Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Marina Vladimirovna Khazova

Graham John Woodgate

Grant Bourhill

Allan Evans

Duncan James Anderson

Jason Kempton Slack

David James Montgomery

Emma Jayne Walton

Kazuhiro Inoko

Bronje M Musgrave

Adrian M S Jacobs

Masaharu Hara

Keisuke Mitani

Tamotsu Takatsuka

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 parallax barrier is made by developing a film exposed through a mask having elongate opaque regions interleaved with transparent regions. The film is exposed by a light source through the mask while the mask is moved so as to vary the exposure of each region of the film for forming the parallax barrier slit edges. Alternatively, the film or the light source may be moved during exposure. It is thus possible to make soft edge barriers, for example for use in autostereoscopic 3D displays.

Method of making a parallax barrier, parallax barrier and autostereoscopic display

Polarization separation element, a polarization conversion system, an optical element, and a projection display system

A projection display comprising: a transmissive spatial light modulator ( ); an illuminator ( ) for illuminating the modulator from the front thereof; and a hologram ( ) disposed at the rear of the modulator for imaging and reflecting back through the modulator light from the illuminator received through the modulator.

Projection display

An optical device which is suitable for use in a projection display comprises a spatial light modulator, such as a liquid crystal device, with a microlens array disposed on its front surface. The microlenses are of convergent type, such as lenticules. The spatial light modulator is of the reflective type and comprises a plurality of rear reflectors, each of which has convergent optical power in at least one direction. The reflectors are arranged such that, for a given direction of illumination, each reflector forms an image of the aperture A of a microlens on the aperture B of another microlens or at a different position on the same microlens. When used in, for example, a projection display, light losses caused by vignetting are reduced.

Optical device and projection display

A reflective liquid crystal display device (LCD) ( ) includes: a substrate ( ), a reflecting layer ( ), a liquid crystal layer ( ), an electrode layer ( ), a color filter layer ( ), an upper substrate ( ), and a polarizer ( ). The reflective liquid crystal display device further includes a holographic field lens ( ). By providing the holographic field lens, the LCD can be used with a closely placed, offset light source ( ), since the holographic field lens simultaneously concentrates light incident on the LCD and redirects it in a preferred direction. The holographic field lens can be provided within the structure of the LCD.

Growing community of inventors

Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Marina Vladimirovna Khazova