Liquid crystal flat panel display with enhanced backlight brightness and specially selected light sources

• US 6,657,607 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evanicky, Daniel E., Lu, Sun
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US09/811,988
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 345/87, 345/88, 345/102, 345/589, 345/591, 345/593, 348/61, 348/69, 348/70-72, 362/26, 362/31, 362/62, 349/61, 349/62
• US Class Current: 345/88
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0056 for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133507 Films for enhancing the luminance
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133609 including means for improving the color mixing, e.g. white
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one

Abstract

Brightness in the LCD is enhanced by polarization recycling using a pre-polarizing film to pre-polarize light, and a special reflector for recycling light reflected by the pre-polarizing film. In one embodiment, the pre-polarizing film comprises a layer of DBEF brightness enhancement film, and the rear reflector is made of a PTFF material. In another embodiment, the rear reflector is covered with a film comprising barium sulfate. The multiple light sources are selected such that, at any color temperature within a predetermined range, the brightness of the LCD is not reduced below a given threshold minimum (e.g., 70 percent of the maximum brightness). Another constraint for selecting the light sources is that within the predetermined color temperature range, the color temperature is held close to the black body curve of the CIE chromaticity diagram. The light sources are also selected so that their maximum brightness point is set to be near the middle of the predetermined color temperature range.

Claims

1. A flat panel display comprising:

a planar light pipe disposed to provide backlight to a liquid crystal display layer;

a first light source optically coupled to provide a first spectral component of light to said planar light pipe, said first spectral component having a first color temperature and wherein said first color temperature is below a predefined minimum color temperature;

a second light source optically coupled to provide a second spectral component of light to said planar light pipe, said second spectral component having a second color temperature and wherein said second color temperature is above a predefined maximum color temperature; and

wherein said first and second light sources are stacked parallel to each other and positioned along a same edge of said planar light pipe.

2. The flat panel display according to claim 1 wherein a color temperature of said backlight of said flat panel display is adjustable by selectively and independently varying brightness of said first light source and said second light source.

3. The flat panel display according to claim 2 wherein said first color temperature is approximately 3,560 K.

4. The flat panel display according to claim 2 wherein said second color temperature is approximately 15,000 K.

5. The flat panel display according to claim 2 and further comprising:

a rear polarizer of said flat panel display for polarizing light in a predetermined orientation, said rear polarizer receiving light from said planar light pipe;

a pre-polarizer interposed between said planar light pipe and said rear polarizer and on a first side of said planar light pipe for allowing a first portion of light polarized in said predetermined orientation to pass, wherein a second portion of light is reflected toward a second side of said planar light pipe; and

a reflector for increasing brightness of said flat panel display, said reflector being positioned on said second side of said planar light pipe to receive said second portion of light, said reflector further having a layer of light rephasing material for rephasing said second portion of light into said predetermined orientation such that a part of second portion of light is allowed to passed through said pre-polarizer and said rear polarizer.

6. The flat panel display according to claim 5 wherein said light rephasing material comprises a PTFF material.

7. The flat panel display according to claim 5 wherein said pre-polarizer comprises a layer of dual brightness enhancement film (DBEF).

8. The flat panel display according to claim 5 further comprising:

a light diffusing film disposed between said pre-polarizer and said rear polarizer for eliminating off-axis defects.

9. The flat panel display according to claim 8 wherein said light diffusing film comprises a LEXAN film.

10. The flat panel display according to claim 5 further comprising a crossed brightness enhancement film (BEF) interposed between said planar light pipe and said rear polarizer of said liquid crystal display screen for expanding a view angle of said liquid crystal display screen.

11. The flat panel display according to claim 5 wherein said light rephasing material comprises a material including barium sulfate.

12. A flat panel display comprising:

a planar light pipe for providing backlight to a liquid crystal display layer;

a bi-directional light extraction pattern on one surface of said planar light pipe for uniformly distributing light over said planar light pipe;

a first light source optically coupled to provide a first spectral component of light to said planar light pipe, said first spectral component having a first color temperature that is below a predefined minimum color temperature;

a second light source optically coupled to provide a second spectral component of light to said planar light pipe, said second spectral component having a second color temperature that is above a predefined maximum color temperature; and

wherein said first and second light sources are stacked parallel to each other and positioned along a same edge of said planar light pipe.

13. The flat panel display according to claim 12 wherein a color temperature of said backlight of said flat panel display is adjustable between said minimum and said maximum color temperature by selectively and independently varying brightness of said first light source and said second light source.

14. The flat panel display according to claim 12 wherein said first color temperature is approximately 3,560 K.

15. The flat panel display according to claim 12 wherein said second color temperature is approximately 15,000 K.

16. The flat panel display according to claim 12 and further comprising:

a rear polarizer of said flat panel display for polarizing light in a predetermined orientation, said rear polarizer receiving light from said planar light pipe;

a pre-polarizer interposed between said planar light pipe and said rear polarizer and on a first side of said planar light pipe for allowing a first portion of light polarized in said predetermined orientation to pass, wherein a second portion of light is reflected toward a second side of said planar light pipe; and

a reflector for increasing brightness of said flat panel display, said reflector being positioned on said second side of said planar light pipe to receive said second portion of light, said reflector further having a layer of light rephasing material for rephasing said second portion of light into said predetermined orientation such that a part of second portion of light is allowed to passed through said pre-polarizer and said rear polarizer.

17. The flat panel display according to claim 16 wherein said light rephasing material comprises a PTFF material.

18. The flat panel display according to claim 16 wherein said pre-polarizer comprises a layer of dual brightness enhancement film (DBEF).

19. The flat panel display according to claim 16 further comprising:

a light diffusing film disposed between said pre-polarizer and said rear polarizer for eliminating off-axis defects.

20. The flat panel display according to claim 19 wherein said light diffusing film comprises a LEXAN film.

21. The flat panel display according to claim 16 further comprising a crossed brightness enhancement film (BEF) interposed between said planar light pipe and said rear polarizer of said liquid crystal display screen for expanding a view angle of said liquid crystal display screen.

22. The flat panel display according to claim 16 wherein said light rephasing material comprises a material including barium sulfate.

23. The flat panel display according to claim 12 wherein said bidirectional light extraction pattern comprises:

a plurality of extraction dots that increase in size as a function of their distance away from said light sources; and

a plurality of relatively larger extraction dots positioned at corners of said extraction pattern.

24. A flat panel display comprising:

a planar light pipe for providing backlight to a liquid crystal display layer,

a bidirectional light extraction pattern on one surface of said planar light pipe for uniformly distributing light over said planar light pipe;

a first light source optically coupled to provide a first spectral component of light to said planar light pipe, said first spectral component having a first color temperature;

a second light source optically coupled to provide a second spectral component of light to said planar light pipe, said second spectral component having a second color temperature; and

wherein said first and second light sources are stacked parallel to each other and positioned along a same edge of said planar light pipe.

25. The flat panel display according to claim 24 wherein a color temperature of said backlight of said flat panel display is adjustable between a minimum and said maximum color temperature by selectively and independently varying brightness of said first light source and said second light source.