Backlight apparatus and color image display apparatus

• US 7,566,143 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hoshi, Mitsunari, Furukawa, Norimasa, Katsu, Yoshihiro, Okabe, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar; Stephen F
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANSON JR, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US11/807,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20070297172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 362/602, 362/612, 362/613, 362/276, 345/83, 345/88, 345/102
• US Class Current: 362/231
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/064 by time modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix

Abstract

Herein disclosed a backlight apparatus for illuminating a color display panel from the back side, which may include a light source section having a composite light source, a light detecting light introducing plate, a plurality of light amount sensors for the individual colors, and control means.

Claims

1. A backlight apparatus for illuminating a color display panel from the back side, comprising:

a light source section including a composite light source configured to mix light fluxes of different colors from a plurality of monochromatic light sources and irradiate the mixed light upon said color display panel and having a plurality of optical regions grouped for each arbitrary number of said monochromatic light sources;

a light detecting light introducing plate in the form of an optically transparent elongated plate disposed so as to traverse the optical regions of said light source section and having at least one light pickup portion provided thereon corresponding to each of the optical regions;

a plurality of light amount sensors for the individual colors provided at least on one of the opposite end faces of said light detecting light introducing plate in the longitudinal direction; and

control means for successively detecting the light in the individual optical regions using said color light sensors for the individual colors and controlling the light amount balance of the light of the colors emitted from the monochromatic light sources grouped for the individual optical regions based on detection outputs of said light amount sensors for the colors.

2. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light pickup portion has an upright face provided uprightly so as to intersect with the longitudinal direction of said light detecting light introducing plate and so as not to satisfy an angular condition for the total reflection.

3. The backlight apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said light pickup portion is formed in a concave shape.

4. The backlight apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said light pickup portion is formed in a convex shape.

5. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light pickup portion is provided one for each predetermined number of the optical regions.

6. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light pickup portion is provided for each of the optical regions.

7. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light pickup portion is provided by a plural number for one of the optical regions.

8. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of partition walls configured to separate the optical regions from each other, said light detecting light introducing plate being provided so as to extend through said partition walls.

9. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of light amount sensors for the colors provided in the light amount sensor sections which are provided at the opposite ends of said light detecting light introducing plate in the longitudinal direction.

10. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the light amount sensors provided in light amount sensor sections provided at the opposite ends of said light detecting light introducing plate in the longitudinal direction so that each of the light amount sensors detects light of a plurality of colors emitted from those of the grouped monochromatic light sources which correspond to those of divisional portions obtained by dividing said light detecting light introducing plate equally into two portions in the longitudinal direction which are positioned on the remote side from the light amount sensor, thereby to successively detect the light emitted from the optical regions by means of the light amount sensors of the colors, and then controls the light amount balances of the light of the colors to be emitted from the monochromatic light sources grouped individually for the optical regions based on the detection outputs of the light amount sensor sections of the colors.

11. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the light amount sensors provided at the opposite ends of said light detecting light introducing plate in the longitudinal direction so that each of the light amount sensors detects light of a plurality of colors emitted from those of the grouped monochromatic light sources which correspond to those of divisional portions obtained by dividing said light detecting light introducing plate equally into two portions in the longitudinal direction which are positioned on the near side from the light amount sensor, thereby to successively detect the light emitted from the optical regions by means of the light amount sensors of the colors, and then controls the light amount balances of the light of the colors to be emitted from the monochromatic light sources grouped individually for the optical regions based on the detection outputs of the light amount sensor sections of the colors.

12. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light pickup portions provided in the optical regions of said light detecting light introducing plate are formed such that the light pickup efficiency increases as the distance from each of said light amount sensors for the colors increases.

13. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light pickup portions provided in the optical regions have different shapes to make the light pickup efficiencies different from each other among the optical regions.

14. The backlight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light pickup portions are provided in the optical regions such that the numbers of the light pickup portions included in the optical portions are made different from each other.

15. A color image display apparatus, comprising:

a color display panel; and

a backlight apparatus configured to illuminate said color display panel from the back side;

said backlight apparatus including a light source section having a composite light source configured to mix light fluxes of different colors from a plurality of monochromatic light sources and irradiate the mixed light upon said color display panel and having a plurality of optical regions grouped for each arbitrary number of said monochromatic light sources, a light detecting light introducing plate in the form of an optically transparent elongated plate disposed so as to traverse the optical regions of said light source section and having at least one light pickup portion provided thereon corresponding to each of the optical regions, a plurality of light amount sensors for the individual colors provided at least on one of the opposite end faces of said light detecting light introducing plate in the longitudinal direction, and control means for successively detecting the light in the individual optical regions using said color light sensors for the individual colors and controlling the light amount balance of the light of the colors emitted from the monochromatic light sources grouped for the individual optical regions based on detection outputs of said light amount sensors for the colors.