# US 2013/0155352 A1 · Polarization decoder

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- Number: US 2013/0155352 A1
- Document ID: US20130155352A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/697,478
- Filed: 2011-05-10
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-05-12
- Assignees: Document Security Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Kenneth M. Wicker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155352A1

## CPC

- G02F 1/133528: {Polarisers}
- G09F 9/35: being liquid crystals (G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; {liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13})
- G09F 19/12: using special optical effects
- G02B 5/3025: {Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence)}
- G02F 1/133538: {with spatial distribution of the polarisation direction}
- G02F 2203/62: Switchable arrangements whereby the element being usually not switchable
- 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
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

At least a portion of a polarizing layer in the display screen is omitted or removed to temporarily disable image generation but an equivalent polarizing layer is used as a replacement or as a substitute for enabling the display of images on the screen. For instance, the omitted or removed polarizing layer can be replaced in situ or a remote polarizing layer can be substituted through which the images on the display can be seen. The selective reassembly of the display can be used for purposes of security or promotion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A promotional display system comprising:
a liquid crystal display having at least a portion of a polarizing layer missing from the display to disable the corresponding portion of the display,
a branded item incorporating a polarizing layer through which a customer can view the liquid crystal display while holding the branded item, and
the polarizing layer of the branded item having polarization characteristics that enable the customer to view video images generated within the corresponding portion of the display.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display system of claim 1 in which the branded item includes a product package and the polarizing layer is mounted within a portion of the product package.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The display system of claim 1 in which the branded item includes a promotional item related to a product and the polarizing layer is mounted within a portion of the promotional item.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The display system of claim 1 in which the branded item also incorporates an RFID tag and further comprising an RFID tag reader associated with the display for prompting the generation of the video images linked to the reading of the RFID tag.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The display system of claim 1 in which the branded item is one of a plurality of a branded items incorporating polarizing layers through which one or more customers can view the liquid crystal display while holding the branded items.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The display system of claim 5 in which each of the branded items also incorporates an RFID tag and further comprising an RFID tag reader associated with the display for prompting the generation of the different video images linked to the reading of different ones of the RFID tags.

### Claim 7

A liquid crystal display having a portion designated for secured access comprising:
a frame,
a polarizing layer overlapping a limited portion of a locally addressable liquid crystal layer within the frame for enabling the generation of the images within a corresponding limited portion of the display,
a remaining portion of the locally addressable liquid crystal layer within the frame being devoid of the overlapping polarizing layer for temporarily disabling the generation of images within a corresponding remaining portion of the display,
a separate polarizing layer being shaped as a blade, and
a slot formed in the frame for receiving the blade in a position overlapping the remaining portion of the locally addressable liquid crystal layer for enabling the generation of images within the remaining portion of the display.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The display of claim 7 in which the blade is attached to a bow for handling the blade.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The display of claim 8 in which the blade and bow form a key and the slot forms a keyway complementary to the key for limiting access through the slot to keys having a similar form.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The display of claim 8 in which a key chip is embedded in the bow and a chip sensor is associated with the display to prevent the limited portion of a locally addressable liquid crystal layer from participating in the formation of images within the remaining portion of the display unless the key chip is sensed.

### Claim 11

A method of promoting products comprising the steps of:
providing a liquid crystal display having at least a portion of a polarizing layer missing from the display to disable the corresponding portion of the display,
incorporating a polarizing layer within a branded item through which a customer can view the liquid crystal display while holding the branded item, and
relating the polarizing layer within the branded item to the polarizing layer missing from the display to enable the customer to view video images generated within the corresponding portion of the display.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 in which the step of incorporating includes mounting the polarizing layer within a portion of a product package.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 in which the step of incorporating includes mounting the polarizing layer within a portion of a promotional item.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The display system of claim 11 including steps of incorporating an RFID tag within the branded item and associating an RFID tag reader with the display for prompting the generation of the video images linked to the reading of the RFID tag.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The display system of claim 14 in which the steps of incorporating the polarizing layer and incorporating the RFID tag within a branded item include incorporating polarizing layers and RFID tags within a plurality of branded items and the step of associating the RFID tag reader with the display includes generating different video images linked to the reading of different ones of the RFID tags.

### Claim 16

A method of providing secure access to a limited portion of a liquid crystal display comprising steps of:
providing a polarizing layer that (a) overlaps a limited portion of a locally addressable liquid crystal layer within the frame for enabling the generation of the images within a corresponding limited portion of the display and (b) does not overlap a remaining portion of the locally addressable liquid crystal layer within the frame for temporarily disabling the generation of images within a corresponding remaining portion of the display,
providing a separate polarizing layer being shaped as a blade, and
forming a slot in the frame for receiving the blade in a position overlapping the remaining portion of the locally addressable liquid crystal layer for enabling the generation of images within the remaining portion of the display.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 including a step of attaching a bow to the blade for forming a key and the step of forming the slot includes forming the slot as a keyway complementary to the key for limiting access through the slot to keys having a similar form.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 including steps of attaching a bow to the blade for handling the blade, embedding a key chip in the bow, and associating a chip sensor with the display to prevent the limited portion of a locally addressable liquid crystal layer from participating in the formation of images within the remaining portion of the display unless the key chip is sensed.