ULTRA-THIN DISPLAY USING THIN FLEXIBLE LED LIGHT SHEET

• US 20160154170A1
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NthDegree Technologies Worldwide Inc.
• Original Assignee: NthDegree Technologies Worldwide Inc.
• Inventors: Thompson, Travis, Oraw, Bradley S., Ray, Alexander, Dennis, Andrew, Lowenthal, Mark D., Behm Thompson, Sarah, Ray, William J., Blanchard, Richard A., Shotton, Neil O., Woolgar, Tammie, Nathan, Joseph, Baldridge, Jeffrey, Hardinger, David
• Application Number:
  US15/014,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20160154170A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/225 Small compartments, e.g. glove compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/233 Seats; Arm rests; Head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/252 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/283 Steering wheels; Gear levers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/54 Lighting devices embedded in interior trim, e.g. in roof liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/745 using lighting panels or mats, e.g. electro-luminescent panels, LED mats
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/00 Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• 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: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Various applications and customizations of a thin flexible LED light sheet are described. Microscopic LED dice are printed on a thin substrate, and the LEDs are sandwiched between two conductor layers to connect the LEDs in parallel. The conductor layer on the light emitting side is transparent. In one embodiment, the light sheet is applied to the bottom surface of a controllable display to serve as a backlight. In another embodiment, the light sheet is applied to the edge of a leaky light guide for backlighting. In another embodiment, a thin light-emitting edge of the light sheet is coupled to the edge of the leaky light guide for backlighting. In another embodiment, the light sheet is affixed to a medical instrument, and light is emitted from a thin light-emitting edge of the light sheet. In one embodiment, the light sheet is optically coupled to an optical fiber.

Claims

1. An illuminating device comprising:

a printed light emitting diode (LED) light sheet comprising a plurality of inorganic LED dies sandwiched between two conductive layers, the light sheet having at least one light emitting surface; and

a display layer backlit by the printed light sheet.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the light sheet emits light through a first surface substantially parallel to the conductive layers, and wherein the first surface opposes the display layer.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a wavelength-conversion layer between the light sheet and the display layer.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the light sheet emits light through a first edge surface, the device further comprising a light guide, the light guide having a second edge surface coupled to receive light from the first edge surface of the light sheet, wherein light exits the light guide through a non-edge surface opposing the display layer.

5. The device of claim 4 further comprising a wavelength conversion layer over the first edge.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the light sheet has reflective surfaces that cause the light emission of the light sheet to be from the first edge surface.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein at least one of the reflective surfaces reflect light in the direction of the first edge surface.

8. The device of claim 4 wherein the first edge surface is a diffusing surface.

9. The device of claim 4 wherein the light sheet and light guide are supported by a printed circuit board surface.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the display layer is a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the display layer is an electronic ink layer.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein there is a random distribution of LED dies in the light sheet.

13. An illuminating device comprising:

a flexible printed light emitting diode (LED) light sheet comprising a plurality of inorganic LEDs sandwiched between two conductive layers, the light sheet having at least one light emitting surface; and

an optical fiber, wherein the light sheet is optically coupled to the optical fiber.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein one end of the optical fiber is coupled to a camera and another end of the optical fiber receives an image illuminated by the light sheet.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the light sheet emits light through a first edge surface to illuminate objects detected by the camera.