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:
Nov. 11, 2008
Filed:
Jun. 20, 2007
Martin G. Selbrede, Conroe, TX (US);
Garth Gobeli, Albuquerque, NM (US);
B. Tod Cox, Houston, TX (US);
Daniel K. Van Ostrand, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Martin A. Kykta, Austin, TX (US);
Martin G. Selbrede, Conroe, TX (US);
Garth Gobeli, Albuquerque, NM (US);
B. Tod Cox, Houston, TX (US);
Daniel K. Van Ostrand, The Woodlands, TX (US);
Martin A. Kykta, Austin, TX (US);
Uni-Pixel Displays, Inc., The Woodlands, TX (US);
Abstract
Enhancement of the contrast ratio of optical flat panel displays by integrating an array of corner-cube retroreflectors into the front face of the optical display, said integration involving mutual adaptation of both the display and the corner-cube retroreflector geometry to unite the two disparate optical systems. The light emission from the display passes through the truncated vertex of the corner-cubes to the observer. The display directs its emitted light through the vertex apertures (either as a natural behavior, or by interposing a registered array of light concentrators between the display and the corner-cube array). The improvement in contrast ratio arises due to the corner-cube retroreflectors' ability to direct incident ambient light directly back to its source, rather than the viewer's eyes. Ambient light reflections are not attenuated but maximized; this maximization is directed away from the viewer, causing the array to appear dark even in direct sunlight.