Light guide plate structure and back light module

• US 20060291251A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Transpacific IP Group Limited
• Inventors: Huang, Yao-Der, Chu, Wei-Kuang
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/615
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide

Abstract

A structure of a light guide plate comprising a light guide plate and a plurality of transparent elements is disclosed. The light guide plate comprises at least onelight incident surface, a light scattering surface and a light emitting surface. The light scattering surface has a plurality of notches and these transparent elements are disposed therein. The transparent elements refractive index is different from that of the light guide plate. By disposing these transparent elements, the light scattering surface can improve light scattering effect. In addition, a back light module comprising a linearlight source and a light guide plate structure mentioned above is also disclosed. The linearlight source is disposed next to the light incident surface of the light guide plate.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a light guide plate, said light guide plate comprising at least one light incident surface, a light scattering surface and a light emitting surface, wherein the light incident surface is on a sidewall of the light guide plate, the light scattering surface is on a bottom surface of the light guide plate, and the light emitting surface is on a top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the light scattering surface has one or more notches; and

one or more transparent element structures, said one or more transparent element structures disposed at least partially within the one or more of notches of the light guide plate, wherein a reflective index of the one or more transparent element structures is different from that of the light guide plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said one or more transparent element structures are disposed partially within the light guide plate.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more transparent element structures comprise two or more transparent element structures comprising different sizes.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more transparent element structures comprise two or more transparent element structures comprising different sizes, the two or more transparent element structures being disposed at least partially within the light guide plate at least partially in sequence by size, and wherein bottom surfaces of the two or more transparent element structures are substantially coplanar.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more transparent element structures comprise a glass material or an acrylic material.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a brightness enhancement film positioned adjacent the top surface of the light guide plate, the brightness enhancement film capable of modifying luminance of the light guide plate.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a diffusion sheet positioned adjacent the top surface of the light guide plate, the diffusion sheet capable of modifying luminance of the light guide plate.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a linear light source positioned next to the light incident surface of the light guide plate.

15. A method, comprising:

reflecting light off of a light scattering surface of a light guide plate; and

reflecting light off of one or more transparent element structures disposed at least partially within one or more notches of the light guide plate at a refractive index different from that of the light guide plate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said reflecting light off of one or more transparent element structures comprises reflecting light off of one or more transparent element structures disposed partially within the light guide plate at a refractive index different from that of the light guide plate.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said reflecting light off of one or more transparent element structures comprises reflecting light off of two or more transparent element structures of different sizes disposed at least partially within the light guide plate at a refractive index different from that of the light guide plate.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more transparent element structures comprise a glass material or an acrylic material.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising modifying luminance brightness of light exiting a light emitting surface of the light guide plate.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising modifying luminance diffusion of light exiting a light emitting surface of the light guide plate.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting light into a light incident surface of the light guide plate.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a light guide plate, said light guide plate comprising at least one light incident surface, a light scattering surface and a light emitting surface, wherein the light incident surface is on a sidewall of the light guide plate, the light scattering surface is on a bottom surface of the light guide plate, and the light emitting surface is on a top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the light scattering surface has one or more notches; and

means for scattering light through the one or more notches of the light guide plate at a refractive index different from that of the light guide plate.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for scattering light are disposed at least partially within the light guide plate.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for scattering light are disposed partially within the light guide plate.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the means for scattering light comprises a first means for scattering light and a second means for scattering light, wherein the first means for scattering light and a second means for scattering light comprising different sizes.

26. A system, comprising:

a light guide plate, said light guide plate comprising at least one light incident surface, a light scattering surface and a light emitting surface, wherein the light incident surface is on a sidewall of the light guide plate, the light scattering surface is on a bottom surface of the light guide plate, and the light emitting surface is on a top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the light scattering surface has one or more notches;

one or more transparent element structures, said one or more transparent element structures disposed at least partially within the one or more notches of the light guide plate, wherein a reflective index of the one or more transparent element structures is different from that of the light guide plate;

a brightness enhancement film positioned adjacent the top surface of the light guide plate, the brightness enhancement film capable of modifying luminance of the light guide plate;

a diffusion sheet positioned adjacent the top surface of the light guide plate, the diffusion sheet capable of modifying luminance of the light guide plate; and

a linear light source positioned next to the light incident surface of the light guide plate.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said one or more transparent element structures are disposed partially within the light guide plate.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more transparent element structures comprise two or more transparent element structures comprising different sizes.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more transparent element structures comprise two or more transparent element structures comprising different sizes, the two or more transparent element structures being disposed at least partially within the light guide plate at least partially in sequence by size, and wherein bottom surfaces of the two or more transparent element structures are substantially coplanar.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more transparent element structures comprise a glass material or an acrylic material.