US Patent 7549759 - MEMS ribbon display with enhanced contrast

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7549759.html

This patent from Alces Technology teaches an optical system which can improve the contrast of micromechanical display devices. Claim 1 reads:

1. A polarization light modulator comprising:

a polarization displacement device;

a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS ribbon device); and,

a polarizer;

wherein, the polarizer passes light that has propagated through the polarization displacement device after being reflected by deflected ribbons in the MEMS ribbon device.