The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 20, 1997
Filed:
Mar. 14, 1994
Nobuo Minoura, Yokohama, JP;
Hidetoshi Suzuki, Atsugi, JP;
Katsumi Kurematsu, Kawasaki, JP;
Kazuo Yoshinaga, Machida, JP;
Hideaki Mitsutake, Tokyo, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A liquid crystal device for controlling scattering of light beams incident upon a liquid crystal layer so as to modulate the light beams includes: a first lens array having lenses corresponding to the liquid crystal layer, the lenses causing the light beams transmitted from the liquid crystal layer, the lenses causing the light beams transmitted from the liquid crystal layer to travel toward a focal plane; a mask for shielding scattered light transmitted from the first lens array as well as allowing non-scattered light to pass through, the mask having a plurality of aperture portions which are formed along the focal plane to correspond to the lenses of the first lens array so as to allow non-scattered light transmitted from corresponding lenses to pass through; and a second lens array having lenses arranged to correspond to the aperture portions of the mask, the lenses substantially collimating the non-scattered light transmitted from corresponding aperture portions of the mask.