Light emitting panel assemblies

• US 20030007344A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Display Technologies LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Solid State Opto Limited (Global Lighting Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, Jeffery R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,755,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/31
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0621 Hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice treatment
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/10 comprising photoluminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 : Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/804 : Surgical or dental spotlight

Abstract

Light emitting panel assemblies include a sheet, film or plate overlying a light emitting member. The sheet, film or plate has a pattern of deformities on one or both sides that may vary or be random in size, shape or geometry, placement, index of refraction, density, angle, depth, height and type for controlling the light output distribution to suit a particular application. Also the sheet, film or plate may have a coating or surface treatment for causing the light to pass through a liquid crystal display with low loss.

Claims

1. A backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member, a substrate overlying said light emitting member, said substrate having a pattern of deformities on at least one side of said substrate for controlling an output ray angle distribution of light emitted by said light emitting member to suit a particular application, said deformities varying in at least one of the following characteristics:

size, shape, placement, index of refraction, density, angle, depth, height, and type.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises any one of a sheet, film and plate.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are shaped deformities.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said deformities comprise depressions in said substrate.

5. The assembly of claim 3 wherein said deformities comprise projections on said substrate.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate is attached to said light emitting member.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate has at least one of a coating and surface treatment for causing the light to pass through a liquid crystal display with low loss.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are on opposite sides of said substrate.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises at least one of multiple layers and materials.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein said at least one of said multiple layers and materials have a different index of refraction.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said substrate has both reflective and refractive surfaces.

12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the characteristics of the deformities are varied to reduce moiré

or other interference effects when said assembly is assembled to a liquid crystal display.

13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein more than one said substrate overlie said light emitting member.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said deformities are at least one of prisms, prismatic and lenticular.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the individual deformities are quite small in relation to the width and length of said substrate.

17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said substrate has at least one of a coating and surface treatment for causing the light to pass through a liquid crystal display with low loss.

18. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said deformities are on opposite sides of said substrate.

19. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said substrate comprises at least one of multiple layers and materials.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein said at least one of said multiple layers and materials have a different index of refraction.

21. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said substrate has both reflective and refractive surfaces.

22. The assembly of claim 16 wherein at least one of the characteristics of the deformities are varied to reduce moiré

or other interference effects when said assembly is assembled to a liquid crystal display.

23. The assembly of claim 16 wherein more than one said substrate overlie said light emitting member.

24. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said substrate has at least one of prismatic and lenticular deformities on at least one surface of said substrate.

25. The assembly of claim 24 wherein the individual deformities are quite small in relation to the width and length of said substrate.

30. The assembly of claim 29 wherein said sheet or film has at least one of a coating and surface treatment for causing the light to pass through such liquid crystal display with low loss.

31. The assembly of claim 29 wherein said deformities or disruptions are on opposite sides of said sheet or film.

32. The assembly of claim 29 wherein said sheet or film comprises at least one of multiple layers and materials.

33. The assembly of claim 9 wherein said at least one of said multiple layers and materials have a different index of refraction.

34. The assembly of claim 29 wherein said sheet or film has both reflective and refractive surfaces.

35. The assembly of claim 29 wherein at least one of the characteristics of the deformities or disruptions is varied to reduce moiré

or other interference effects when said assembly is assembled to a liquid crystal display.

36. The assembly of claim 29 wherein said light emitting member includes more than one sheet or film.

37. The assembly of claim 29 wherein said one surface of said sheet or film has at least one of prismatic and lenticular deformities.

38. The assembly of claim 37 wherein the individual deformities are quite small in relation to the width and length of said substrate.

40. The assembly of claim 39 wherein said sheet or film has at least one of a coating and surface treatment for causing the light to pass through such liquid crystal display with low loss.

41. The assembly of claim 39 wherein said deformities or disruptions are on opposite sides of said sheet or film.

42. The assembly of claim 39 wherein said sheet or film comprises at least one of multiple layers and materials.

43. The assembly of claim 42 wherein said at least one of said multiple layers and materials have a different index of refraction.

44. The assembly of claim 39 wherein said sheet or film has both reflective and refractive surfaces.

45. The assembly of claim 39 wherein at least one of the characteristics of the deformities or disruptions is varied to reduce moiré

or other interference effects when said assembly is assembled to a liquid crystal display.

46. The assembly of claim 39 wherein said light emitting member includes more than one sheet or film.

47. The assembly of claim 39 wherein said one surface of said sheet or film has at least one of prismatic and lenticular deformities.

48. The assembly of claim 47 wherein the individual deformities are quite small in relation to the width and length of said substrate.

50. The assembly of claim 49 wherein said sheet or film has at least one of a coating and surface treatment for causing the light to pass through such liquid crystal display with low loss.

51. The assembly of claim 49 wherein said deformities or disruptions are on opposite sides of said sheet or film.

52. The assembly of claim 49 wherein said sheet or film comprises at least one of multiple layers and materials.

53. The assembly of claim 52 wherein said at least one of said multiple layers and materials have a different index of refraction.

54. The assembly of claim 49 wherein said sheet or film has both reflective and refractive surfaces.

55. The assembly of claim 49 wherein at least one of the characteristics of the deformities or disruptions is varied to reduce moiré

or other interference effects when said assembly is assembled to a liquid crystal display.

56. The assembly of claim 49 wherein said light emitting member includes more than one sheet or film.

57. The assembly of claim 49 wherein said one surface of said sheet or film has at least one of prismatic and lenticular deformities.

58. The assembly of claim 57 wherein the individual deformities are quite small in relation to the width and length of said substrate.

60. The assembly of claim 59 wherein the at least one of the coating and surface treatment varies in at least one of the following characteristics:

density, color, index of refraction, reflection, opaqueness, translucence, area, depth, shape, size, and type.

61. The assembly of claim 59 wherein the at least one of the coating and surface treatment is at least one of paint, ink and epoxy.

62. The assembly of claim 59 wherein said deformities or disruptions are on opposite sides of said sheet or film.

63. The assembly of claim 59 wherein said sheet or film comprises at least one of multiple layers and materials.

64. The assembly of claim 63 wherein said at least one of said multiple layers and materials have a different index of refraction.

65. The assembly of claim 59 wherein said sheet or film has both reflective and refractive surfaces.

66. The assembly of claim 59 wherein said sheet or film has deformities that reduce moiré

or other interference effects when said assembly is assembled to a liquid crystal display.

67. The assembly of claim 59 wherein said light emitting member includes more than one sheet or film.

68. The assembly of claim 59 wherein said one surface of said sheet or film has at least one of prismatic and lenticular deformities.

69. The assembly of claim 68 wherein the individual deformities are quite small in relation to the width and length of said substrate.

16. A backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member, a substrate overlying said light emitting member, said substrate having a pattern of deformities on at least one side of said substrate for controlling an output ray angle distribution of light emitted by said light emitting member to suit a particular application, said deformities being random in at least one of the following characteristics:

size, shape, placement, index of refraction, density, angle, depth, height, type.

26. A backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member, a substrate overlying said light emitting member, said substrate having a multitude of deformities on at least one side of said substrate for controlling an output ray angle distribution of light emitted by said light emitting member to suit a particular application, said deformities comprising at least one of depressions and projections on said one side, said projections having at least one of a shape and pattern with no specific angle.

27. A backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member, a substrate overlying said light emitting member, said substrate having a multitude of deformities on at least one side of said substrate for controlling an output ray angle distribution of light emitted by said light emitting member to suit a particular application, said deformities comprising at least one of shaped depressions and projections on said one side, at least some of said deformities including prismatic surfaces having angles that vary among said deformities.

28. A backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member, a substrate overlying said light emitting member, said substrate having a multitude of deformities on at least one side of said substrate for controlling an output ray angle distribution of light emitted by said light emitting member to suit a particular application, said deformities comprising at least one of shaped depressions and projections on said one side, at least some of said deformities having angles that vary among said deformities.

29. A liquid crystal backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member including at least one sheet or film having deformities or disruptions on at least one side, at least some of said deformities or disruptions varying in shape or geometry for causing light rays to be emitted from said backlight assembly at predetermined ray angles such that the light rays will pass through a liquid crystal display with low loss.

39. A liquid crystal backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member including at least one sheet or film having deformities or disruptions on at least one side, at least some of said deformities or disruptions having random shapes or geometries for causing light rays to be emitted from said backlight assembly at predetermined ray angles such that the light rays will pass through a liquid crystal display with low loss.

49. A liquid crystal backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member including at least one sheet or film having deformities or disruptions on at least one side, at least some of said deformities or disruptions having random or varying changes in shape or geometry for causing light rays to be emitted from said backlight assembly at predetermined ray angles such that the light rays will pass through a liquid crystal display with low loss.

59. A liquid crystal backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member including at least one sheet or film having random or varying changes in at least one of a coating and surface treatment on at least one side for causing light rays to be emitted from said backlight assembly and pass through a liquid crystal display with low loss.

70. A liquid crystal backlight assembly comprising a light emitting member including at least one sheet or film having changes in the shape or geometry of at least one surface, and at least one of a coating and surface treatment on said one surface for causing light rays to be emitted from said backlight assembly and pass through a liquid crystal display with low loss.

71. The assembly of claim 70 wherein the coating is selected to improve at least one of the following characteristics of the backlight assembly:

color correction, opaqueness, diffusion, reflection, translucence, and transmission.

72. The assembly of claim 70 wherein said one surface of said sheet or film has at least one of prismatic and lenticular deformities.

73. The assembly of claim 72 wherein the individual deformities are quite small in relation to the width and length of said substrate.

74. The assembly of claim 70 wherein said sheet or film has varying changes in the shape or geometry of said one surface.

75. The backlight assembly of claim 70 wherein said sheet or film has random changes in the shape or geometry of said one surface.

76. The assembly of claim 70 wherein the at least one coating and surface treatment varies on said one surface of the sheet or film.

77. The assembly of claim 70 wherein the at least one coating and surface treatment is at random on said one surface of the sheet or film.

78. The assembly of claim 70 wherein said sheet or film has deformities on opposite sides of said sheet or film.

79. The assembly of claim 70 wherein said sheet or film comprises at least one of multiple layers and materials.

80. The assembly of claim 79 wherein said at least one of said multiple layers and materials have a different index of refraction.

81. The assembly of claim 70 wherein said sheet or film has both reflective and refractive surfaces.

82. The assembly of claim 70 wherein said sheet or film has deformities that reduce moiré

or other interference effects when said assembly is assembled to a liquid crystal display.

83. The assembly of claim 70 wherein said light emitting member includes more than one sheet or film.