Optical sheets or overlays

Abstract

A field-of-view controlling arrangement for a display screen or window includes overlay in the form of a single sheet of light transmitting material having a plurality of parallel, spaced apart v-shaped grooves, or a plurality of polyhedral, conical, or frustoconical lens or prism structures, that serve to shift or expand the field-or-view of an image or scene viewed through the sheet. Any of the angled or curved surfaces of the resulting lens or prism structures may be treated to attenuate or scatter light, thereby providing a privacy screening effect with respect to a range of angles determined by the orientation of the treated surfaces.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An overlay, comprising: 
 a single light-transmitting sheet including a plurality of parallel grooves defined by sets of intersecting angled surfaces,    wherein the grooves are spaced apart from each other.    
     
     
         2 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said sets of angled surfaces is arranged to attenuate light transmitted through the overlay.  
     
     
         3 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein two of said sets of angled surfaces are arranged to attenuate light transmitted through the overlay.  
     
     
         4 . An overlay, comprising a single light-transmitting sheet including a plurality of polyhedral structures.  
     
     
         5 . An overlay claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said polyhedral structures are truncated tetrahedral structures arranged in staggered rows.  
     
     
         6 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said polyhedral structures are truncated tetrahedral structures arranged in a grid pattern.  
     
     
         7 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said polyhedral structures are tetrahedral structures arranged in staggered rows.  
     
     
         8 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said polyhedral structures are tetrahedral structures arranged in a grid pattern.  
     
     
         9 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said polyhedral structures are truncated hexahedral structures arranged in a honeycomb pattern.  
     
     
         10 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said polyhedral structures are truncated hexahedral structures arranged in a honeycomb pattern.  
     
     
         11 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said polyhedral structures are hexahedral structures arranged in a honeycomb pattern.  
     
     
         12 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein selected surfaces of said polyhedral structures are treated by processes selected from the group consisting of coating processes, delustering, chemical or laser etching, casting, and differential polishing of previously roughened surfaces, to attenuate light passing through the selected surfaces and thereby form a privacy screen.  
     
     
         13 . An overlay, comprising a single light-transmitting sheet including a plurality of frustoconical structures.  
     
     
         14 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein curved surfaces of said frustoconical structures are treated by processes selected from the group consisting of coating processes, delustering, chemical or laser etching, casting, and differential polishing of previously roughened surfaces.  
     
     
         15 . An overlay, comprising a single light-transmitting sheet including a plurality of conical structures arranged to control a field-of-view for an image or scene viewed through the overlay.  
     
     
         16 . An overlay, comprising a single light-transmitting sheet including a plurality of interlocking solids having polygonal bases.  
     
     
         17 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said polygonal bases are hexagonal, thereby forming a honeycomb pattern.  
     
     
         18 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said interlocking solids are truncated hexahedra.  
     
     
         19 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein a top surface of each hexahedron is planar.  
     
     
         20 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein a top surface of each hexahedron is lens-shaped.  
     
     
         21 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein side surfaces of each hexahedron are curved.  
     
     
         22 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein side surfaces of each hexahedron are curved.  
     
     
         23 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said polygonal bases are diamond-shaped.  
     
     
         24 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein said interlocking solids are truncated tetrahedra.  
     
     
         25 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein a top surface of each tetrahedron is planar.  
     
     
         26 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein a top surface of each tetrahedron is lens-shaped.  
     
     
         27 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein side surfaces of each tetrahedron are curved.  
     
     
         28 . An overlay as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein side surfaces of each tetrahedron are curved.  
     
     
         29 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement, comprising: 
 a single light-transmitting sheet arranged to expand or shift portions of a field-of-view for an image or scene viewed through the sheet,    wherein the sheet includes a plurality of parallel grooves defined by sets of intersecting angled surfaces, and    wherein the grooves are spaced apart from each other.    
     
     
         30 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein at least one of said sets of angled surfaces is arranged to attenuate light transmitted through the sheet, thereby forming a privacy screen while maintaining said expanded field-of-view.  
     
     
         31 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein two of said sets of angled surfaces are arranged to attenuate light transmitted through the sheet.  
     
     
         32 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement, comprising a single light-transmitting sheet including a plurality of polyhedral structures arranged to expand, shift, or restrict a field-of-view for an image or scene viewed through the sheet.  
     
     
         33 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said polyhedral structures are truncated tetrahedral structures arranged in staggered rows.  
     
     
         34 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said polyhedral structures are truncated tetrahedral structures arranged in a grid pattern.  
     
     
         35 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said polyhedral structures are tetrahedral structures arranged in staggered rows.  
     
     
         36 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said polyhedral structures are tetrahedral structures arranged in a grid pattern.  
     
     
         37 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said polyhedral structures are truncated hexahedral structures arranged in a honeycomb pattern.  
     
     
         38 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said polyhedral structures are truncated hexahedral structures arranged in a honeycomb pattern.  
     
     
         39 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein said polyhedral structures are hexahedral structures arranged in a honeycomb pattern.  
     
     
         40 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein selected surfaces of said polyhedral structures are treated by processes selected from the group consisting of coating processes, delustering, chemical or laser etching, casting, and differential polishing of previously roughened surfaces, to attenuate light passing through the selected surfaces and thereby form a privacy screen.  
     
     
         41 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement, comprising a single light-transmitting sheet including a plurality of frustoconical structures arranged to expand, shift, or restrict a field-of-view for an image or scene viewed through the sheet.  
     
     
         42 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement as claimed in claim  41 , wherein curved surfaces of said frustoconical structures are treated by processes selected from the group consisting of coating processes, delustering, chemical or laser etching, casting, and differential polishing of previously roughened surfaces.  
     
     
         43 . A field-of-view controlling arrangement, comprising a single light-transmitting sheet including a plurality of conical structures arranged to expand, shift, or restrict a field-of-view for an image or scene viewed through the sheet.