Brightness enhancement film using a linear arrangement of light concentrators
First Claim
1. A brightness enhancement article for providing light from a surface, the brightness enhancement article comprising:
- a plurality of light collecting structures, wherein each light collecting structure is longitudinally extended in a length direction along the light-providing surface, each light collecting structure comprising;
(a) an input aperture optically coupled to the light-providing surface;
(b) an output aperture distal from said input aperture, wherein the output aperture has a surface area that is larger than the surface area of the input aperture; and
, (c) a pair of curved side walls extending along the length direction and extended from the output aperture toward the input aperture;
wherein, in a cross section taken orthogonally with respect to the length direction, the curved side walls approximate a parabolic curvature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A brightness enhancement article (30) provides light from a two-dimensional surface. The brightness enhancement article (30) has a plurality of light collecting structures (32), wherein each light collecting structure (32) is longitudinally extended in a length direction along the surface. Each light collecting structure (32) has an input aperture (33) optically coupled to a light-providing surface and an output aperture (35) distal from the input aperture (33), wherein the output aperture (35) has a surface area that is larger than the surface area of the input aperture (33). A pair of curved side walls (38) extend from the output aperture (35) toward the input aperture (33). In a cross section taken orthogonally with respect to the length direction, the curved side walls (38) approximate a parabolic curvature.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A brightness enhancement article for providing light from a surface, the brightness enhancement article comprising:
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a plurality of light collecting structures, wherein each light collecting structure is longitudinally extended in a length direction along the light-providing surface, each light collecting structure comprising;
(a) an input aperture optically coupled to the light-providing surface;
(b) an output aperture distal from said input aperture, wherein the output aperture has a surface area that is larger than the surface area of the input aperture; and
,(c) a pair of curved side walls extending along the length direction and extended from the output aperture toward the input aperture;
wherein, in a cross section taken orthogonally with respect to the length direction, the curved side walls approximate a parabolic curvature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A substrate for enhancing luminance from a light-providing surface, the substrate comprising:
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a ribbed surface for collecting off-axis light, the ribbed surface formed by a series of spaced-apart grooves defining, between successive grooves, longitudinally extended ribs, each rib having, in cross-sectional profile, curved side walls tapered from an output aperture to an input aperture, wherein the output aperture has a surface area that is larger than the surface area of the input aperture;
wherein, in a cross section taken orthogonally with respect to a longitudinally extended rib, the curved side walls approximate a parabolic curvature. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An illumination system comprising:
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(a) a light providing element having an output surface;
(b) a brightness enhancement article comprising a plurality of light collecting structures, wherein each light collecting structure is longitudinally extended in a length direction along the output surface of the light providing element, each light collecting structure comprising;
(i) an input aperture optically coupled to the output surface of the light-providing element;
(ii) an output aperture distal from the input aperture, wherein the output aperture has a surface area that is larger than the surface area of the input aperture; and
,(iii) a pair of curved side walls extending from the output aperture toward the input aperture;
wherein, in a cross section taken orthogonally with respect to the length direction, the curved side walls approximate a parabolic curvature;
(c) a reflective surface, along at least a portion of the surface of the light providing element opposite the output surface, for reflecting light back into the light providing element; and
,(d) a prism surface optically coupled with the surface of the light providing element and opposite the output surface, the prism surface comprising prism structures longitudinally extended in a width direction, the width direction being substantially orthogonal to the length direction of the brightness enhancement article. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A display apparatus comprising:
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(a) a light providing surface;
(b) a brightness enhancement article coupled with the light providing surface to provide backlight illumination, the brightness enhancement article comprising;
a plurality of light collecting structures, wherein each light collecting structure is longitudinally extended in a length direction along the surface, each light collecting structure comprising;
(i) an input aperture optically coupled to the light-providing surface;
(ii) an output aperture distal from said input aperture, wherein the output aperture has a surface area that is larger than the surface area of the input aperture; and
,(iii) a pair of curved side walls extending from the output aperture toward the input aperture;
wherein, in a cross section taken orthogonally with respect to said length direction, the curved side walls approximate a parabolic curvature;
and, (c) a display panel for modulating the backlight illumination to form an image. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for enhancing on-axis brightness of a backlighting illumination system comprising:
forming a plurality of light collecting structures, wherein each light collecting structure is longitudinally extended in a length direction along a light-providing surface, each light collecting structure comprising;
(i) an input aperture optically coupled to the light-providing surface;
(ii) an output aperture distal from said input aperture, wherein the output aperture has a surface area that is larger than the surface area of the input aperture; and
,(iii) a pair of curved side walls extending from the output aperture toward the input aperture;
wherein, in a cross section taken orthogonally with respect to said length direction, the curved side walls approximate a parabolic curvature. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
Specification