Graham John Woodgate

Hiroshi Fukushima

Tomoo Takatani

Martin David Tillin

Paul Bonnett

Adrian Marc Simon Jacobs

Koji Yabuta

Jason Kempton Slack

Sandra Gilmour

Kazuhiro Inoko

Michel Sagardoyburu

Zabbie J Acosta

Tamotsu Takatsuka

Keisuke Mitani

Masaharu Hara

Geraldine Laura Ballantyne Verschoor

Neil W Barrett

Thomas Wynne Powell

Neil Barratt

Adrian Mark Simon Jacobs

Bronje Mary Musgrave

Diana U Kean

A directional backlight, a multiple view display and a multi-direction display A multiple view display () comprises a directional display device () for displaying a first image or sequence of images so as to be mainly visible from a first range of directions relative to the device and for simultaneously displaying a second image or sequence of images so as to be mainly visible from a second range of directions relative to the device different from the first range. The display () further comprises a directional backlight () for directing light through the display device () at least mainly in the first and second ranges. Since the directional backlight () directs light through the display device () at least mainly in the first and second ranges, the display provides users located in the first and second ranges with images of greater intensity than a conventional display. The backlight may be arranged to direct substantially no light in at least part of a third range of directions that lies between the first range of directions and the second range of directions. This provides a 'black window' between the first and second ranges in which the intensity of the display is lower than in other ranges. The intensity of the display in the black window is possibly zero, or close to zero, so that an observer located in this window will not perceive an image.

Directional backlight, a multiple view display and a multi-direction display

A display comprises a backlight (-) and a spatial light modulator () such as a liquid crystal device for modulating light from the backlight (-). The backlight has a light-output surface () with a first set of regions in the form of parallel evenly spaced strips (). In a multiple-view mode of the display, these strips () emit light whereas the remainder of the output surface () is dark. In a single-view mode of operation of the display, the whole of the output surface () emits light substantially evenly across the display area of the modulator ().

Display including backlight operable in 2D and 3D modes

An optical device directs light from a light source to a region of space, such as the field of view of a camera when the optical device is used as a camera flash unit. This device includes a first optical element which converges light from the light source towards an inner portion of the region to be illuminated and a second optical element which diverges part of the light from the first element outwardly towards an outer portion of the region to be illuminated so as to achieve adequate central illumination with improved uniformity of illumination across the region to be illuminated. The second optical element may have a concave multiple-faceted surface comprising plane facets in the shape of an open-base inverted truncated pyramid, contiguous sector-shaped facets, at least some of which are concave, or a face divided into an elongate portion disposed between first and second diverging portions.

Optical device and light source

A parallax optic comprises plural, spaced apart lenses which are separated by regions which are non-transmissive of/to visible light. In some embodiments, the spaced apart lenses of the parallax optic are discrete elements of a lens array. In other embodiments, the lens elements are formed as convex elements integral with and extending from a lenticular layer. Parallax optic devices are combined with one or more image display elements to form an image display device. For embodiments of image display devices featuring or providing two-dimensional (2D) viewability, the parallax optic is preferably near or included in the image display element. On the other hand, for embodiments of image display devices featuring or providing three-dimensional (3D) viewability, the parallax optic is situated outside the image display element.

Multiple-view directional display

A multiple view display comprises a display device such as a liquid crystal device, a parallax optic such as a parallax barrier, and a controller. The device comprises rows and columns of pixels and the controller supplies image data for a first view to first ones of the pixels and second ones of the pixels such that the first and second pixels alternate in the rows and in the columns. The parallax optic comprises rows and columns of parallax elements with the arrangement of pixels and parallax elements being such that each element co-operates with a respective pair of first and second pixels adjacent each other in the same row to form first and second viewing regions. Each row of parallax elements is off-set in the row direction by half the horizontal barrier pitch. Such an arrangement allows wider angles between the viewing regions to be achieved.

Multiple view display

A multiple-view directional display is provided having an image display element and a parallax optic (). The display element () comprises substrates () between which the display layer () is sandwiched and the parallax optic () is disposed within the image display element.

Manufacturing method for display device having thickness of first substrate reduced by second supporting substrate and then adhering third substrate with parallax optic to thinned first substrate

A display is provided for switching between a narrow or private viewing mode and a wide or public viewing mode. The display comprises a display device which is controlled to provide display of a desired image or sequence of images. This is associated with a liquid crystal device having at least one liquid crystal layer whose molecules are switchable between a first state providing a first angular viewing range and a second state providing a second angular viewing range which is within and smaller than the first angular viewing range. With the molecules in the second state, the device at least partially blocks light propagating towards part of the first angular viewing range outside the second angular viewing range. The or each liquid crystal layer is in contact with at least one alignment surface, the or each of which comprises a uniform non-patterned alignment surface.

Display

A multiple view display comprises a display device which displays first and second images in a spatially multiplexed fashion across the display surface. The device cooperates with a parallax optic such as a lenticular screen so as to act as a directional display sub-system directing light from the first and second images in different viewing directions. An optical system, for example comprising a lenticular screen of diverging elements, changes the angular separation of the viewing angle directions, for example so as to increase the angular separation.

Multiple-view directional display having parallax optic disposed within an image display element that has an image display layer sandwiched between TFT and color filter substrates

An autostereoscopic display comprises a pixellated transflective spatial light modulator which is arranged to provide a visual indication to an observer of the amount of crosstalk caused by reflection of ambient illumination. The display comprises a rear parallax barrier between a backlight and the modulator. Part of the barrier is formed as a screen blocking transmitted light from a first region of the modulator so that the pixels in this region are visible only by reflection of ambient illumination. In a second region, the pixels are illuminated with both transmitted and reflected light. A controller sets the pixels of the first region to maximum intensity and the pixels of the second region to a fraction of the maximum intensity. The fraction corresponds, for example, to a maximum amount of crosstalk which is permissible for autostereoscopic viewing. When the brightness of the first region is darker than or the same as the brightness of the second region, crosstalk is sufficiently low to permit autostereoscopic viewing.

Autostereoscopic display

A time-sequential colour projector comprises a pixellated light valve (), such as a liquid crystal device, and a plurality of light sources (). The light sources () direct light on different sets of pixels of the light valve () via an optical system (), such as a lens array, which focuses the light on pixels of the light valve (). At least two of the light sources () are multiple colour light sources and the multiple colour light sources emit different colour components during each set of frames making up a complete image frame.

Time-sequential colour projection

A display is provided having first and second direct view modes of operation. The display comprises a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight which is illuminated during the first mode so that the displayed image is visible throughout an extended viewing region in front of the device. The display also comprises a holographic element and a front light source, which is switched on for the second direct view mode. The holographic element redirects light from the front light source into part of the extended viewing region so that an image displayed by the device is visible in only a restricted portion of the viewing region.

Direct view LC display

A light-emitting device includes a substrate, a light-emissive layer disposed over the substrate, and a grating for aligning the light-emissive layer. The grating aligns molecules of the emissive layer, so that the device emits polarised. The grating also reduces wave guiding effects in the device, so increasing the useful light output of the device. The light-emitting device may be an organic light-emitting device (OLED). The grating may align substantially the entire area of the light-emissive layer in a first direction. In this case, substantially the entire emissive area of the device will emit layer of a single polarisation. Alternatively, the grating may align a first region of the light-emissive layer in a first direction and may align a second region of the light-emissive layer in a second direction different from the first direction.

Light-emitting device having grating for aligning light-emissive layer

A parallax barrier comprises evenly spaced groups of slits. Each group comprises two or more slits which are evenly spaced and the groups are spaced with a period which is greater than the product of the number of slits in each group and the slit period in each group. Such a barrier may be used with a spatial light modulator having columns of pixels whose structure cooperates with the barrier structure to provide a wider angle between views in a multiple view display, such as an autostereoscopic 3D display or a display providing two or more different views to two or more observers.

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Stow-on-the-Wold, United Kingdom

Grant Bourhill