3m Innovative Properties Company

Nathaniel K Naismith

Brett J Sitter

James A Thielen

Matthew B Johnson

Ann R Fornof

Ryan T Fabick

William F Edmonds

Quinn D Sanford

Carla S Thomas

Tien Yi T H Whiting

Payam Khodaparast

Martin B Wolk

David B Olson

Brant Ulrick Kolb

William Ward Merrill

Kenneth A Epstein

Michael Benton Free

Adam D Haag

Sergey Lamansky

Zhaohui Yang

Tri Dinh Pham

Tao Liu

Clinton L Jones

Kristopher J Derks

David T Yust

William A Tolbert

Jeffrey L Solomon

Taun L McKenzie

Jason S Petaja

Brandt K Carter

Seong Taek Lee

Stephen J Etzkorn

John F Van Derlofske, Iii

David A Rosen

Ghidewon Arefe

Jun Xiao

Shannon L Siefken

Sara Suzanne Merritt

Albert T Schmitz

A display system includes an extended illumination source, a first liquid crystal assembly disposed on the extended illumination source, and a second liquid crystal assembly disposed on the first liquid crystal display assembly. The first liquid crystal assembly includes a bottom reflective polarizer, a top reflective polarizer, and a bottom liquid crystal panel disposed between the top and bottom reflective polarizers. The second liquid crystal assembly includes a top absorbing polarizer, and a top liquid crystal panel disposed between the top absorbing polarizer and the first liquid crystal assembly.

Display system

A backlight for an image forming device includes spaced-apart front and back optical reflectors defining an optical cavity therebetween, and at least one light source for emitting light into the optical cavity. The front optical reflector may be disposed between the image forming device and the back optical reflector. For substantially normally incident light and for nonoverlapping first and second wavelength ranges, the front optical reflector may transmit at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the first wavelength range, and may reflect at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the second wavelength range. The back optical reflector may reflect at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the first wavelength range, and may transmit at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the second wavelength range. The emitted light may have at least one wavelength in the first wavelength range and at least one wavelength in the second wavelength range.

Backlight for an image forming device comprising an optical cavity formed by opposing cold and hot mirrors

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a composition includes about 5 to about 40 parts by weight of a solute copolymer component. The solute component optionally has one Tor Tof at least 25&#xb0; C. The composition further includes about 60 to about 95 parts by weight of a solvent monomer. The solvent monomer component includes (meth)acrylate monomers and a multifunctional acrylate. The sum of the solute copolymer component and the solvent monomer component is 100 parts by weight. The composition further includes about 5 to about 100 parts of a plasticizer, relative to the 100 parts. The plasticizer component comprises at least one plasticizer comprising an acid group.

Self-wetting adhesive composition

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a composition includes about 5 to about 40 parts by weight of a solute copolymer component. The solute component optionally has one Tor Tof at least 25&#xb0; C. The composition further includes about 60 to about 95 parts by weight of a solvent monomer. The solvent monomer component includes (meth)acrylate monomers and a multifunctional acrylate. The sum of the solute copolymer component and the solvent monomer component is 100 parts by weight. The composition further includes about 5 to about 100 parts of a plasticizer, relative to the 100 parts.

A backlight () for an image forming device () includes spaced-apart front and back optical reflectors () defining an optical cavity () therebetween, and at least one light source () for emitting light into the optical cavity. The front optical reflector () is disposed between the image forming device and the back optical reflector (). For substantially normally incident light and for non-overlapping first (e.g. visible light) and second (e.g. infrared) wavelength ranges, the front optical reflector () may transmit () at least 70% of light () for each wavelength in the first wavelength range, and may reflect () at least 70% of light () for each wavelength in the second wavelength range. The back optical reflector () may reflect () at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the first wavelength range, and may transmit () at least 70% of light () for each wavelength in the second wavelength range. The light (90) emitted by the at least one light source () has at least one wavelength in the first wavelength range and at least one wavelength in the second wavelength range.

A multilayer optical film including a first layer having an index of refraction n1 at a wavelength &#x3bb; in a range from about 580 nm to about 650 nm, and a second layer having an index of refraction n2 at &#x3bb; is described. The first and second layers define an interface therebetween comprising a two-dimensional grating. The grating may have an average height H such that |n1&#x2212;n2|*H is in a range from 0.24 micrometers to 0.3 micrometers. Optical systems including the multilayer optical film are described. A subpixel in a display surface of the optical system may be diffracted into a zero diffraction order and a plurality of first diffraction orders where the intensities of the zero and first diffraction orders are with 10% of each other at &#x3bb;. The optical system may have a modulation transfer function greater than 0.4 at 10 line pairs per millimeter.

Optical film and optical system

A microstructured diffuser is described comprising a light transmissive film comprising a first microstructured surface comprising a plurality of peaks and valleys. A coating is disposed on the first microstructured surface. The coating partially fills the valleys forming a second microstructured surface.

Microstructured diffuser comprising first microstructured layer and coating, optical stacks, and method

Recycling backlights are described. More specifically, recycling backlights including structured reflectors are described. The structured reflector redirects light at least for angles emitted from a lightguide and retroreflects other light, the retroreflected light having incidence angles not emitted by the lightguide.

Recycling backlight including structured reflector

An emissive display comprising an OLED, a first birefringent reflective polarizer, a second birefringent reflective polarizer optically between the OLED and the first birefringent reflective polarizer, a first linear absorbing polarizer having a contrast ratio of less than 100:1 optically between the first birefringent reflective polarizer and the second birefringent reflective polarizer, a second linear absorbing polarizer having a contrast ratio of less than 100:1, where the first birefringent reflective polarizer is optically between the second linear absorbing polarizer and the first linear absorbing polarizer, and a structured optical film optically between the OLED and the second birefringent reflective polarizer.

Emissive display with hybrid polarizer

Tags are made from optical films to provide a pattern that is inconspicuous to ordinary observers, but that is detectable by a camera or other imaging device. The pattern is provided by first and second portions of a patterned layer, the first portions selectively filtering at least a portion of blue visible light from other visible light wavelengths. Filtering in the portion of the blue region helps make the pattern inconspicuous. The tags may also include an indicia layer configured to mark a location of the pattern, and a contrast enhancing layer disposed behind the patterned layer and configured to enhance a contrast of the pattern. In some cases, the first portions of the patterned layer may filter optical wavelengths other than blue, such as near-infrared light. The pattern may comprise machine-readable information, e.g., a linear bar code or a 2-D bar code. Associated methods and systems are also disclosed.

Inconspicuous optical tags and methods therefor

Microstructured films comprising surface modified inorganic oxide particles and polymerizable resins are described.

High refractive index inorganic oxide nanoparticles comprising surface treatment and polymerizable resin

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Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Nathaniel K Naismith