Classifications

• • 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
  • G09F9/305—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 the ends of optical fibres
• • 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
  • G02F1/01—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 intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
  • G02F1/13—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 intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
  • G02F1/133—Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements
  • G02F1/1333—Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methods
  • G02F1/1335—Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors
• • 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
  • G02F1/01—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 intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
  • G02F1/13—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 intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
  • G02F1/133—Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements
  • G02F1/1333—Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methods
  • G02F1/1335—Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors
  • G02F1/133528—Polarisers
• • 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
  • G02F1/01—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 intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
  • G02F1/13—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 intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
  • G02F1/133—Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements
  • G02F1/1333—Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methods
  • G02F1/1335—Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors
  • G02F1/133553—Reflecting elements
• • 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
• • 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
  • G09F9/305—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 the ends of optical fibres
  • G09F2009/3055—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 the ends of optical fibres for traffic signs

Definitions

• the invention relates to a display including one or more emitters which can be arranged to selectively project a beam of light to define symbols, e.g. alpha-numeric characters.
• Such displays can be used as road signs for displaying information of a variable nature, for example the need for drivers to slow down, or to indicate the presence of fog, or other hazards.
• GB-A-1, 527,326 discloses an arrangement using a single bulb which is arranged to be maintained continually on and including a bundle of optical fibres whose remote ends are arranged in a matrix array and are each operative to project a narrow or substantially collimated beam of light. Light emitted by the optical fibres is selectively masked to define the required symbols by using a shutter arrangement comprising liquid crystal cells, positioned in front of each of the light sources.
• the main problem with both such types of device is that of ensuring that the contrast between light and dark is as great as possible to enable the display to be read under high levels of ambient light, e.g. against direct sunlight.
• This invention provides a display comprising a light emitter arranged to selectively project a beam of light, an electro-optical variable transmission cell located in front of the light emitter which is switchable between relatively more and relatively less transmissive states, characterised in that a reflective surface being provided is the cell which includes a hole to allow the beam to pass through the cell, whereby ambient light is reflected from the reflective surface when the cell is in a more transmissive state so as to enhance the observed contrast of the display.
• the light emitter Under low levels of ambient light the light emitter can have sufficient brightness for the display to be read, but when ambient light levels are high and when the light emitter may not have sufficient brightness, sufficient light can be reflected from the surface for the display to be clearly read.
• the light emitter may comprise the free end of a length of optical fibre, the other end being located adjacent a light source, means being provided for selectively shuttering the emitted light to allow the beam to be selectively projected.
• the light emitter such as a light emitting diode (L.E.D.)
• L.E.D. light emitting diode
• the rear most polariser includes a reflective coating.
• a second electro-optical variable transmission cell is preferably disposed between the light emitter and the reflecting surface.
• the second cell is adapted such that the contrast between the relatively more and less transmissive states is greater than that of the first cell.
• Figure 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of part of a display according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Figures 2(a) and 2(b) show schematically the display shown in Figure 1 as observed under low and high levels of ambient light respectively;
• Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of part of a display according to another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 4 is a view from the front of the display shown in Figure 3.
• a display comprises one or more high brightness, e.g. quartz halogen, lamps 1.
• An end face 2 of each of a bundle of optical fibres 3 is located adjacent the lamp 1.
• the free ends 4 of the optical fibre 3 remote from the lamp 1 are located within apertures 5 in a support plate 6.
• Each of the optical fibres 3 is arranged to emit a substantially collimated beam of light 7 and for this purpose, the free ends 4 may include lenses (not shown).
• a shutter arrangement comprises, for each group of four optical fibres (best seen in Figure 2), a pair of liquid crystal cells 8, 9 disposed one in front of the other.
• Each cell comprises liquid crystal material 8a, 9a respectively sandwiched between a pair of plates 8b, 9b.
• Polarisers 8c, 8d and 9c, 9d respectively are disposed one on either side of the pair of plates.
• Each plate as is well known, carries electrodes typically of the translucent I.T.O. variety which are connected to control circuitry 10.
• Each cell is switchable between .a relatively more transmissive state and a relatively less transmissive state so as to selectively mask and unmask each beam of light 7.
• the polariser 8d of each front cell 8 includes a silvered or reflective coating 8e. Openings or holes 8f are provided in the reflective surface 8e to allow the beams of light 7 to pass unimpeded through the liquid crystal cell.
• the material 8a is selected for maximum transmission while that used in the rear most cell 9 is selected for maximum contrast.
• the front most cell 8 has a lower contrast between the masked and unmasked states and so is not able to attenuate as much light as the rear most cell 9.
• a T.N. cell is used for the front cell 8, and a Heilmeir for the back cell 9.
• the cell 8 when switched to the relatively more transmissive state, the cell 8 operates in both a reflective mode when allowing light to pass through the cell from where it is reflected back to the observer, and simultaneously in a transmissive mode by allowing the light beam 7 to pass through the cell.
• FIG. 2 (a) and 2 (b) A five by seven matrix array of such cells is shown schematically in Figures 2 (a) and 2 (b) , each cell defining a pixel of an alpha numeric character.
• the observer Under low levels of background illumination, as is shown schematically in Figure 2(a), the observer will merely see each individual light beam. However, high levels of background illumination will tend to swamp the light beams 7 and in such a case the majority of the light received by the observer will be that reflected from the reflective surface 8e.
• Liquid crystal cells have an optimum viewing angle, ie. one in which the observed contrast between light and dark is maximised. In known liquid crystal elements this may be at an angle of between 40o and 50o away from and at each side of a normal extending at right angles to the plane of the element.
• the second cell 9 may be inclined at this angle so as to further enhance the observed contrast.
• the display shown in Figures 3 and 4 is of a different type to that shown in Figure 1 in that the light emitters are independently switchable so that there is no need to provide a shuttering arrangement.
• Each pixel comprises one or more, four as shown, light emitting diodes (L.E.D.'s) 20 mounted on a support plate 21.
• the L.E.D.'s 20 are mounted at small angles with respect to one another so that the display can be seen clearly over a range of viewing angles.
• the outermost face 22 of the plate 21 surrounding the L.E.D.'s is coated with a non-reflective finish.
• the L.E.D.'s are each connected to control circuitry 24.
• Each element 25 comprises a liquid crystal material 26 sandwiched between a pair of translucent plates 27, 28.
• a reflective polariser 29 is provided on the rear most surface of plate 28, a further polariser 30 being provided on the front.
• the polarisers 29, 30 have respective aligned circular openings 31 and a corresponding underlying region is provided in the element 25 which is devoid of liquid crystal material 26.
• the opening 31 is aligned with the L.E.D.'s and the element 25 is arranged so that when the L.E.D.'s are switched to an illuminated state the liquid crystal material is simultaneously switched to a relatively more transmissive state so that, in addition to the light from the L.E.D., light will be reflected from the reflective surface 29 back to the observer.
• the liquid crystal element 4 is switched to a relatively less transmissive state, minimising reflection from surface 29.
• the liquid crystal element 25 can be easily manuiactured using well known silk screen printing techniques to define the region 31 on each of the plates 27, 28.
• the space between the plates 27, 28 is filled with the liquid crystal material 26 and the plates are then squeezed together.
• a small passageway 32 may be provided (shown by dotted lines in Figure 4) which is then sealed.
• the void region 31 between the plates 27, 28 need not be provided.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Nonlinear Science (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Liquid Crystal (AREA)
• Mathematical Physics (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 1993
  • 1993-06-09 EP EP93913336A patent/EP0598097A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1993-06-09 WO PCT/GB1993/001233 patent/WO1993025992A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1993-06-09 AU AU43447/93A patent/AU662431B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1993-06-09 CA CA 2114115 patent/CA2114115A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1993-06-09 JP JP6501273A patent/JPH06509887A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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