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Gary D. Sharp, Boulder US

Gary D. Sharp, Boulder, CA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080198456Laminated retarder stack - Chemically-bonded retarder stacks are provided in this disclosure. A first organic layer having a first molecular orientation is chemically welded to a second organic layer having a second molecular orientation. The first and second molecular orientations are crossed when the organic layers are laminated. The first and second organic layers may be polycarbonate films, which can be welded together using a suitable solvent.08-21-2008
20080225236Polarization conversion systems for stereoscopic projection - A polarization conversion system (PCS) is located in the output light path of a projector. The PCS may include a polarizing beam splitter, a polarization rotating element, a reflecting element, and a polarization switch. Typically, a projector outputs randomly-polarized light. This light is input to the PCS, in which the PCS separates p-polarized light and s-polarized light at the polarizing beam splitter. P-polarized light is directed toward the polarization switch on a first path. The s-polarized light is passed on a second path through the polarization rotating element (e.g., a half-wave plate), thereby transforming it to p-polarized light. A reflecting element directs the transformed polarized light (now p-polarized) along the second path toward the polarization switch. The first and second light paths are ultimately directed toward a projection screen to collectively form a brighter screen image in cinematic applications utilizing polarized light for three-dimensional viewing.09-18-2008
20090128780Polarization conversion system and method for stereoscopic projection - A polarization conversion system separates light from an unpolarized image source into a first state of polarization (SOP) and an orthogonal second SOP, and directs the polarized light on first and second light paths. The SOP of light on only one of the light paths is transformed to an orthogonal state such that both light paths have the same SOP. A polarization modulator temporally modulates the light on the first and second light paths to first and second output states of polarization. First and second projection lenses direct light on the first and second light paths toward a projection screen to form substantially overlapping polarization encoded images. The polarization modulator may be located before or after the projection lenses. The polarization-encoded images may be viewed using eyewear with appropriate polarization filters.05-21-2009
20090190210Polarization preserving front projection sceen - Polarization preserving front projection screens and diffusers provide optimum polarization preservation for stereoscopic 3D viewing, as well as improved light control for enhanced brightness, uniformity, and contrast for both 2D and 3D systems. Generally, the disclosed screens direct light from a projector toward viewers within a diffusion locus, while maintaining optimum gain characteristics. More specifically, light incident on a region of the front projection screen from a predetermined projection direction is reflected by an engineered surface to a predetermined diffusion locus after undergoing substantially single reflections. The engineered surface, comprised of generating kernels, is used to optimally diffuse illumination light into a range of viewing angles, within the diffusion locus, with suitable gain profile, while optimally preserving polarization for 3D applications. Such a screen, when combined with matched polarization analyzing eyewear, provides extremely low cross-talk from any observation point.07-30-2009
20090297797Polarization preserving front projection screen material - Polarization preserving front projection screens and diffusers provide optimum polarization preservation for stereoscopic 3D viewing, as well as improved light control for enhanced brightness, uniformity, and contrast for both 2D and 3D systems. Generally, the disclosed screens direct light from a projector toward viewers within a diffusion locus, while maintaining optimum gain characteristics. More specifically, light incident on a region of the front projection screen from a predetermined projection direction is reflected by an engineered surface to a predetermined diffusion locus after undergoing substantially single reflections. The engineered surface, comprised of generating kernels, is used to optimally diffuse illumination light into a range of viewing angles, within the diffusion locus, with suitable gain profile, while optimally preserving polarization for 3D applications. Such a screen, when combined with matched polarization analyzing eyewear, provides extremely low cross-talk from any observation point.12-03-2009
20100141856Stereoscopic projection systems for employing spatial multiplexing at an intermediate image plane - Proposed are various embodiments of projection systems that generally provide stereoscopic images. The projection systems act to split a spatially separated image in a stereoscopic image frame and superimpose the left- and right-eye images on a projection screen with orthogonal polarization states. The embodiments are generally well suited to liquid crystal polarization based projection systems and may use advanced polarization control.06-10-2010
20100188746Polarization preserving front projection screen microstructures - Polarization preserving front projection screens and diffusers provide optimum polarization preservation for stereoscopic 3D viewing, as well as improved light control for enhanced brightness, uniformity, and contrast for both 2D and 3D systems. Generally, the disclosed screens direct light from a projector toward viewers within a diffusion locus, while maintaining optimum gain characteristics. More specifically, light incident on a region of the front projection screen from a predetermined projection direction is reflected by an engineered surface to a predetermined diffusion locus after undergoing substantially single reflections. The engineered surface, comprised of generating kernels, is used to optimally diffuse illumination light into a range of viewing angles, within the diffusion locus, with suitable gain profile, while optimally preserving polarization for 3D applications. Such a screen, when combined with matched polarization analyzing eyewear, provides extremely low cross-talk from any observation point.07-29-2010
20100296059Polarization modulation wheel - A polarization switch provides substantially ideal binary polarization switching over a broad range of wavelengths using a polarization modulation wheel having at least one retarder stack that transforms polarization. Using the polarization modulation wheel in a polarization system provides a high throughput polarization switch and operates over a wide range of incidence angles while providing substantially continuous and smooth polarization output for each component for any selected polarization basis set. The polarization modulation wheel is well-suited for stereoscopic polarized projection applications.11-25-2010
20100328561Stereoscopic projection system employing spatial multiplexing at an intermediate image plane - Projection systems and methods for providing stereoscopic images viewed through passive polarizing eyewear. The systems relate to projectors that create left and right eye images simultaneously and often as side-by-side images on the image modulator. The systems act to superimpose the spatially separated images on a projection screen with alternate polarization states. The embodiments are best suited to liquid crystal polarization based projection systems and use advanced polarization control.12-30-2010
20110149389Polarization preserving projection screen with engineered particle and method for making same - Polarization preserving projection screens provide optimum polarization preservation for 06-23-2011
20110149390Polarization preserving projection screen with engineered pigment and method for making same - Polarization preserving projection screens provide optimum polarization preservation for 3D viewing. The projection screens additionally provide improved light control for enhanced brightness, uniformity, and contrast for both 2D and 3D systems. Generally, the disclosed method for providing a projection screen comprises stripping an optically functional material from a carrier substrate, thus creating engineered particles from the optically functional material. The engineered particles may then be deposited on a second substrate to create a substantially homogeneous optical appearance of the projection screen.06-23-2011

Patent applications by Gary D. Sharp, Boulder, CA US