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:
Jul. 09, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 06, 1999
Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides an image display device including an LCD, a polarization switching liquid crystal cell, a birefringent plate, and an eyepiece. The LCD displays an image using a plurality of arrayed pixel locations. The polarization switching liquid crystal cell has a plurality of electrodes incorporated therein and switches the direction of polarization in which light emitted from the LCD is polarized. The birefringent plate varies the optical path of light emitted from the polarization switching liquid crystal cell depending on the direction of polarization. The eyepiece magnifies light representing an image displayed on the LCD. The LCD and polarization switching liquid crystal cell are positioned so that the distance L from the eyeballs to the virtual image plane of the LCD and the distance L from the eyeballs to the virtual image plane of the polarization switching liquid crystal cell will have the relationship of 1/L −1/L ≧0.4 D or L ≦200 mm. Otherwise, the birefringent plate or the like is coated with an anti-reflective coating. The image display device thus makes unnecessary streaks or flickers indiscernible and displays an easy-to-see image.