Luminance enhancement optical substrates with anti-chatter structures

• US 20080049451A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UBright Optronics Corporation (Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UBright Optronics Corporation (Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation)
• Inventors: Lin, Craig, Wang, Kong-Hua, Ko, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,712,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/620
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133606 including a specially adapted diffusing, scattering or light controlling members
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

An optical substrate possesses a structured surface that enhances luminance or brightness and reduces chatter phenomenon. A structured surface is provided, in which some of the valleys (low valleys) are coplanar to the surface of the underlying support layer and other valleys (high valleys) are not coplanar on the support layer. The low valleys have bottom thickness that is substantially smaller than that of the high valleys. The distance from the valleys to the support layer remains substantially similar for a first number of adjacent valleys, but is substantially zero for a second number of adjacent valleys after every n-th adjacent valleys.

Claims

1. A luminance enhancement substrate, comprising:

a support layer having a top surface; and

an optical substrate, having a planar light input surface at one side of the optical substrate, and a structured light output surface at an opposite side of the optical substrate defining a plurality of peaks and valleys, wherein the light input surface is adhered to the top surface of the support layer, and wherein the distance of the plurality of valleys from the top surface varies across the optical substrate.

2. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 1, wherein the distance varies in a periodical manner for the valleys across the structured surface.

3. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 2, wherein the distance remains substantially similar for a first number of adjacent valleys, but is substantially zero for a second number of adjacent valleys after every first number of adjacent valleys, wherein the first number and second number of adjacent valleys are non-zero.

4. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 1, wherein the peaks and valleys are defined by prisms in the structured light output surface.

5. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 4, wherein the prisms are similar across the structured light output surface.

6. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 4, wherein the prisms are regular prisms.

7. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 4, wherein the prisms are each symmetrical about a longitudinal direction.

8. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 1, wherein some of the valleys are substantially coplanar with the top surface of the support layer, and other valleys are not coplanar with said coplanar valleys.

9. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 8, wherein said coplanar valleys are spaced in a periodic manner across the valleys in the structured surface.

10. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 9, wherein said coplanar valleys are spaced after every first number of adjacent valleys, wherein the first number of adjacent valleys is non-zero.

11. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 10, wherein said coplanar valleys comprise a second number of adjacent coplanar valleys after every first number of adjacent valleys, wherein the second number is non-zero.

12. The luminance enhancement substrate as in claim 1, wherein the distance for a first number of adjacent valleys is substantially larger than the distance for a second number of adjacent valleys, wherein the first number and the second number of adjacent valleys are non-zero.

13. A flat panel display, comprising:

a display module emitting light in accordance with an image; and

an optical substrate as in claim 1, enhancing brightness of the image.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a flat panel display as in claim 13;

and

control electronics directing image data to the flat panel display to render an image in accordance with the image data.

15. A method of enhancing brightness of an image rendered by a flat panel display, comprising:

providing a display module that emits light in accordance with an image; and

providing an optical substrate as in claim 1, receiving light through the light input surface and emitting light through the light output surface, whereby brightness of the image is enhanced by the structured surface.

16. A method of making a luminance enhancement substrate, comprising:

providing a support layer having a top surface;

adhering a light input surface on one side of an optical substrate layer on the top surface;

forming a structured light output surface at an opposite side of the optical substrate to define a plurality of peaks and valleys, wherein the distance of the plurality of valleys from the top surface varies across the optical substrate.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the distance remains substantially similar for a first number of adjacent valleys, but is substantially zero for a second number of adjacent valleys after every first number of adjacent valleys, wherein the first number and second number of adjacent valleys are non-zero.

18. The method as in claim 16, wherein some of the valleys are substantially coplanar with the top surface of the support layer, and other valleys are not coplanar with said coplanar valleys.

19. The method as in claim 16, wherein the distance for a first number of adjacent high valleys is substantially larger than the distance for a second number of adjacent low valleys, wherein the first number and the second number of adjacent valleys are non-zero.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein the structured light output surface is formed by applying a tool to form the peaks and valleys, and wherein the tool is cause to bottom out at the low valleys to press on the support layer,