LIGHT EMITTING PANEL ASSEMBLIES

• US 20070147087A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delaware Display Group LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gregory Coghlan, Jeffery Parker, Robert Ezell
• Inventors: Coghlan, Gregory, Parker, Jeffery, Ezell, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,434,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/615
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0621 Hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice treatment
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/10 comprising photoluminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 : Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/804 : Surgical or dental spotlight

Abstract

Light emitting panel assemblies include a light emitting panel member having at least one light source optically coupled to a portion of an input edge of the panel member. A plurality of individual light extracting deformities on or in at least one panel surface of the panel member are of well defined shape and have a length and width substantially smaller than the length and width of the panel surface. At least some of the deformities have at least one surface that is angled at different orientations relative to the input edge depending on the location of the deformities on the panel surface to face a portion of the input edge to which a light source is optically coupled.

Claims

1. A light emitting panel assembly comprising a light emitting panel member having at least one input edge, at least one light source optically coupled to a portion of the width of the input edge, and a pattern of individual light extracting deformities on or in at least one panel surface of the panel member for producing a desired light output from the panel member, each of the deformities having a length and width substantially smaller than the length and width of the panel surface and also having a well defined shape, at least some of the deformities at different locations across the width of the panel surface having at least one planar light extracting surface that is angled at different orientations relative to the input edge depending on the location of the deformities on the panel surface to face the portion of the input edge to which the light source is optically coupled.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein substantially all of the deformities across the width of the panel member have at least the one light extracting surface that is oriented to face the portion of the input edge to which the light source is optically coupled.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the deformities have two or more intersecting surfaces that intersect the panel surface and intersect each other, at least one of the intersecting surfaces of the deformities comprising the light extracting surface of the deformities that is oriented to face the portion of the input edge to which the light source is optically coupled.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the intersection of the intersecting surfaces of the deformities forms a ridge.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least some of the deformities are arranged in radial rows in a radial pattern across the width of the panel surface with the light extracting surface of the deformities in each radial row in radial alignment with the portion of the input edge to which the light source is optically coupled.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a plurality of light sources are optically coupled to different portions of the width of the input edge, and at least one planar light extracting surface of different ones of the deformities at different locations across the width of the panel surface is angled at different orientations relative to the input edge to face different portions of the input edge to which the different light sources are optically coupled.

8. A light emitting panel assembly comprising a light emitting panel member having at least one input edge, at least one light source optically coupled to a portion of the width of the input edge, and a pattern of individual light extracting deformities on or in at least one panel surface on at least one side of the panel member for producing a desired light output from the panel member, each of the deformities having a length and width substantially smaller than the length and width of the panel surface and also having a well defined shape, at least some of the deformities having two or more surfaces that come together to form ridges, and at least one of the surfaces of at least some of the deformities at different locations across the width of the panel surface is angled at different orientations relative to the input edge depending on the location of the deformities on the panel surface to face the portion of the input edge to which the light source is optically coupled.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the surfaces of at least some of the deformities are multi-segment, curved or flat.

10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein at least some of the deformities only have two surfaces.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein one of the surfaces of at least some of the deformities is flat and the other surface is curved.

12. The assembly of claim 8 wherein at least some of the deformities vary in at least one of the following characteristics for controlling an output ray angle distribution or uniformity of the light emitted by the panel member to serve a particular application:

size, shape, placement, index of refraction, density, angle, depth, height and type.

13. The assembly of claim 8 wherein at least some of the deformities are random in at least one of the following characteristics for controlling an output ray angle distribution or uniformity of the light emitted by the panel member to suit a particular application:

size, shape, placement, index of refraction, density, angle, depth, height and type.

14. The assembly of claim 8 wherein additional deformities that are projections or depressions are on or in the other side of the panel member.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the additional deformities are prismatic or lenticular.

16. The assembly of claim 14 wherein only the deformities on or in the one side of the panel member have ridges.

17. The assembly of claim 14 wherein at least some of the deformities on or in both sides of the panel member have ridges.

18. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the panel member is in association with a liquid crystal display, and at least one layer of film is interposed between the liquid crystal display and the panel member.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein a pattern of individual deformities are on or in one side, the other side or both sides of the film.

20. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

21. The assembly of claim 8 wherein substantially all of the deformities across the width of the panel member have two or more surfaces that come together to form ridges, and at least one of the surface of substantially all of the deformities at different locations across the width of the panel surface is angled at different orientations relative to the input edge depending on the location of the deformities on the panel surface to face the portion of the input edge to which the light source is optically coupled.

22. The assembly of claim 8 wherein a plurality of light sources are optically coupled to different portions of the width of the input edge, and at least one of the surfaces of different ones of the deformities at different locations across the width of the panel surface is angled at different orientations relative to the input edge to face different portions of the input edge to which the different light sources are optically coupled.

23. A light emitting panel assembly comprising a light emitting panel member having at least one input edge, at least one light source optically coupled to a portion of the width of the input edge, and a pattern of individual light extracting deformities on or in at least one panel surface of the panel member for producing a desired light output from the panel member, each of the deformities having a length and width substantially smaller than the length and width of the panel surface and also having a well defined shape, at least one of the density, size, placement, angle, depth, height or shape of at least some of the deformities varying depending on the location of the deformities on the panel surface relative to the portion of the input edge to which the at least one light source is optically coupled.

24. The assembly of claim 23 wherein a plurality of light sources are optically coupled to different portions of the width of the input edge, and at least one of the density, size, placement, angle, depth, height or shape of different ones of at least some of the deformities vary depending on the location of the deformities on the panel surface relative to the portions of the input edge to which the different light sources are optically coupled.