Tapered multilayer luminaire devices

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• first layer means including an air gap disposed beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and for enabling light to enter said air gap after output from said base layer when the light in said base layer achieves the angle of incidence less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c characteristic of an interface between the base layer and said air gap,
• second layer means for preferably outputting light of a first polarization state compared to a second polarization state, said second layer means also disposed beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and said second layer means further enabling reflection of at least part of the light of the second polarization state;
• and
• light redirecting means for operating on light having passed through said base layer to enable the light to be output from said device.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• first layer means comprising an air gap layer disposed at least beyond said first surface relative to said base layer and for enabling light to enter said first layer means after output from said base layer when the light in said base layer achieves the angle of incidence less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c characteristic of an interface between said base layer and said air gap layer;
• and
• second layer means for preferably outputting light of a first polarization state compared to a second polarization state, said second layer means disposed beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and said second layer means including an air gap and further enabling reflection of at least part of the light having the second polarization state.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and a second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• first layer means including an air gap at least one of disposed beyond said first surface and beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.2 for allowing transmission of light received from said base layer;
• and
• converting layer means for changing light of one polarization state to another polarization state, said converting layer means disposed at least one of overlying and underlying said base layer.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and a second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• first layer means including an air gap beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and said base layer first surface for enabling light to enter said layer means from said base layer when the light in said base layer achieves the angle of incidence less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c characteristic of the interface between the base layer and the layer means;
• light redirecting means for operating on light having passed through said base layer and for outputting the light toward the viewer;
• and
• second layer means disposed in a layer position being a layer beyond said first surface relative to said base layer and being a layer beyond said light redirecting means relative to said base layer, said second layer means for preferably transmitting light of a first polarization state compared to a second polarization state and for preferably reflecting light of the second polarization state.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and a second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• first layer means including an air gap at least one of disposed beyond said first surface relative to said base layer and beyond said bottom layer surface relative to said base layer and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.2 for allowing transmission of light received from said base layer;
• second layer means for preferably transmitting light of a first polarization state relative to a second polarization state, said second layer means disposed at least one of (a) disposed beyond said first surface and said first layer means relative to said base layer and (b) disposed beyond said second surface and said first layer means and said second layer means further enabling reflection of at least part of the light having the second polarization state;
• light redirecting means for operating on the light reflected by said second layer means and redirecting it back toward said second layer means;
• and
• third layer means for converting at least part of the light of the second polarization state to light of the first polarization state.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and a second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second layer surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• layer means for preferably outputting light of a first polarization state compared to a second polarization state, said layer means including a first filter layer means for filtering the light to pass preferably said light of first polarization state and said layer means further including converting means for changing at least a part of said light of second polarization state to said light of first polarization state;
• a liquid crystal display layer positioned to receive said light of first polarization state and output said light to the viewer;
• and
• light diffuser means for diffusing light output from said layer means and said liquid crystal display layer to broaden the light in a narrow angular distribution in a plane thereby outputting light to a viewer over a range of viewing angle without distorting image quality.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and a second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second layer surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• and
• first layer means including a layer having index n.sub.2 less than n.sub.1 disposed beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and for enabling light to enter said first layer means after output from said base layer when the light in said base layer achieves the angle of incidence less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c characteristic of an interface between the base layer and said layer of index n.sub.2 ;
• and
• a liquid crystal display layer positioned to receive the light output from said first layer means and output said light to the viewer;
• and
• light diffuser means for diffusing light output from said layer means and said liquid crystal display layer to broaden the light in a narrow angular distribution in a plane thereby outputting light to a viewer over a range of viewing angle without distorting image quality.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and a second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second layer surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• first layer means including a layer having index n.sub.2 less than n.sub.1 disposed beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and for enabling light to enter said first layer means after output from said base layer when the light in said base layer achieves the angle of incidence less than the critical angle .theta..sub.c characteristic of an interface between the base layer and said layer of index n.sub.2 ;
• second layer means for preferably outputting light of a first polarization state compared to a second polarization state, said second layer means being disposed beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and said second layer means further able to reflect at least part of the light having the second polarization state;
• light redirecting means for controlling angular range of light to be output from said device;
• and
• a liquid crystal display layer positioned to receive said light of said first polarization state for output to the viewer.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having a wedge-shaped cross-sectional area and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first and a second surface converging to define at least one angle of inclination .phi., said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected therein decreases its angle relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second surfaces and achieves an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• layer means including an air gap at least one of disposed beyond said first surface and beyond said second surface relative to said base layer and having an optical index of refraction n.sub.2 for allowing transmission of light received from said base layer;
• converting layer means for changing light of one polarization state to another polarization state, said converting layer means disposed at least one of overlying and underlying said base layer;
• and
• a liquid crystal display layer positioned to receive said light of said first polarization for output to the viewer.

An optical device for operating on light from a source and for selectively outputting light to a viewer, comprising:

• a base layer having an optical index of refraction n.sub.1, and a first surface and a second surface, said base layer further including a back surface spanning said first and second surfaces, and the light exiting said base layer when the light being reflected between the first and second surfaces progressively decreases its angle of incidence about 2.phi. with each cycle of reflection relative to the normal to at least one of said first and second layer surfaces and leaves the base layer upon achieving an angle of incidence less than a critical angle .theta..sub.c relative to the normal;
• light redirecting means for controlling angular range of light in said device and to be output to the viewer from said device;
• and
• layer means for preferably outputting light of a first polarization state compared to a second polarization state, said layer means including a filter layer means for filtering the light to pass preferably said light of first polarization state and said layer means further including converting means for changing said light of second polarization state to said light of first polarization state.