DISPLAY DEVICE WITH DIFFRACTIVE OPTICS
First Claim
1. An illumination apparatus comprising:
- a light guide having first and second ends, such that light injected into said first end is guided toward said second end via total internal reflection; and
diffractive optics disposed to receive light propagating within the light guide and turn a portion of said light out of said light guide, said diffractive optics having a turning efficiency that determines the amount of light turned out of the light guide compared to the amount of light that continues to be guided within the light guide,wherein said diffractive optics comprises at least one hologram, and wherein the turning efficiency increases across a substantial portion of said light guide, the turning efficiency increasing by increasing a range of acceptance angles of the at least one hologram.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Light modulator displays may be illuminated using a light guide comprising diffractive optics that directs light onto an array of light modulators. A holographic light turning element may be included with the light guide to turn light propagating within the light guide onto the light modulators. In some embodiments, the holographic element is configured to distribute a substantially uniform amount of light across the array of modulators. The holographic element may, for example, have a turning efficiency that changes along the length of the holographic element. A holographic element can also be used to function as a light bar. Such a holographic element may receive light from a light source such as a light emitting diode and distribute the light along a light guide disposed in front of an array of light modulators.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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a light guide having first and second ends, such that light injected into said first end is guided toward said second end via total internal reflection; and diffractive optics disposed to receive light propagating within the light guide and turn a portion of said light out of said light guide, said diffractive optics having a turning efficiency that determines the amount of light turned out of the light guide compared to the amount of light that continues to be guided within the light guide, wherein said diffractive optics comprises at least one hologram, and wherein the turning efficiency increases across a substantial portion of said light guide, the turning efficiency increasing by increasing a range of acceptance angles of the at least one hologram. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of manufacturing an illumination apparatus, the method comprising:
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providing a light guide having first and second ends such that light injected into said first end is guided toward said second end via total internal reflection; and disposing diffractive optics so as to receive light guided in said light guide and turn a portion of the light out of said light guide, said diffractive optics having a turning efficiency that determines the amount of light turned out of the light guide compared to the amount of light that continues to be guided within the light guide, wherein said diffractive optics comprises at least one hologram, and wherein the turning efficiency of said hologram increases across a substantial portion of said light guide, the turning efficiency increasing by increasing a range of acceptance angles of the at least one hologram.
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28. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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means for guiding light, said light guiding means having first and second ends such that light injected into said first end is guided toward said second end; and means for diffracting and turning a portion of said light out of said light guide, said diffracting means having a turning efficiency that determines the amount of light turned out of the light guide compared to the amount of light that continues to be guided within the light guide, wherein said diffracting means turns said light holographically, and wherein the turning efficiency increases across a substantial portion of said guiding means by increasing a range of acceptance angles of the diffracting and turning means. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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32. A method of manufacturing an illumination apparatus, the method comprising:
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providing a light guide having first and second ends such that light injected into said first end is guided toward said second end via total internal reflection; and disposing holographic features in a holographic medium with respect to said light guide so as to receive light guided in said light guide and turn a portion of the light out of said light guide, wherein said holographic features are substantially the same as holographic features formed by a recording process using a beam having a width, wherein a gradient in intensity of said beam varies across the width.
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35. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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a light guide having first and second ends, such that light injected into said first end is guided toward said second end via total internal reflection; and diffractive optics comprising first and second holograms disposed in first and second layers, said diffractive optics disposed to receive light propagating within the light guide and turn a portion of said light out of said light guide, said diffractive optics having a turning efficiency that determines the amount of light turned out of the light guide compared to the amount of light that continues to be guided within the light guide, wherein the turning efficiency varies across a substantial portion of said light guide, and wherein the turning efficiency of each of said first and second holograms is substantially constant over a substantial portion thereof, and said first and second holograms are arranged to provide increasing turning efficiency across the light guide. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A method of manufacturing an illumination apparatus, the method comprising:
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providing a light guide having first and second ends such that light injected into said first end is guided toward said second end via total internal reflection; and disposing diffractive optics comprising first and second holograms disposed in first and second layers, respectively, so as to receive light guided in said light guide and turn a portion of the light out of said light guide, said diffractive optics having a turning efficiency that determines the amount of light turned out of the light guide compared to the amount of light that continues to be guided within the light guide, wherein the turning efficiency varies across a substantial portion of said light guide, and wherein the turning efficiency of each of said first and second holograms is substantially constant over a substantial portion thereof, and said first and second holograms are arranged to provide increasing turning efficiency across the light guide. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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a light guide having a top and bottom and edges disposed about said top and bottom; and diffractive optics configured to receive light propagating from a first edge of said light guide toward a second edge and turn at least a portion of the received light such that said light is redirected toward a third edge of said light guide, said diffractive optics comprising at least one hologram.
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57. A method of manufacturing an illumination apparatus, the method comprising:
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providing a light guide having a top and bottom and edges disposed about said top and bottom; and disposing diffractive optics to receive light propagating from a first edge of said light guide to a second edge and turn at least a portion of the received light such that said light is redirected toward a third edge of said light guide, said diffractive optics comprising at least one hologram.
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69. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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a means for guiding light, said means having a top and bottom and edges disposed about said top and bottom, such that light injected in a first edge of said light guiding means propagates toward a second edge of said light guiding means; and means for diffractive and turning light, said diffractive means configured to receive light propagating from said first edge to said second edge and turn at least a portion of the received light such that said light is redirected toward a third edge of said light guiding means, said diffractive means configured to turn light holographically. - View Dependent Claims (70)
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Specification