Microlens sheets having multiple interspersed anamorphic microlens arrays

1. A microlens sheet comprising:

a substrate having first and second opposing faces;

a first array of anamorphic microlenses on the first face, the microlenses in the first array being defined by a first parametric model along a direction of the first array; and

a second array of anamorphic microlenses on the first face and interspersed with the first array, the microlenses in the second array being defined by a second parametric model that is different from the first parametric model, along the direction of the first array.

2. A microlens sheet according to claim 1 wherein the microlenses in the first array are defined by a first constant and/or variable parametric model along the direction of the first array, and the microlenses in the second array are defined by a second different constant and/or variable parametric model along the direction of the first array.

3. A microlens sheet according to claim 2 wherein the first and second parametric models comprise constant and/or variable nonrandom parametric models.

4. A microlens sheet according to claim 1 wherein the direction is a horizontal direction, wherein the first array is also defined by a third parametric model along a vertical direction of the first array and wherein the second array is also defined by a fourth parametric model that is different from the third parametric model, along the vertical direction of the first array.

5. A microlens sheet according to claim 4 wherein the first array is defined by a third constant and/or variable parametric model along the vertical direction of the first array and wherein the second array is defined by a fourth constant and/or variable parametric model along the vertical direction of the first array.

6. A microlens sheet according to claim 5 wherein the first, second, third and fourth parametric models comprise constant and/or variable nonrandom parametric models.

7. A microlens sheet according to claim 4 wherein the first array includes a narrower base along the horizontal direction than along the vertical direction.

8. A microlens sheet according to claim 4 wherein the first through fourth parametric models are different constant and/or variable parametric models from one another.

9. A microlens sheet according to claim 8 wherein the variable parametric models comprise variable nonrandom parametric models.

10. A microlens sheet according to claim 4 wherein the substrate includes a periphery thereof and wherein the first and second arrays of anamorphic microlenses extend to the periphery of the substrate.

11. A microlens array according to claim 4 wherein the substrate includes a periphery thereof and wherein the microlens sheet further comprises a third array of microlenses on the first face adjacent the periphery and extending along the vertical direction that is not interspersed with the first and second arrays.

12. A microlens sheet according to claim 4 wherein the first, second, third and fourth parametric models comprise nonrandom parametric models.

13. A microlens sheet according to claim 1 wherein the substrate includes a periphery thereof and wherein the first and second arrays of anamorphic microlenses extend to the periphery of the substrate.

14. A microlens array according to claim 1 wherein the substrate includes a periphery thereof and wherein the microlens sheet further comprises a third array of microlenses on the first face adjacent the periphery that is not interspersed with the first and second arrays.

15. A microlens array according to claim 1 further comprising a masking layer on the second face and including an array of apertures therein.

16. A projection screen comprising a microlens sheet according to claim 1 .

17. A master comprising a replica of a microlens sheet according to claim 1 .

18. A stamper comprising an inverted replica of a microlens sheet according to claim 1 .

19. A microlens sheet according to claim 1 wherein the first parametric model produces a first fill-width at half maximum (FWHM) angle and a first intensity distribution as a function of angle, and wherein the second parametric model produces a second FWHM angle that is different from the first FWHM angle and a second intensity distribution as a function of angle that is different from the first intensity distribution as a function of angle, the first and second arrays being interspersed so as to create a third FWHM angle for the microlens sheet that is different from the first and second FWHM angles and to create a third intensity distribution as a function of angle for the microlens sheet that is different from the first and second intensity distributions as a function of angle.

20. A microlens sheet according to claim 19 wherein the first and/or second intensity distributions are non-monotonic as a function of angle and wherein the third intensity distribution is monotonic as a function of angle.

21. A microlens sheet according to claim 20 wherein the third FWHM lies between the first and second FWHMs.

22. A microlens sheet according to claim 19 wherein the first and second arrays of microlenses are configured to produce an FWHM angle for the substrate of at least 60° and to produce a monotonically decreasing intensity distribution as a function of angle from 0° up to the half maximum angle.

23. A microlens sheet according to claim 19 wherein the first and second parametric models comprise nonrandom parametric models.

24. A microlens sheet according to claim 1 wherein the first and second parametric models comprise nonrandom parametric models.

25. A microlens sheet comprising:

a substrate having first and second opposing faces;

a first array of microlenses on the first face, the first array having a first full-width at half maximum (F angle and a first intensity distribution as a function of angle; and

a second array of microlenses on the first face and interspersed with the first array, the second array having a second FWHM angle that is different from the first FWHM angle and a second intensity distribution as a function of angle that is different from the first intensity distribution as a function of angle, the first and second arrays being interspersed so as to create a third FWHM angle for the microlens sheet that is different from the first and second FWHM angles and to create a third intensity distribution as a function of angle for the microlens sheet that is different from the first and second intensity distributions as a function of angle.

26. A microlens sheet according to claim 25 wherein the first and/or second intensity distributions are non-monotonic as a function of angle and the third intensity distribution is monotonic as a function of angle.

27. A microlens sheet according to claim 26 wherein the third FWHM lies between the first and second FWHMs.

28. A microlens array according to claim 25 wherein the first and second FWHM angles and the first and second intensity distributions as a function of angle are defined along a direction of the first array.

29. A microlens sheet according claim 28 wherein the microlenses in the first array are defined by a first parametric model along the direction of the first array, and wherein the microlenses in the second array are defined by a second parametric model that is different from the first parametric model, along the direction of the first array.

30. A microlens sheet according to claim 29 wherein the microlenses in the first array are defined by a first constant and/or variable parametric model along the direction of the first array, and the microlenses in the second array are defined by a second different constant and/or variable parametric model along the direction of the first array.

31. A microlens sheet according to claim 30 wherein the first and second parametric models comprise constant and/or variable nonrandom parametric models.

32. A microlens sheet according to claim 29 wherein the first and second parametric models comprise nonrandom parametric models.

33. A microlens array according to claim 25 further comprising a masking layer on the second face and including an array of apertures therein.

34. A projection screen comprising a microlens sheet according to claim 25 .

35. A master comprising a replica of a microlens sheet according to claim 25 .

36. A stamper comprising an inverted replica of a microlens sheet according to claim 25 .

37. A microlens sheet according to claim 25 wherein the third FWHM angle is at least 60° and wherein the third intensity distribution as a function of angle monotonically decreases as a function of angle from 0° up to the half maximum angle.

38. A microlens sheet comprising:

a substrate having first and second opposing faces; and

a plurality of microlenses on the first face that are configured to produce a full-width at half maximum (FWHM) angle for the substrate of at least 60° and to produce a monotonically decreasing intensity distribution as a function of angle from 0° up to the half maximum angle.

39. A microlens sheet according to claim 38 wherein the substrate defines a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and wherein the plurality of microlenses on the first face are configured to produce the FWHM angle for the substrate of at least 60° and to produce the monotonically decreasing intensity distribution as a function of angle from 0° up to the half maximum angle along the horizontal direction.

40. A microlens array according to claim 38 further comprising a masking layer on the second face and including an array of apertures therein.

41. A projection screen comprising a microlens sheet according to claim 38 .

42. A master comprising a replica of a microlens sheet according to claim 38 .

43. A stamper comprising an inverted replica of a microlens sheet according to claim 38 .