A light control device is disclosed that includes a two film construction, each film having a plurality of light absorbing regions. For example, the light absorbing elements can be a series of grooves or column-like indentations in the films that are filled or coated with a light absorbing material. The two films can be adjacently disposed so that their respective light absorbing regions form a plurality of light absorbing elements that extend along the thickness direction of the device. The light absorbing elements allow a viewer to view an image through the light control device within a range of viewing angles while blocking a view of the image outside that range of viewing angles. The two film construction allows for relative ease of manufacture as well as the ability to form light absorbing elements that can provide better viewing uniformity throughout a typical viewing range, a sharp privacy viewing cut off, and reduced ghost image formation.
A contrast enhancement filter for a display device includes a plurality of connected sloping surfaces acting as a plurality of beam splitters, and a plurality of light absorbers, each arranged between adjacent beam splitters, so that light incident into an area on the side of the absorber is partly reflected by the beam splitters into adjacent absorbers. Light entering from the opposite side is partially reflected towards the absorbing walls located on either side of the pointed shape. The remaining light is transmitted through the filter.
A light control device is disclosed that includes a two film construction, each film having a plurality of light reflecting regions. For example, the light absorbing elements can be a series of grooves or column-like indentations in the films that are filled or coated with a light reflecting material having a lower index of refraction than that of the films. The two films can be adjacently disposed so that their respective light reflecting regions form a plurality of light reflecting elements that extend along the thickness direction of the device.
An optical element having a front side and a back side operates in an ambient lit mode and a backlit mode. The optical element includes a diffusely reflecting layer facing the front side for reflecting ambient light. A light absorbing layer faces the back side and is positioned to prevent back light from illuminating the diffusely reflecting layer. A plurality of light transmitting regions extend through the light absorbing layer and the diffusely reflecting layer for permitting back light to pass through in a restricted angular range without illuminating the diffusely reflecting layer.
Described are multilayer optical composites including a first layer having an index of refraction n.sub.1, an i.sup.th layer having an index of refraction n.sub.i greater than n.sub.1, and one or two or more intermediate layers between the first layer and the i.sup.th layer, wherein the indices of refraction of the intermediate layers are between n.sub.1 and n.sub.i, and the index of refraction of each intermediate layer increases in the order of position of each layer from the first layer.
