ENHANCED EFFECTIVE REFRACTIVE INDEX TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION IMAGE DISPLAY

摘要

A display for viewing images in a preferred direction (26). Parallel,macroscopically planar, structured surface, non-light absorptive lightdeflecting and reflecting portions are longitudinally symmetrical in mutuallyperpendicular directions (24, 20) which are perpendicular to direction (26). Aliquid (28) containing members (34) contacts the reflecting portion. Acontroller (56) applies an electromagnetic force to selectively move themembers into an evanescent wave region adjacent the reflecting portion,frustrating TIR at selected points on the reflecting portion. The deflectingportion's structured surfaces deflect (42) light rays incident (40) indirection (26) toward the reflecting portion by imparting to the rays adirectional component in the reflecting portion's direction of longitudinalsymmetry. The reflecting portion's structured surfaces totally internallyreflect (44, 48) the deflected rays toward the deflecting portion wherever TIRis not frustrated. The deflecting portion's structured surfaces deflect (50)the TIR'd rays, cancelling the directional component, such that the deflectedTIR'd rays emerge (51) substantially parallel to direction (26).