Abstract: The attenuation of light per unit length in a waveguide as a result of active pixels (i.e., open pixels) may be corrected or mitigated by injecting apodized light into the waveguide. A light injection system and method is provided to enhance the luminous uniformity of the active pixels in a waveguide-based display. Embodiments of the present invention include a slab waveguide having a first edge and a second edge that intersect at a vertex, a first light source disposed along the first edge, and a second light source disposed along the second edge. The first light source, or the second light source, or both, comprises an apodized light source.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light engine and a light guide. The light engine edge lights the light guide and includes a control assembly that controls light output according to one or more parameters to produce light output from the lighting assembly with a desired characteristic. Lighting assemblies are combined to form a modular lighting assembly.

Abstract: An optical assembly comprises light sources and a light emitting panel member having an input edge to which each of the light sources is optically coupled at a different location along the input edge. Different sets of individual optical deformities on or in at least one of the sides of the panel member each have at least one surface that is shaped or oriented to extract light propagating in the same direction through the panel member in different directions for viewing from different angles through one of the sides of the panel member.

Abstract: The optical performance is enhanced of display systems that use field sequential color and pulse width modulation to generate color and color gray scale values. Such enhancement may be achieved by various data encoding methods disclosed herein that may include temporal redistribution of bit values to mitigate color motional artifacts associated with field sequential color-based display systems, selective combination of intensity modulation, pulse width modulation, and/or the noncontiguous sequencing of primary colors. There is further an intelligent real-time dynamic manipulation of gray scale values in portions of an image that are computationally determined to be images of objects moving against a global background, so as to temporally front load or concentrate the bits comprising such moving objects and thereby further mitigate said motional artifacts using both actual and virtual aggregate pulse truncation across all primary colors being modulated.

Abstract: A lighting assembly that efficiently collects and accurately directs light with a defined asymmetrical light ray angle distribution onto a nearby target surface. The light with the asymmetrical light ray angle distribution illuminates the target surface with a defined illumination profile. In theatrical and architectural lighting, the defined illumination profile is an even illumination profile on a nearly vertical surface. In street lighting, the defined illumination profile is an even illumination profile on a horizontal surface. The lighting assembly includes an LED and a solid reflector optic having a reflective surface shaped to reflect light from the LED in a way that produces the asymmetrical light ray angle distribution at least in part.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light source to emit on-axis light rays at smaller angles relative to an optical axis of the light source, and off-axis light rays at larger angles relative to the optical axis and spectrally different from the on-axis light rays. The lighting assembly additionally includes a light guide having a light input edge adjacent the light source and opposed major surfaces between which light from the light source propagates by total internal reflection. The light input edge has an edge feature aligned with the light source to receive light therefrom. The edge feature specularly redirects the on-axis light rays and the off-axis light rays differently to increase overlap between the on-axis light rays and the off-axis light rays within the light guide. The increased overlap reduces spatial color variation of light extracted from the light guide between locations at different angles from the optical axis.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a light guide and solid-state light emitters to edge-light the light guide, the light emitters arrayed along a transverse direction. The light guide includes two or more sets of optical elements of well-defined shape. Light output from the lighting assembly by the first and second set of optical elements have a first and a second light ray angle distribution, respectively. The optical elements are configured such that when measured in a plane perpendicular to the light guide and the transverse direction: 1) the first and second light ray angle distributions are significantly narrower than an omnidirectional output distribution; and 2) the peak of the second light ray angle distribution is displaced from the peak of the first light ray angle distribution.

Abstract: An optical system is disclosed that uses an LED light source. The light output is coupled to an optic element formed from a material with a high refractive index. The coupling of the light to the high index material significantly reduces the cone angle of the light. The system is very efficient in that nearly all the light generated by the LED is directed to the intended subject.

Abstract: An article of manufacture includes first and second micro-features of well-defined shape. In some embodiments, the article of manufacture is a light guide or redirecting film and the second micro-features are micro-optical elements configured to disrupt a specular optical path that includes the second micro-optical element. In other embodiments, the article of manufacture is a patterning tool for use in making an optical substrate. Embodiments of the optical substrate are formed by injection molding or embossing using the patterning tool.

Abstract: An LED lamp or LED lighting assembly includes a light guide having opposed major surfaces configured to propagate light by total internal reflection and a light input edge extending between the major surfaces. A light source is adjacent to the light input edge and is configured to edge light the light guide. In some embodiments, the light source is moveable relative to the light input edge, and the spectrum of the light output from the light guide may be adjusted by movement of the light source relative to the light input edge.

Abstract: A flashlight includes first and second solid-state light sources, a collimating optical element, and a light guide. Light output by the first light source interacts with the collimating optical element to output a light from the flashlight along an optical axis of the collimating optical element. The light guide includes an outer major surface, a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end, and a light input edge at the first end. Light from the second light source is input to the light guide at the light input edge and propagates in the light guide by total internal reflection. The light guide additionally includes light extracting elements to extract light from the light guide with a radial component relative to the longitudinal axis and the optical axis.

Abstract: Light redirecting film comprises a thin optically transparent substrate having a pattern of individual optical elements formed as projections on a light exit surface of the film. At least some of the projections comprise a dome-shaped surface on the light exit surface.

Abstract: A flat panel display uses pixels (2060) that are turned on or off by the enabling or disabling total internal reflection, TIR, of a light guide (2010). A reflective surface (2070) directs the switched light towards the viewer. An optional mask may be employed to provide extremely high contrast ratios in low and in high ambient lighting conditions. The elements (2080) that enable TIR may be enabled quickly because of their small size and weight, resulting in a very fast switching speed. The fast switching speed allows colors to be generated and displayed in a sequential manner.

Abstract: A light guide with optics guides light exiting the guide. The device achieves accurate control of the reflected light by extracting light from a limited area of the light guide. The configuration of the reflectors used for the selective extraction determines the nature of the output light. The reflectors may be located on a side of the light guide opposite to an output side of the light guide.

Abstract: An optical assembly comprises a light emitting panel having a light output surface and a light redirecting film located to receive light emitted from the light output surface. The light output surface has a non-uniform directional light output distribution. The light redirecting film has a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape that vary at different locations on the light redirecting film to redistribute the light received from the light output surface within a desired light ray angle distribution.

Abstract: Images are displayed in response to a video signal using a light emitting assembly having one or more optically transmissive substrates, films or sheets, each having at least one pattern of optical elements on or in the substrates, films or sheets. A plurality of light sources are configured to illuminate one or more output areas of one or more of the substrates, films or sheets. The light emitting assembly is configured to emit light through the pattern of optical elements and produce a predetermined luminance profile of the light emitting assembly. At least some adjacent substrates, films or sheets may have portions that overlap, and at least one pattern of optical elements on or in at least one side of the substrates, films or sheets may be configured so that discontinuities between the adjacent substrates, films or sheets are minimized.

Abstract: An optical assembly comprises light sources and a light emitting panel member having an input edge to which each of the light sources is optically coupled at a different location along the input edge. Different sets of individual optical deformities on or in at least one of the sides of the panel member each have at least one surface that is shaped or oriented to extract light propagating in the same direction through the panel member in different directions for viewing from different angles through one of the sides of the panel member.