Integrated front light solution
First Claim
1. An integrated illumination apparatus comprising:
- a light injection portion having a first end for receiving light from a light source located at the first end of the light injection portion, wherein the light injection portion has a length, said light injection portion comprising material that supports propagation of said light along the length of the light injection portion towards a second opposite end;
turning microstructure disposed on a first side of the light injection portion, the turning microstructure configured to turn at least a substantial portion of light incident on the first side and to direct the portion of the light towards a second opposite side of the light injection portion, wherein a width dimension of the light injection portion extends from the first side to the second side orthogonal to the length of the light injection portion;
a slit disposed along the length of the light injection portion, the slit forming an optical interface on the second opposite side of the light injection portion that provides total internal reflection for light propagating along the length of the light injection portion to be guided therein, said optical interface further transmitting light turned by said turning microstructure, the slit including two sidewalls, one or both of the sidewalls including one or both of;
a plurality of curved light control features defined by curves extending in a length dimension of the slit, and one or more curved light control features defined by curves extending substantially in a thickness dimension of the light injection portion, the thickness dimension orthogonal to both the length and the width dimension of the light injection portion;
a light distribution portion disposed with respect to the slit to receive the light turned by said turning microstructure and transmitted out of the second side of the light injection portion and through said slit; and
at least one bridge disposed between light injection portion and the light distribution portion and mechanically connecting the light injection portion to the light distribution portion.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated illumination apparatus includes a light injection portion having a first end for receiving light from a light source. The light injection portion includes material that supports propagation of said light along the length of the light injection portion. Turning microstructure is disposed on a first side of the light injection. The turning microstructure is configured to turn at least a substantial portion of light incident on the first side and to direct the portion of the light out a second opposite side of the light injection portion. A slit is disposed along the length of the light injection portion. The slit forms an optical interface on the second opposite side of the light injection portion that provides total internal reflection for light propagating along the length of the light injection portion to be guided therein. The optical interface further transmits light turned by said turning microstructure. A light distribution portion is disposed with respect to the slit to receive the light turned by said turning microstructure and transmitted out of the second side of the light injection portion and through said slit. At least one bridge is disposed between light injection portion and the light distribution portion. The bridge mechanically connects the light injection portion to the light distribution portion.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. An integrated illumination apparatus comprising:
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a light injection portion having a first end for receiving light from a light source located at the first end of the light injection portion, wherein the light injection portion has a length, said light injection portion comprising material that supports propagation of said light along the length of the light injection portion towards a second opposite end; turning microstructure disposed on a first side of the light injection portion, the turning microstructure configured to turn at least a substantial portion of light incident on the first side and to direct the portion of the light towards a second opposite side of the light injection portion, wherein a width dimension of the light injection portion extends from the first side to the second side orthogonal to the length of the light injection portion; a slit disposed along the length of the light injection portion, the slit forming an optical interface on the second opposite side of the light injection portion that provides total internal reflection for light propagating along the length of the light injection portion to be guided therein, said optical interface further transmitting light turned by said turning microstructure, the slit including two sidewalls, one or both of the sidewalls including one or both of;
a plurality of curved light control features defined by curves extending in a length dimension of the slit, and one or more curved light control features defined by curves extending substantially in a thickness dimension of the light injection portion, the thickness dimension orthogonal to both the length and the width dimension of the light injection portion;a light distribution portion disposed with respect to the slit to receive the light turned by said turning microstructure and transmitted out of the second side of the light injection portion and through said slit; and at least one bridge disposed between light injection portion and the light distribution portion and mechanically connecting the light injection portion to the light distribution portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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means for injecting light having means for receiving light from a means for emitting light located at a first end of the means for injecting light, said light injecting means comprising means for supporting propagation of said light along a length of the light injecting means towards a second end of said light injecting means; means for turning light disposed on a first side of the light injecting means, the light turning means configured to turn at least a substantial portion of light incident on the first side and to direct the portion of the light towards a second opposite side of the light injecting means; means for providing total internal reflection for light propagating along the length of the light injecting means to be guided therein, said total internal reflection providing means disposed along the length of the light injecting means on the second opposite side of the light injecting means, said total internal reflection providing means further transmitting light turned by said light turning means, wherein a width dimension of the light injecting means extends from the first side of the light injecting means to the second side of the light injecting means, the total internal reflection providing means having one or both of;
a plurality of curved light control features defined by curves extending in a length dimension of the light injecting means, and one or more curved light control features defined by curves extending substantially in a thickness dimension of the light injecting means, the thickness dimension orthogonal to both the length and the width dimension of the light injecting means;means for distributing light disposed with respect to the total internal reflection providing means to receive the light from said light turning means and transmitted out of the second side of the light injecting means and through said total internal reflection providing means; and means for mechanically connecting disposed between and mechanically connecting the light injecting means and the light distribution means. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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Specification