Patent ID: 7256937

Claim:
A structured polarizer comprising: at least a first and a second planar polarizing filter, the first planar polarizing filter comprises at least a first polarizing region having a first polarization direction, wherein all polarizing regions of the first planar polarizing filter have the first polarization direction, the second planar polarizing filter includes at least a second polarizing region having a second polarization direction, wherein all polarizing regions of the second planar polarizing filter have the second polarization direction, the first planar polarizing filter also includes a first non-polarizing region, wherein the first and the second polarizing regions and the first non-polarizing region are arranged on the filters such that upon superpositioning, the second polarizing region is at least partially superpositioned with at least one of the first polarizing region and the first non-polarizing region, and wherein the second planar polarizing filter includes a third polarizing region having the second polarizing direction, and wherein the wavelength range of polarization of the third polarizing region is different from the wavelength range of polarization of the second polarizing region.