Patent ID: 7342619

Claim:
A backlight system comprising: a polarization light splitting film having a light receiving side and a light transmitting side, the polarization light splitting film including: a diffusion layer including a diffusion agent having an average particle diameter of 1 to 50 microns; an optical rotation selection layer laminated on the light transmitting side of the diffusion layer to reflect one of right and left circularly polarized components of a light beam incident on the light receiving side and to transmit the other one of circular polarization components of the light beam, a quarter-wave layer laminated on the light transmitting side of the optical rotation selection layer, and a linear polarizing layer laminated on the light transmitting side of the quarter-wave layer such that a polarization axis of the polarizing layer substantially matches a polarization axis of the linearly polarized light emitted from the quarter-wave layer; and a light source to emit a light beam; and a light guide disposed at the light receiving side of the polarization light splitting film to guide the light beam emitted from the light source towards the polarization light splitting film.