Transparent structure with controllable lighting

• US 10,338,448 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2018
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mazuir, Clarisse, Last, Matthew E., Garrone, Ryan J., Dan, Budhadipta, Bayat, Khadijeh, Cohoon, Gregory A., Graves, Jack E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Joseph L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Jose M
• Application Number:
  US16/039,641
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/2417 Light path control; means to control reflection
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/247 Electrically powered illumination
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0006 Coupling light into the fibre in general G02B6/4298
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0041 provided in the bulk of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1334 based on polymer dispersed liquid crystals, e.g. microencapsulated liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/137 characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure involve a transparent structure. The structure may include at least one light source, a transparent light-carrying guide layer optically coupled with the at least one light source. The structure may include refractive layers where a light absorbing feature is operably associated with the light-carrying guide layer to absorb any light not internally reflected in the light guide layer, at least adjacent the light source.

Claims

1. A configurable transparent structure comprising:

a light-emitting layer having a transparent media and light-emitting elements that are located in the transparent media, wherein the light-emitting elements emit light in an active state, the light-emitting elements do not emit light in an inactive state, and the light-emitting layer appears substantially transparent when the light-emitting elements are in the inactive state; and

a switchable mirror layer that is located on a first side of the light-emitting layer, is transparent in a first state, and reflects light toward a second side of the light-emitting layer in a second state.

2. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements of the light-emitting layer are arranged in a pattern with respect to the transparent media.

3. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements of the light-emitting layer are arranged in an array with respect to the transparent media.

4. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements of the light-emitting layer are arranged to define a low fill factor with respect to the transparent media.

5. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements of the light-emitting layer are organic light-emitting diodes.

6. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements of the light-emitting layer are transparent organic light-emitting diodes.

7. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements of the light-emitting layer are micro-light-emitting diodes.

8. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, wherein the transparent media is glass.

9. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, wherein the transparent media is plexiglass.

10. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a light extraction layer optically coupled with the light-emitting layer, the light extraction layer being operable in a first state, in which the light extraction layer appears substantially transparent, and a second state, in which the light extraction layer appears at least partially translucent.

11. The configurable transparent structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a first transparent layer located on the first side of the light-emitting layer; and

a second transparent layer located on the second side of the light-emitting layer.

12. A configurable transparent structure comprising:

a transparent light-producing layer having light-emitting elements that are each located in the transparent light-producing layer within a respective surface area portion of the transparent light-producing layer, wherein the light-emitting elements are each individually addressable to allow control of color and intensity;

a switchable mirror layer that is transparent in a first state and reflects light in a second state; and

a light extraction layer that has a controllable level of translucence.

13. The configurable transparent structure of claim 12, wherein the light-emitting elements are controlled to display information.

14. The configurable transparent structure of claim 12, wherein the light extraction layer is operable in a first state, in which the light extraction layer appears substantially transparent, and the light extraction layer is operable in a second state, in which the light extraction layer appears at least partially translucent.

15. The configurable transparent structure of claim 12, further comprising:

a first transparent layer located on a first side of the transparent light-producing layer, wherein the switchable mirror layer is located between the transparent light-producing layer and the first transparent layer; and

a second transparent layer located on a second side of the transparent light-producing layer, wherein the light extraction layer is located between the transparent light-producing layer and the second transparent layer.

16. A configurable transparent structure, comprising:

a first transparent layer that defines a first exterior surface;

a second transparent layer that defines a second exterior surface;

a transparent light-producing layer that is located between the first transparent layer and the second transparent layer, the transparent light-producing layer having light-emitting diodes that are arranged in an array;

a light extraction layer that is located between the second transparent layer and the transparent light-producing layer, wherein the light extraction layer has a controllable level of translucence; and

a controller for causing the transparent light-producing layer to display information using the light-emitting diodes.

17. The configurable transparent structure of claim 16, wherein the light extraction layer is located between the second transparent layer and the transparent light-producing layer, the light extraction layer is operable in a first state, in which the light extraction layer appears substantially transparent, and the light extraction layer is operable in a second state, in which the light extraction layer appears at least partially translucent.

18. The configurable transparent structure of claim 17, further comprising:

a switchable mirror layer that is located between the first transparent layer and the transparent light-producing layer, wherein the switchable mirror layer is transparent in a first state and reflects light emitted by the transparent light-producing layer in a second state.

19. The configurable transparent structure of claim 16, wherein the light-emitting diodes emit light in an active state, the light-emitting diodes do not emit light in an inactive state, and the transparent light-producing layer appears substantially transparent when the light-emitting diodes are in the inactive state.