Light indicator

• US 6,759,965 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MariMils Oy (MariCap Oy)
• Original Assignee: Oy Ics Intelligent Control Systems, Ltd.
• Inventors: Rinko, Kari, Hatjasalo, Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/979,737
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/815.42, 340/815.45, 340/461, 362/31, 362/32, 362/227, 362/234, 359/13, 359/14, 359/15, 116/216, 116/219
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/0409 Arrangements for homogeneous illumination of the display surface, e.g. using a layer having a non-uniform transparency arrangements of reflectors G09F13/14

Abstract

The invention relates to a light indicator, comprising an indicator element (2) illuminable by a light source (1). The indicator element is manufactured from a substantially transparent material provided with an informative indicator pattern. The indicator element (2) is designed as a waveguide panel, wherein light beams propagate with total reflection and get outcoupled therefrom with a diffractive outcoupling system (2u), such as a grating structure or the like, which is configured as an indcator pattern, for producing an indicator pattern (2a) activable in the indicator element (2) by the action of light, such that divergent recesses and/or grooves of various sizes and/or shape constitute divergent local gratings of various sizes and/or shapes, such as multi-shaped and/or binary pixels and/or units, the filling factor, shape, profile and/or size thereof being optimized in such a way that the difraction efficiency is a function of place.

Claims

1. A light indicator, comprising,

an indicator element operative to be illuminated by a light source, the indicator element comprising a substantially transparent material including an indicator pattern;

and

a diffractive outcoupling system arranged over at least a portion of a light surface of the indicator element and operative to outcouple light from the indicator element through the indicator pattern, the diffractive outcoupling system comprising a plurality of local grating elements, each of the plurality of local grating elements having a diffraction efficiency and comprising at least one pattern of at least one of grooves and recesses, the diffraction efficiency of the local grating elements varying over the outcoupling system as a function of location.

2. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the diffraction efficiency is varied by varying at least one of filling factor, shape, profile, size, and orientation of the at least one of grooves and recesses over the diffractive outcoupling system.

3. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the local grating elements comprise at least one of multi-shaped pixels, binary pixels, multi-shaped units and binary units.

4. The light indicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source.

5. The light indicator according to claim 4, wherein the light source comprises at least one longitudinally successive LED.

6. The light indicator according to claim 5, further comprising:

a diffractive incoupling system operative to introduce light beams from the at least one longitudinally successive LED into the panel element, whereby the at least one longitudinally successive LED illuminates the indicator pattern of the indicator.

7. The light indicator according to claim 6, wherein the diffractive incoupling system is arranged at a boundary surface of the indicator element.

8. The light indicator according to claim 6, wherein the diffractive incoupling system comprises at least one of a binary beam distributor, a local grating structure, and a diffuser.

9. The light indicator according to claim 5, wherein light beams from the at least one longitudinally successive LED are introduced into the panel element by means of geometrical contours of a boundary surface of the indicator element.

10. The light indicator according to claim 4, wherein light beams from the light source are introduced into the panel element by means of geometrical contours of a boundary surface of the indicator element.

11. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the indicator element is designed as a waveguide panel.

12. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein light beams propagate in the indicator element with total reflection.

13. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the diffractive outcoupling structure is configured as an indicator pattern.

14. The light indicator according to claim 13, wherein the diffractive outcoupling system is operative to produce an indicator pattern operative to be activated in the indicator element by light action.

15. The light indicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a diffractive incoupling system operative to introduce light beams from the light source into the panel element.

16. The light indicator according to claim 15, wherein the diffractive incoupling system is arranged at a boundary surface of the indicator element.

17. The light indicator according to claim 15, wherein the diffractive incoupling system comprises at least one of a binary beam distributor, a local grating structure, and a diffuser.

18. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the diffractive outcoupling system is arranged on a bottom surface of the indicator element.

19. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the indicator element comprises a thin and optically clear manufacturing material having a thickness of 0.1-4 mm.

20. The light indicator according to claim 19, wherein the indicator element comprises a polymeric, elastomeric, or ceramic panel or sheet.

21. The light indicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a diffractive incoupling system arranged at a perimeter of the indicator element and operative to introduce light beams from the light source into the indicator element.

22. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the indicator element comprises a flexible and/or preformed manufacturing material.

23. The light indicator according to claim 22, wherein the indicator pattern of the indicator element is adapted to activate by maintaining the indicator element everywhere at a local radius of curvature that is sufficiently small such that a threshold angle of total reflection is not exceeded as a light beam travels within the indicator element.

24. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the diffractive outcoupling system is operative with diffractive patterns of various colors.

25. The light indicator according to claim 24, further comprising:

at least one independently controlled lighting unit operative to produce light of various colors and operative produce to least one indicator image of the indicator pattern.

26. The light indicator according to claim 25, wherein the light of various colors is produced by varying at least one of an intensity and a supply voltage of the light source.

27. The light indicator according to claim 25, wherein the at least one independently controlled light unit comprises a red/green/blue/white LED.

28. The light indicator according to claim 1, wherein the indicator element comprises a responsive surface operative to eliminate beams transmitted from a grating structure of the outcoupling system and/or for preventing the formation of pronounced light spots.

29. The light indicator according to claim 28, wherein the responsive surface comprises at least one of a reflector and a diffuser.

30. The light indicator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a diffractive incoupling system comprising a beam distributor operative to introduce light beams from a light source into the indicator element, the indicator element being arranged at one of a front and a back surface of the indicator element and being operative to focus light received from a light source to propagate with total reflection within the indicator element,

wherein the indicator element comprises a closed box.