Liquid crystal display element and micro-lens arrangement and a display using the same

Claim 2

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident side of one of said transparent substrates is closely attached at its front surface, with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses arranged in the same manner as the picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with a surface of said liquid crystal and with a center of a corresponding picture element electrode.

Claim 3

A liquid crystal display element according to claim 1, wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array is proximate to the light-incident transparent substrate and to a light-exiting transparent substrate or said flat-plate micro-lens array is integrally formed within both said light-incident and light-exiting transparent substrates.

Claim 4

A liquid crystal display element according to claim 1, wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array is a two-dimensional refractive index distribution type flat-plate micro-lens array which has region of a refractive index N periodically formed within a substrate of a refractive index N 0 different from said N.

Claim 5

A liquid crystal display using the liquid crystal display element according to claim 1 as a light valve, comprising at least said liquid crystal display element and an illumination optical system.

Claim 6

A liquid crystal display according to claim 4, wherein said illumination optical system is formed of a concave mirror and a condenser lens group which act to irradiate light from a light source to said liquid crystal display element, said concave mirror has an elliptic shape, said light source is provided at approximately a focal point of said elliptical concave mirror on a side near its center, and said condenser lens group or part thereof is provided at around the focal point of said elliptical concave mirror on the side of said liquid crystal display element, said condenser lens group has a positive refractive index and said condenser lens group or part thereof is provided at an output side of said concave mirror at which the light from said light source exits.

Claim 7

A liquid crystal display according to claim 5, wherein a non-spherical surface is provided on at least one surface of said condenser lens group.

Claim 8

A liquid crystal display according to claim 4, wherein said illumination optical system has a concave mirror which acts to direct the luminous flux from a light source toward said liquid crystal display element and is arranged so that a shape of said concave mirror to a cross-section perpendicular to the optical axis of said illumination optical system is substantially similar to that of the aperture of said liquid crystal display element.

Claim 9

A liquid crystal display according to claim 4, wherein said illumination optical system has a reflecting mirror which acts to allow the luminous flux once emitted from said light source but not incident to said liquid crystal display element or said concave mirror to be incident to said light source, said liquid crystal display element or said concave mirror.

Claim 10

A liquid crystal display according to claim 4, wherein a coolant such as a liquid is filled in at least one of a space between said concave mirror and a surface of said condenser lens group on a side nearest to said concave mirror and a space between a surface of said liquid crystal display element on a side nearest to said light source and the surface of said condenser lens group on the side nearest to said liquid crystal display element.

Claim 11

A liquid crystal display according to claim 4, wherein said illumination optical system is formed of a concave mirror and a condenser lens group which act to irradiate light from a light source to said liquid crystal display, said concave mirror has a parabolic shape, said light source is provided at around a focal point of said parabolic concave mirror.

Claim 12

A liquid crystal display according to claim 4, wherein said illumination optical system has a mirror arrangement which acts to direct luminous flux from a light source toward said liquid crystal display element, and said mirror and flat-plate micro-lens arrangement having constructions such that a delivered luminous flux, as delivered to and viewed from each said picture element through said flat-plate micro-lens array, has a shape substantially similar to a shape of said picture element.

Claim 13

A liquid crystal display using the liquid crystal display element according to claim 1 as a light valve, comprising at least said liquid crystal display element, an illumination optical system and a projection optical system.

Claim 14

A liquid crystal display according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of said liquid crystal display element are used, and a optical system for separating light from a light source into colors and an optical system for adding different color pictures from said liquid crystal display elements are additionally provided.

Claim 15

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident side of one of said transparent substrates has integrally formed therein a flat plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses arranged in the same manner as the picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions, respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with a surface of said liquid crystal and with a center of a corresponding picture element electrode.

Claim 16

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident side of one of said transparent substrates has integrally formed therein a flat plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses arranged in the same manner as the picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions, respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with a surface of said liquid crystal and with a center of a corresponding picture element electrode.

Claim 17

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape and respectively opposing one of the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 ·L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with said liquid crystal, and if the angle of incident light to the surface of said liquid crystal is α and the distance from a back-side principal point of said unit lens to the surface of said liquid crystal is d, the optical axis of each of said unit lenses and a center of a corresponding picture element are displaced by a predetermined amount, y, expressed by the following equation, in accordance with the incident angle of said incident light, y=(d/n)tanα where n is the refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to the surface of said liquid crystal.

Claim 18

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape and respectively opposing one of the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 ·L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with said liquid crystal, and if the angle of incident light to the surface of said liquid crystal is α and the distance from a back-side principal point of said unit lens to the surface of said liquid crystal is d, the optical axis of each of said unit lenses and a center of a corresponding picture element are displaced by a predetermined amount, y, expressed by the following equation, in accordance with the incident angle of said incident light, y=(d/n)tanα where n is the refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to the surface of said liquid crystal.

Claim 19

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by the electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is integral with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape and respectively opposing one of the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 ·L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with the surface of said liquid crystal, and if the angle of incident light to the surface of said liquid crystal is α and the distance from the back-side principal point of said unit lens to the surface of said liquid crystal is d, the optical axis of each of said unit lenses and a center of a corresponding picture element are displaced by a predetermined amount, y, expressed by the following equation, in accordance with the incident angle of said incident light, y=(d/n)tanα where n is the refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to the surface of said liquid crystal.

Claim 20

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by the electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is integral with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape and respectively opposing one of the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 ·L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with the surface of said liquid crystal, and if the angle of incident light to the surface of said liquid crystal is α and the distance from the back-side principal point of said unit lens to the surface of said liquid crystal is d, the optical axis of each of said unit lenses and a center of a corresponding picture element are displaced by a predetermined amount, y, expressed by the following equation, in accordance with the incident angle of said incident light, y=(d/n)tanα where n is the refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to the surface of said liquid crystal.

Claim 21

A liquid crystal display element in which liquid crystal is injected into a pair of transparent substrates having picture elements defined therein for displaying picture information by utilizing a electrooptic effect of liquid crystal, comprising: a flat-plate microlens array disposed in one of a close contact with and integrated with a transparent substrate at a beam incident side of said liquid crystal display element, a focal point of each unit lens of said flat-plate microlens array being coincident substantially with said liquid crystal and having a rectangular shape, wherein, if an angle of an incident light in one of said picture elements relative to an optical axis of said unit lens is θ, and a distance from a back-side principal point of said unit lens to said liquid crystal surface is d, the following relation is satisfied, D≧2(d/n)tanθ where D is a diagonal length of a picture element electrode within the region corresponding to one picture element, and n is a refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to said liquid crystal surface.

Claim 22

A liquid crystal display element in which liquid crystal is injected into a pair of transparent substrates having picture elements defined therein for displaying picture information by utilizing a electrooptic effect of liquid crystal, comprising: a flat-plate microlens array disposed in one of a close contact with and integrated with a transparent substrate at a beam incident side of said liquid crystal display element, a focal point of each unit lens of said flat-plate microlens array being coincident substantially with said liquid crystal and having a rectangular shape, wherein, if an angle of an incident light in one of said picture elements relative to an optical axis of said unit lens is θ, and a distance from a back-side principal point of said unit lens to said liquid crystal surface is d, the following relation is satisfied, D≧2(d/n)tanθ where D is a diagonal length of a picture element electrode within the region corresponding to one picture element, and n is a refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to said liquid crystal surface.

Claim 23

A liquid crystal display comprising: a transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, said regions corresponding in shape to a shape of picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2< S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with said liquid crystal and center of a corresponding picture element, an illumination optical system; and a light source having a light emitting element of a shape substantially similar to a shape of an aperture of said picture element of the liquid crystal display element in a cross-section perpendicular to the optical axis of said illumination optical system.

Claim 24

A liquid crystal display comprising: a transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, said regions corresponding in shape to a shape of picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2< S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with said liquid crystal and center of a corresponding picture element, an illumination optical system; and a light source having a light emitting element of a shape substantially similar to a shape of an aperture of said picture element of the liquid crystal display element in a cross-section perpendicular to the optical axis of said illumination optical system.

Claim 25

A liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 18, wherein said regions of said unit lenses each have a rectangular shape.

Claim 26

A liquid crystal display comprising: a transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate microlens array which has regions of unit lenses so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal; an illumination optical system; and a light source having a light emitting element of a shape substantially similar to a shape of an aperture of said picture element of the liquid crystal display element in a cross-section perpendicular to the optical axis of said illumination optical system.

Claim 27

A liquid crystal display comprising: a transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate microlens array which has regions of unit lenses so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal; an illumination optical system; and a light source having a light emitting element of a shape substantially similar to a shape of an aperture of said picture element of the liquid crystal display element in a cross-section perpendicular to the optical axis of said illumination optical system.

Claim 28

A liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 20, wherein said regions of said unit lenses each have a rectangular shape.

Claim 29

A liquid crystal display comprising: a transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate microlens array which has regions of unit lenses, said regions corresponding in shape to a shape of picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal; an illumination optical system; and a light source having a light emitting element of a shape substantially similar to a shape of an aperture of said picture element of the liquid crystal display element in a cross-section perpendicular to the optical axis of said illumination optical system.

Claim 30

A liquid crystal display comprising: a transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate microlens array which has regions of unit lenses, said regions corresponding in shape to a shape of picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal; an illumination optical system; and a light source having a light emitting element of a shape substantially similar to a shape of an aperture of said picture element of the liquid crystal display element in a cross-section perpendicular to the optical axis of said illumination optical system.

Claim 31

A liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 22, wherein said regions of said unit lenses each have a rectangular shape.

Claim 32

A liquid crystal display element in which liquid crystal is injected into a pair of transparent substrates having picture elements defined therein for displaying picture information by utilizing a electrooptic effect of liquid crystal, comprising: a flat-plate microlens array disposed in one of a close contact with and integrated with a transparent substrate at a beam incident side of said liquid crystal display element, a focal point of each unit lens of said flat-plate microlens array being coincident substantially with said liquid crystal and each unit lens having a rectangular shape, wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array and said liquid crystal display element are provided tilted at an angle with respect to an angle of incident light, and wherein, if an angle of an incident light in one of said picture elements relative to an optical axis of said unit lens is θ, and a distance from a back-side principle point of said unit lens to said liquid crystal surface is d, the following relation is satisfied, D≧2(d/n)tanθ where D is a diagonal length of a picture element electrode within the region corresponding to one picture element, and n is a refractive index of the medium from said microlens array to said liquid crystal surface.

Claim 33

A liquid crystal display element in which liquid crystal is injected into a pair of transparent substrates having picture elements defined therein for displaying picture information by utilizing a electrooptic effect of liquid crystal, comprising: a flat-plate microlens array disposed in one of a close contact with and integrated with a transparent substrate at a beam incident side of said liquid crystal display element, a focal point of each unit lens of said flat-plate microlens array being coincident substantially with said liquid crystal and each unit lens having a rectangular shape, wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array and said liquid crystal display element are provided tilted at an angle with respect to an angle of incident light, and wherein, if an angle of an incident light in one of said picture elements relative to an optical axis of said unit lens is θ, and a distance from a back-side principle point of said unit lens to said liquid crystal surface is d, the following relation is satisfied, D≧2(d/n)tanθ where D is a diagonal length of a picture element electrode within the region corresponding to one picture element, and n is a refractive index of the medium from said microlens array to said liquid crystal surface.

Claim 34

A liquid crystal display element in which liquid crystal is injected into a pair of transparent substrates having picture elements defined therein for displaying picture information by utilizing a electrooptic effect of liquid crystal, comprising: a flat-plate micro-lens array disposed in one of a close contact with and integrated with a transparent substrate at a beam incident side of said liquid crystal display element, a focal point of each unit lens of said flat-plate micro-lens array being coincident substantially with said liquid crystal and each unit lens having a rectangular shape, wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array and said liquid crystal display element are provided tilted at an angle with respect to a main axis of incident light such that said main axis of incident light substantially does not parallel a perpendicular axis extending from a main plane of said liquid crystal display element, and wherein, if an angle of an incident light in one of said picture elements relative to an optical axis of said unit lens is θ, and a distance from a back-side principle point of said unit lens to said liquid crystal surface is d, the following relation is satisfied, D≧2(d/n)tanθ where D is a diagonal length of a picture element electrode within the region corresponding to one picture element, and n is a refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to said liquid crystal surface.

Claim 35

A liquid crystal display element in which liquid crystal is injected into a pair of transparent substrates having picture elements defined therein for displaying picture information by utilizing a electrooptic effect of liquid crystal, comprising: a flat-plate micro-lens array disposed in one of a close contact with and integrated with a transparent substrate at a beam incident side of said liquid crystal display element, a focal point of each unit lens of said flat-plate micro-lens array being coincident substantially with said liquid crystal and each unit lens having a rectangular shape, wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array and said liquid crystal display element are provided tilted at an angle with respect to a main axis of incident light such that said main axis of incident light substantially does not parallel a perpendicular axis extending from a main plane of said liquid crystal display element, and wherein, if an angle of an incident light in one of said picture elements relative to an optical axis of said unit lens is θ, and a distance from a back-side principle point of said unit lens to said liquid crystal surface is d, the following relation is satisfied, D≧2(d/n)tanθ where D is a diagonal length of a picture element electrode within the region corresponding to one picture element, and n is a refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to said liquid crystal surface.

Claim 36

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape and respectively opposing one of the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2<S ≦L 1 L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with said liquid crystal, and wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array and said liquid crystal display element are provided tilted at an angle with respect to a main axis of incident light such that said main axis of incident light substantially does not parallel a perpendicular axis extending from a main plane of said liquid crystal display element, and if the angle of incident light to the surface of said liquid crystal is α and the distance from a back-side principle point of said unit lens to the surface of said liquid crystal is d, the optical axis of each of said unit lenses and a center of a corresponding picture element are displaced by a predetermined amount, Y, expressed by the following equation, in accordance with the incident angle of said incident light, Y=(d/n)tanα where n is the refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to the surface of said liquid crystal.

Claim 37

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by an electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light-incident transparent substrate is proximate, at its front surface, with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, each of said regions of unit lenses having a rectangular shape and respectively opposing one of the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2<S ≦L 1 L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with said liquid crystal, and wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array and said liquid crystal display element are provided tilted at an angle with respect to a main axis of incident light such that said main axis of incident light substantially does not parallel a perpendicular axis extending from a main plane of said liquid crystal display element, and if the angle of incident light to the surface of said liquid crystal is α and the distance from a back-side principle point of said unit lens to the surface of said liquid crystal is d, the optical axis of each of said unit lenses and a center of a corresponding picture element are displaced by a predetermined amount, Y, expressed by the following equation, in accordance with the incident angle of said incident light, Y=(d/n)tanα where n is the refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to the surface of said liquid crystal.

Claim 38

A liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 26, wherein said regions of said unit lenses each have a rectangular shape.

Claim 39

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by the electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light incident transparent substrate is integral with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, said regions corresponding in shape to a shape of picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with the surface of said liquid crystal, and wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array and said liquid crystal display element are provided tilted at an angle with respect to a main axis of incident light such that said main axis of incident light substantially does not parallel a perpendicular axis extending from a main plane of said liquid crystal display element, and if the angle of incident light to the surface of said liquid crystal is α and the distance from the back-side principle point of said unit lens to the surface of said liquid crystal is d, the optical axis of each of said unit lenses and a center of a corresponding picture element are displaced by a predetermined amount, Y, expressed by the following equation, in accordance with the incident angle of said incident light, Y=(d/n)tanα where n is the refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to the surface of said liquid crystal.

Claim 40

A transmission-type liquid crystal display element for displaying picture information by the electrooptical effect of a liquid crystal injected between a pair of transparent substrates, wherein a light incident transparent substrate is integral with a flat-plate micro-lens array which has regions of unit lenses, said regions corresponding in shape to a shape of picture elements of said liquid crystal so that said regions respectively oppose the picture elements of the picture element array of said liquid crystal, and which, if one side and the other side of a flat shape of one of said picture elements are represented by L 1 and L 2 , respectively, satisfies the following conditions, when L 1 <L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 L 2 , when L 1 =L 2 , π(L 1 /2) 2 <S≦L 1 2 , where S is the area of the region acting as said unit lens, and the focal point of each unit lens is coincident substantially with the surface of said liquid crystal, and wherein said flat-plate micro-lens array and said liquid crystal display element are provided tilted at an angle with respect to a main axis of incident light such that said main axis of incident light substantially does not parallel a perpendicular axis extending from a main plane of said liquid crystal display element, and if the angle of incident light to the surface of said liquid crystal is α and the distance from the back-side principle point of said unit lens to the surface of said liquid crystal is d, the optical axis of each of said unit lenses and a center of a corresponding picture element are displaced by a predetermined amount, Y, expressed by the following equation, in accordance with the incident angle of said incident light, Y=(d/n)tanα where n is the refractive index of the medium from said micro-lens array to the surface of said liquid crystal.

Claim 41

A liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 28, wherein said regions of said unit lenses each have a rectangular shape.