# US 11,079,668 B1 · Reflective display > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,668 B1 - Document ID: US11079668B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/136,848 - Filed: 2020-12-29 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-07 - Assignees: Mirraviz, Inc. - Applicants: MirraViz, Inc. - Inventors: Peter M. Baumgart; Stephen Christopher Kekoa Hager; Ye Yuan; Michael Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079668B1 ## CPC - G03B 21/60: characterised by the nature of the surface - G02B 3/08: with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens {(diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876)} - G02B 5/09: Multifaceted or polygonal mirrors {, e.g. polygonal scanning mirrors; Fresnel mirrors} - G03B 21/10: Projectors with built-in or built-on screen - G03B 21/56: Projection screens - G03B 21/58: collapsible, e.g. foldable; of variable area - G03B 21/62: Translucent screens - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract The disclosed technology relates generally to reflective displays, and more particularly to reflective displays configured to display images with customized and improved viewing parameters. In one aspect, a reflective display comprises a plurality of light-reflective microfacets configured to display an image by reflecting light incident thereon from a light source, wherein light rays reflected by different ones of the microfacets are directed in non-parallel directions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A reflective display comprising: a plurality of light-reflective microfacets formed on a major surface thereof and configured to display an image by reflecting light incident thereon from a light source, wherein light rays reflected by different ones of the microfacets are directed in non-parallel directions, wherein the microfacets are arranged to form a plurality of pixels, wherein different ones of the microfacets within at least some of the pixels are configured to reflect light rays to cross unique ones of non-overlapping regions of a viewing window, the viewing window defining an area in a viewing plane parallel to the major surface at a viewing distance therefrom, and wherein outside of the viewing window, an intensity of a displayed image falls by more than 30% relative to a peak intensity of the displayed image within the viewing window. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The reflective display of claim 1, wherein each of the pixels includes more than two microfacets, wherein the pixels define a resolution of the reflective display. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The reflective display of claim 2, wherein contiguous ones of the microfacets within at least some of the pixels have microfacet angles that do not vary monotonically in a lateral direction, wherein a microfacet angle is formed by a general surface normal of the major surface of the reflective display and a local surface normal of a respective one of the microfacets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The reflective display of claim 1, wherein the reflective display has one or both of a width extending in a horizontal direction exceeding 1 meter and a height extending in a vertical distance exceeding 0.5 meter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The reflective display of claim 4, wherein the viewing distance exceeds 1 meter, wherein the light rays reflected by the different ones of the microfacets collectively diverge from the major surface to form the image within the viewing window having a size greater than that of the reflective display. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The reflective display of claim 1, wherein each of the pixels has the same number of microfacets as the number of non-overlapping regions of the viewing window. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The reflective display of claim 1, wherein the microfacets form an uppermost surface of the reflective display configured to face the light source. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The reflective display of claim 1, wherein the light-reflective microfacets are formed on a backside of a sheet of a transparent material, the backside configured to face away from the light source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The reflective display of claim 8, wherein the sheet of the transparent material forms a planar front surface configured to face the light source. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The reflective display of claim 9, wherein the transparent material has an index of refraction of 1.2-1.8. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The reflective display of claim 10, wherein an angle of incidence of a light ray incident on a location on the sheet of the transparent material is greater than an angle of incidence of the light ray incident on a microfacet corresponding to the location after passing through the sheet of the transparent material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The reflective display of claim 1, wherein the reflective display is a short throw (ST) or ultra-short throw (UST) reflective display having a width extending in a first lateral direction and is configured to be at a distance from the light source in a second lateral direction perpendicular to the first lateral direction, such that a throw ratio between the distance and the width that is less than 1.0. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The reflective display of claim 1, wherein the reflective display is configured to display the image by reflecting the light from the light source incident thereon at an angle of incidence greater than 30 degrees relative to a surface normal to the major surface of the reflective display. ### Claim 14 A reflective display comprising: a plurality of light-reflective microfacets formed on a major surface thereof and configured to display an image by reflecting light incident thereon from a light source, wherein the microfacets have a distribution of microfacet orientations such that an intensity profile of light crossing a viewing window in one or both of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction is substantially non-Gaussian, the viewing window defining an area in a viewing plane parallel to the major surface at a viewing distance therefrom, wherein the microfacets are arranged to form a plurality of pixels, wherein different ones of the microfacets within at least some of the pixels are configured to reflect light rays to cross unique ones of non-overlapping regions of the viewing window, and wherein the viewing window is such that outside of the viewing window, an intensity of a displayed image falls by more than 30% relative to a peak intensity of the displayed image within the viewing window. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The reflective display of claim 14, each of the pixels includes more than two microfacets, wherein the pixels define a resolution of the reflective display. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The reflective display of claim 15, wherein the intensity profile of light crossing the viewing window is elongated in the horizontal direction relative to the vertical direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The reflective display of claim 15, wherein the viewing distance exceeds 1 meter, wherein the light rays reflected by the different ones of the microfacets collectively diverge from the major surface to form the image within the viewing window having a size greater than that of the reflective display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The reflective display of claim 15, wherein at least some of the microfacets within at least some of the pixels are configured to reflect light rays to cross non-overlapping regions of the viewing window having equal areas. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The reflective display of claim 15, wherein at least some of the microfacets within at least some of the pixels are configured to reflect light rays to cross non-overlapping regions of the viewing window having different areas, wherein non-overlapping areas disposed farther away from the at least some of the microfacets have larger areas relative to non-overlapping areas closer to the at least some of the microfacets. ### Claim 20 A reflective display comprising: a major surface having formed thereon a plurality of light-reflective microfacets configured to display an image by reflecting light incident thereon from a light source, wherein the microfacets are arranged to form a plurality of pixels, wherein different ones of the microfacets within at least some of the pixels are configured to reflect light rays to cross unique ones of non-overlapping regions of a viewing window, the viewing window defining an area in a viewing plane parallel to the major surface at a viewing distance therefrom, wherein outside of the viewing window, an intensity of a displayed image falls by more than 30% relative to a peak intensity of the displayed image within the viewing window. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The reflective display of claim 20, wherein light rays reflected by at least some of the microfacets of at least some of the pixels crossing the viewing window are distributed to span at least 50% of the viewing window. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The reflective display of claim 20 wherein light rays reflected by at least some of the microfacets of at least some of the pixels cross randomly selected ones of the non-overlapping regions within the viewing window. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The reflective display of claim 20, wherein each of the pixels has the same number of microfacets as the number of the non-overlapping regions of the viewing window. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The reflective display of claim 23, wherein each of the pixels comprises an array of microfacets having at least two rows and two columns. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The reflective display of claim 24, wherein at least a pair of the pixels have corresponding microfacets having corresponding row and column combinations within respective arrays, wherein light rays from the corresponding microfacets cross the same ones of the non-overlapping regions. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The reflective display of claim 24, wherein at least a pair of the pixels have corresponding microfacets having corresponding row and column combinations within respective arrays, wherein light rays from the corresponding microfacets cross different ones of the non-overlapping regions. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The reflective display of claim 24, wherein at least a pair of the pixels have non-corresponding microfacets having non-corresponding row and column combinations within respective arrays, wherein light rays from non-corresponding microfacets cross the same ones of the non-overlapping regions.