Abstract: A light bulb has a light guide configured as a hollow body surrounding an internal volume. The light guide is open at its proximal and distal ends, and has inner and outer surfaces and an end surface at the proximal end that provides a light input edge. A solid-state light source is optically coupled to the light input edge of the light guide such that light from the solid-state light source travels in the light guide by total internal reflection. The solid-state light source is thermally coupled to a housing at the proximal end of the light guide. The housing contains vents for air flow and convection cooling through the internal volume. Light-extracting optical elements at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the light guide are for extracting light from the light guide.

Abstract: A lighting assembly has an edge-lit light guide having a light output surface through which light is extracted by light extracting optical elements. The extracted light has a maximum intensity at low light ray angles relative to the light output surface. A light redirecting member has an arrangement of light redirecting optical elements configured to redirect the extracted light incident thereon to provide a pattern of redirected light. A light focusing member has light focusing optical elements having an angular acceptance range. The redirected light has light ray angles within the angular acceptance range of the light focusing optical elements and is perceived as a pattern of light. The extracted light not redirected by the light redirecting member has light ray angles outside the angular acceptance range of the light focusing optical elements and is not perceived, or is perceived as background light.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: A lighting assembly comprises a light source and a light guide having a light input edge and a light output surface. Light from the light source enters the light input edge and is propagated within the light guide by total internal reflection. A spectrum adjuster is adjustable or selected to achieve a desired spectrum of the light within the light guide.

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: A light bulb includes light guides extending in a direction having a radial component with respect to a longitudinal axis, each light guide including a light input edge, opposed major surfaces, and light extracting elements at least one of the opposed major surfaces. In one embodiment, the light guides are disposed about an axial heat sink, and for each light guide, a respective light source is mounted to the axial heat sink to edge light the light guide such that light from the light source propagates in the light guide by total internal reflection. In another embodiment, a housing is at an end of the light guides, and for each light guide, a respective light source is mounted to the housing to edge light the light guide such that light from the light source propagates in the light guide by total internal reflection.

Abstract: A lighting assembly that includes a cornuate light guide and an annular light extracting and redirecting member. The light guide has a radial light input surface, an axial light input region, radial light output region and a flared region between input region and output region. Light input at the light input surface propagates to and within the light output region by total internal reflection at major surfaces of the light guide. The light extracting and redirecting member has a light extracting element in optical contact with an annular region of one of the major surfaces of the light output region, and a reflective light redirecting element to axially redirect the extracted light with a defined 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 one of the light sources is dimmed or boosted in response to an input video signal while operating a liquid crystal display as a light valve to illuminate the liquid crystal display by the light emitting 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: Light redirecting film including a thin optically transparent substrate having a pattern of individual optical elements of well-defined shape on at least one surface that are quite small relative to the length and width of the surface. At least some of the optical elements have at least one flat surface and at least one curved surface, and intersecting each other over an intersection volume of the intersecting optical elements.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes an edge-lit light guide and a light redirecting member. Light extracting elements at the light guide extract light from the light guide as intermediate light. Light redirecting elements at the light redirecting film are configured to redirect the intermediate light received from the light guide to illuminate a target surface in accordance with a defined illumination profile.

Abstract: A lighting assembly has an edge-lit light guide having a light output surface through which light is extracted by light extracting optical elements. The extracted light has a maximum intensity at low light ray angles relative to the light output surface. A light redirecting member has an arrangement of light redirecting optical elements configured to redirect the extracted light incident thereon to provide a pattern of redirected light. A light focusing member has light focusing optical elements having an angular acceptance range. The redirected light has light ray angles within the angular acceptance range of the light focusing optical elements and is perceived as a pattern of light. The extracted light not redirected by the light redirecting member has light ray angles outside the angular acceptance range of the light focusing optical elements and is not perceived, or is perceived as background light.

Abstract: A lighting assembly includes a transparent light guide having first and second major surfaces and a light input edge, and is configured to propagate light by total internal reflection. A light source located adjacent the light input edge is selectively operable to edge light the light guide. First light extracting elements at the first major surface are configured to extract light through the first major surface with a first light ray angle distribution. Second light extracting elements at the first major surface are configured to extract light through the second major surface with a second light ray angle distribution. The light extracted through the second major surface reduces visibility at viewing angles within a defined viewing angle range through the lighting assembly from the second major surface of the light guide greater than the reduction in visibility through the lighting assembly from the first major surface of the light guide.

Abstract: A light emitting assembly comprises a light source and a light emitting panel member having a panel surface and an input edge for receiving light from the light source. On or in the panel surface is a pattern of individual light extracting deformities. Each of the deformities has a well defined shape and a length and width substantially smaller than the length and width of the panel surface. At least some of the deformities have only two surfaces, each having opposite peripheral edge portions that intersect each other and intersect the panel surface. One of the surfaces of the deformities is substantially perpendicular to the panel surface and is curved in a transverse direction. The other surface of the deformities is a sloping surface.