Patent ID: 6222672
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
An imaging system comprising:a matrix of light modulating elements including first elements for transmitting a first image component and second elements for transmitting a second image component, comprising a liquid crystal optical shutter disposed between a pair of electrodes;a polarising element having a first polarisation axis for linearly polarising light from the first and second elements;a first optical retardation element in optical series with the polarising element and incorporating at least one first retarder having first regions having a first optic axis at a first orientation to the first polarisation axis and second regions having a second optic axis at a second orientation to the first polarisation axis, whereby light from the first element is resultantly polarised by the polarising element and the first regions and light from the second elements is resultantly polarised by the polarising element and the second regions orthogonally to the light resultant polarised by the first regions; anda detecting element having first and second detecting parts, each of the first and second detecting parts including a respective second optical retardation element incorporating at least one second retarder and an analysing element having a second polarisation axis intended to be disposed at a defined orientation relative to the first polarisation axis, at least one second retarder of the first detecting part having an optic axis which is intended to be disposed substantially perpendicularly to the first optic axis and non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the second optic axis of the at least one first retarder, and at least one second retarder of the second detecting part having an optic axis which is intended to be disposed substantially perpendicularly to the second optic axis and non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the first optic axis of the at least one first retarder, whereby substantially only light relating to the first image component is transmitted by the first detecting part and substantially only light relating to the second image component is transmitted by the second detecting part.