Backlight unit using wire-grid polarizer and liquid crystal display apparatus employing the backlight unit
First Claim
1. A backlight unit comprising:
- a light source which radiates light;
a light guide plate, disposed with the light source positioned at a lateral side of the light guide plate, which guides the light incident on the lateral side into the light guide plate;
a wire-grid polarizer, comprising a plurality of parallel metal wires formed on one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the light guide plate, which transmits a first polarized component of the light in a substantially perpendicular direction to the metal wires through the one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the light guide plate and reflects a second polarized component of the light in a substantially parallel direction to the metal wires;
a reflector which is disposed below the light guide plate and reflects the light emitted out from the light guide plate to an inside of the light guide plate;
a polarization converter which changes a polarization of the light not emitted through the top surface of the light guide plate into an opposite polarization; and
a micro-structured pattern, formed on a surface of a given layer in the light guide plate, which changes a proceeding direction of the light incident on the micro-structured pattern to be substantially vertical to the top surface of the light guide plate,wherein the surface of the given layer, substantially parallel to the top surface of the light guide plate, is disposed apart from the top surface of the light guide plate, andwherein the given layer on which the micro-structured pattern is formed is the bottom layer of the light guide plate, and the wire-grid polarizer is formed on the top surface of the light guide plate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A backlight unit, which can emit one of s-polarized light and p-polarized light using wire-grid polarizer, and a liquid crystal display apparatus employing the backlight unit are provided. The backlight unit includes: a light source radiating light; a light guide plate disposed with the light source at a lateral side of the light guide plate, guiding the light incident on the lateral side from the light source; a wire-grid polarizer formed on a predetermined layer of the light guide plate transmitting a first polarized component of the light through the predetermined layer and reflecting a second polarized component of light; a reflector reflecting the light to un upper surface of the light guide plate; and a polarization converter changing a polarization of the light not emitted through the upper surface of the light guide plate.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A backlight unit comprising:
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a light source which radiates light; a light guide plate, disposed with the light source positioned at a lateral side of the light guide plate, which guides the light incident on the lateral side into the light guide plate; a wire-grid polarizer, comprising a plurality of parallel metal wires formed on one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the light guide plate, which transmits a first polarized component of the light in a substantially perpendicular direction to the metal wires through the one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the light guide plate and reflects a second polarized component of the light in a substantially parallel direction to the metal wires; a reflector which is disposed below the light guide plate and reflects the light emitted out from the light guide plate to an inside of the light guide plate; a polarization converter which changes a polarization of the light not emitted through the top surface of the light guide plate into an opposite polarization; and a micro-structured pattern, formed on a surface of a given layer in the light guide plate, which changes a proceeding direction of the light incident on the micro-structured pattern to be substantially vertical to the top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the surface of the given layer, substantially parallel to the top surface of the light guide plate, is disposed apart from the top surface of the light guide plate, and wherein the given layer on which the micro-structured pattern is formed is the bottom layer of the light guide plate, and the wire-grid polarizer is formed on the top surface of the light guide plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus including an LCD panel and a backlight unit installed on a rear surface of the LCD panel, the backlight unit comprising:
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a light source which radiates light; a light guide plate, disposed with the light source positioned at a lateral side of the light guide plate, which guides the light incident on the lateral side into the light guide plate; a wire-grid polarizer, comprising a plurality of parallel metal wires formed on one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the light guide plate, which transmits a first polarized component of the light in a substantially perpendicular direction to the metal wires through the one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the light guide plate and reflects a second polarized component of the light in a substantially parallel direction to the metal wires; a reflector which is disposed below the light guide plate and reflects the light emitted out from the light guide plate to an inside of the light guide plate; a polarization converter which changes a polarization of the light not emitted through the top surface of the light guide plate into an opposite polarization; and a micro-structured pattern, formed on a surface of a given layer in the light guide plate, which changes a proceeding direction of the light incident on the micro-structured pattern to be substantially vertical to the top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the surface of the given layer, substantially parallel to the top surface of the light guide plate, is disposed apart from the top surface of the light guide plate, and wherein the given layer on which the micro-structured pattern is formed is the bottom layer of the light guide plate, and the wire-grid polarizer is formed on the top surface of the light guide plate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method for generating a backlight, comprising:
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guiding light into a light guide plate from a lateral side to an opposite lateral side of the light guide plate; transmitting a first polarized component of the light in a substantially perpendicular direction to a plurality of parallel metal wires of a wire-grid polarizer through one of a top surface and a bottom surface of the light guide plate and reflecting a second polarized component of the light in a substantially parallel direction to the metal wires; reflecting the light, emitted through the light guide plate to an inside of the light guide plate; and changing a polarization of the light not emitted through a top surface of the light guide plate into an opposite polarization so that the light with a changed polarization is emitted through the top surface of the light guide plate, wherein the transmitting and the reflecting are performed using a micro-structured pattern, formed on a surface of a given layer in the light guide plate, which changes a proceeding direction of the light incident on the micro-structured pattern to be substantially vertical to the top surface of the light guide plate, and wherein the surface of the given layer, substantially parallel to the top surface of the light guide plate, is disposed apart from the top surface of the light guide plate, and wherein the given layer on which the micro-structured pattern is formed is the bottom layer of the light guide plate, and the wire-grid polarizer is formed on the top surface of the light guide plate. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification