Patent ID: 6137456
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An electronic display unit for producing an image which appears three dimensional to a viewer, said display unit having a vertical direction and a horizontal direction with respect to the viewer during use and comprising:(A) a light source for emitting light;(B) a light blocking module for selectively blocking the light emitted from the light source so as to be able to form first and second pluralities of vertical light lines, said light blocking module being on a viewer side of the light source during use of the display unit and comprising:(i) a first substrate;(ii) a second substrate;(iii) a material having a light transmissivity which is electronically switchable by applying an electric potential thereto, said material being sandwiched between the first and second substrates;(iv) a first electrode adjacent to the first substrate; and(v) a second electrode adjacent to the second substrate; and(C) a transmissive electronic display having individual picture elements capable of generating an image when illuminated, said transmissive electronic display being on a viewer side of the light blocking module during use of the display unit;wherein:(1) the first electrode comprises:(a) a first plurality of vertical electrode lines;(b) a first busbar electrically connected to said first plurality of vertical electrode lines;(c) a second plurality of vertical electrode lines displaced from the first plurality of vertical electrode lines; and(d) a second busbar electrically connected to the second plurality of vertical electrode lines, the electric potential of said second busbar being selectable independent of the electric potential of the first busbar;(2) through the selection of a first electric potential between the first busbar and at least a portion of the second electrode, the light transmissivity of the material can be switched to form the first plurality of vertical light lines;(3) through the selection of a second electric potential between the second busbar and at least a portion of the second electrode, the light transmissivity of the material can be switched to form the second plurality of vertical light lines displaced from the first plurality of vertical light lines; and(4) the second plurality of vertical electrode lines is not interdigitated with the first plurality of vertical electrode lines so that, the electronic display unit produces an image which has a portion which appears three dimensional to the viewer and a portion which appears two dimensional by selection of said first and second electric potentials.