Abstract: A method of balancing a display panel substrate for a backlit illuminated display includes providing a transparent display panel substrate having a front surface, a back surface, and side surfaces, the substrate being coated with a diffuse reflective layer and overcoated with an opaque layer on the back surface and side surfaces, and having recesses in the back surface to receive lamps to provide illumination to the display; coating the substrate on the front surface with a diffuse translucent layer of defined thickness; illuminating the substrate by lamps positioned within the recesses in the back surface of the substrate; forming an image indicative of the brightness at each point of the front surface of the illuminated substrate and determining from the image the additional thickness of diffuse translucent layer to be added to each point on the front surface of the substrate to produce a uniform brightness of a desired intensity at each point of the front surface when that layer is added and the substrate

Abstract: The present invention concerns a novel method for balancing an illuminated display panel to achieve a predetermined level of illumination uniformity from indicia formed on the panel. One embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of first fabricating an unbalanced display panel having light translucent and absorptive layers deposited on a panel substrate with indicia formed in the light absorptive layers. The unbalanced panel is illuminated and the amount of light from the indicia formed in the panel are measured to identify illumination deficient indicia. A carbon dioxide laser beam is then focused onto the illumination deficient indicia so as to etch portions of the light translucent layer underlying these indicia and increase the amount of illumination from these indicia. In an alternative embodiment, an illuminated display panel is partially fabricated by applying a light translucent layer to a display panel substrate.

Abstract: This invention concerns a novel structure for an illuminated display and unique method for forming illuminated displays. This structure of the display includes a substrate on which are deposited one or more light transmissive layers and an over coating of a light absorptive material. A clear separation layer is also disposed between the light transmissive layers and the light absorptive layers. The novel fabrication process of the present invention includes the use of a NdYAG laser to etch indicia in the light absorptive layer. The NdYAG laser may be operated in either a continuous or pulsed mode at power levels below approximately eight watts and at a rate of travel of about six inches per second. In one preferred embodiment indicia etching is performed operating the NdYAG laser in a pulsed mode and the pattern of indicia is retraced operating the laser in a lower power continuous mode to remove potential residue from etched regions of the light absorptive layer.