Abstract: Prototype blue microdisplays have been fabricated from InGaN/GaN quantum wells. The device has a dimension of 0.5×0.5 mm2 and consists of 10×10 pixels 12 μm in diameter. Emission properties such as electroluminescence spectra, output power versus forward current (L–I) characteristic, viewing angle, and uniformity have been measured. Due to the unique properties of III-nitride wide-band-gap semiconductors, microdisplays fabricated from III nitrides can potentially provide unsurpassed performance, including high-brightness/resolution/contrast, high-temperature/high-power operation, high shock resistance, wide viewing angles, full-color spectrum capability, long life, high speed, and low-power consumption, thus providing an enhancement and benefit to the present capabilities of miniature display systems.

Abstract: Novel addressing schemes for controlling electronically addressable displays include a scheme for rear-addressing displays, which allows for in-plane switching of the display material. Other schemes include a rear-addressing scheme which uses a retroreflecting surface to enable greater viewing angle and contrast. Another scheme includes an electrode structure that facilitates manufacture and control of a color display. Another electrode structure facilitates addressing a display using an electrostatic stylus. Methods of using the disclosed electrode structures are also disclosed. Another scheme includes devices combining display materials with silicon transistor addressing structures.

Abstract: We describe and compare two methods of displaying autostereoscopic three-dimensional images by integral photography. One method is to display the image in front of the lens array, and the other method is to display the image behind the lens array. We compare and discuss these two methods from the viewpoints of lateral resolution, depth resolution, and viewing angle. We also discuss the effect of the optical parameter difference in the pickup and display.

Abstract: We compute the kinematical dependence of the peak luminosity, the pulse width, and the spectral lag of the peak luminosity on the viewing angle θv of a jet. For appropriate model parameters we obtain a peak luminosity-spectral lag relation similar to the observed one including gamma-ray burst (GRB) 980425. A bright (dim) peak with short (long) spectral lag corresponds to a jet with small (large) viewing angle. This suggests that the viewing angle of the jet might cause various relations in GRBs such as the peak luminosity-variability relation and the luminosity-width relation. Our model also suggests that X-ray-rich GRBs (or X-ray flushes or fast X-ray transients) are typical GRBs observed from large θv with large spectral lag and low variability.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for capturing images using a camera or other imager having imaging sensitivity characteristics which vary across the imager's viewing angle. The imager's characteristics can be non-uniform with respect to exposure, color sensitivity, polarization sensitivity, focal distance, and/or any other aspect of image detection. The imager is rotated or translated in order to capture different portions of the scene being imaged. Because the imager is in multiple positions when the respective scene portions are captured, each scene portion is imaged by multiple portions of the imager's sensitivity profile.

Abstract: Light microscopy enlarges the viewing angle while decreasing the depth of focus. This leads to mainly blurred images if the specimen being observed consists of significant height changes. In computer vision, solving this problem is known as 'shape from focus'. Algorithms exist that perform both the calculation of a sharp image and the recovery of the three dimensional structure of the specimen. In this paper, three classic approaches for detecting sharp image regions are evaluated. Three new so called focus measures are introduced and are compared to the classic approaches. A new adaptive reconstruction scheme for calculating range images as well as sharp images is presented. Experimental results on synthetic and real data demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.

Abstract: A system providing a real time display to the rear of a large vehicle having a normal blind spot to its rear has, as primary components, a display assembly mounted in close proximity to the driver for easy viewing by the driver, a camera assembly mounted at a top rear portion of the vehicle, and a control unit for controlling the several functions of the camera assembly including, but not limited to, focus the camera, changing the viewing angle, zooming in or out, turning on and off defogging/defrosting means, turning on and off wiper means, and raising and lowering a protective shield.

Abstract: Viewing angle characteristics of a liquid crystal display (LCD) are improved by reducing the number of subpixels in an image with mid-tone luminance values. In a preferred embodiment, a first table of entries associating subpixel intensity values and subpixel luminance values for a LCD in at least one viewing angle direction is provided. A target intensity value is determined from the first table, corresponding to the average subpixel luminance over a small number of adjacent subpixels. A second table of entries associates the target intensity values with intensity values above and below the target. The adjacent subpixel intensity values are modified according to the second table, thereby reducing the number of subpixels with mid-tone luminance values. The subpixel data is preferably processed within a portion of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), contained within the display module.

Abstract: We compute the kinematical dependence of the peak luminosity, the pulse width and the spectral lag of the peak luminosity on the viewing angle $\theta_v$ of a jet. For appropriate model parameters we obtain the peak luminosity-spectral lag relation similar to the observed one including GRB980425. A bright (dim) peak with short (long) spectral lag corresponds to a jet with small (large) viewing angle. This suggests that the viewing angle of the jet might cause various relations in GRBs such as the peak luminosity-variability relation and the luminosity-width relation. Our model also suggests that X-ray rich GRBs (or X-ray flushes or Fast X-ray transients) are typical GRBs observed from large $\theta_v$ with large spectral lag and low variability.

Abstract: We describe the successful construction of a 12.1″ 800×600 microencapsulated electrophoretic active matrix display incorporating an a-Si thin film transistor backplane. The display exhibits a print-on-paper-like appearance (high reflectance, high contrast ratio and wide viewing angle) and grayscale at 83 DPI, and demonstrates the material's compatibility with commercial a-Si TFT LCD backplanes.

Abstract: The display of a notebook computer includes a privacy filter extending over the display screen to limit the viewing angle within which the image on the screen can be discerned. To allow for normal viewing when the privacy feature is not required, the privacy filter is movable from the screen by sliding into a cavity extending from one side of the screen to be rolled onto a roller or to be stored partly behind the screen. Alternately, a privacy filter is provided that is electrically switchable between a mode in which the viewing angle is limited and a mode in which normal viewing is permitted. The movable privacy filter includes closely spaced louvers surrounded by clear plastic or, alternately, a polarizer. The switchable privacy filter includes a liquid crystal device and a polarizer.

Abstract: A tetragonal ring shape aperture is formed in the common electrode on one substrate and a cross shape aperture is formed at the position corresponding to the center of the tetragonal ring shape aperture in the pixel electrode on the other substrate. A liquid crystal layer between two electrodes are divided to four domains where the directors of the liquid crystal layer have different angles when a voltage is applied to the electrodes. The directors in adjacent domains make a right angle. The tetragonal ring shape aperture is broken at midpoint of each side of the tetragon, and the width of the aperture decreases as goes from the bent point to the edge. Wide viewing angle is obtained by four domains where the directors of the liquid crystal layer indicate different directions, disclination is removed and luminance increases.

Abstract: Fringe-field switching device with negative liquid crystal (LC) was known to exhibit high transmittance and wide viewing angle simultaneously. Recently we have developed “Ultra-FFS” device with positive LC, exhibiting high transmittance, color shift free, high contrast ratio in wide range, no crosstalk and fast response time of 25ms. In this paper, the concept of new device will be presented.

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an enlarging member for two dimensional viewing angles which does not decrease the surface luminance or the contrast by stray light and which has little dependence on angles and little scattering reflection of the external light, and to provide a display device using the enlarging member for two dimensional viewing angles. SOLUTION: Two light diffusing sheets each having a plurality of unit lenses having a trapezoid cross section arranged in a one-dimensional direction or two-dimensional direction are stacked with the phases of the sheets shifted by about 90 deg.. In each light diffusing sheet, the unit lens is formed in such a manner that the lower bottom of the trapezoid is used as the entrance for light, the upper bottom as the exit and the oblique lines as a total reflection part.

Abstract: The invention relates to multilayer reflective films and pigments showing selective reflection of light wherein the reflection characteristics are dependent on the viewing angle, characterized in that they comprises at least one reflective layer, at least one circular polarizing layer and optionally at least one optical retardation layer. The invention further relates to the use of these multilayer reflective films and pigments in optical elements, as coatings or in lacquers, inks or paints for cosmetic, decorative or security applications, to inks and paints comprising one or more multilayer reflective pigments dispersed in a light transmissive binder, and to security markings or devices comprising one or more multilayer reflective films or pigments.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic wrist-worn device, such as a heart rate monitor, a sportsman's watch or a diving computer, and its control method. The outside of the casing of the device comprises a bottom surface to be placed against the wrist, a top surface (304), and a side surface (308) between the bottom surface and the top surface (304). On the top surface (304) of the casing there is provided a first display (306) connected to the control electronics. On the side surface (308) of the casing there is provided a second display (400, 402, 404; 406) connected to the control electronics. The best viewing angle of the first display (306) and the best viewing angle of the second display (400, 402, 404; 406) are at an angle of 60 to 120 degrees with respect to each other.

Abstract: The authors present the retrievals of surface soil moisture (SM) from simulated brightness temperatures by a newly developed error propagation learning backpropagation (EPLBP) neural network. The frequencies of interest include 6.9 and 10.7 GHz of the advanced microwave scanning radiometer (AMSR) and 1.4 GHz (L-band) of the soil moisture and ocean salinity (SMOS) sensor. The land surface process/radiobrightness (LSP/R) model is used to provide time series of both SM and brightness temperatures at 6.9 and 10.7 GHz for AMSRs viewing angle of 55/spl deg/, and at L-band for SMOS's multiple viewing angles of 0/spl deg/, 10/spl deg/, 20/spl deg/, 30/spl deg/, 40/spl deg/, and 50/spl deg/ for prairie grassland with a column density of 3.7 km/m/sup 2/. These multiple frequencies and viewing angles allow the authors to design a variety of observation modes to examine their sensitivity to SM. For example, L-band brightness temperature at any single look angle is regarded as an L-band one-dimensional (1D) observation mode. Meanwhile, it can be combined with either the observation at the other angles to become an L-band two-dimensional (2D) or a multiple dimensional observation mode, or with the observation at 6.9 or 10.7 GHz to become a multiple frequency/dimensional observation mode. In this paper, it is shown that the sensitivity of radiobrightness at AMSR channels to SM is increased by incorporating L-band radiobrightness. In addition, the advantage of an L-band 2D or a multiple dimensional observation mode over an L-band 1D observation mode is demonstrated.

Abstract: A wide viewing angle polarizing plate has a laminate of a birefringent film having an in-plane average phase difference of from 50 nm to 200 nm made of a transparent resin film having microscopic regions dispersed therein and a polarizing plate. The birefringent film comprises a transparent resin film having microscopic regions dispersed therein and satisfies the relationships Δn2≦0.03 and Δn1>Δn2 supposing that the direction of the axis along which linearly polarized light exhibits the maximum transmission is Δn2 direction, the difference in refractive index between microscopic regions in Δn2 direction and other portions is Δn2, the direction perpendicular to Δn2 direction is Δn1 direction and the difference in refractive index between microscopic regions in Δn1 direction and other portions is Δn1, and Δn1 direction and the retardation axis of said birefringent film and the transmission axis of said polarizing plate are parallel to each other and a liquid crystal display comprising same.

Abstract: A system for generating, at a client location (64, 66, 68), an image representative of a view of an object, includes an image capture system (12) for generating a plurality of image data sets associated with an object at an image capture location, each of the image data sets being representative of an image of the object as viewed from an associated image capture viewing angle; an image processor (32) for transforming the image data sets to a matrix data set, the matrix data set being representative of the plurality of image data sets; a client processor (50); a step for transmitting the matrix data set to the client processor, wherein the client processor is responsive to an user specification of an user specified viewing angle, for generating client view data from the matrix data set, wherein the client view data is representative of an image of the object viewed from the user specified viewing angle; and a client display at the client location responsive to the client view data to display the object (64, 66, 68).

Abstract: Electronic device case with a hollow rectangular case made of resilient material such as leather, vinyl or the like or non resilient material such as plastic or aluminum or the like, the case being comprised of an upper half and a lower half hingedly connected at one end, both the halves capable of being opened or closed with respect to each other by a zipper, the upper half having a belt clip or belt loop fixedly attached to its outer surface, the lower half having an electronic device retaining means located on the inside, said retaining means allowing said electronic device control buttons to be visible and usable while said electronic device is retained in said case, said lower half being capable of folding outwards to a suitable viewing angle, said viewing angle being secured by means of a pair of support straps that each terminate centrally at one end to the side wall of said upper half and at the opposite end to the side wall of said lower half. The support straps are capable of being shortened or lengthened by means of hook and loop fastening material or other known fastening methods thereby allowing the user to adjust the viewing angle of said electronic device. The upper half of the electronic device case has a pair of attachment rings located near the corners of the top outer surface, said attachment rings capable of retaining a neck strap thereby allowing the user to wear said electronic device on his or her chest.

Abstract: An optical endoscope assembly. The assembly includes an endoscope portion which can be optical or electrical, surrounded by a sheath. The sheath includes a window pointing generally to the side, and a mirror which changes a position of incoming light. The mirror can be fixed or movable. If a fixed mirror is used, then a set of interchangeable sheaths can be used, each of which has a different mirror angle. The sheath can also be rotated once in the body to change an orientation angle from which the light is received. An image processing circuit may process the image received from the endoscope, including inverting at least a portion of the image.

Abstract: A viewing screen for increasing the viewing angle of a display, such as a liquid crystal display, having metallized tapered waveguides (43).

Abstract: Polymer LEDs provide a new alternative to LCDs for many display applications, and are particularly attractive because of their high brightness, near-perfect viewing angle, and very fast response time. In this paper, the basic technology used to form the LED structures, and the performance of these devices is presented. Then, the fabrication and driving of passive addressed matrix displays formed using this technology is discussed. Finally, the necessity for active matrix addressing for larger size and higher resolution displays is demonstrated, and it is shown that this is best achieved using low temperature poly-Si technology. The state-of-the-art poly-Si technology used for active matrix addressed LED displays is described, with particular reference to transistor variation, and the resulting non-uniformities in images on displays. A variety of different addressing techniques, and pixel circuits can be used to drive the LEDs in the active matrix, and the performances of these schemes are compared. These include the basic current source circuit; the modified current source circuit; transistor current mirror circuits; and circuits with optical feedback and correction for uniformity variation. Consideration is given both to analogue and to digital drive methods.

Abstract: A liquid crystal panel for in-plane switching (IPS) mode liquid crystal display device has a common electrode and a pixel electrode made of transparent conductive material to increase an aperture ratio and brightness. Second common electrodes and second pixel electrodes are formed in substantially zigzag patterns, which results in a symmetric alignment of liquid crystal in order to increase a viewing angle and a color shift. A black matrix may be formed on an upper substrate independent of a gate line and a data line or the black matrix may be formed by extending the gate line or the data line.

Abstract: This invention provides a beam light source which enables a light guide plate for receiving light to have a smooth end surface. A light emitting surface of the beam-shaped light guide for dispersing and emitting light emitted from a point light source in a form of beam light faces to a channel bottom surface as a scattering reflecting surface of a reflecting member. The light emitted from the light emitting surface is irregularly reflected on the channel bottom surface of the reflecting member so as to make viewing angle characteristics uniform. The light having the uniform viewing angle characteristics is transmitted from the light emitting surface of the beam-shaped light guide through a side surface opposite to the light emitting surface, and is emitted from another side surface opposite to the above side surface.

Abstract: The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a set of simple methods and apparatus to obtain simultaneously omnidirectional stereo images without using any moving parts. The field of view of a conventional camera or a light projector can be dramatically increased by employing a reflective mirror properly placed in front of the camera or the projector. A pair of omnidirectional cameras is able to form a unique stereo imaging system that is able to obtain three dimensional images of surrounding scene with 360 degree view angle. A combination of an omnidirectional camera and an omnidirectional structured light projector can also provide a means to obtain quantitative three dimensional measurements of the objects around the camera system. The omnidirectional three dimensional imaging methods and apparatus presented herein may offer unique solutions to many practical systems that need simultaneous 360 degree viewing angle and three dimensional measurement capability.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display which exhibits preferable viewing angle characteristics even in a diagonal viewing angle. Optical retardation films of a first type that satisfy nx>ny, nz and optical retardation films of a second type that satisfy nx≅ny>nz are used, and a setting is made to satisfy Rp−t=2×(−0.08×RLC+58 nm+α) (α=±30 nm) and Rt−t=(1.05±0.05)×RLC−47 nm+β(−100 nm≦β≦47 nm) where Δnd represents a retardation RLC in the liquid crystal display; Rp−t represents the sum of retardations Rp in in-plane directions of a plurality of optical retardation films; and Rt−t represents the sum of retardations Rt in the direction of the thickness of the plurality of optical retardation films.