# US 9,753,341 B1 · Display apparatus including a transparent electronic monitor including a polarized mirror in front of the monitor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,341 B1 - Document ID: US9753341B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/168,784 - Filed: 2016-05-31 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-03 - Assignees: Iontank, Ltd. - Applicants: Iontank, Ltd. - Inventors: Stephen Streibig; Robert de la Cretaz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753341B1 ## CPC - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - A01K 1/03: Housing for domestic or laboratory animals - A01K 1/031: {Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals} - A01K 29/005: {Monitoring or measuring activity} - A01K 31/06: Cages {, e.g. for singing birds (for poultry A01K31/002)} - A01K 63/003: {Aquaria; Terraria (A01K63/04, A01K63/06 take precedence)} - A01K 63/006: {Accessories for aquaria or terraria} - G01S 3/04: Details - G01S 5/14: Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location - G02F 1/13306: {Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells (G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence)} - G02F 1/133528: {Polarisers} - G02F 1/13471: {in which all the liquid crystal cells or layers remain transparent, e.g. FLC, ECB, DAP, HAN, TN, STN, SBE-LC cells (G02F1/13475 takes precedence)} - G02F 1/137: characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering - G06F 1/1605: {Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones} - G06F 3/005: {Input arrangements through a video camera} - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - G09F 9/35: being liquid crystals (G09F9/302 takes precedence; liquid crystal materials C09K19/00; {liquid crystal panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell per se G02F1/13}) - G09F 27/005: {Signs associated with a sensor} - H04N 5/66: Transforming electric information into light information (scanning details H04N3/00) - H04N 7/002: {Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 (still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098)} - H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) - H04N 21/44218: {Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45)} - A01K 2227/10: Mammal - A01K 2227/30: Bird - A01K 2227/40: Fish - A01K 2227/706: Insects, e.g. Drosophila melanogaster, medfly - G01S 13/74: Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A display apparatus includes a transparent electronic display such as a non-backlit LCD screen, a display area disposed behind the transparent electronic display, and a light source for illuminating the display area. When the light source is activated, the pixels of the LCD screen, and objects behind the screen, become visible. Various examples of the display apparatus include additional enhancements to the visual image and/or functionality. These enhancements include additional monitors for coordinated displays, user-controlled turntables with coordinated informational displays, parallax compensation, RFID sensors for identifying objects to be displayed, and switchable liquid crystal films and/or polarized mirror coatings to further control revealing and concealing of objects behind the screen. Some examples of the display apparatus may include an animal habitat. The animal habitat may be selectively revealed or concealed. The display apparatus may incorporate screen displays with animal movements for unique visual effects. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A display device, comprising: a display case, the display case defining an interior space; a light source disposed within the interior space; a non-backlit video display screen disposed at a front of the display case; and a polarized mirror disposed in front of the non-backlit video display. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a central processing unit, the central processing unit being structured to provide an image to the non-backlit video display screen, the image having predetermined first portions which are transparent when the light source emits light, the image further having predetermined second portions which are opaque when the light source emits light. ### Claim 3 A display device, comprising: a non-backlit video display screen; a polarized mirror disposed in front of the non-backlit video display; a central processing unit, the central processing unit being structured to provide an image to the non-backlit video display screen, the image having predetermined first portions with sufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the image further having predetermined second portions having insufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror; a camera or sensor structured to detect a position of a viewer; and wherein the central processing unit is structured to move the first image portions and second image portions displayed on the non-backlit video display in response to the position of the viewer. ### Claim 4 A display device, comprising: a non-backlit video display screen; a polarized mirror disposed in front of the non-backlit video display; a display case, and at least one sensor that is structured to detect a position of an object within the display case; a camera or sensor structured to detect a position of a viewer; and a central processing unit, the central processing unit being structured to provide an image to the non-backlit video display screen, the image having predetermined first portions with sufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the image further having predetermined second portions having insufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the central processing unit being structured to move the first image portions and second image portions in response to both the position of the viewer and the position of the object within the display case. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The display device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor structured to detect a position of an object within the display case includes at least two RFID sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The display device according to claim 4, wherein: the at least one sensor structured to detect a position of an object within the display case includes at least two sensors, the at least two sensors being spaced apart by a distance sufficient for effectively performing triangulation; and the central processing unit is structured to perform triangulation based on signals from the at least one sensor structured to detect a position of an object within the display case. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The display device according to claim 3, wherein the central processing unit is structured to respond to a presence of more than one viewer. ### Claim 8 A display device, comprising: a non-backlit video display screen; a polarized mirror disposed in front of the non-backlit video display; a camera or sensor structured to detect a position of a viewer; and a central processing unit, the central processing unit being structured to provide an image to the non-backlit video display screen, the image having predetermined first portions with sufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the image further having predetermined second portions having insufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the central processing unit being structured to move the first image portions and second image portions displayed on the non-backlit video display in response to the position of the viewer, the central processing unit being further structured to respond to a presence of more than one viewer by ceasing moving the first image portion and second image portion if more than one viewer is present. ### Claim 9 A display device, comprising: a non-backlit video display screen; a polarized mirror disposed in front of the non-backlit video display; a camera or sensor structured to detect a position of a viewer; and a central processing unit, the central processing unit being structured to provide an image to the non-backlit video display screen, the image having predetermined first portions with sufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the image further having predetermined second portions having insufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the central processing unit being structured to move the first image portions and second image portions displayed on the non-backlit video display in response to the position of the viewer, the central processing unit being further structured to respond to a presence of more than one viewer by designating a primary viewer, moving the first image portion and second image portion in response to movements of the primary viewer, and ignoring positions and movements of other viewers. ### Claim 10 A display device, comprising: a non-backlit video display screen; a polarized mirror disposed in front of the non-backlit video display; a camera or sensor structured to detect a position of a viewer; and a central processing unit, the central processing unit being structured to provide an image to the non-backlit video display screen, the image having predetermined first portions with sufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the image further having predetermined second portions having insufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the central processing unit being structured to move the first image portions and second image portions displayed on the non-backlit video display in response to the position of the viewer, the central processing unit being further structured to respond to a presence of more than one viewer by calculating an average viewer position and moving the first image portion and second image portion in response to the average viewer position. ### Claim 11 A method of displaying an image, comprising: providing a non-backlit video display screen; providing a polarized mirror disposed in front of the non-backlit video display; providing a central processing unit, the central processing unit being structured to provide an image to the non-backlit video display screen, the image having predetermined first portions with sufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror, the image further having predetermined second portions having insufficient brightness to be visible through the polarized mirror; and displaying the first image portions and second image portions to a viewer; whereby the viewer views the first image portions, and the viewer also views a reflection of the viewer in the second image portions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: providing a camera or sensor structured to detect a position of a viewer; and utilizing the central processing unit to move the first image portions and second image portions displayed on the non-backlit video display in response to the position of the viewer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising: providing a display case; providing at least one sensor that is structured to detect a position of an object within the display case; and utilizing the central processing unit to move the first image portions and second image portions in response to both the position of the viewer and the position of the object within the display case. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising ceasing movement of the first image portion and second image portion if more than one viewer is present. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising utilizing the central processing unit to designate a primary viewer, to move the first image portion and second image portion in response to movements of the primary viewer, and to ignore positions and movements of other viewers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising utilizing the central processing unit to calculate an average viewer position and to move the first image portion and second image portion in response to the average viewer position.