CA2292441A1 - Variable reflectivity image display device - Google Patents

Variable reflectivity image display device Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2292441A1
CA2292441A1 CA002292441A CA2292441A CA2292441A1 CA 2292441 A1 CA2292441 A1 CA 2292441A1 CA 002292441 A CA002292441 A CA 002292441A CA 2292441 A CA2292441 A CA 2292441A CA 2292441 A1 CA2292441 A1 CA 2292441A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
grouping
total internal
internal reflection
pixel
elastomeric material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA002292441A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2292441C (en
Inventor
Lorne A. Whitehead
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Concord HK International Education Ltd
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2292441A1 publication Critical patent/CA2292441A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2292441C publication Critical patent/CA2292441C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/29—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
    • G02F1/31—Digital deflection, i.e. optical switching
    • G02F1/315—Digital deflection, i.e. optical switching based on the use of controlled internal reflection
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F9/00—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements
    • G09F9/30—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements
    • G09F9/37—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements being movable elements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B26/00—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements
    • G02B26/02—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements for controlling the intensity of light
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F2203/00—Function characteristic
    • G02F2203/02—Function characteristic reflective
    • G02F2203/026—Function characteristic reflective attenuated or frustrated internal reflection
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S385/00—Optical waveguides
    • Y10S385/901—Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A variably reflective display device amenable to mutiple pixel display applications. Each pixel has at least one element (10) having a reflective state in which incident light undergoes total internal reflection, and having a non-reflective state in which total internal reflection is prevented. Such prevention is achieved by interfering with (scattering and/or absorbing) the evanescent wave adjacent the surface of the element. For example, a member (18) can be positioned adjacent the element and deformed between first and second positions. In the first position a gap (20) remains between the member and the elememt to allow the evanescent wave to behave normally. In the second position the member is in optical (but not atomic) contact with the element, such that the member interferes with the evanescent wave and thereby prevents total internal reflection. In one embodiment, each pixel is a grouping of retro-reflective elements (12A, 12B, 12C...) such as corner reflectors. An elastomeric material (18) is provided adjacent each grouping. If a gap (20) is left between the grouping and the elastomeric material, the grouping continues to exhibit total internal reflection. But, if the elastomeric material makes optical contact with the grouping, the evanescent wave is absorbed or scattered and hence total internal reflection is prevented, which in turn prevents reflection of incident light. Thus, the "pixel" formed by the corner reflector grouping is "off" if it makes optical contact with the elastomeric material, and "on" if a gap is left between the two.
CA002292441A 1997-06-10 1998-05-08 Variable reflectivity image display device Expired - Lifetime CA2292441C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/872,161 1997-06-10
US08/872,161 US5959777A (en) 1997-06-10 1997-06-10 Passive high efficiency variable reflectivity image display device
PCT/CA1998/000458 WO1998057212A1 (en) 1997-06-10 1998-05-08 Variable reflectivity image display device

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2292441A1 true CA2292441A1 (en) 1998-12-17
CA2292441C CA2292441C (en) 2002-07-09

Family

ID=25358970

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002292441A Expired - Lifetime CA2292441C (en) 1997-06-10 1998-05-08 Variable reflectivity image display device

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US5959777A (en)
EP (1) EP0988573B1 (en)
JP (1) JP2000513116A (en)
KR (1) KR100324918B1 (en)
CN (1) CN1173208C (en)
AU (1) AU7329098A (en)
CA (1) CA2292441C (en)
DE (1) DE69825894T2 (en)
WO (1) WO1998057212A1 (en)

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2000513116A (en) 2000-10-03
US5959777A (en) 1999-09-28
DE69825894T2 (en) 2005-09-08
CA2292441C (en) 2002-07-09
EP0988573B1 (en) 2004-08-25
DE69825894D1 (en) 2004-09-30
AU7329098A (en) 1998-12-30
CN1173208C (en) 2004-10-27
CN1262742A (en) 2000-08-09
KR100324918B1 (en) 2002-02-28
KR20010013621A (en) 2001-02-26
WO1998057212A1 (en) 1998-12-17
EP0988573A1 (en) 2000-03-29

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