Directional Backlight
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a light guiding valve apparatus including at least one transparent stepped waveguide optical valve for providing large area collimated illumination from localized light sources, and at least one further illumination source. A stepped waveguide may be a stepped structure, where the steps include extraction features hidden to guided light, propagating in a first forward direction. Returning light propagating in a second backward direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide discrete illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the waveguide. Such controlled illumination may provide for efficient, multi-user autostereoscopic displays as well as improved 2D display functionality. Light from a separate illumination source may pass through the transparent stepped waveguide optical valve to provide at least one further additional illumination function.
17 Citations
51 Claims
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1-26. -26. (canceled)
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27. A directional illumination apparatus, comprising:
a first light extraction element for guiding and extracting light, wherein the first light extraction element comprises; a first light guiding surface; a second light guiding surface, opposite the first light guiding surface; and a first illumination input surface located between the first and second light guiding surfaces, the first illumination input surface operable to receive light from a first array of light sources; and a second light extraction element for guiding and extracting light, wherein the second light extraction element comprises; a third light guiding surface, a fourth light guiding surface opposite the third light guiding surface, a second illumination input surface located between the third and fourth light guiding surfaces, the second illumination input surface operable to receive light from a second array of light sources, wherein light from the second light extraction light element is directed at least in part through a surface of the first light extraction element other than the first illumination input surface. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A directional illumination system, comprising:
a first light extraction element for guiding and extracting light, wherein the first light extraction element comprises; a first section operable to allow light rays to spread; and a second section further comprising; a first light guiding surface; and a second light guiding surface, opposite the first light guiding surface; a first illumination input surface located between the first and second light guiding surfaces, the first illumination input surface operable to receive light from a first array of light sources; and a second light extraction element for guiding and extracting light, wherein the second light extraction element comprises; a third section operable to allow light rays to spread; and a fourth section further comprising; a third light guiding surface, a fourth light guiding surface opposite the third light guiding surface, a second illumination input surface located between the third and fourth light guiding surfaces, the second illumination input surface operable to receive light from a second array of light sources, wherein light from the second light extraction light element is directed at least in part through a surface of the first light extraction element other than the first illumination input surface.
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47. A directional illumination apparatus, comprising:
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at least two optical valves for guiding light, wherein each optical valve further comprises; a first light guiding surface, wherein the first light guiding surface is substantially planar; and a second light guiding surface, opposite the first light guiding surface, further comprising a plurality of guiding features and a plurality of extraction features, wherein the plurality of extraction features are operable to allow light to pass with substantially low loss when the light is propagating in a first direction; wherein the optical valves in cooperation with respective approximately aligned light sources are arranged to provide different directional illuminations. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50)
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51. A light guiding system that provides directional distributions, comprising:
a directional illumination apparatus, comprising; at least two optical valves for guiding light, wherein each optical valve further comprises; a first light guiding surface, wherein the first light guiding surface is substantially planar, and a second light guiding surface, opposite the first light guiding surface, the second light guiding surface comprising at least one guiding feature and a plurality of extraction features, wherein the plurality of extraction features are operable to allow light to pass with substantially low loss when the light is propagating in a first direction and further operable to reflect light to exit the optical valve when the light is propagating in a second direction; a spatial light modulator operable to receive light from at least one of the two optical valves wherein the optical valves in cooperation with respective approximately aligned light sources are arranged to provide different directional illuminations.
Specification