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:
Sep. 12, 2006
Filed:
Oct. 27, 2003
Hiromi Katoh, Nara, JP;
Takashi Shibatani, Kashihara, JP;
Hiromi Katoh, Nara, JP;
Takashi Shibatani, Kashihara, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An optical shifter includes first and second optical shifting sections, each of which can transmit an incoming light ray after having shifted its optical axis and which are arranged such that a light ray transmitted through the first optical shifting section enters the second optical shifting section. Each of the shifting sections includes: a liquid crystal element including a liquid crystal cell, which selectively changes the polarization direction of the incoming light ray responsive to a voltage applied thereto; and a birefringent element, which receives the light ray transmitted through the liquid crystal element and which exhibits one of different refractive indices according to the polarization direction of the incoming light ray. The magnitude of shift caused by the first optical shifting section between the optical axes of the incoming and outgoing light rays is substantially twice greater than that of shift caused by the second optical shifting section.