Color liquid crystal display having diffractive color separation microlenses

A color liquid crystal display system comprising:

• a color liquid crystal display having an array of sub-pixels, a first transparent plate, a second transparent plate, and liquid crystal between said two plates;
• an array of diffractive color separation microlenses adjacent said display, each lens adapted to separate light into colored bands, and to focus said bands on preselected sub-pixels of said liquid crystal display;
• and
• a first polarizer between said microlens army and said first plate adapted to polarize the light from said microlens array in a predetermined direction.

A system for increasing the brightness and color saturation of a color liquid crystal display to permit direct sunlight viewing comprising:

• a color liquid crystal display having an array of sub-pixels, a mask between sub-pixels, a first transparent plate having conductors thereon for activating selected sub-pixels, a second transparent plate, and liquid crystal between said two plates;
• an array of diffractive color separation microlenses adjacent said display, each lens having a number of diffraction lines with steps for separating light into colored bands, and adapted for focusing said bands on preselected sub-pixels of said liquid crystal display, each of said microlenses having been formed with a surface derived through the utilization of a genetic algorithm to provide an optimal step configuration for said diffraction lines for exceptionally fine color separation control so that substantially no light is imaged onto the mask between sub-pixels, thus to improve display brilliance and increase color saturation;
• and
• a first polarizer between said microlens array and said first plate.

A color liquid crystal display, comprising:

• a liquid crystal display panel including a plate having an addressable matrix of conductors thereon for defining an array of sub-pixels for said liquid crystal display panel, said array of sub-pixels defining red, green and blue hues, with said array being arranged in a horizontal direction across said liquid crystal display panel, said sub-pixels being rectilinear in configuration, a second plate in spaced apposition to said first mentioned plate, and liquid crystal between said two plates;
• a collimated light source;
• a microlens array between said light source and said liquid crystal display panel, said microlens array having a transparent plate and an array of microlenses on one side thereof, said microlenses providing color separated bands from the light from said collimated light source focused on corresponding sub-pixels in said liquid crystal display panel, said bands being within corresponding sub-pixels;
• a first polarizer positioned between said microlens array and said liquid crystal display panel for polarizing the light from said microlens array in a predetermined direction;
• a second polarizer adjacent said liquid crystal display panel for polarizing light from said panel in a direction orthogonal to that of said first polarizer;
• a diffuser adjacent said second polarizer, said diffuser having a smooth exterior surface;
• and,
• an anti-reflective coating on the smooth surface of said diffuser.