IMAGE DISPLAY VIA MULTIPLE LIGHT GUIDE SECTIONS

• US 20100231498A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Emerton, Neil, Travis, Adrian, Large, Timothy Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/404,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231498A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/102
• 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 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Various embodiments related to a multi-section light guide and computing devices comprising a plurality of wedge light guides are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises a multi-section light guide having a monolithic wedge-shaped body comprising a plurality of logical light guide sections. Each logical light guides section is configured to direct light via total internal reflection between a first light input/output interface located at a first end of the logical light guide section and a second light input/output interface located at a major face of the logical light guide section.

Claims

1. A multi-section light guide, comprising:

a monolithic wedge-shaped body comprising a plurality of logical light guide sections, each logical light guide section being configured to direct light via total internal reflection between a first light input/output interface located at a first end of the logical light guide section and a second light input/output interface located at a major face of the logical light guide section, each logical light guide section comprising a reflector formed in a second end of the logical light guide section, the reflector forming a folded optical path within each logical light guide section.

2. The multi-section light guide of claim 1, further comprising a cladding configured to control an angle of total internal reflection of light within the light guide.

3. The multi-section light guide of claim 1, wherein the plurality of logical light guide sections are further configured to direct light in the infrared spectrum between the first light input/output interface and the second light input/output interface.

4. The multi-section light guide of claim 1, wherein the plurality of logical light guides are arranged in a side-by-side manner such that the reflectors of all logical light guide sections are located along a single side of the monolithic wedge-shaped body.

7. The multi-section light guide of claim 1, wherein the monolithic wedge-shaped body comprises three logical light guides.

5. The multi-section light guide of claim 5, wherein the reflector is a spherical reflector.

6. The multi-section light guide of claim 5, wherein the second light input/output interfaces of the plurality of logical light guides comprise a unitary continuous area of a face of the monolithic wedge-shaped body.

8. A computing device, comprising:

a display surface;

a liquid crystal display panel configured to provide an image to the display surface;

a controller configured to control an image displayed on the display surface;

a backlight system configured to provide light to the liquid display panel, the backlight system comprising a plurality of wedge light guides each configured to provide backlighting to a portion of the liquid crystal display panel, the backlight system also comprising one or more light sources configured to provide light to the plurality of light guides;

one or more image sensors configured to acquire an image of a backside of the display surface via light transported to the image sensors from the display surface through the plurality of wedge light guides; and

an infrared illuminant configured to provide infrared light to the plurality of wedge light guides.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of wedge light guides comprises two or more logical light guides defined within a single monolithic body.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein each wedge light guide of the plurality of wedge light guides comprises a separate body.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein two or more of the wedge light guides are arranged in a stacked arrangement.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein two or more of the wedge light guides are arranged in a side-by-side arrangement.

13. A computing device, comprising:

a display surface;

a liquid crystal display panel configured to provide an image to the display surface;

a controller configured to control the liquid crystal display;

a backlight system configured to provide light to the liquid display panel, the backlight system comprising a monolithic wedge-shaped body comprising a plurality of logical light guide sections, each logical light guide section being configured to direct light via total internal reflection between a first light input/output interface located at a first end of the logical light guide section and a second light input/output interface located at a major face of the logical light guide section, the second light input/output interfaces of the plurality of logical light guides comprising a unitary continuous area of a face of the monolithic wedge-shaped body, each logical light guide section further comprising a reflector formed in a second end of the logical light guide section to form a folded optical path within each logical light guide section;

the backlight system also comprising one or more light sources configured to provide light to the plurality of logical light guides;

an infrared illuminant system configured to provide infrared light to the first light input/output interface of each logical light guide; and

a plurality of image sensors configured to acquire an image of a backside of the display surface, each logical light guide having one or more associated image sensors.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the LCD further comprises a 16:

9 aspect ratio, and where each logical light guide is configured to focus a 4;

3 aspect ratio image on the first light input/output interface.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the monolithic wedge-shaped body comprises three logical light guides, and wherein one image sensor is associated with each logical light guide.

16. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising a cladding configured to control an angle of total internal reflection of light within the light guide.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of logical light guide sections are further configured to direct light in the infrared spectrum between the first light input/output interface and the second light input/output interface.

18. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of image sensors comprises a photo-detector configured to detect a scanning beam of collimated light.

19. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of image sensors comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

20. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of image sensors comprises a charge coupled device.