Display panel with backlighting structure and selectively transmissive window therethrough
First Claim
1. In a display having a backlighting structure behind an LCD panel, the backlighting structure comprising a light source and having opposing front and back sides, the front side of the backlighting structure facing the LCD panel, an improvement comprising:
- a permanently reflecting material along a first interior portion of the back side of the backlighting structure, the permanently reflecting material oriented to reflect light from the light source toward the LCD panel; and
a selectively transparent material along a second interior portion of the back side of the backlighting structure, the selectively transparent material capable of being selectively and reversibly made either transparent or reflecting.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A backlighting structure for use with a display comprises a light source, an illumination area, a permanently reflecting material, and a selectively reflecting material. The illumination area is bounded by a back side, a front plane on a front side, and lateral sides. The permanently reflecting material lies along a first subset of the back side, and the selectively reflecting material lies on a second subset of the back side. The selectively transparent material can controllably change between a reflecting state and a non-reflecting (e.g., transmitting) state.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. In a display having a backlighting structure behind an LCD panel, the backlighting structure comprising a light source and having opposing front and back sides, the front side of the backlighting structure facing the LCD panel, an improvement comprising:
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a permanently reflecting material along a first interior portion of the back side of the backlighting structure, the permanently reflecting material oriented to reflect light from the light source toward the LCD panel; and
a selectively transparent material along a second interior portion of the back side of the backlighting structure, the selectively transparent material capable of being selectively and reversibly made either transparent or reflecting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A backlighting structure for use with a display, the backlighting structure comprising:
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a light source;
an illumination area bounded by a back side, a front side, and lateral sides;
a permanently reflecting material along a first subset of the back side; and
a selectively reflecting material on a second subset of the back side, wherein the selectively reflecting material can controllably change between a reflecting state and a non-reflecting state. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A display having a controllably transmissive window therethrough, the display comprising:
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a display panel, a portion of which can be made transmissive by electrical control, the display panel having a viewing side and an opposing back side; and
a backlighting structure positioned behind the back side of the display panel, the backlighting structure comprising a rear reflector oriented to reflect light toward the back side of the display panel, the rear reflector comprising;
a permanently reflecting material; and
a selectively transmissive material that can controllably change state from a transmissive state to a non-transmissive state by electrical control, at least a portion of the selectively transmissive material positioned to underlie the portion of the display panel that can be made transmissive by electrical control. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus comprising:
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a means for electronically displaying to a user an image on at least a first portion of a display having a front viewing side and a back side;
a means for selectively making transmissive a second portion of the display;
a means for providing light along the back side of the display;
a means for permanently reflecting the light toward the back side of the display from a first area underlying the first portion of the display; and
in a second area underlying the second portion of the display, a means for selectively either reflecting light toward the back side of the display from the second area or transmitting light through the second area and thereby revealing to the user an object behind the second area. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification