1689 results about "High contrast" patented technology

The present invention relates to an improved EPD which comprises both the traditional up/down switching and the in-plane switching modes. In other words, the improved EPD has dual switching modes.

The monochrome EPDs of the present invention are capable of displaying highlight color of choice which is different from the text. For example, white background, blue text, and red highlight can be shown in any selected areas of the display. Furthermore, the full color EPDs of the present invention are capable of displaying high contrast images of high color saturation. Both high quality black and white states are possible in the full color displays of the present invention. The EPDs of the present invention do not need complex circuitry design, and are compatible with low cost and high yield roll-to-roll manufacturing processes.

PCT No. PCT/US95/02155 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 22, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 22, 1997 PCT Filed Feb. 21, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO95/22804 PCT Pub. Date Aug. 24, 1995A method and ultra-compact system has been developed for illuminating and detecting the surface topography of an object such as the finger (4) of an individual. The system (8) is capable of producing high-contrast images which can be electronically transmitted in real-time, or stored using electronic or photographic recording devices. Light traveling within a light transmitting substrate (2) is redirected by a slanted-fringed light diffractive grating preferably embodied within a volume hologram (3). The volume hologram (3), either of the reflection or transmission type, is attached to the light transmitting substrate (2). and functions to diffract light striking thereupon and illuminate an object having topographical surface structure. After being spatially and intensity modulated in accordance with topographical details of the illuminated object, the insulated light passes back through the light transmitting substrate (2) and the volume hologram (3), onto an image detection array. for subsequent analysis. Each of the disclosed embodiments has a compact geometry suitable for use in diverse object identification applications.

A display provides increased contrast and resolution via first LCD panel energized to generate an image and a second LCD panel configured to increase contrast of the image. The second panel is an LCD panel without color filters and is configured to increase contrast by decreasing black levels of dark portions of images (making them blacker or darker) using polarization rotation and filtration. Preferably, the second LCD panel is of higher resolution than the first LCD panel. The panels may be directly illuminated or edge lit, and may be globally or locally dimmed monochrome or multi primary lights that may also include individual control of color intensities for each image or frame displayed. The panels may be placed in any order, but preferably are arranged such that active layers in each panel are as close together as possible. Brightness is maintained by the combination of reusing polarization between the panels and by not going through more than one set of color filters. Improved contrast is a result of using multiple light modulators in series.

A device structure for single cell gap reflective and transflective liquid crystal displays (TF-LCDs). For an entirely reflective LCD, the imbedded wire-grid polarizer (WGP) serves as a polarization-dependent for the ambient light. For a transflective TF-LCD, the WGP only covers the reflective pixels. The disclosure also includes a method of using single cell gap liquid crystal displays (LCDs) without phase retardation films by providing a single cell gap LCD having reflective pixels and transmissive pixels, covering solely the reflective pixels, with at least one of: a wire grid polarizer and a broadband cholesteric reflector (BCR), reflecting ambient light off the reflective pixels; and passing back light through the transmissive pixels whereby the cell gap LCD obtains high contrast ratios without using phase retardation films.

A micromachined ultrasonic transducer array that focuses in the elevation direction. A curved lens is used to narrow the beam width in the elevation direction so that contrast resolution is improved and clinically relevant. Alternatively, a curved probe is formed by bending a micromachined substrate to have a predetermined curvature. The invention is further directed to methods of manufacturing such transducers.

The present invention is a device, method and system for making a display and displaying information that includes a fibrous organic substrate, e.g., a cellulose or cellulose substrate, and a variable reflectivity dye disposed in the fibrous substrate, wherein the reflectivity of the dye is modulated in situ. The display device may use a dye selected from an electrochromic, a thermochromic, a magnetochromic, an ionochromic, a light sensitive, a fluorescent, a fluorescent effect energy transfer dye or combinations thereof and may be used as high storage, high contrast and/or high definition paper.

The present invention relates to an improved EPD which comprises both the traditional up/down switching and the in-plane switching modes. The monochrome EPDs of the present invention are capable of displaying highlight color of choice which is different from the text. For example, white background, blue text, and red highlight can be shown in any selected areas of the display. Furthermore, the full color EPDs of the present invention are capable of displaying high contrast images of high color saturation. Both high quality black and white states are possible in the full color displays of the present invention. The EPDs of the present invention do not need complex circuitry design, and are compatible with low cost and high yield roll-to-roll manufacturing processes. The EPD cells of the present invention may have opaque partition walls, or a black matrix top surface of the partition walls or a combination thereof.

A technique for generating high-resolution bitmaps from low-resolution bitmaps. A low-resolution bitmap is magnified to form a magnified image. Edge detection is performed on the magnified image to find high contrast edges. A plurality of image patches of the magnified image are generated. These images patches are analyzed by performing connected components analysis on each of them using the high contrast edges to produce a plurality of foreground and background decisions determining whether a portion of an image patch is a background or a foreground region. Then the contrast of one or more pixels in each of the plurality of image patches is enhanced based on the foreground and background decisions. Finally, the system and method of the invention combines the luminance of the enhanced output pixels with the color values generated by the magnification algorithm. This produces a high-resolution bitmap from the contrast-enhanced pixels.

An in vivo imaging device having an illumination system that creates a virtual source within a tissue region of a subject in a non-invasive manner. The illumination system transforms a maximum amount of illumination energy from a light source into a high contrast illumination pattern. The illumination pattern is projected onto the object plane in a manner that maximizes the depth to which clear images of sub-surface features can be obtained. The high intensity portion of the illumination pattern is directed onto the object plane outside the field of view of an image capturing device that detects the image. In this configuration, scattered light from within the tissue region interacts with the object being imaged. This illumination technique provides for a high contrast image of sub-surface phenomena such as vein structure, blood flow within veins, gland structure, etc.

The invention discloses pixel driving circuit and method of an active organic electroluminescent display. The pixel driving circuit comprises a driving transistor, four switch transistors, a coupling capacitor, a storage capacitor and a light-emitting diode, wherein a drain electrode of the first transistor is connected with a data wire, a grid electrode of the first transistor is connected with a first scanning control wire, and a source electrode of the first transistor is connected with the C end of the coupling capacitor; a drain electrode of the second transistor is connected with source electrodes of the third transistor and the fourth transistor, a grid electrode of the second transistor is connected with the A ends of the coupling capacitor and the storage capacitor and a drain electrode of the third transistor, and a source electrode of the second transistor is connected with a drain electrode of the fifth transistor and the B end of the storage capacitor and is grounded through the organic light-emitting diode; a grid electrode of the third transistor is connected with a second scanning control wire; a drain electrode of the fourth transistor is connected with a power wire, and a grid electrode of the fourth transistor is connected with a light-emitting control wire; and a grid electrode of the fifth transistor is connected with the first scanning control wire, and a source electrode is grounded. The invention can effectively compensate the unevenness of threshold voltages of the transistors and the degradation of a start voltage of the OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), ensures that the brightness of an image displayed by the OLED is even and realizes high contrast.

A light valve such as an active matrix LCD between crossed polarizers, utilizing, for instance, individual transistors to control each "pixel area" of the LCD and storage elements to store video signal data for each pixel, with optically shielded "dead spaces" between pixels to eliminate electric field cross-talk and non-information-bearing light bleed-through, is illuminated with a bright independent light source which creates a video image projected via specialized projection optics onto an internal or external screen without distortions, regardless of the angle of projection onto the screen. Use of heat sinks, IR reflective coatings, heat absorbing optics, optional fluid and a thermistor controlled pixel transistor bias voltage injection servo circuit stabilizes image performance, maintaining accurate color and contrast levels as the LCD changes temperature. In one embodiment of the invention, use of a multi-color LCD with a stepped cavity, producing different thicknesses of LCD for the different wavelengths that pass through it, allows a linear correspondence between the wavelengths passing through the LCD to produce true black, high contrast and CRT-like color rendition. A dichroic mirror arrangement is used to overlap differently colored pixels in the projected image. Use of striped mirrors duplicate pixels, where necessary, eliminating spaces between pixels, creating a continuous image with no apparent stripes or dots. A special venetian-blind type of screen is also disclosed and methods for using the system to view three-dimensional video are also explained.

The present invention relates to a calcium carbonate composition having both calcite and aragonite crystalline morphology. More particularly, the present invention relates to an acicular calcite and an acicular aragonite product and a method for the production of the same and the use of such as fillers, additives and modifiers of consumer and commercial products such as toothpaste, paper, plastics and sealants. The acicular calcite/aragonite composition of the present invention provides a balance of properties such as sheet bulk, strength, stiffness, and sizing, when employed as a filler for paper. As a coating pigment, the acicular calcite/aragonite product of the present invention provides gloss characteristics suitable for dull and matte grades of low gloss coated paper. Upon further processing such as milling, grinding, or other means of comminution, the resulting product provides gloss characteristics suitable for high gloss coated paper. For paint formulations, the acicular calcite/aragonite composition of the present invention provides properties such as low sheen and high contrast ratio. As an additive in polymers, the acicular calcite/aragonite product of the present invention imparts reinforcing properties, rigidity, and impact strength, including sealant applications.

This invention provides an infrared illuminator and camera system for imaging of auto vehicle license plates. The system works in ambient light conditions, ranging from bright sunlight, to dim light, to dark, to zero ambient light. It yields high-contrast imaging of the letters and numbers on retro-reflective license plates. The images of the license letter and number combinations can be read manually by a remote operator. They can be converted to text format with optical character recognition computer hardware and software. The text data can then be compared to data files listing license numbers to provide further data about the owner of a licensed vehicle. A decision can be made quickly about whether to allow a vehicle to proceed through a gate, or whether to take other action. The system uses a mono camera that is enhanced for infrared sensitivity and combined with a high power infrared illuminator to maximize range at night, and with shutter speeds set up to capture clear license plate pictures even with fast moving vehicles and even with their headlights on and interfering with human observation of the license plates. Optical filtering to pass infrared in the range of the illuminator and to reduce light outside this range, combines with a lens set up, to avoid vertical smear and sensor overload caused by headlights at night and by highlight reflected glare from the sun in daytime.

A display system, which is useful for simulation, and training system that provides a mosaic wide field of view display by alternating virtual and direct view display images through the use of a new optical beamsplitter/combiner device. Edge blending and the use of flat panel display devices are used to provide a high brightness, high contrast, high reliability, and continuous unobstructed field of view. The new optical beamsplitter/combiner has an optically flat reflective portion and a curved transmissive portion.

A bio electron microscope and an observation method which can observe a bio specimen by low damage and high contrast to perform high-accuracy image analysis, and conduct high-throughput specimen preparation. 1) A specimen is observed at an accelerating voltage 1.2 to 4.2 times a critical electron accelerating voltage possible to transmit a specimen obtained under predetermined conditions. 2) An electron energy filter of small and simplified construction is provided between the specimen and an electron detector for imaging by the electron beam in a specified energy region of the electron beams transmitting the specimen. 3) Similarity between an observed image such as virus or protein in the specimen and a reference image such as known virus or protein is subjected to quantitative analysis by image processing. 4) A preparation protocol of the bio specimen is made into a chip using an MEMS technique, which is then mounted on a specimen stage part of an electron microscope to conduct specimen introduction, preparation and transfer onto a specimen holder.

The present invention relates to a laser device (10) for projecting a structured light pattern (9) onto a scene (15). The device is formed of several arrays (1) of semiconductor lasers (2), each array (1) comprising an irregular distribution of emission areas (2a) of the semiconductor lasers (2). One or several imaging optics (4) image said arrays (1) to an imaging space and superpose the images of said arrays (1) in the imaging space to form said light pattern (9). The proposed laser device generates a light pattern with high contrast and efficiency which may be used for 3D imaging systems, e. g. in automotive applications.

Methods and apparatus for enhancing the performance of a reflective liquid crystal display system. The high-contrast color splitting prism system utilizes a "double-passed" prism assembly. Polarized light enters the prism assembly, is color-split and emitted as separate colors to spatial light modulators which reflect each color in accordance with a desired image. The reflective light is passed, once again, through the prism assembly where the separate colors converge and propagate to a projection lens for display of the image on a screen. A waveplate retarder is positioned between the liquid crystal display and the polarizing element. The waveplate retarder is tilted with respect to the optical axis to eliminate the deleterious effects of the Fresnel reflections at the interfaces of the waveplate retarder.

A semiconductor light-emitting device and a method for manufacturing the same can include a wavelength converting layer encapsulating at least one semiconductor light-emitting chip to emit various colored lights including white light. The semiconductor light-emitting device can include a base board with the chip mounted thereon, a frame located on the base board, a transparent plate located on the wavelength converting layer, a reflective material layer disposed between the frame and both side surfaces of the wavelength converting layer and the transparent plate, and a light-absorbing layer located on the reflective material layer. The semiconductor light-emitting device can be configured to improve light-emitting efficiency and a contrast between a light-emitting and non-light-emitting surfaces by using the transparent material and light-absorbing layer. A wavelength-converted light that is emitted can have a high light-emitting efficiency and a high contrast between a light-emitting and non-light-emitting surface from a small light-emitting surface.

Caries located at a position that cannot be directly viewed, such as one of the adjacent surfaces between teeth, can be observed with high contrast, and the spread and the degree of invasion of the caries can be observed. A dental observation apparatus has: an irradiating unit radiating illumination light including an infrared region; a detecting unit separately detecting fluorescence generated from a caries portion by irradiation with the illumination light and scattered light of the illumination light at the tooth; and an image processing unit which forms a fluorescence image based on the fluorescence detected by the detecting unit, which forms a scattered light image capable of identifying a boundary between an enamel layer and a dentine layer, the layers having different scattering properties, based on the intensity of the scattered light detected by the detecting unit, and which combines the fluorescence image and the scattered light image.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) and method of adjusting brightness for the LCD are provided. The LCD includes a light emitter including a plurality of luminescent bodies which are divided into a predetermined number of partial areas, a backlight driver connected to the light emitter to control the brightness of each of the partial areas of the light emitter, and a controller for calculating a representative value for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas of the light emitter in accordance with an input image signal and outputting the representative value as a brightness adjustment signal for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas to the backlight driver. Thus, the brightness of each of partial areas of a backlight can be adjusted in accordance with the input image signal to improve a contrast ratio. Also, a representative value to be used for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas can be lowered by a predetermined ratio to effectively reduce power needed for lighting the backlight. Also, light loss and light gain occurring between neighboring partial areas can be compensated to improve the contrast ratio, and image artifacts can be reduced.

An optical film in which a retardation film is laminated on one side of a polarizing plate, in which a transparent protective film is laminated on both sides of a polarizer, so that an absorbing axis of the polarizing plate and a slow axis of the retardation film may be perpendicular or may be parallel to each other, wherein a value Nz represented by Nz=(nx1-nzi)/(nx1-ny1) satisfies a range of 0.4 through 0.6, and an in-plane retardation Re1=(nx1-ny1)xd1 is 200 through 350 nm, where, a direction of the retardation film in which an in-plane refractive index within the film surface concerned gives a maximum is defined as X-axis, a direction perpendicular to X axis is defined as Y-axis, a thickness direction of the film is defined as Z-axis, refractive indexes in axial direction are defined as nx1, ny1, nz1, respectively, and a thickness of the film is defined as d1 (nm), and the transparent protective films comprise a thermoplastic saturated norbornene resin, may realize an easily viewable display with high contrast ratio in a wide range when applied to a display system and that may provide a retardation value stabilized under conditions of high temperature or high humidity.

An active matrix display comprises a chiral smectic liquid crystal mixture which has the phase sequence I-N*-SmC*, a spontaneous polarization in the operating temperature range of <40 nC/cm2 and a pitch of >10 mum at at least one temperature in the nematic or cholesteric phase and comprises at least one compound each from at least two of the substance classes (A), (B) and (C) and one or more compounds from substance class (D):(A): compounds comprising two rings which are directly linked to one another and are selected from phenylene-1,4-diyl, pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, pyridine-2,5-diyl and pyridazine-2,5-diyl with the proviso that at least one of these rings is a nitrogen heterocycle;(B): compounds comprising three rings selected from phenylene-1,4-diyl, two of the rings being directly linked to one another and the third ring being linked to one of the other two rings via an -OC(=O)- or -C(=O)-group, with the proviso that at least one of the three rings is fluorophenylene-1,4-diyl or ortho-difluorophenylene-1,4-diyl;(C): compounds comprising three rings which are directly linked to one another and are selected from phenylene-1,4-diyl, pyrimidine-2,5-diyl, pyridine-2,5-diyl and pyridazine-2,5-diyl with the proviso that at least one of these rings is a nitrogen heterocycle;(D): compounds comprising mesogenic groups suitable as components of liquid crystal mixtures.

Wire-grid polarizers (WGPs) and their use in transmissive displays are disclosed. The displays containing these WGPs possess high contrast and brightness characteristics in comparison to prior art displays.

A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and its fabrication are taught which incorporate a high contrast grating (HCG) to replace the top mirror of the device and which can operate at long-wavelengths, such as beyond 0.85 μm. The HCG beneficially provides a high degree of polarization differentiation and provides optical containment in response to lensing by the HCG. The device incorporates a quantum well active layer, a tunnel junction, and control of aperture width using ion implantation. A tunable VCSEL is taught which controls output wavelength in response to controlling a micro-mechanical actuator coupled to a HCG top mirror which can be moved to, or from, the body of the VCSEL. A fabrication process for the VCSEL includes patterning the HCG using a wet etching process, and highly anisotropic wet etching while precisely controlling temperature and PH.

It is possible to estimate optical characteristic according to a pupil diameter in daily life of an examinee, correction data near to the optimal prescription value, eyesight, and sensitivity. A calculation section receives measurement data indicating refractive power distribution of an eye to be examined and pupil data on the eye and calculates lower order and higher order aberrations according to the measurement data and the pupil data (S101 to 105). For example, a pupil edge is detected from the anterior ocular segment image and a pupil diameter is calculated. By using this pupil diameter, lower order and higher order aberrations are calculated. According to the lower order and higher order aberrations obtained, the calculation section performs simulation of a retina image by using high contrast or low contrast target and estimates the eyesight by comparing the result to a template and/or obtains sensitivity (S107). Alternatively, according to the lower order and the higher order aberraations obtained, the calculation section calculates an evaluation parameter indicating the quality of visibility by the eye to be examined such as the Strehl ratio, the phase shift (PTF), and the visibility by comparison of the retina image simulation with the template. According to the evaluation parameter calculated, the calculation section changes the lower order aberration amount so as to calculate appropriate correction data for the eye to be examined (S107). The calculation section outputs data such as the eyesight, sensitivity, correction data, and the simulation result to a memory or a display section (S109).

The invention relates to a transflective liquid crystal display device that has a high contrast ratio. The transflective liquid crystal panel includes a homogeneous liquid crystal such that the transflective liquid crystal display device will have an optical retardation when the voltage is applied. Therefore, in order to compensate the optical retardation caused by this liquid crystal, a thickness of the liquid crystal layer is adjusted. Moreover, a thickness of the retardation film is also adjusted. Accordingly, the complete dark state and the high contrast ratio are achieved in the liquid crystal display.

The present invention relates to an improved EPD which comprises both the traditional up/down switching and the in-plane switching modes. In other words, the improved EPD has dual switching modes.

The monochrome EPDs of the present invention are capable of displaying highlight color of choice which is different from the text. For example, white background, blue text, and red highlight can be shown in any selected areas of the display. Furthermore, the full color EPDs of the present invention are capable of displaying high contrast images of high color saturation. Both high quality black and white states are possible in the full color displays of the present invention. The EPDs of the present invention do not need complex circuitry design, and are compatible with low cost and high yield roll-to-roll manufacturing processes.

A technique for digitally capturing a high contrast color image involves simultaneously capturing image data from bright and dark areas using an image sensor with pixels of the same color that have different sensitivities to the bright and dark areas. The image data from the different sensitivity pixels is then used to generate a final image that includes features from both the bright and dark areas. An embodiment of a digital imaging system includes an image sensor with a first group of pixels that have a first sensitivity to a first color and a second group of pixels that have a second sensitivity to the same color. Image data that is captured by the two groups of pixels is brought to a common scale by a scaling unit before the image data is used to generate demosaiced image data. The scaled image data is used by a demosaic unit to determine intensity values for the first color at all of the pixel locations. Errors in the demosaiced intensity values that result from capturing the first color image data with pixels of two different sensitivities are corrected by an error correction unit to generate a final image that accurately depicts the original high contrast color image.

The present invention provides a display device with higher contrast ratio. The display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a layer including a display element which is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and stacked polarizers on an outer side of the first substrate or the second substrate. The stacked polarizers are arranged to be in parallel Nicols. The stacked polarizers have the same wavelength distribution in the extinction coefficients. Further, a retardation plate may be provided between the stacked polarizers and the first substrate or the second substrate. The stacked polarizers are provided for both of the first substrate and the second substrate, and the stacked polarizers on the outer side of the first substrate and the stacked polarizers on the outer side of the second substrate are arranged to be in crossed Nicols or parallel Nicols.

A method of radiantly marking substrates including metals, plastics, ceramic materials, glazes, glass ceramics, and glasses of any desired form, which comprises electrostatically applying to the material to be marked a variable thickness layer of marking material containing energy absorbing components and/or enhancers, then irradiating said layer with a radiant energy source such as a laser or diode based energy source such that the radiation is directed onto said layer, optionally in accordance with the form of the marking to be applied, preferably using a laser or diode based energy source of a wavelength which is sufficiently absorbed by the marking material so as to create a bonding of the marking material to the surface of the workpiece at the irradiated areas.