BACKLIGHT UNIT FOR LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20090168455A1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Dae Hyun, Kim, Dae Yeon, Kim, Hyung Suk, Hahm, Hun Joo
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/613
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side

Abstract

A backlight unit for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, disposed under a liquid crystal panel to illuminate the liquid crystal panel. The backlight unit includes a light guide plate, first and second light emitting diode (LED) arrays, disposed on adjacent sides, perpendicular to each other, of the light guide plate, each array having a plurality of LED blocks, consisting of one or more LEDs, and a control unit that controls electric signals, respectively inputted to the LED blocks, to regulate luminance for the respective LED blocks, wherein light emitted from the first and second LED arrays is overlapped each other in the light guide plate.

Claims

1. A backlight unit for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, disposed under a liquid crystal panel to illuminate the liquid crystal panel, the backlight unit comprising:

a light guide plate;

first and second light emitting diode (LED) arrays disposed on adjacent sides, perpendicular to each other, of the light guide plate, each of the arrays having a plurality of LED blocks, each of which consists of one or more LEDs; and

a control unit that controls electric signals, respectively inputted to the LED blocks, to regulate luminance for the respective LED blocks,

wherein light emitted from the first and second LED arrays overlaps in the light guide plate.

2. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 1, wherein the light guide plate has one or more shield structures therein for blocking light propagation.

3. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 2, wherein the shield structure is arranged in horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the light guide plate.

4. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 2, wherein the shield structure is a reflector film.

5. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 2, wherein the shield structure is a bent provided on a boundary between regions divided by the same.

6. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 1, further comprising third and fourth LED arrays, respectively disposed opposite to the first and second LED arrays on the other adjacent sides, perpendicular to each other, of the light guide plate, and having the same construction as the first and second LED arrays.

7. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 1, wherein the LED block includes a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED.

8. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 1, wherein the LED block includes a white LED.

9. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 1, wherein the control unit includes an LED block driving controller and a panel image signal transmitter.

10. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 9, wherein the panel image signal transmitter includes a panel data transfer circuit and a panel data combination circuit.

11. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 1, further comprising a reflector sheet under the light guide plate.

12. The backlight unit for LCD device of claim 1, further comprising an optical sheet disposed on the light guide plate.