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:
Jan. 06, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 10, 1996
Yutaka Sawayama, Tenri, JP;
Naofumi Kimura, Nabara, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An object of the present invention iso attain switching at a high contrast ratio and a high light utilization factor. Incident light from a second surface of a prism is not reflected by the surface of a transmission substrate but guided to refractive index substance layers. The incident light is split into light reflected by the interface between the refractive index substance layers and light passing through the interface in accordance with the relationship between the refractive indices of the refractive index substance layers. The transmitted light is reflected by the surface of a reflecting electrode tilted by angle .delta. with respect to the surface of an insulating substrate. The light reflected by the interface goes out in a direction different from the direction of the light reflected by the surface of the reflecting electrode. The light intensities of the reflected light and the transmitted light at the interface can be controlled by applying a voltage across the reflecting electrode and the transparent electrode and by changing the refractive index of the variable refractive index substance layer.