摘要 |
A display for viewing images in a preferred direction (26). Parallel, macroscopically planar, structured surface, non-light absorptive light deflecting and reflecting portions are longitudinally symmetrical in mutually perpendicular directions (24, 20) which are perpendicular to direction (26). A liquid (28) containing members (34) contacts the reflecting portion. A controller (56) applies an electromagnetic force to selectively move the members into an evanescent wave region adjacent the reflecting portion, frustrating TIR at selected points on the reflecting portion. The deflecting portion's structured surfaces deflect (42) light rays incident (40) in direction (26) toward the reflecting portion by imparting to the rays a directional component in the reflecting portion's direction of longitudinal symmetry. The reflecting portion's structured surfaces totally internally reflect (44, 48) the deflected rays toward the deflecting portion wherever TIR is not frustrated. The deflecting portion's structured surfaces deflect (50) the TIR'd rays, cancelling the directional component, such that the deflected TIR'd rays emerge (51) substantially parallel to direction (26). |