Light guide including optical scattering elements and a method of manufacture

• US 7,864,395 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chui, Clarence
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tra; Tuyen Q
• Application Number:
  US11/588,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 359/247, 359/242, 359/245, 359/238, 359/277, 359/320, 359/290, 359/291
• US Class Current: 359/245
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0041 provided in the bulk of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects

Abstract

A method and system for fabricating a light guide is disclosed. The method and system comprise providing a light guide element which includes a plurality of scattering elements located therein and adjusting at least a portion of the scattering elements to maintain their optical scattering character. The present invention provides a system and method for fabricating a front light technology that is inexpensive and can compete on a cost basis with LCD backlight technologies while maintaining reasonable performance.

Claims

1. A method for fabrication on an interferometric modulator system comprising:

providing a light guide element which includes a plurality of scattering elements located therein;

providing an interferometric modulator disposed with respect to the light guide to receive light therefrom; and

applying ultra-violet (UV) light to at least a portion of a coating on at least a portion of said scattering elements, thereby masking at least a portion of said scattering elements,

wherein the applying step comprises;

activating the coating on a first side by providing UV light to the first side at a first wavelength; and

deactivating the coating on a second side substantially opposite the first side to maintain the optical scattering character of the scattering elements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the light guide element is provided utilizing any of injection molding, compression molding, spincasting, extrusion molding and blow molding.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided in a randomly distributed fashion within the light guide element.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the scattering elements are provided with a portion of the scattering elements protruding from the top portion of the light guide element.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the top portion of the light guide element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a photochromic material.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an adhesive layer on the interferometric modulator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the light guide element is placed on the adhesive layer.

9. An interferometric modulator system comprising:

a light guide element including a plurality of scattering elements therewithin, at least a portion of said scattering elements masked by a photochromic material, said material on a first side configured to be activated by application of ultra-violet (UV) light at a first wavelength, said material on a second side configured to be deactivated by application of UV light at a second wavelength; and

an interferometric modulator disposed with respect to the light guide to receive light therefrom.

10. The interferometric modulator system of claim 9 wherein a top portion of each of the at least one portion of the plurality of scattering elements are masked.

11. The interferometric modulator system of claim 9 wherein the at least a portion of the masked scattering elements are distributed in a random fashion within the light guide element.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein a portion of the scattering elements protrude from the top portion of the light guide element.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the scattering elements are provided in a distributed fashion within the top portion of the light guide element.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a display comprising the interferometric modulator;

a processor that is configured to communicate with said display, said processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with said processor.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said display.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

20. The system of claim 9, further comprising an adhesive layer on the interferometric modulator.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the light guide element is placed on the adhesive layer.

22. The system of claim 9, wherein the material comprises a coating.