Optical waveguide display system

Abstract

A thin, large, high-definition television screen employs optical waveguides. Light (32) flows through waveguides (28) arranged, in parallel, across a substrate (64). Light from a source (44) is coupled into the waveguides using a Graded Index (GRIN) microlens array (56). Taps (37) direct light out and make it visible at different locations along the length of the waveguides. Long interaction length (8) taps with deflectors (10) are introduced which enable many waveguides to be placed side-by-side and still maintain high screen resolutions. Polymers, both electro-optic and non-electro-optic, are used in one embodiment as a waveguide building material. However, acousto-optic, thermo-optic (86) and magneto-optic effects may also be used with other materials such as glass and silicon dioxide. This display can be economically produced by forming a flexible waveguide ribbon (62) which integrates multiple waveguides (1), intensity modulators (40) and taps (38) into a single unit. Waveguide manufacturing techniques based on thermo-poling, photolocking, extruding, preform fiber-drawing, and laser milling are also discussed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.