Multicolor light emitting diodes

• US 8,339,028 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pance, Aleksandar, Kerr, Duncan, Bilbrey, Brett, Culbert, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US12/495,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 313498-512
• US Class Current: 313/498
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/08 with a plurality of light emitting regions, e.g. laterally discontinuous light emitting layer or photoluminescent region integrated within the semiconductor body H01L27/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls

Abstract

A device such as a multicolor light emitting diode that emits different colors of light and that may combine the different colors emitted by individual light emitting diodes. The multicolor LED may include a common anode terminal that may be connected to each anode of the individual light emitting diodes. The multicolor LED may be a five terminal multicolor LED. Additionally, the multicolor LED may include two anode terminals, in which the first anode terminal may be a common anode terminal connected to three of the individual color LEDs and the second anode terminal may be connected to an anode of a white LED. In this embodiment, the multicolor LED may be a six terminal multicolor LED.

Claims

1. A multicolor light emitting package comprising:

a white light emitting diode operative to emit a white light;

a multicolor light emitting diode operative to emit a colored light;

a first light guide optically coupled to the white light emitting diode and having a first ramp shape; and

a second light guide optically coupled to the multicolor light emitting diode and having a second ramp shape, the second light guide adjacent the first ramp-shaped light guide;

the first and second light guides configured to combine the white light and the colored light, thereby producing an output light.

2. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing enclosing at least the at least one light guide; and

a window defined by the housing, wherein the outputted light travels through the window.

3. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 1 further comprising four cathode terminals and a common anode terminal, wherein the cathode and the anode are connected to the housing, further wherein each one of the four cathode terminals is operationally connected on a one to one basis to each of the cathodes of the white, red, green and blue light emitting diodes and the common anode terminal is operationally connected to all of the anodes of white, red, green and blue light emitting diodes.

4. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 3 wherein the housing comprises six terminals wherein two of the terminals are both operationally connected to all of the anodes of the white, red, green and blue light emitting diodes.

5. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 1 further comprising a first and a second anode terminal, both of which are connected to the housing wherein, the first anode terminal is a common anode terminal operationally connected to all of the anodes of the red, green and blue light emitting diode, further wherein the second anode terminal is connected to the anode of the white light emitting diode.

6. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 1, wherein the multicolor light emitting diode comprises:

a red light emitting diode;

a blue light emitting diode; and

a green light emitting diode;

wherein each of the red, blue and green light emitting diodes are optically coupled to the at least one light guide.

7. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 6 wherein the white, red, green and blue light emitting diodes are arranged in a two by two grid.

8. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 6 wherein the white, red, green and blue light emitting diodes are linearly arranged in a one by four grid.

9. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 1 wherein:

the first light guide comprises;

a first ramp-shaped section and a first elongate extension, the first ramp-shaped section and the first elongate extension contiguous with one another; and

the second light guide comprises;

a second ramp-shaped section and a second elongate extension, the second ramp-shaped section and the second elongate extension contiguous with one another.

10. The multicolor light emitting package of claim 9, wherein:

the first light guide is located above the second light guide; and

the second light guide is configured to transmit light through the first light guide.