Broadband full white reflective display structure

• US 20050133761A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Barco NV
• Original Assignee: Barco NV
• Inventors: Thielemans, Robbie
• Application Number:
  US10/982,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20050133761A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/299.610
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0011 the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133616 Front illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133622 Colour sequential illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/02 Signs, boards, or panels, illuminated by artificial light sources positioned in front of the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field

Abstract

The present invention provides a fixed format display panel having a front side and a rear side and comprising a plurality of rows of addressable pixelated reflective light modulating means and at least one longitudinal light guiding structure having at least one emissive light source at at least one of a first and second end. Light coming from the at least one emissive light source is projected across the display panel through the at least one longitudinal light guiding structure and is reflected by said light modulating means through an angle towards the front side.

Claims

1. A display panel having a front side and a rear side, the display panel comprising:

a plurality of rows of addressable pixelated reflective light modulating means,

at least one longitudinal light guiding structure having at least one emissive light source at at least one of a first and second end,

whereby light coming from said at least one emissive light source is projected across the display panel through said at least one longitudinal light guiding structure and is reflected by said light modulating means through an angle towards the front side.

2. A display panel according to claim 1, wherein said at least one longitudinal light guiding structure has a coating such that light coming from said at least one emissive light source is either internally reflected in the light guiding structure or guided towards the plurality of light modulating means.

3. A display panel according to claim 1, wherein for each row of light modulating means a longitudinal light guiding structure is provided.

4. A display panel according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal light guiding structure comprises an optical fibre.

5. A display panel according to claim 1, wherein the at least one longitudinal light guiding structure comprises a light pipe array.

6. A display panel according to claim 1, the display panel comprising at least one emissive light source at the first end and a reflector at the second end.

7. A display panel according to claim 1, the display panel comprising at least one emissive light source at the first end and at least one emissive light source at the second end.

8. A display panel according to claim 1, wherein each emissive light source comprises at least one LED.

9. A display panel according to claim 8, wherein each emissive light source comprises a monochrome LED or a combination of LEDs providing a full-colour light source.

10. A display panel according to claim 9, wherein each emissive light source comprises three monochrome LEDs respectively emitting light of three primary colours, and wherein each emissive light source is driven in accordance with field-sequential colour emission.

11. A display panel according to claim 1, wherein the reflective light modulating means is an iMoD reflective display.

12. A display panel according to claim 9, further comprising means for driving the combination of LEDs providing a full-colour light source and said light modulating means, so that a full-colour image is displayed by field sequential colour display.

13. A method for displaying an image onto a display, the display having a front side and a rear side, and

a light panel with a plurality or rows of light modulating means,

at least one longitudinal light guiding structure connected to said light panel and having at least one emissive light source at at least one of a first and second end,

the method comprising:

driving said light modulating means in accordance with the image to be displayed,

guiding light into and through said at least one longitudinal light guiding structure across the panel, and

reflecting said light onto the said modulating means, whereby light coming from said at least one emissive light source is reflected through an angle towards the front side by said light modulating means.

14. The method according to claim 13, each emissive light source comprising three monochrome LEDs respectively emitting light of three primary colours, wherein driving said light modulating means and said three monochrome LEDs is co-ordinated so that image is displayed by field sequential colour emission.