Flat optical TV screen

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the central portion of FIG.
1, there are shown overlapping rows and columns of mediums, preferably optical fibers.
The fibers are shown in the form of elongated cylinders and are greatly exaggerated in diameter for purposes of clarity.
In the schematic showing there are ten rows of the fibers indicated by the numerals 1-10 and seven columns of the fibers indicated by the letters a-g.
In reality, there would be provided 525 rows of the optical fibers and 380 columns of the optical fibers.
The ends of the rows and fibers are supported in a frame 11 defining essentially a flat TV screen.
As will become clearer later on, each of the fibers in the rows and columns of optical fibers will emit light laterally from its path when energized such that a cross-over point will emit more light than radiates from the side of a single optical fiber when both of the crossing fibers are energized.
For example, the row fiber 3 and the column fiber d are indicated in FIG.
1 as being energized so that at their cross-over point enclosed within the circular arrow 2 there is emitted a bright spot or dot of light.
The various cross-over points, some of which are indicated by the numeral 12 in FIG.
1, thus make up a dot matrix which can be used for generating light images.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a filter covering 13 overlying the rows and columns.
This cover includes means responsive only to light of brightness exceeding a given threshhold incident upon a point of the covering to emit light from said point, said emitted light being proportional in brightness to the brightness of the incident light in excess of such threshhold.
As a result, the dot matrix of light when utilizing the filter covering 13 is reproduced with higher contrast than in the absence of the covering.
In order to produce the desired light image from the screen structure 11 described in FIG.
1, there are provided means for sequentially passing light of a constant brightness into each of the rows so as to simulate the sweeping of an electrode beam in a raster pattern