OPTICAL ELEMENT, AND LIGHTING DEVICE, DISPLAY DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT USE THE OPTICAL ELEMENT

• US 20080088905A1
• Filed: 10/03/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies Limited (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Sumiyoshi, Ken, MIMURA, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,149,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/227
• 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: G02F 1/133524 Light-guides, e.g. fibre-optic bundles, louvered or jalousie light-guides

Abstract

A micro-louver (1) includes: a transparent substrate (2); a concavoconvex shape portion (5) formed on at least one surface of the transparent substrate (2) and in a prescribed pattern for diffracting incident light to form an image; and a light controlling layer (7) including at least one transparent layer (3) and at least light-absorption layer (4) arranged alternately on said at least one surface of the transparent substrate (2), each of said at least one transparent layer (3) and said at least one transparent layer (4) extending in a direction that intersects said at least one surface of the transparent substrate (2).

Claims

1. An optical element comprising:

a transparent substrate;

a concavoconvex shape portion formed on at least one surface of the transparent substrate and in a prescribed pattern for diffracting incident light to form an image; and

a light controlling layer including at least one transparent portion and at least one light-absorption portion arranged alternately on said at least one surface of the transparent substrate, each of said at least one transparent portion and said at least one light-absorption portion extending in a direction that intersects said at least one surface.

2. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the concavoconvex shape portion and said at least one transparent portion are formed on a same surface of the transparent substrate and are formed by members having different indices of refraction.

3. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the concavoconvex shape portion is formed by processing said at least one surface of the transparent substrate to a prescribed shape.

4. The optical element according to claim 1, wherein the concavoconvex shape portion is formed by a member that differs from the transparent substrate and that is bonded onto the transparent substrate.

5. A lighting device comprising:

(a) the optical element according to claim 1, and

(b) a light source unit for irradiating light over an entire portion of a surface of the optical element that is on a side opposite to a side of the transparent substrate on which the concavoconvex shape portion is formed.

6. The lighting device according to claim 5, further comprising a switching element, wherein the switching element is arranged on a light emission side of the optical element and is capable of switching between a state in which the incident light is scattered and a state in which the incident light is transmitted.

7. A display device comprising:

(a) the optical element according to claim 1, and

(b) an optical control element for forming a display image, wherein the optical element is arranged on a display surface side of the optical control element such that a surface of the optical element, which is on a side opposite to a side of the transparent substrate on which the concavoconvex shape portion is formed, faces the optical control element.

8. The display device according to claim 7, further comprising a touch panel, wherein the touch panel is arranged on the display surface side of the optical control element.

9. The display device according to claim 7, further comprising a touch panel, wherein the touch panel is arranged between the optical control element and the optical element.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a display device comprising;

(a) an optical element comprising a transparent substrate;

a concavoconvex shape portion formed on at least one surface of the transparent substrate and in a prescribed pattern for diffracting incident light to form an image; and

a light controlling layer including at least one transparent portion and at least one light-absorption portion arranged alternately on said at least one surface of the transparent substrate, each of said at least one transparent portion and said at least one light-absorption portion extending in a direction that intersects said at least one surface, and

(b) an optical control element for forming a display image, wherein the optical element is arranged on a display surface side of the optical control element such that a surface of the optical element, which is on a side opposite to a side of the transparent substrate on which the concavoconvex shape portion is formed, faces the optical control element.

11. A cellular phone comprising:

a display device comprising;

(a) an optical element comprising a transparent substrate;

a concavoconvex shape portion formed on at least one surface of the transparent substrate and in a prescribed pattern for diffracting incident light to form an image; and

a light controlling layer including at least one transparent portion and at least one light-absorption portion arranged alternately on said at least one surface of the transparent substrate, each of said at least one transparent portion and said at least one light-absorption portion extending in a direction that intersects said at least one surface, and

(b) an optical control element for forming a display image, wherein the optical element is arranged on a display surface side of the optical control element such that a surface of the optical element, which is on a side opposite to a side of the transparent substrate on which the concavoconvex shape portion is formed faces the optical control element.

12. A portable computer comprising:

a display device comprising;

(a) an optical element comprising a transparent substrate;

a concavoconvex shape portion formed on at least one surface of the transparent substrate and in a prescribed pattern for diffracting incident light to form an image; and

a light controlling layer including at least one transparent portion and at least one light-absorption portion arranged alternately on said at least one surface of the transparent substrate, each of said at least one transparent portion and said at least one light-absorption portion extending in a direction that intersects said at least one surface, and

(b) an optical control element for forming a display image, wherein the optical element is arranged on a display surface side of the optical control element such that a surface of the optical element, which is on a side opposite to a side of the transparent substrate on which the concavoconvex shape portion is formed, faces the optical control element.

13. An automated teller machine comprising:

a display device comprising;

(a) an optical element comprising a transparent substrate;

a concavoconvex shape portion formed on at least one surface of the transparent substrate and in a prescribed pattern for diffracting incident light to form an image; and

a light controlling layer including at least one transparent portion and at least one light-absorption portion arranged alternately on said at least one surface of the transparent substrate, each of said at least one transparent portion and said at least one light-absorption portion extending in a direction that intersects said at least one surface, and

(b) an optical control element for forming a display image.

wherein the optical element is arranged on a display surface side of the optical control element such that a surface of the optical element, which is on a side opposite to a side of the transparent substrate on which the concavoconvex shape portion is formed, faces the optical control element.

14. The automated teller machine according to claim 13, further comprising a touch panel, wherein the touch panel is arranged on the display surface side of the optical control element.

15. The automated teller machine according to claim 13, further comprising a touch panel, wherein the touch panel is arranged between the optical control element and the optical element.