Method for feeding electric power to a planar light-emitting element

• US 8,643,312 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okawa, Masanao, Konishi, Hirofumi, Kawachi, Hideharu, Fujihara, Koki, Miyai, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, HENRY T
• Application Number:
  US12/659,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20100244749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 315/360, 315/363, 315/362, 315/323, 315/320, 345/204, 313/494, 313/483, 313/506
• US Class Current: 315/360
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/60 Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/805 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A method for feeding electric power to a planar light-emitting element which includes a planar anode electrode, a planar cathode electrode, a light-emitting layer provided between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, two or more anode terminal portions protruding from the anode electrode and one or more cathode terminal portions protruding from the cathode electrode. The method includes sequentially providing the electric power to the anode terminal portions.

Claims

1. A method for feeding electric power to a planar light-emitting element which includes a single light emission surface, a single planar anode electrode, a planar cathode electrode, a light-emitting layer provided between the single planar anode electrode and the planar cathode electrode, two or more anode terminal portions protruding from the single planar anode electrode and one or more cathode terminal portions protruding from the planar cathode electrode, comprising:

sequentially providing the electric power only to the two or more anode terminal portions protruding from the single planar anode electrode to thereby adjust a luminance distribution of the single light emission surface,

wherein each of the planar anode electrode and the planar cathode electrode has a rectangular shape and the planar light-emitting element includes four anode terminal portions provided at four sides of the planar anode electrode and four cathode terminal portions provided at four corners of the planar cathode electrode.

2. A light-emitting element comprising:

a single light emission surface;

a single planar anode electrode;

a planar cathode electrode;

a light-emitting layer provided between the single planar anode electrode and the planar cathode electrode;

two or more anode terminal portions protruding from the single planar anode electrode;

one or more cathode terminal portions protruding from the planar cathode electrode; and

a power supply for supplying an electric power; and

a switch circuit connected to the two or more anode terminal portions, wherein the switch circuit is configured to sequentially supply the electric power from the power supply only to the two or more anode terminal portions protruding from the single planar anode electrode to thereby adjust a luminance distribution of the single light emission surface,

wherein each of the planar anode electrode and the planar cathode electrode has a rectangular shape and the light-emitting element includes four anode terminal portions provided at four sides of the planar anode electrode and four cathode terminal portions provided at four corners of the planar cathode electrode.