REFLECTIVE DISPLAY COMPRISING A FRONTLIGHT WITH EXTRACTION FEATURES AND A LIGHT REDIRECTING OPTICAL ELEMENT
First Claim
1. A display comprising:
- a. a reflective spatial light modulator having a reflective surface;
b. a lightguide comprising;
i). a core layer having opposing surfaces with a thickness not greater than 0.5 millimeters therebetween wherein light propagates by total internal reflection between the opposing surfaces;
ii). a first cladding layer having a first side optically coupled to the core layer and an opposing second side;
iii). a lightguide region;
iv). an array of coupling lightguides continuous with the lightguide region, each coupling lightguide of the array of coupling lightguides terminating in a bounding edge, and each coupling lightguide folded in a fold region such that the bounding edges of the array of coupling lightguides are stacked; and
v). a light emitting region comprising a plurality of light extraction features arranged in a pattern that varies spatially in the light emitting region, the plurality of light extraction features frustrating totally internally reflected light propagating within the core layer such that light exits the core layer in the light emitting region into the first cladding layer;
c. a light source positioned to emit light into the stacked bounding edges, the light propagating within the array of coupling lightguides to the lightguide region, with light from each coupling lightguide combining and totally internally reflecting within the lightguide region; and
d. a light redirecting optical element optically coupled to the second side of the first cladding layer, the light redirecting optical element comprising a plurality of light redirecting features directing frustrated totally internally reflected light from the plurality of light extraction features toward the reflective spatial light modulator, the plurality of light redirecting features occupying less than 50% of a surface of the light redirecting optical element in the light emitting region,wherein the core layer has an average thickness in the light emitting region, the light emitting region has a largest dimension in a plane of the light emitting region orthogonal to a thickness direction of the core layer, and the largest dimension of the light emitting region divided by the average thickness of the core layer in the light emitting region is greater than 100.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A display includes a reflective spatial light modulator having a reflective surface, a lightguide comprising a core layer, a first cladding layer, and a light emitting region comprising a plurality of light extraction features arranged in a pattern that varies spatially in the light emitting region to frustrate totally internally reflected light propagating within the core layer such that light exits the core layer in the light emitting region into the first cladding layer. A light redirecting optical element is optically coupled to the second side of the first cladding layer, and includes a plurality of light redirecting features directing frustrated totally internally reflected light from the plurality of light extraction features toward the reflective spatial light modulator.
92 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A display comprising:
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a. a reflective spatial light modulator having a reflective surface; b. a lightguide comprising; i). a core layer having opposing surfaces with a thickness not greater than 0.5 millimeters therebetween wherein light propagates by total internal reflection between the opposing surfaces; ii). a first cladding layer having a first side optically coupled to the core layer and an opposing second side; iii). a lightguide region; iv). an array of coupling lightguides continuous with the lightguide region, each coupling lightguide of the array of coupling lightguides terminating in a bounding edge, and each coupling lightguide folded in a fold region such that the bounding edges of the array of coupling lightguides are stacked; and v). a light emitting region comprising a plurality of light extraction features arranged in a pattern that varies spatially in the light emitting region, the plurality of light extraction features frustrating totally internally reflected light propagating within the core layer such that light exits the core layer in the light emitting region into the first cladding layer; c. a light source positioned to emit light into the stacked bounding edges, the light propagating within the array of coupling lightguides to the lightguide region, with light from each coupling lightguide combining and totally internally reflecting within the lightguide region; and d. a light redirecting optical element optically coupled to the second side of the first cladding layer, the light redirecting optical element comprising a plurality of light redirecting features directing frustrated totally internally reflected light from the plurality of light extraction features toward the reflective spatial light modulator, the plurality of light redirecting features occupying less than 50% of a surface of the light redirecting optical element in the light emitting region, wherein the core layer has an average thickness in the light emitting region, the light emitting region has a largest dimension in a plane of the light emitting region orthogonal to a thickness direction of the core layer, and the largest dimension of the light emitting region divided by the average thickness of the core layer in the light emitting region is greater than 100. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A display comprising:
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a. a reflective spatial light modulator having a reflective surface; b. a first lightguide comprising a core layer having opposing surfaces with a thickness not greater than 0.5 millimeters therebetween, a lightguide region and a light emitting region, the first lightguide defined by the opposing surfaces guiding light by total internal reflection; c. a first cladding layer having a first side optically coupled to the core layer and an opposing second side; d. an array of coupling lightguides continuous with the lightguide region of the first lightguide, each coupling lightguide of the array of coupling lightguides terminating in a bounding edge, and each coupling lightguide folded in a fold region such that the bounding edges of the array of coupling lightguides are stacked; e. a plurality of light extraction features arranged within the light emitting region in a pattern that varies spatially in the light emitting region, the plurality of light extraction features frustrating totally internally reflected light propagating between the opposing surfaces of the core layer such that light exits the core layer in the light emitting region into the first cladding layer; f. a light source positioned to emit light into the stacked bounding edges, the light propagating within the array of coupling lightguides to the lightguide region, with light from each coupling lightguide combining and totally internally reflecting within the lightguide region; g. a light redirecting optical element optically coupled to the second side of the first cladding layer, the light redirecting optical element comprising a plurality of light redirecting features directing a first portion of the frustrated totally internally reflected light from the plurality of light extraction features toward the reflective spatial light modulator; and h. a second lightguide comprising the core layer, the second lightguide defined by a second portion of the frustrated totally internally reflected light from the first lightguide propagating by total internal reflection between a surface of the first lightguide and an area of a surface of the light redirecting optical element between the plurality of light redirecting features. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A display comprising:
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a. a reflective spatial light modulator having a reflective surface; b. a first lightguide comprising a core layer having opposing surfaces with a thickness not greater than 0.5 millimeters therebetween, a lightguide region and a light emitting region, the first lightguide defined by the opposing surfaces guiding light by total internal reflection; c. an array of coupling lightguides continuous with the lightguide region, each coupling lightguide of the array of coupling lightguides terminating in a bounding edge, and each coupling lightguide folded in a fold region such that the bounding edges of the array of coupling lightguides are stacked; d. a light source emitting light into the stacked bounding edges, the light propagating within the array of coupling lightguides to the lightguide region, with light from each coupling lightguide combining and totally internally reflecting within the lightguide region; e. a first cladding layer having a first side optically coupled to the core layer and an opposing second side; f. a plurality of light extraction features arranged within the light emitting region in a pattern that varies spatially in the light emitting region, the plurality of light extraction features frustrating the totally internally reflected light from the array of coupling lightguides propagating in the first lightguide between the opposing surfaces of the core layer such that light exits the core layer in the light emitting region into the first cladding layer; g. a light redirecting optical element optically coupled to the second side of the first cladding layer, the light redirecting optical element comprising a plurality of light redirecting features directing a first portion of the frustrated totally internally reflected light from the plurality of light extraction features back through the first cladding layer and the core layer to the reflective spatial light modulator; and h. a second lightguide comprising the core layer, the second lightguide defined by a portion of the frustrated totally internally reflected light from the first lightguide propagating by total internal reflection between a surface of the first lightguide and an area of a surface of the light redirecting optical element, wherein the plurality of light redirecting features occupies less than 50% of the surface of the light redirecting optical element, the area of the surface of the light redirecting element is defined between the plurality of light redirecting features and reflects by total internal reflection a second portion of the frustrated totally internally reflected light from the plurality of light extraction features back through the first cladding layer and into the core layer where the second portion of the frustrated totally internally reflected light totally internally reflects from the surface of the first lightguide and is subsequently reflected by one or more light redirecting features of the plurality of light redirecting features toward the reflective spatial light modulator. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification