Patent ID: 7804549

Claim:
An image display system comprising: a liquid crystal display panel; a light source which emits light having a first polarization and light having a second polarization, orthogonal to the first polarization, onto the liquid crystal display panel, a filter, disposed between the liquid crystal display panel and the light source, comprising: first areas which transmit light having the first polarization and second areas which transmit light having the second polarization, wherein the first and second areas are disposed repeatedly, and alternate in a vertical direction; wherein the light source comprises: a light emitting source which emits light, polarizing means which polarizes light emitted from the light emitting source into light having the first polarization and light having the second polarization, optical means which refracts the light having the first polarization in a different direction than the light having the second polarization, wherein the light-emitting source is a linear light-emitting source which is disposed in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the liquid crystal display panel, and comprises peripheral portions and a center portion therebetween; wherein the linear light-emitting source comprises a plurality of center prisms, disposed in the center portion, and a plurality of peripheral prisms, disposed in the peripheral portions, wherein the center prisms focus light passing therethrough to a greater degree than the peripheral prisms; and wherein the center prisms and the peripheral prisms each include a light-inputting surface which receives light from a point light-emitting source and a light-outputting surface opposite the light-inputting surface.