DEVICE FOR CONVERTING UNPOLARIZED INCIDENT LIGHT INTO POLARIZED EMITTING LIGHT
A converting device converts an unpolarized incident light into a polarized emitting light. The converting device includes a polarizing or polarization beam splitter, a converting module, and a retroreflector. The polarizing or polarization beam splitter splits the unpolarized incident light into a first polarization wave and a second polarization wave, the polarizing or polarization beam splitter reflecting the first polarization wave and allowing the second polarization passing through thereon. The converting module receives the second polarization wave and converting the polarization direction of the second polarization wave to match or approximate a polarization direction of the first polarization wave, and guiding the converted second polarization wave to an output direction. The retroreflector is coupled to the polarizing or polarization beam splitter and reflects the first polarization wave to the output direction. Finally, the reflected first polarization wave and the converted second are combined into the polarized emitting light.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is about a converting device. More particularly, the present invention is about a converting device for converting unpolarized incident light into polarized emitting light.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nowadays LCD monitor architectures include backlight modules, lower polarizing plate, LCD module, color filter, and upper polarizing plate. And the function of the lower polarizing plate is to convert the unpolarized light to linear polarization light and provide the linear polarization light to the LCD module.
To provide linear polarization light source, conventional technic uses the polarization plate to convert the unpolarized light to the polarization light. The polarization plate is coated with a polarization layer to allow the desired polarization wave portion passing through, and absorb the undesired polarization light.
By the conventional technic, the energy of the undesired polarization light losses on the coating layer thence reducing energy usage efficiency of input light.
Thus, providing a device which is able to configure the energy of converting light effectively is a technical issue needed to be solved in the technical field.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTo solve the previous technical problems, one objective of the present application is providing a converting device for converting unpolarized incident light into polarized emitting light.
To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present application provides a converting device, which comprises a polarizing or polarization beam splitter, a converting module, and a retroreflector. The polarizing or polarization beam splitter splits unpolarized incident light into a first polarization wave and a second polarization wave. Then the polarizing or polarization beam splitter reflects the first polarization wave and allows the second polarization passing through thereon. The converting module receives the second polarization wave, converts a polarization direction of the second polarization wave to match or approximate a polarization direction of the first polarization wave, and guides the converted second polarization wave to an output direction. The retroreflector is coupled to the polarizing or polarization beam splitter and reflects the first polarization wave to the output direction. Finally, the reflected first polarization wave and the converted second polarization wave are jointly combined to form the polarized emitting light.
To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present application provides an array device. The array device comprises a plurality of aforementioned converting devices.
To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present application provides an array device. The array device comprises a polarizing or polarization beam splitter, a plurality of converting module, and a retroreflector. The polarizing or polarization beam splitter splits the unpolarized incident light into a first polarization wave and a second polarization wave. Then the polarizing or polarization beam splitter reflects the first polarization wave, and allows the second polarization wave passing through thereon. The converting modules receive the second polarization wave, convert a polarization direction of the second polarization wave to match or approximate a polarization direction of the first polarization wave, and guide the converted second polarization wave to an output direction. The retroreflector is coupled to the polarizing or polarization beam splitter and reflects the first polarization wave to the output direction. Finally, the reflected first polarization wave and the converted second are jointly combined to form the polarized emitting light.
The converting device of present application reflects the desired polarization wave (first polarization wave), converts the undesired polarization wave (second polarization wave) into the desired polarization wave, and jointly combines the reflected first polarization wave and converted second polarization wave to form an emitting polarized light. Comparing with the conventional polarization apparatus, the converting device of the present application has better efficiency of energy usage.
For a better understanding of the aforementioned embodiments of the invention as well as additional embodiments thereof, reference should be made to the Description of Embodiments below, in conjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.
The following description is about embodiments of the present invention; however it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The polarization wave directions of the first polarization wave 21 and the second polarization wave 22 are orthogonal to each other. For example, when the first polarization wave 21 is TE wave, then the second polarization wave 22 is TM wave. In contrast, if the first polarization wave 21 is TM wave, then the second polarization wave 22 is TE (Transverse Electric) wave.
The polarizing or polarization beam splitter 11 is a prism coated with a splitting layer (ex: 3M™ DBEF (Dual Brightness Enhancement Film) material) to split the unpolarized light into TE wave and TM (Transverse Magnetic) wave. The retroreflector 13 is another prism coated with a reflecting layer (ex: sliver coating) to retroreflector 13 the desired polarization wave.
The x-axis is the half angle of incident light, the left y-axis is the energy usage efficiency of the converting device 1, and the right y-axis is the DOF value of the converting device 1. In conventional converting apparatus, it only uses one of polarization waves and losses the other one polarization wave. For example, considering the IL wave and TM wave of unpolarized light have the same energy distribution, and the conventional converting apparatus only pass one of IL wave and TM wave. Therefore, the energy usage efficiency of conventional converting apparatus is less than 50%.
In contrast of absorbing undesired polarization wave, the converting device 1 converts the polarization direction of the undesired polarization wave (second polarization wave 22) to the desired polarization direction, then combines with the desired polarization wave. Therefore, the energy usage efficiency of converting device 1 is better than the conventional converting apparatus.
The material of the first transmission module 14 and the material of the converting device 1 have same refractive index or approximate refractive index so as to avoid transmission loss between the polarizing or polarization beam splitter 11 and the converting module 12.
The material of the converting device 1 is selected from the PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate), glass, resin, or the combination thereof.
The above disclosure is related to the detailed technical contents and inventive features thereof. People skilled in this field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as described without departing from the characteristics thereof. Nevertheless, although such modifications and replacements are not fully disclosed in the above descriptions, they have substantially been covered in the following claims as appended.
Claims
1-9. (canceled)
10. An array device for converting unpolarized incident light into polarized emitting light, comprising:
- a polarizing or polarization beam splitter, configured to split the unpolarized incident light into a first polarization wave and a second polarization wave, wherein the polarizing or polarization beam splitter reflects the first polarization wave and allows the second polarization wave passing through thereon;
- a plurality of converting modules, which receive the second polarization wave and convert a polarization direction of the second polarization wave to a polarization direction of the first polarization wave and guide a converted second polarization wave to an output direction; and
- a retroreflector, coupled to the polarizing or polarization beam splitter and configured to reflect the first polarization wave to the output direction;
- wherein, a reflected first polarization wave and the converted second polarization wave are jointly together to form the polarized emitting light.
11. The array device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the converting modules are located near to each other.
12. The array device as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the converting modules configures a plurality of sub modules, the sub modules are connected in series to each other, each of the sub modules comprises an inclined plane, and the inclined planes form a light path to rotate the polarization direction of the second polarization wave.
13. The array device as claimed in claim 12, wherein each inclined plane faces to a predetermined direction so as to form the light path.
14. The array device as claimed in claim 12, wherein a section shape of the converting module approximates to a L shape.
15. The array device as claimed in claim 14, wherein an output end of one of the converting modules is attached to the sub module of an adjacent converting module, wherein an attached sub module of the adjacent converting module excludes input end and output end of the sub modules.
16. The array device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a plurality of first transmission modules, wherein each first transmission module is configured between the polarizing or polarization beam splitter and input end of the sub modules which excludes a head end of the converting modules.
17. The array device as claimed in claim 16, wherein material of the converting modules and material of the first transmission modules have same refractive index or approximate refractive index.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 18, 2014
Publication Date: Apr 21, 2016
Inventors: Tun-Chien Teng (Taipei), Li-Wei Tseng (Taipei)
Application Number: 14/517,803