Viewing screen formed using coherent light

A viewing screen having a normal axis, a horizontal direction, a vertical direction and a viewing area, said viewing screen comprising:

• a. a sheet of deformable material including a first micro-sculpted surface structure that controls the direction in which light propagates, said first micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed by replicating in said sheet of deformable material a second micro-sculpted surface structure that controls the direction in which light propagates, said second micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by (i) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in said photosensitive medium with coherent light that has been diffused through a holographic diffuser and then directly transmitted to said photosensitive medium so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in said refractive index of said photosensitive medium which scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation and (ii) developing said photosensitive medium;
• and
• b. a reflective layer deposited on and conforming to said first micro-sculpted surface structure, whereby light incident on said viewing screen is reflected into said viewing area by said first micro-sculpted surface structure,
• wherein light scattered from said first micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by said random, disordered and non-planar speckle.

In a liquid crystal display, the improvement comprising a viewing screen having a normal axis, a horizontal direction, a vertical direction and a viewing area, said viewing screen including:

• a. a sheet of deformable material including a first micro-sculpted surface structure which controls the direction in which light propagates, said first micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed by replicating in said sheet of deformable material a second micro-sculpted surface structure that controls the direction in which light propagates, said second micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by (i) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in said photosensitive medium with coherent light that has been diffused through a holographic diffuser and then directly transmitted to said photosensitive medium so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in said refractive index of said photosensitive medium which scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation and (ii) developing said photosensitive medium;
• and
• b. a reflective layer deposited on and conforming to said first micro-sculpted surface structure, whereby light incident on said viewing screen is reflected into said viewing area by said first micro-sculpted surface structure, wherein light scattered from said first micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by said random, disordered and non-planar speckle.

In a laptop computer, the improvement comprising a viewing screen having a normal axis, a horizontal direction, a vertical direction and a viewing area, said viewing screen including:

• a. a sheet of deformable material including a first micro-sculpted surface structure which controls the direction in which light propagates, said first micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed by replicating in said sheet of deformable material a second micro-sculpted surface structure that controls the direction in which light propagates, said second micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by (i) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in said photosensitive medium with coherent light that has been diffused through a holographic diffuser and then directly transmitted to said photosensitive medium so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in said refractive index of said photosensitive medium which scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation and (ii) developing said photosensitive medium;
• and
• b. a reflective layer deposited on and conforming to said first micro-sculpted surface structure, whereby light incident on said viewing screen is reflected into said viewing area by said first micro-sculpted surface structure,
• wherein light scattered from said first micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by said random, disordered and non-planar speckle.

A viewing screen for incident light comprising:

• a sheet of embossable material in which a first micro-sculpted surface relief structure that controls the direction in which light propagates has been formed by replicating in said sheet of embossable material a second micro-sculpted surface structure that controls the direction in which light propagates, said second micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by (i) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in said photosensitive medium with coherent light which has been diffused through a holographic diffuser and then directly transmitted to said photosensitive medium so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in said refractive index of said photosensitive medium which scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation and (ii) developing said photosensitive medium,
• said incident light being incident on and returned from said viewing screen to a viewing area, said viewing screen controlling the direction of said incident light that is emanating from said viewing screen to said viewing area and increasing brightness in said viewing area relative to an area outside said viewing area,
• wherein light scattered from said first micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by said random, disordered and non-planar speckle.

In a liquid crystal display, the improvement comprising a viewing screen for incident light including:

• a sheet of embossable material in which a first micro-sculpted surface relief structure that controls the direction in which light propagates has been formed by replicating in said sheet of embossable material a second micro-sculpted surface structure that controls the direction in which light propagates, said second micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by (i) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in said photosensitive medium with coherent light which has been diffused through a holographic diffuser and then directly transmitted to said photosensitive medium so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in said refractive index of said photosensitive medium which scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation and (ii) developing said photosensitive medium,
• said incident light being incident on and returned from said viewing screen to a viewing area, said viewing screen controlling the direction of said incident light that is emanating from said viewing screen to said viewing area and increasing brightness in said viewing area relative to an area outside said viewing area,
• wherein light scattered from said first micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by said random, disordered and non-planar speckle.

In a laptop computer, the improvement comprising a viewing screen for incident light including:

• a sheet of embossable material in which a first micro-sculpted surface relief structure that controls the direction in which light propagates has been formed by replicating in said sheet of embossable material a second micro-sculpted surface structure that controls the direction in which light propagates, said second micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by (i) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in said photosensitive medium with coherent light which has been diffused through a holographic diffuser and then directly transmitted to said photosensitive medium so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in said refractive index of said photosensitive medium which scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation and (ii) developing said photosensitive medium,
• said incident light being incident on and returned from said viewing screen to a viewing area, said viewing screen controlling the direction of said incident light that is emanating from said viewing screen to said viewing area and increasing brightness in said viewing area relative to an area outside said viewing area,
• wherein light scattered from said first micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by said random, disordered and non-planar speckle.