Backlight unit and three-dimensional image display device having the same

• US 8,608,361 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, JoongHyun, Choi, Jinsung, Ye, Byoung Dae, Lee, Taeho, Kang, Yongkyu, Lee, Sangwon
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US13/351,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20120243086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 362/602, 362/603, 362/604, 362/608, 362/612, 362/613, 362/616, 362/97.2, 362/97.3
• US Class Current: 362/608
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0026 Wavelength selective element, sheet or layer, e.g. filter or grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area

Abstract

A three-dimensional (“3D”) image display device includes a backlight unit. The backlight unit includes a light guide part including a plurality of light guide units. Each of the light guide units includes a light guide plate including a light emission surface through which supplied light is emitted, a bottom surface which faces the light emission surface, and side surfaces which connect the light emission surface to the bottom surface, a plurality of light sources which emit light toward at least one of the side surfaces, and a band pass filter between the side surface to which the light is emitted and the light sources.

Claims

1. A backlight unit comprising:

a light guide part comprising a plurality of light guide units,

wherein each of the light guide units comprises;

a light guide plate comprising a light emission surface through which supplied light is emitted, a bottom surface which faces the light emission surface, and side surfaces which connect the light emission surface to the bottom surface;

a plurality of light sources which emit light toward at least one of the side surfaces; and

a band pass filter which is between the side surface to which the light is emitted and the light sources, and selectively transmits and reflects portions of the emitted light.

2. The backlight unit of claim 1, wherein the light guide part comprises a first light guide unit and a second light guide unit sequential in a direction in which light is emitted from the first light guide unit.

3. The backlight unit of claim 1, wherein the band pass filter comprises a plurality of filter units each including a plurality of films which are stacked and have refractive indexes different from each other.

4. The backlight unit of claim 3, wherein each of the filter units comprises a first film, and a second film on the first film and having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first film.

5. The backlight unit of claim 4, wherein the first film includes polyethylene naphthalate and the second film includes polystyrene.

6. The backlight unit of claim 3, wherein the band pass filter comprises at least five filter units which are stacked.

7. The backlight unit of claim 3, wherein the band pass filter

transmits selected wavelengths of the emitted light, to the light guide plate, and

reflects about 70% or more of non-selected wavelengths of the emitted light.

8. The backlight unit of claim 1, wherein each of the light sources comprises:

a light emitting diode chip;

a molding part which encapsulates the light emitting diode chip; and

a lens part which collects light emitted from the light emitting diode chip.

9. The backlight unit of claim 8, wherein the lens part comprises:

a light guide part which guides the light emitted from the light emitting diode chip, and

a light collection part which collects the light guided by the light guide part.

10. The backlight unit of claim 9, wherein each of the light sources further comprises a reflective member which surrounds the light guide part.

11. The backlight unit of claim 9, wherein the light guide part is about 3 millimeters to about 5 millimeters in diameter, and about 2 millimeters to about 6 millimeters in height.

12. The backlight unit of claim 8, wherein each of the light sources has a light emitting angle of about −

15 degrees to about 15 degrees with respect to a center of the light emitting diode chip.

13. The backlight unit of claim 1, wherein the light guide plate further comprises a light diffusion pattern on the light emission surface.

14. A three-dimensional image display device comprising:

a display panel which displays left eye and right eye images; and

a backlight unit which supplies light to the display panel,

wherein the backlight unit comprises a light guide part comprising a plurality of light guide units,

wherein each of the light guide units comprises;

a light guide plate comprising a light emission surface through which supplied light is emitted, a bottom surface which faces the light emission surface, and side surfaces which connect the light emission surface to the bottom surface;

a plurality of light sources which emit light toward at least one of the side surfaces; and

a band pass filter between the side surface to which the light is emitted and the light sources.

15. The three-dimensional image display device of claim 14, wherein the light guide part comprises a first light guide unit and a second light guide unit sequential in a direction in which light is emitted from the first light guide unit.

16. The three-dimensional image display device of claim 14, wherein the band pass filter comprises a plurality of filter units each including a plurality of films which are stacked and have refractive indexes different from each other.

17. The three-dimensional image display device of claim 16, wherein each of the filter units comprises a first film, and a second film on the first film and having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the first film.

18. The three-dimensional image display device of claim 17, wherein the first film includes polyethylene naphthalate and the second film includes polystyrene.

19. The three-dimensional image display device of claim 16, wherein the band pass filter comprises at least five filter units which are stacked.

20. The three-dimensional image display device of claim 14, wherein each of the light sources comprises:

a light emitting diode chip;

a molding part which encapsulates the light emitting diode chip; and

a lens part which collects light emitted from the light emitting diode chip.

21. The three-dimensional image display device of claim 20, wherein the lens part comprises:

a light guide part which guides the light emitted from the light emitting diode chip; and

a light collection part which collects the light guided by the light guide part.

22. The three-dimensional image display device of claim 21, wherein each of the light sources further comprises a reflective member which surrounds the light guide part.

23. A method of displaying a three-dimensional image, the method comprising

emitting light to a band pass filter of a backlight unit of a three-dimensional image display device which displays left eye and right eye images;

transmitting image light through the band pass filter;

reflecting about 70% or more of non-image light by the band pass filter; and

providing the transmitted image light to a display panel of the three-dimensional image display device to display the left eye and right eye images,

wherein the backlight unit comprises;

a plurality of light sources which emits the light,

a light guide plate which receives the light and supplies the light to the display panel, and

the band pass filter between a side surface of the light guide plate and the light sources.