Directional backlight, display apparatus, and stereoscopic display apparatus

Abstract

A stereoscopic display apparatus includes a liquid-crystal display device that has display pixels arranged in a matrix and displays an elemental image array formed from a plurality of field images on the display pixels to render stereoscopic display, a parallax creating unit provided on the front surface or the rear surface of the liquid-crystal display device, and a directional backlight that emits light through the liquid-crystal display device then through the parallax creating unit and switches directions of the thus-emitted light among a plurality of directions according to a display of the field image is disclosed.

1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A directional backlight comprising:
 a surface light source configured to emit light rays;   a polarizing unit including
 a first transparent substrate facing the surface light source, 
 a second transparent substrate facing the first transparent substrate, 
 a pair of electrodes arranged between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, the electrodes forming striped wiring patterns, and 
 a liquid crystal layer retained between the electrodes; and 
   a light-shielding layer provided substantially on the second transparent substrate and having a plurality of openings, wherein the electrodes substantially correspond to an edge part of the opening.   
     
     
         18 . The directional backlight according to  claim 17 , wherein one of the pair of electrodes having the striped wiring patterns and the other of the pair of electrodes having the striped wiring patterns are formed such that the stripes of the electrodes extend perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
         19 . A display apparatus comprising:
 a surface light source configured to emit light rays;   a polarizing unit including
 a first transparent substrate facing the surface light source, 
 a second transparent substrate facing the first transparent substrate, 
 a pair of electrodes arranged between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, 
 the electrodes forming striped wiring patterns, 
 a liquid crystal layer retained between the electrodes, and 
 light-shielding layer provided substantially on the second transparent substrate and having a plurality of openings; and 
   a liquid-crystal display device facing the polarizing device unit, wherein the electrodes substantially correspond to an edge part of the opening.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein one of the pair of electrodes having the striped wiring patterns and the other of the pair of electrodes having the striped wiring patterns are formed such that the stripes of the electrodes extend perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
         21 . A stereoscopic display apparatus comprising:
 a surface light source configured to emit light rays;   a polarizing unit including
 a first transparent substrate facing the surface light source, 
 a second transparent substrate facing the first transparent substrate, 
 a pair of electrodes arranged between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, 
 the electrodes forming striped wiring patterns, 
 a liquid crystal layer retained between the electrodes, and 
 a light-shielding layer provided substantially on the second transparent substrate and having a plurality of openings; 
   a liquid-crystal display device facing the polarizing device unit; and   a parallax creating unit provided on any one of a front surface and a rear surface of the liquid-crystal display device;
 wherein the electrodes substantially correspond to an edge part of the opening. 
   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein one of the pair of electrodes having the striped wiring patterns and the other of the pair of electrodes having the striped wiring patterns are formed such that the stripes of the electrodes extend perpendicular to each other. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 the parallax creating unit is a lenticular plate formed from lenses; and   a width of each of the lenses is an integral multiple of a size of each of sub-pixels that form the display pixel.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 the parallax creating unit is a slit array having slits; and   a gap between each adjacent two of the slits is an integral multiple of a size of each of sub-pixels that form the display pixel.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 the parallax creating unit is fly eye's lens; and   a diameter of each lens of the fly eye's lens is an integral multiple of a size of each of sub-pixels that form the display pixel.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 the parallax creating unit is a pinhole array having pinholes; and   a diameter of each pinhole of the pinhole array is an integral multiple of a size of each of sub-pixels that form the display pixel.