Retroreflective Display Device Suppressing Ghosting via Asymmetric Prism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Imaging devices with retroreflective prisms suffer from ghosting and reduced light use efficiency due to light reflection on uneven surfaces, leading to deterioration in display quality.
Innovation Solution
A display device configuration that includes a display module emitting circularly polarized light, a polarizing element, a retarder element, and a retroreflective element with an uneven surface for retroreflection, where the retarder element adds retardation to transmitted light and the retroreflective element suppresses transmission to an even surface, minimizing ghosting and improving light efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a retroreflective prism with an even surface and uneven back surface is used, then retroreflection of light is achieved, but light reflected on the surface forms ghost images and reduces light use efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful reflective surface from the retroreflective prism structure. By eliminating the even surface that causes unwanted reflections, the design prevents ghost image formation while preserving the retroreflection function through the uneven back surface alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric surface design where only the back surface is made uneven for retroreflection, while the front surface is either removed or made uniformly transparent. This asymmetric configuration ensures that light enters without reflection-induced ghosting but is properly retroreflected by the asymmetric back surface structure.
2Productivity
If light is reflected on the surface of the retroreflective prism, then some light paths are created, but the light does not contribute to the display of the real image and reduces light use efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful surface reflection into a beneficial configuration by eliminating the reflective surface entirely. Instead of trying to manage or redirect reflected light, the design prevents harmful reflections at the source while ensuring all incident light reaches the retroreflective back surface, thereby converting a problematic optical path into a useful one that contributes to real image display.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The configuration effectively suppresses ghosting and enhances display quality by ensuring most incident light is retroreflected without contributing to unwanted reflections, thereby improving the display's light use efficiency and image clarity.
Implementation Method 1
a polarizing element which includes a transmission axis transmitting first linearly polarized light and reflects second linearly polarized light perpendicular to the transmission axis
Implementation Method 2
a retroreflective element comprising a base, and first and second retroreflectors each retroreflecting light made incident without transmitting the base
Implementation Method 3
a retarder element disposed between the display module and the polarizing element and between the retroreflective element and the polarizing element to add a retardation to transmitted light
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a display device, includes a retroreflective element includes a base, and first and second retroreflectors each retroreflecting light made incident without transmitting the base, and a retarder element disposed between a display module and a polarizing element and between the retroreflective element and the polarizing element, the first and second retroreflectors being adjacent to each other, each of the first and second retroreflectors includes a recess portion on a side facing the retarder element.