High efficiency and long life optical spectrum conversion device and process

• US 8,724,054 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary Wayne Jones
• Original Assignee: Gary Wayne Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Gary Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, TAI V
• Application Number:
  US12/788,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 349/70, 349/71, 362/84, 362/582, 362/97.1, 362/97.2, 372/70, 313/503, 313/504, 313/110
• US Class Current: 349/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2933/0041 relating to wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/50 Wavelength conversion elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

A spectral conversion device including a plurality of discrete units dyed with a photoluminescent material at a concentration greater than or equal to an amount sufficient to absorb and convert substantially all input light from a light source to a desired output spectrum, and a coating material disposed around the discrete units, wherein the coating material binds the plurality of discrete units to form a matrix, wherein when the plurality of discrete units are positioned over the light source, the input light passing through the transparent discrete units is not converted, and the input light passing through the doped discrete units is converted to red and green wavelengths, further wherein the emitted input light and the converted red and green light correspond to the desired output spectrum to produce one or more colors. An associated method and an associated device used with flat panel image displays are also provided.

Claims

1. A spectral conversion device comprising:

a plurality of discrete units, the plurality of discrete units including transparent discrete units and dyed discrete units, wherein the dyed discrete units are dyed with a photoluminescent material at a concentration greater than or equal to an amount sufficient to absorb and convert substantially all input light from a light source to a desired output spectrum; and

a coating material disposed around the plurality of discrete units, wherein the coating material binds the plurality of discrete units to form a matrix, further wherein a thickness of the coating material determines the distance between each of the plurality of discrete units;

wherein when the plurality of discrete units are positioned over the light source, the input light passing through the transparent discrete units is not converted, and the input light passing through the dyed discrete units is converted, further wherein the emitted input light and the converted input light correspond to the desired output spectrum to produce one or more colors.

2. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the concentration of photoluminescent material is greater than or equal to 0.02% photoluminescent material in each of the dyed discrete units.

3. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the converted input light includes green light wavelengths and red light wavelengths.

4. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the total amount of photoluminescent dye will not photo degrade below a certain total amount during the targeted life of the matrix, thereby avoiding a failure to absorb and convert substantially all input light to the desired output spectrum.

5. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete units are optical fibers having a thickness or a diameter and a length, wherein the thickness, the diameter and the length may vary in each of the plurality of discrete units.

6. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete units are ribbons.

7. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete units are pellets.

8. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the coating material has a higher index of refraction than each of the plurality of discrete units.

9. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode providing blue or violet light.

10. The spectral conversion device of claim 9, wherein the light source includes visible and non-visible electromagnetic radiation.

11. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the photoluminescent material is an organic photoluminescent material, the organic photoluminescent dye having high quantum efficiency fluorescent properties.

12. The spectral conversion device of claim 11, wherein the organic photoluminescent material are selected from the group consisting of:

perylene, squarine, naphthaltic acid, polyfluorine derivative based photoluminescent compound, rotaxane, and cucurbituril.

13. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the dyed discrete units include two or more photoluminescent dyes mixed or layered to narrow the desired output spectrum, the two or more photoluminescent dyes having a concentration greater than or equal to ten times the amount needed to extinguish all of the input light.

14. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein some of the plurality of discrete units provide an alternate optical pathway to vary the desired output spectrum or create an additional color spectrum.

15. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete units are positioned proximate multiple light sources, wherein at least one of the multiple light sources is a blue light source.

16. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the transparent discrete units are coated with a first material having a low index of refraction and a second material having an index of refraction lower than the first material, wherein the first material is applied prior to the second material.

17. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein a portion of each of the plurality of discrete units is not dyed with the photoluminescent material for added efficiency and collimation of light.

18. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the photoluminescent material is intentionally photodegraded with high intensity light of an appropriate wavelength to rapidly photodegrade the photoluminescent material in the dyed discrete units from a portion of the dyed discrete units for added efficiency and collimation of light.

19. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein a reflective filter is positioned proximate an end of the plurality of discrete units which accepts the input light to pass the input light but reflect wavelengths back into the plurality of discrete units to permit shallower angles to be used with or without the use of beveled ends, permitting the desired output spectrum to reenter the plurality of discrete units.

20. The optic spectral conversion device of claim 19, wherein the reflective filter is a dichroic filter.

21. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the input light is provided at an angle to the sides or base of the plurality of discrete units at a location above the point where a significant amount of the light would be reflected off the surfaces of the plurality of discrete units.

22. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein a bottom portion of the plurality of discrete units are tapered.

23. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion of the plurality of discrete units is a highly reflective surface, and an upper portion of the plurality of discrete units is a less reflective surface than the bottom portion, allowing transmission of light.

24. The spectral conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete units act as organic dye lasers, wherein an input pumping light is used as a pulsed laser scanned by at least one input light source, further wherein the plurality of discrete units are switched in secession so at least one discrete unit some units is in an on position.

25. A spectral conversion device comprising:

one or more photoluminescent color conversion matrices corresponding to an individual color element of an image display device having a plurality of light switches, wherein the one or more photoluminescent matrices provide an output spectrum for the corresponding individual color element;

wherein the photoluminescent color conversion matrices include a plurality of discrete units, the plurality of discrete units including transparent discrete units and dyed discrete units, wherein the dyed discrete units are dyed with a photoluminescent material at a concentration greater than or equal to an amount sufficient to absorb and convert substantially all input light from a light source to a desired output spectrum, and a coating material disposed around the plurality of discrete units, wherein the coating material binds the plurality of discrete units to form the color conversion matrix, further wherein a thickness of the coating material determines the distance between each of the plurality of discrete units.

26. The spectral conversion device of claim 25, wherein the image display device is a liquid crystal display.

27. The spectral conversion device of claim 25, wherein the individual color elements represent a pixel or sub-pixel.

28. The spectral conversion device of claim 25, wherein the individual color elements of the image display device include photonic lattice patterns, selective dichroic filters, and absorbing color filters.

29. The spectral conversion device of claim 28, wherein the plurality of discrete units of each of the one or more photoluminescent color conversion matrices are arranged to form a photonic lattice design to add additional control over the desired output spectrum width, dominant color, efficiency, angle of light emission, and other optical properties in one or more regions of the image display device.

30. The spectral conversion device of claim 25, wherein the light switches are high-speed optical switches operably associated with the plurality of discrete units of the one or more photoluminescent color conversion matrices.

31. The spectral conversion device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of discrete units, with or without the photoluminescent material, are arranged to amplify a spectrum shift and a shift of the polarization of light due to evanescent interactions of light in alternating portions of the one or more color conversion matrices.

32. The spectral conversion device of claim 25, further includes:

an array of ribbons with or without the photoluminescent material that are grown from random, self-organized, or patterned seed patterns using charged and/or polar molecules during the growth process to minimize sideways growth and where the light is introduced into alternating sections to induce large scale evanescent wave light interactions, wherein characteristics of the large scale evanescent wave light interaction are modified with changeable electrical, magnetic fields, or light switches through direct interactions or indirectly through interaction with various coatings.

33. The spectral conversion device of claim 25, wherein a cooling means is provided to the one or more color conversion matrices.

34. A method of improving life and efficiency of spectral conversion comprising:

providing a plurality of discrete units, the plurality of discrete units including transparent discrete units and dyed discrete units;

dying the dyed discrete units with a photoluminescent material at a concentration greater than or equal to an amount sufficient to absorb and convert substantially all input light from a light source to a desired output spectrum;

providing a coating material around the plurality of discrete units, wherein the coating material binds the plurality of discrete units to form a matrix, further wherein a thickness of the coating material determines the distance between each of the plurality of discrete units; and

positioning the plurality of discrete units proximate the light source, wherein the input light passing through the transparent discrete units is not converted, and the input light passing through the dyed discrete units is converted, further wherein the emitted input light and the converted input light correspond to the desired output spectrum to produce one or more colors.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the concentration of photoluminescent material is greater than or equal to 0.02% photoluminescent material in each of the dyed discrete units.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode providing blue or violet light.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the photoluminescent dye will not photo degrade below a certain concentration during the targeted life of the matrix that will fail to absorb and convert substantially all input light.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of discrete units are optical fibers having a thickness and a length, wherein the thickness and length may vary from each of the plurality of discrete units.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the photoluminescent material is an organic photoluminescent material, the organic photoluminescent dye having high quantum efficiency fluorescent properties.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of discrete units are positioned proximate multiple light sources, wherein at least one of the multiple light sources is a blue light source.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of discrete units are operably associated with flat panel image display devices.

42. The method of claim 34, wherein the converted input light includes ultraviolet, green, and red light wavelengths.