LIGHT GUIDE

• US 20100141557A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gally, Brian J., Mienko, Marek, Xu, Gang, Bita, Ion, Gruhlke, Russell Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer

Abstract

In various embodiments described herein, a display device includes a front illumination device that comprises a light guide disposed forward of an array of display elements, such as an array of interferometric modulators, to distribute light across the array of display elements. The light guide panel may include a turning layer to deliver uniform illumination from a light source to the array of display elements. For many portable display applications, the light guide panel comprises the substrate used in fabricating the display elements. The light guide panel may include additional films as well. The light guide panel, for example, may include a diffuser and/or an optical isolation layer to further enhance the optical imaging characteristics of the display.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a substrate having front and rear sides and a plurality of edges between the front and rear sides;

a plurality of display elements on said rear side of said substrate and supported by said substrate;

a plurality of turning features on the front side of said substrate;

a diffuser on the front side of the substrate between the turning features and the substrate; and

a light source configured to inject light into at least one edge of the substrate.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises glass or plastic.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of display elements comprise interferometric modulators.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein said plurality of turning features are disposed in a film on said front side of said substrate.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein said diffuser comprises adhesive with particulates therein.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein said diffuser comprises an anisotropic diffuser

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein said diffuser comprises one or more volume holograms.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein said diffuser can be electrically controlled.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein said diffuser comprises polymer dispersed liquid crystal.

10. The display device of claim 1, further comprising an optical isolation layer between said substrate and said display elements.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein said optical isolation layer is directly adjacent said substrate.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein said diffuser is directly adjacent said substrate or directly adhered to said substrate with an adhesive.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein said turning features are included in a film directly adjacent said diffuser or directly adhered to said diffuser with an adhesive.

14. The display of claim 1 further comprising:

a processor that is in electrical communication with at least one of said plurality of display elements, said processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device in electrical communication with said processor.

15. The display of claim 14, further comprising:

a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said at least one of said plurality of display elements.

16. The display of claim 15, further comprising:

a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

17. The display of claim 14, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

18. The display of claim 17, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

19. The display of claim 14, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

20. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a light source coupling light into said substrate, said light reflected by said turning features toward said plurality of display elements.

21-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A display device comprising:

a substrate having front and rear sides and a plurality of edges between the front and rear sides;

a plurality of display elements on said rear side of said substrate, wherein the plurality of display elements is supported by the substrate;

a plurality of turning features on the front side of said substrate;

a diffuser between the substrate and the plurality of display elements; and

a light source configured to inject light into at least one edge of the substrate.

41-77. -77. (canceled)

78. A display device comprising:

a substrate having front and rear sides;

a plurality of display elements on said rear side of said substrate, the plurality of display elements being supported by the substrate;

a plurality of turning features on the rear side of said substrate between the substrate and the plurality of display elements; and

a diffuser on the rear side of said substrate between the turning features and the plurality of display elements.

79-103. -103. (canceled)

104. A display device comprising:

a substrate having front and rear sides;

a plurality of display elements on the rear side of said substrate;

a plurality of turning features on the rear side of said substrate between the substrate and the plurality of display elements; and

an optical isolation layer on the rear side of said substrate between the turning features and the plurality of display elements.

105-124. -124. (canceled)