Luminescent stacked waveguide display

• US 9,170,436 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibson, Gary, Henze, Richard H., Beck, Patricia A., Sheng, Xia
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Omar R
• Application Number:
  US14/346,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0003 the light guides being doped with fluorescent agents
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/011 in optical waveguides, not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133618 for ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/167 by electrophoresis

Abstract

A display includes at least two stacked waveguides (110) and (120). A first waveguide (110) contains first luminophores that fluoresce to produce light of a first color. A second waveguide (120) overlying the first waveguide and contains second luminophores that fluoresce to produce light of a second color. A light collection structure (180) transmits light from a surrounding environment transversely through the first and second waveguides (110, 120) and optical vias (172, 174) provide optical paths out of the display for light respectively from the first optical waveguide (110) and the second optical waveguide (120).

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a first waveguide containing first luminophores that fluoresce to produce light of a first color;

a second waveguide overlying the first waveguide and containing second luminophores that fluoresce to produce light of a second color;

a light collection structure positioned to transmit light from a surrounding environment transversely through the first waveguide and the second waveguide;

a first optical via providing an optical path to a display surface for light from the first optical waveguide; and

a second optical via providing an optical path to the display surface for light from the second optical waveguide,

wherein the first optical via extends through an opening in the second waveguide.

2. The display of claim 1, further comprising:

a third waveguide overlying the second waveguide and containing third luminophores that fluoresce to produce light of a third color, wherein the light collection structure transmits the light from the surrounding environment transversely through the third waveguide; and

a third optical via providing an optical path to the display surface for light from the third optical waveguide.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein:

the first color corresponds to light with a first wavelength;

the second color corresponds to light with a second wavelength that is longer than the first wavelength; and

the third color corresponds to light with a third wavelength that is longer than the second wavelength.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein the first luminophores have an absorption spectrum that differs from an absorption spectrum of the second luminophores.

5. The display of claim 1, further comprising a filter that is in the optical collection structure and above the first waveguide and the second waveguide, wherein the filter absorbs red light.

6. The display of claim 1, further comprising a first scattering element positioned to scatter light from the first waveguide into the first optical via.

7. The display of claim 6, further comprising an optical shutter positioned to control light output from the first optical via.

8. The display of claim 1, further comprising a system that controls brightness of the first optical via by controlling an amount of light escaping from the first waveguide into the first optical via.

9. The display of claim 1, further comprising a mirror underlying the first waveguide.

10. The display of claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate on which the first waveguide and the second waveguide are formed; and

an active matrix that is attached to the substrate and operates to control brightness of the first optical via and the second optical via.

11. The display of claim 1, further comprising:

a first optical shutter over the first optical via;

a second optical shutter over the second optical via;

an active matrix over the first wave guide and the second waveguide and connected to control the first optical shutter and the second optical shutter, the active matrix being transparent in at least areas corresponding to the light collection structure, the first optical via, and the second optical via.

12. A display comprising:

a first waveguide containing first luminophores that fluoresce to produce light of a first color;

a second waveguide overlying the first waveguide and containing second luminophores that fluoresce to produce light of a second color;

a light collection structure positioned to transmit light from a surrounding environment transversely through the first waveguide and the second waveguide;

a first optical via providing an optical path to a display surface for light from the first optical waveguide;

a second optical via providing an optical path to the display surface for light from the second optical waveguide;

a first optical shutter over the first optical via;

a second optical shutter optical over the second optical via; and

an active matrix over the first wave guide and the second waveguide and connected to control the first optical shutter and the second optical shutter, the active matrix being transparent in at least areas corresponding to the light collection structure, the first optical via, and the second optical via.

13. The display of claim 12, further comprising:

a third waveguide overlying the second waveguide and containing third luminophores that fluoresce to produce light of a third color, wherein the light collection structure transmits the light from the surrounding environment transversely through the third waveguide; and

a third optical via providing an optical path to the display surface for light from the third optical waveguide.

14. The display of claim 13, wherein:

the first color corresponds to light with a first wavelength;

the second color corresponds to light with a second wavelength that is longer than the first wavelength; and

the third color corresponds to light with a third wavelength that is longer than the second wavelength.

15. The display of claim 12, wherein the first optical via extends through an opening in the second waveguide.

16. The display of claim 12, wherein the first luminophores have an absorption spectrum that differs from an absorption spectrum of the second luminophores.