An image display panel employing the recycling of light from a plurality of light reflective elements therewithin so as to produce color images with enhanced brightness for viewing by a viewer, said image display panel comprising:
- a backlighting structure including
- a light source for producing light consisting of spectral components having wavelengths over a substantial portion of a visible band of the electromagnetic spectrum, and
- a broad-band reflector for reflecting, within said backlighting structure, polarized light consisting of spectral components having wavelengths over a substantial portion of said visible band and, upon one or more reflections within said backlighting structure, converting the polarization state of said spectral components from a first polarization state (P1) to a second polarization state (P2) orthogonal to said first polarization state (P1), and from said second polarization state (P2) to said first polarization state (P1);
- a plurality of pixel regions spatially encompassed within a predefined image display area definable relative to said backlighting structure, wherein each said pixel region spatially encompasses a plurality of subpixel regions and each said subpixel region within each said pixel region has a predefined spectral band over the visible band of the electromagnetic spectrum,
- each said subpixel region within each said pixel region having a light transmission portion and a light blocking portion, and each said light transmission portion and said light blocking portion having a frontside disposed in the direction of said viewer and a backside in the direction of said backlighting structure;
- a broad-band reflective polarizer for reflecting light consisting substantially of spectral components having wavelengths over a substantial portion of said visible band and said first polarization state (P1), and transmitting a distribution of polarized light along a prespecified direction, substantially confined within said predefined image display area, and consisting substantially of spectral components having wavelengths over a substantial portion of said visible band and said second polarization state (P2);
- a spatial intensity modulation structure including
- an array of polarization modifying elements, each said polarization modifying element being spatially registered with one said subpixel region and selectively modifying the polarization state of polarized light transmitted therethrough in response to a subpixel drive signal provided to said polarization modifying element, and
- a broad-band polarizer, cooperating with said array of polarization modifying elements, so as to modulate the spatial intensity of said produced distribution of polarized light and thereby produce a dark-type or bright-type intensity level at each said subpixel region along said broad-band polarizer;
- and
- a spectral filtering structure having a pixelated array of pass-band reflective-type spectral filtering elements for spectrally filtering said polarized light, each said pass-band reflective-type spectral filtering element being spatially registered with one said subpixel region and tuned to one said predefined spectral band for transmitting only the spectral components of said polarized light having wavelengths within said predefined spectral band of said subpixel region, and reflecting the spectral components of said produced polarized light having wavelengths outside said predefined spectral band of said subpixel region so as to produce a predefined color value at said subpixel region spatially-registered with said pass-band reflective-type spectral filtering element;
- a pattern of broad-band reflector material, in spatial registration with the backside of said light blocking portions of said subpixel regions, for reflecting produced light at the light blocking portions of said subpixel regions;
- a pattern of broad-band absorption material, in spatial registration with the frontside of said light blocking portions of said subpixel regions, for absorbing ambient light incident upon said light blocking portions of said subpixel regions;
- wherein, the spectral components of polarized light that are transmitted through said broad-band reflective polarizer along said prespecified direction contribute to said distribution of polarized light;
- wherein, the spectral components of polarized light that are not transmitted through said broad-band reflective polarizer along said prespecified direction are reflected off said broad-band reflective polarizer and transmitted back towards said broad-band reflector for reflection and/or polarization conversion within said backlighting structure and retransmission through said broad-band reflective polarizer so as to contribute to said distribution of polarized light;
- wherein, the spectral components of said polarized light that are transmitted through the pass-band reflective-type spectral filtering element at each said subpixel region within each said spatially-encompassing pixel region produce said predefined color value at said subpixel region;
- and
- wherein, the spectral components of said polarized light that are not transmitted through the pass-band reflective-type spectral filtering element at each said subpixel region within each said pixel region are reflected off said pass-band reflective-type spectral filtering element and transmitted back towards said backlighting structure for reflection and/or polarization conversion and retransmission towards the other said subpixel regions within said spatially-encompassing pixel region in said spectral filtering structure;
- wherein, the spectral components of said distribution of polarized light which fall incident on the light blocking portions of said subpixel regions are reflected off said pattern of broad-band reflector material disposed thereon, and transmitted back towards said backlighting structure for reflection and/or polarization conversion and retransmission towards the other said subpixel regions within said spatially-encompassing pixel region in said spectral filtering structure;
- wherein, the spectral components of ambient light falling incident upon the light blocking portions of said subpixel regions are absorbed by said pattern of broad-band absorption material disposed thereon, thereby reducing glare from said image display panel due to ambient light incident thereon;
- whereby said color images are produced from said predefined image display area having enhanced brightness.