Light Guide Patents (Class 362/615)
  • Patent number: 7963688
    Abstract: The present invention has a configuration is one example in which a second body is connected to be rotatable around a rotational axis to a first body. A light emitting element that emits light and a first light guiding member, which propagates light emitted from the light emitting element as well as irradiating light from an irradiating unit, are housed in the first body. A light receiving element that receives light and a second light guiding member, which lets in light from the light collecting portion irradiated by the irradiating unit as well as propagates light in the light receiving element, are housed in the second body. Complimentary location regions of the irradiating units and light collecting portions are multiply provided between the first light guiding member and the second light guiding member, thereby multiply forming propagating paths of light from the irradiating units to the light collecting portions, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventor: Kanji Satake
  • Publication number: 20110134661
    Abstract: A bezel assembly, which is applied to a backlight module, includes a first bezel and a second bezel. The first bezel has a first side wall and a second side wall. A first hole structure is formed on a corner between the first and second side walls. The second bezel has a third side wall. A second hole structure and a third hole structure are formed on opposite sides of the third side wall. When the first bezel is disposed in the second bezel, the third side wall can completely cover the first hole structure of the first bezel from the outside of the first bezel, and the second and third hole structures are close to the first hole structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Ching-Hung Cheng, Hsin-Chang Chiang
  • Patent number: 7956952
    Abstract: A liquid crystal module includes a liquid crystal panel and a back light unit. The back light unit has a rear frame, a light guide plate and a lamp reflector assembly. The lamp reflector assembly including a light source, a lamp reflector and a lamp socket. The lamp reflector has a front plate, a rear plate and a side plate with a tab. At least one of the front plate and the rear plate has a fixing hole. The lamp socket has a fixing protrusion that is fitted into the fixing hole of the lamp reflector, and a slit that receives the tab of the lamp reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuya Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110122651
    Abstract: Provided is a backlight device which can suppress deterioration of uniformity. The backlight device (10) is provided with an LED (11), and a light guide plate (12) which includes a light incoming surface (12a) and a light outgoing surface (12b). An inclined surface (12c) which is inclined from the light outgoing surface is formed between the light incoming surface and the light outgoing surface of the light guide plate, and the light guide plate is formed such that the thickness of a portion on the light incoming surface side is more than that of a portion on the light outgoing surface side. At the front of the portion on the light incoming surface side of the light outgoing surface of the light guide plate, a regulating member (13), which has a light blocking characteristic and regulates shift of the light guide plate in the thickness direction of the light guide plate, is arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masakazu Komano
  • Patent number: 7946747
    Abstract: A backlight unit is disclosed. The backlight unit includes a light source unit generating light, a beam profile changer at the side of the light source unit, a reflective plate under the beam profile changer, and an optical film positioned on the beam profile changer and the reflective plate. The beam profile changer includes an incident surface facing the light source unit and an emitting surface positioned in a direction parallel to the incident surface. The reflective plate includes a first reflective surface having a first reflective area and a second reflective surface having a second reflective area. The second reflective surface is inclined from an end of the first reflective surface to an upward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jigon Kim, Jeongmin Moon, Gibin Kim, Gilwon Han, Jigeun Nam, Chounsung Kang
  • Patent number: 7946721
    Abstract: An exemplary backlight module includes a base plate, a plurality of light guide plates and a plurality of light sources. The light guide plates are juxtaposed and attached on the base plate. The light guide plates are optically isolated from each other. The light sources are disposed adjacent the respective light guide plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jen-Tsorng Chang
  • Publication number: 20110116286
    Abstract: A lighting device (30) comprises a side-light light guide 1? located in a support (2) that has an elongate opening for the passage of light emitted by the light guide. The support (20) is shaped to provide contact edges (24) and the only physical engagement between the support and the light guide is along those contact edges. The support also has planar surfaces internal positioned adjacent, and parallel to, planar surfaces (15) in the light guide to retain the light guide in the required orientation in the support. To enhance the flexibility of the support, in some embodiments only part of the support is continuous along the whole length of the support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: David M. Rudek, Joerg Roberto Purfuerst, Hans-Michael Vogt
  • Patent number: 7942557
    Abstract: An LED lamp includes a heat sink, a centrifugal blower and a plurality of LED modules. The heat sink includes a base plate defining an air intake adjacent to an end of the base plate and a plurality of fins extending downwardly from a bottom surface of the base plate, between the air intake and an opposite remote end of the base plate. The centrifugal blower is mounted on the bottom surface of the base plate and located between the air intake and the fins. The LED modules are fixed on a top surface of the base plate of the heat sink. The housing engages with the base plate to enclose the centrifugal blower and the fins therein and cooperates with the base plate to define an exhaust port between the opposite remote end of the base plate and a corresponding sidewall of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignees: Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd., Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhi-Yong Zhou, Qiao-Li Ding
  • Patent number: 7942541
    Abstract: A light guide including a transparent substrate; a plurality of guide members formed on a first surface of a transparent substrate, the guides have guide bases separated by an open area on the first surface of the transparent substrate having a width “a”, and the guide bases overlapping an area on the first surface of the transparent substrate having a width “b”, facing sides of adjacent guides each forming an obtuse angle with the first surface of the transparent substrate and, wherein the ratio “b” divided by “a” is substantially equal to N where N is an integer greater than 2 a transparent substrate having an incidence surface and a transmitting surface; and a plurality of guides each formed on the incidence surface of the transparent substrate and each guide having opposing side surfaces each forming an angle with the incidence surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hoon Kang
  • Patent number: 7940353
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal cell, a light source, a light guide plate, a first flexible printed cable and a second flexible printed cable. The light source emits light. The light guide plate guides the light to illuminate the liquid crystal cell. The first flexible printed cable is electrically coupled to the liquid crystal cell. The second flexible printed cable is electrically coupled between the light source and the first flexible printed cable. The second flexible printed cable has a printed circuit, a first insulating film formed on one side of the printed circuit and a second insulating film formed on the other side of the printed circuit. The printed circuit is partially exposed on the one side of the printed circuit to form a first land that is electrically coupled to the light source and a second land that is electrically coupled to the first flexible printed cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuya Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110103092
    Abstract: A light source receiver 31 is disposed adjacent to an incident end face 11 of a light guiding plate 1 using the light source holder 31 for receiving the LED unit 4 and a light source holder 3 formed in an L-shape in a cross section having a standing plate 34 at one end of the light source holder 31, the standing plate 34 is disposed outside of a reflective plate 2 laminated on the light guiding plate 1, and a bolt 81 via a long hole 35 of the standing plate 34 is screwed into an insert-nut 8 of the light guiding plate 1 via a clearance hole 21 of the reflective plate 2, thereby the standing plate 34 follows the heat expansion or contraction of the light guiding plate 1 except the reflective plate 2. A relative position between the incident end face 11 of the light guiding plate 1 and the light source receiver 31 of the light source holder 3 is always constant, and the LED unit 4 is prevented from being damaged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventor: Hirokazu MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20110102710
    Abstract: A backlight module that includes a light guide plate, a point light source having a light emitting surface, a first brightness enhancement film disposed above the light guide plate, and a second brightness enhancement film disposed between the light guide plate and the first brightness enhancement film is provided. The light guide plate has a rectangular pre-display area. A reference line intersects a margin of the rectangular pre-display area in 45 degrees. A normal of the light emitting surface intersects the reference line in a first included angle with ±18 degrees based on the reference line. The first brightness enhancement film has first prism structures extended in a first extending direction intersecting the normal in a second included angle with ±25 degrees based on the light emitting surface. The second brightness enhancement film is disposed between the light guide plate and the first brightness enhancement film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: WINTEK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhi-Ting Ye, Chang-Wei Yu, Nien-Ying Yang, Kuo-Jui Huang, Ying-Cheng Shih
  • Publication number: 20110096570
    Abstract: The invention provides an illumination device (1) comprising a lighting unit (2). The lighting unit (2) comprises a light source (100) and a substantially flat light guide (200), arranged to collimate light source light (111). The light guide (200) has an entrance window (210), an edge window (220), a first light guide surface (201), a second light guide surface (202), a first side edge (230) and a second side edge (240). One or more of the first light guide surface (201) and the second light guide surface (202) comprise a plurality of grooves (300). In this way, latitudinal collimation is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
    Inventors: Michel Cornelis Josephus Marie Vissenberg, Anthonie Hendrik Bergman, Tim Dekker, Giovanni Cennini
  • Patent number: 7931396
    Abstract: A backlight is provided for illuminating an at least partially transmissive display. The backlight includes a light source. A light guide receives the light from an edge surface and guides the light by total internal reflection. Groove structures which are located on at least one of the major surfaces of the light guide permit redistribution of light around obstacles that may be present within the light guide structure, thereby maintaining brightness uniformity of the backlight or illumination panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: James Rowland Suckling, Tong Zhang, David James Montgomery, Ioannis Papakonstantinou
  • Publication number: 20110090713
    Abstract: A flexible backlight module includes a light source module and a flexible light guide panel, wherein the flexible light guide panel has a light incident surface, a light reflecting surface, and a light outgoing surface. The light incident surface of the flexible light guide panel is directly connected and thereby optically coupled to the light source module so that the light emitted by the light source module can be completely coupled to the flexible light guide panel. Consequently, the loss of light is reduced while the luminous efficiency of light is increased. Light entering the flexible light guide panel is reflected by the light reflecting surface to the light outgoing surface and then projected outward. The flexible light guide panel can be curved as needed thanks to its flexibility and thus features a wide application range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: Helio Optoelectronics Corporation
    Inventors: Ming-Hung Chen, Jing-Yi Chen
  • Publication number: 20110088292
    Abstract: The invention relates to the provision of a toy and/or packaging and/or another item which includes a light illumination system to allow one or more features provided on at least one sheet of material provided as part of the item, to be rendered more viewable when the light sources are illuminated. The feature is formed on a surface of the sheet material and into the same, typically by etching or another material removal operation. Animated effects can be created by the sequential illumination of the light sources. Audio means can also be provided to be operated in conjunction with the light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Robert Kay, Ross Worthington
  • Patent number: 7926999
    Abstract: A planar light-emitting device includes an elongate first lightguide plate (13) having a light entrance end surface (13a) disposed facing an exit surface (12a) of a light-emitting package (12), a reflecting side surface (13b) extending substantially at right angles to the light entrance end surface to reflect light entering through the light entrance end surface, and a light exit side surface (13c) facing the reflecting side surface, and a flat plate-shaped second lightguide plate (14) having a light entrance side edge surface (14a) facing the light exit side surface (13c). The first lightguide plate is configured to satisfy the condition of t1<t2?t3, where: t1, t2 and t3 are the respective heights of the light exit side surface (13c), the reflecting side surface (13b) and the light entrance end surface (13a). The surfaces of the first lightguide plate other than the light entrance end surface (13a) and the light exit side surface (13c) are reflecting surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junji Miyashita, Takumi Miyashita
  • Patent number: 7920226
    Abstract: A display comprises: a transmissive pixilated spatial light modulator (21); and a backlight (22). The backlight has a light-transmissive waveguide (26), with a first face of the waveguide being opposed to the spatial light modulator (21). The first face of the waveguide comprises a plurality of regions that are not totally internally reflective for at least one polarization of light propagating within the waveguide, and the remainder of the first face of the waveguide is totally internally reflective for light propagating within the waveguide. Light is extracted from the waveguide at the regions where first face of the waveguide is not totally internally reflective. The pitch of the regions where first face of the waveguide is not totally internally reflective is substantially an integer multiple of the pitch of the pixels of the spatial light modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jonathan Mather, Etienne Lesage, David James Montgomery
  • Patent number: 7918599
    Abstract: An exemplary optical plate includes at least one transparent plate unit. The transparent plate unit includes a light output surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of enclosing V-shaped protrusions, a plurality of microstructures and a lamp-receiving portion. The light output surface and the bottom surface are on opposite sides of the optical plate. The enclosing V-shaped protrusions are formed on the bottom surface. The microstructures are formed on the light output surface. Each microstructure has circular cross-section taken along a plane parallel to its base surface thereof, a diameter of the circular cross-section decreasing along a direction away from its base surface thereof. The lamp-receiving portion is defined in at least one of the light output surface and the bottom surface. A backlight module using the present optical plate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shao-Han Chang
  • Patent number: 7918573
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a compact light guide device and a light guide apparatus having high productivity and an even light emission property. A light guide device is made of a translucent material, and LED is disposed in a notch step portion formed by cutting at least a part of an inner peripheral surface, thereby guiding light from LED to emit the light to the outside. Particularly, in a surface and a backside of a sidewall portion of the notch step portion, the sidewall portion facing a light-emitting portion of the light-emitting element, at least an inward surface constitutes a reflecting surface diffusing the light, and a pair of facing surface adjacent to each other on both sides of the sidewall portion constitutes a light acceptance surface receiving the light reflected from the reflecting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Fujiwara, Atsushi Sawada, Kosuke Sanari, Yusuke Akioka
  • Patent number: 7905649
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a display device including, a visual target, and a backlight adapted to illuminate the visual target from the rear, the backlight including, a plurality of first light sources, second light sources, and a light guide plate, wherein the light guide plate has a plurality of projecting portions on a side surface portion thereof upon which the light, produced by the plurality of first and second light sources is incident, the projecting portions being arranged, along the side surface portion and project toward the one side of the given direction, the plurality of first light sources are disposed to be opposed to the tip surfaces of the plurality of projecting portions, and the second light sources are disposed to be opposed to the bottom surfaces of recessed portions formed between the plurality of projecting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ying Bao Yang, Masaru Higuchi, Hiromasa Suzuki, Susumu Kimura
  • Patent number: 7905617
    Abstract: Provided is a backlight unit including a plurality of light guide plates that each include a first side surface having a housing groove, an upper surface extending from an edge of the first side surface, a flat lower surface facing the upper surface, and a second side surface facing the first side surface of an adjacent light guide plate, and are disposed in parallel; a plurality of light source units that are disposed in the housing grooves of the respective light guide plates; and a bottom case that houses the light guide plates and the light source units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung LED. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mi Jeong Yun, Young Taek Kim, Onishi Tomohisa, Jong Jin Park, Geun Young Kim
  • Patent number: 7905650
    Abstract: A backlight suitable for use in a display device includes an illumination device having at least one light source and a back reflector stack including a reflective layer and a transparent layer having substantially uniform refractive index and having a plurality of light-directing protrusions disposed in a matrix array. The transparent layer is disposed between the reflective layer and the illumination device with the plurality of light-directing protrusions facing away from the reflective layer. The plurality of light-directing protrusions are configured and disposed in a configuration that is not registered to any light source of the illumination device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Jiaying Ma, Quinn Sanford, Ming Cheng
  • Patent number: 7901125
    Abstract: A wedge shaped lighting device includes a light source and a light guide plate disposed opposite to the light source, and the light guide plate includes a light entrance plane opposite to the light source and a light exit plane containing one side of the light entrance plane, and has a shape growing thicker in direction perpendicular to the light exit plane with the increasing distance from the light entrance plane and contains scattering particles for scattering light entering through the light entrance plane and propagating the inside thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7902531
    Abstract: A window assembly (100,110,120,130) for irradiating infrared light (L) comprises a light guide (5) for infrared light (L), which is formed by a gap between a first transparent substrate (2), having an exterior surface and an interior surface, which faces the light guide (5), and a second transparent substrate (3) substantially parallel to the first transparent substrate (2) and having an exterior surface and an interior surface, which faces the light guide (5) and the interior surface of the first transparent substrate (3). A first and a second reflective layer (12,13), that are both substantially reflective for infrared light (L), extend over the interior surfaces of respectively the first and the second transparent substrate (2,3). The second reflective layer (13) is provided with an opening (21) through which at least part of the infrared light (L) exits the light guide (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Willem Lubertus Ijzerman, Michel Cornelis Josephus Marie Vissenberg, Marcellinus Petrus Carolus Michael Krijn
  • Publication number: 20110038177
    Abstract: The planar illumination device includes: a light guide plate formed by arranging a plurality of unit light guide plates each having a light emission surface as a front surface and a reflection surface as a back surface so that facing end surfaces of adjacent unit light guide plates of the plurality of unit light guide plates are closely arranged; one or two or more light sources arranged on a first side surface, in a direction where the plurality of unit light guide plates are arranged, of each of the plurality of unit light guide plates; and a recessed-and-projected structure arranged on a second side surface, facing the light sources, of each of the plurality of unit light guide plates and having an edge parallel to a normal to the light emission surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuro Kuwayama
  • Patent number: 7883255
    Abstract: There is disclosed a timepiece (40) including optical means for forming a decorative pattern, in the form of a figurative image, in response to an action by the user. The optical means forming a figurative image include an optical guide (1, 51) having two large faces (10, 11) and at least one lateral face (12). Optical extractors (19) each having at least one light reflective surface (20) are arranged in at least one of the large faces (11). A light source (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) is arranged so as to emit light in the direction of the reflective surfaces (20), via the lateral face (12) of the optical guide. Thus, each of the reflective surfaces causes a reflected light beam to form in a well defined direction, the set of light beams forming a figurative image in that direction, which can typically be selected as the normal with respect to the mid-plane of the watch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Asulab S.A.
    Inventor: Pascal Winkler
  • Patent number: 7883249
    Abstract: A lighting device for a vehicle includes: a light source; a light guide member that has a light-introducing part provided in a back surface side through which the light of the light source is introduced and finally emits the light from a front surface side; a part near the light-introducing part being thicker than an edge part of the light guide member, a plurality of reflecting parts and connecting parts being alternately formed continuously toward a direction separate from the light-introducing part in the back surface side, the reflecting parts respectively reflecting on interfaces the introduced light reaching there to form the light in the direction of the front surface of the light guide member; and a housing that is connected to a position between the edge part of the back surface of the light guide member and the light-introducing part and attached to the back surface side of the light guide member to house the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiharu Totani, Akihiro Misawa, Tatsuya Oba, Tetsuya Arakawa, Shinya Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7883253
    Abstract: A backlight module comprises at least a light-guide plate, a palette device and an LED bar. The palette device comprises a palette and light-guide bar and at least one palette LED. The palette and light-guide bar is disposed at a side end of the light-guide plate and has a light-input surface, a light-output surface corresponding to the light-input surface, a first side, a second side corresponding to the first side, a top, and a bottom corresponding to the top. The palette LED is adjacent to the first side and provides a palette light into the palette and light-guide bar. The LED bar is adjacent to the light-input surface of the palette and light-guide bar. The LED bar emits an incident light, which is through the light-input surface into the palette and light-guide bar, wherein a light mixed by the incident light and the palette light is output through the light-output surface is and the side end into the light-guide plate so as to be a light source of the backlight module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Dynascan Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Tsun-I Wang
  • Patent number: 7883254
    Abstract: A light guide plate capable of omitting use of a directional sheet such as a prism sheet as much as possible and ensuring a viewing angle without decreasing brightness in the vertical direction. A light guide plate 1 is used for an edge-light surface illuminant device 10. The light guide plate comprises an emission plane 6, a bottom plane 7 facing the emission plane 6 and an incident end face 8 which enters light emitted from a primary light source 4 provided in a side face between the emission plane 6 and the bottom plane 7. Each of the emission plane 6 and the bottom plane 7 comprises a pattern having convex portions and/or concave portions formed at predetermined pitches. The pattern formed on the emission plane 6 is orthogonal to the incident end face 8 and also the pattern formed on the bottom plane 6 is parallel to the incident end face 8. The emission plane 6 or the bottom plane 7 comprises a trapezoidal convex portion 2 and a trapezoidal concave portion 3 which are alternately arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Kinoshita, Yukihiro Yanagawa
  • Patent number: 7883256
    Abstract: There is disclosed a timepiece (40) including optical means for forming a decorative pattern, in the form of a figurative image, in response to an action by the user. The optical means forming a figurative image include an optical guide (1, 51) having two large faces (10, 11) and at least one lateral face (12). Optical extractors (19) each having at least one light reflective surface (20) are arranged in at least one of the large faces (11). A light source (8, 8a, 8b, 8c) is arranged so as to emit light in the direction of the reflective surfaces (20), via the lateral face (12) of the optical guide. Thus, each of the reflective surfaces causes a reflected light beam to form in a well defined direction, the set of light beams forming a figurative image in that direction, which can typically be selected as the normal with respect to the mid-plane of the watch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Asulab S.A.
    Inventor: Pascal Winkler
  • Publication number: 20110025730
    Abstract: An illumination device (L) includes a plurality of light source units (20) each having a light guide plate (1) and a plurality of light sources (21). The light guide plate (1) has an illumination region (4) through which incident beams of light from the light sources (21) are emitted outward and a light guide region (3) through which the incident beams of light from the light sources (21) are guided toward the illumination region (4), with the light guide region (3) and the illumination region (4) laid side-by-side. The illumination region (4) is divided into a plurality of light-emitting sections (9) by slit sections (8), provided in such a way as to extend along directions of optical axes of the light sources (21), which restrict transmission of light. At least one of the light sources (21) is provided to each of the light-emitting sections (9) in such a way as to be placed side-by-side along the light guide region (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuhsaku Ajichi
  • Patent number: 7880826
    Abstract: Disclosed is a light guide plate, comprising a light guide plate body and a plurality of micro mirrors formed on an upper surface of the light guide plate body for controlling a reflection direction of light incident on the light guide plate. The amount of light output from a backlight module using the light guide plate can be controlled by adjusting an angle of each of the micro mirrors with respect to an incident light from a light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Beijing Boe Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jian Guo, Kiyong Kim, Weifeng Zhou, Xing Ming
  • Publication number: 20110019437
    Abstract: A light source module including a light guide plate and a light source is provided. The light guide plate has a light incident surface and a light emitting region, and the light guide plate has a plurality of grooves or protruding patterns thereon. The length of the grooves or the protruding patterns is smaller than the length of the light guide plate. The light source is disposed on the light incident surface of the light guide plate, and the grooves or the protruding patterns of the light guide plate are disposed beside the light incident surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: AU OPTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Super Liao
  • Publication number: 20110013419
    Abstract: A linear light guiding module is provided, which includes a linear light guiding body, a plurality of light emitting bodies, a plurality of heat sinks, and a plurality of fans. With the linear light guiding body, the light emitting bodies, and the heat sinks linearly arranged, or with the fans further integrated, the linear light guiding module of the present invention has a small size and an effective heat-dissipation effect. Since only one linear light guiding module needs to be disposed on one side of a light guide plate, the linear light guiding module can be used in large-sized liquid crystal display panels. Moreover, the number of the linear light guiding modules used is decreased while the requirements for high brightness and brightness uniformity can still be met, so the cost can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: SUNONWEALTH ELECTRIC MACHINE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Alex Horng, Masaharu Miyahara, Ssu-Hao Lai
  • Publication number: 20110013168
    Abstract: A pattern forming apparatus for a light guide panel is provided. The apparatus may include a pattern design system, a control system, a header moving unit including an XY moving unit and a header unit, a laser system, beam splitters, and an optical unit. The pattern design system may have an input of data on a pattern. The control system may connect with the pattern design system and transmits a position signal. The XY moving unit may mechanically move up/down and left/right in response to the position signal. The header unit may be coupled with the XY moving unit and reflects a scanned laser beam. The laser system may output a laser beam by a pulse signal. The beam splitters may split a laser beam into two or more laser beams. The optical unit may reflect and collect the two or more laser beams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: LS Tech, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Deukil Park, Choongyop Rhew, Kiyong Baek, Daisoung Park
  • Patent number: 7873279
    Abstract: An electronic device [200] includes a housing [100] for containing circuitry [205] that generates a light beam. The electronic device includes pivotal portions [105, 110] of the housing. A light receiver [245] is associated with one of the housing pivotal portions. A light redirecting mechanism [215] is mounted at a predetermined location of the housing other than to the one pivotal portion thereof and is configured to redirect the light beam in a plurality of predetermined optical paths in which the light receiver is disposed with relative pivoting between the housing pivotal portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Rachid M. Alameh, Mark A. Barabolak, Maninder S. Sehmbey, David R. Zeiger, Robert A. Zurek
  • Publication number: 20110007523
    Abstract: This present invention discloses a backlight module including a frame and a light guide plate. The frame includes a base plane and a side wall, wherein the side wall is disposed at the edge of the base plane and encloses a disposition space. The side wall includes a first inner surface and an outer surface, wherein a distance between the first inner surface and the outer surface is decreased as the first inner surface comes closer to a bottom of the side wall. The light guide plate is disposed on the base plane and within the disposition space, wherein the first inner surface sinks toward the outer surface and a recessed space is formed between the first inner surface and a lateral side of the light guide plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: AU OPTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ci-Guang Peng, Te-Hen Lo, Cheng-Yu Wang, Ming-Sheng Lai
  • Patent number: 7866872
    Abstract: The light guide plate includes a light exit plane, two light entrance planes, two symmetrical inclined rear planes increasingly distanced from the light exit plane from the two light entrance planes toward a center of the light exit plane, a curved portion joining the two inclined rear planes and scattering particles for scattering light travelling inside the light guide plate. The light guide plate satisfies given ranges set for a length between the two light entrance planes, a thickness of each of the two light entrance planes, a thickness at the center of the curved portion, a radius of curvature thereof, tapers of the inclined rear planes, and a particle diameter and a density of the scattering particles, and conditions that a light use efficiency be 55% or greater and that a middle-high ratio represented by the brightness distribution at the light exit plane be greater than 0% and not greater than 25%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Takamitsu Okumura
  • Patent number: 7866870
    Abstract: A backlight assembly which can reduce manufacturing costs and enhance display quality of a liquid crystal display (“LCD”). The backlight assembly includes: a light source emitting light; and a light guide plate (“LGP”) including an incident surface on which light emitted from the light source is incident, a top surface which adjoins the incident surface, and a bottom surface which adjoins the incident surface, faces the top surface, and includes a plurality of lower prisms separated from one another and flat portions interposed between the lower prisms, wherein each of the lower prisms includes a first surface and a second surface which are adjacent to each other, the first surface including a plurality of oblique planes having different positive slopes, the second surface having a negative slope, and where the slope forms an angle with a line normal to the incident surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Kyu Shim, Seung-In Baek, Hyoung-Joo Kim, Jae-Jong Kwon, In-Sun Hwang
  • Patent number: 7866871
    Abstract: Various embodiments comprise light recycling films comprising an array of parallel ridges and grooves that form prisms that selectively reflect or transmit light. In some embodiments, the light recycling film may be used in displays that include spatial light modulators comprising a plurality of pixels. The light recycling film can limit the field-of-view of the display and enhance the luminance within that field-of-view. Various embodiments comprising multiple arrays of ridges and/or grooves can enhance uniformity of illumination of the pixels in the spatial light modulator and reduce Moiré effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis I. Couzin, William J. Cassarly, Steven R. Chapman
  • Patent number: 7862186
    Abstract: This projector comprises a source lamp, a lamp storage portion, storing the source lamp therein, including an air discharge opening for discharging internal air from the lamp storage portion and a netlike member so arranged as to cover the outer side of the air discharge opening of the lamp storage portion for inhibiting fragments of the source lamp from being discharged outward from the lamp storage portion through the air discharge opening when the source lamp is broken. The lamp storage portion further includes a protrusion provided on the outer side surface close to the air discharge opening to protrude in a direction intersecting with the extensional direction of the netlike member with a function of inhibiting the fragments of the source lamp from passing through a clearance between the lamp storage portion and the netlike member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shingo Hamada
  • Patent number: 7862223
    Abstract: The subject invention provides a thin and flexible light guide element, which comprises a first optical layer composed of a flexible transparent material; a second optical layer formed on the lower side of the first optical layer and having a light-adjusting structure to change the light path; and a third optical layer formed on the upper side of the first optical layer and having a convex-concave structure to homogenize the light emitted from the first optical layer, wherein the first and second optical layers have different refractive indices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Eternal Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lung-Lin Hsu
  • Publication number: 20100328362
    Abstract: A backlight apparatus, a light guide plate, and a display apparatus applying the same are provided. A backlight apparatus includes a light guide plate (LGP) on which a plurality of grooves are formed to cut off movement of light, and a light emitting unit which emits the light onto the LGP. Accordingly, an edge-type backlight apparatus can support local dimming using a single LGP which is optically divided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Young-ran SONG
  • Patent number: 7850355
    Abstract: An optical member that will be incorporated in a surface light source unit and that is scarcely deformed while it is used as a component of the surface light source unit. The optical member comprises optical sheets layered on each other. The optical sheets at least includes: an outermost optical sheet on the light-entrance side, which is situated outermost on the light-entrance side; and a high-rigidity optical sheet situated on the light-exit side of the outermost optical sheet on the light-entrance side, a rigidity of the high-rigidity optical sheet being higher than a rigidity of the outermost optical sheet on the light-entrance side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Goto, Daijiro Kodama
  • Publication number: 20100309684
    Abstract: A flexible light-guiding module with waterproof function includes a flexible light-guiding film, a light-reflecting element and a light-generating element. The light-reflecting element is disposed on a bottom side of the flexible light-guiding film. The light-generating element is embedded into the flexible light-guiding film, and the light-generating element has a circuit substrate and at least one light-generating chip electrically disposed on the circuit substrate. Hence, the light-generating element is embedded into the flexible light-guiding film, so that the light-generating element is waterproof. In addition, the present invention can be attached to any plane or curved surface by using the flexible light-guiding film, so that the application field of the present invention is very extensive. Moreover, the flexible light-guiding film and the light-reflecting element are integrally formed in order to decrease manufacturing cost of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicants: SILITEK ELECTRONIC (GUANGZHOU) CO., LTD., LITE-ON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yao-Lun HUANG
  • Patent number: 7847880
    Abstract: A light guiding plate, a backlight assembly having the light guiding plate and a display device having the backlight assembly include a light guiding plate body, a polarization transformation layer on a surface of the light guiding plate body to transform a polarization component of light emitted through the light guiding plate, and a polarization extraction layer on the polarization transformation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joong-Hyun Kim, In-Sun Hwang
  • Publication number: 20100288614
    Abstract: Lightguides, devices incorporating lightguides, and processes for making lightguides are described. A lightguide includes light extractors arranged in a pattern on a surface of the lightguide. The pattern of light extractors is arranged to enhance uniformity of light output across a surface of the lightguide and to provide enhanced defect hiding. The efficiency of the light extractors is controlled by a shape factor. The areal density of the light extractors across the surface of the lightguide may be substantially constant or may decrease along the direction of propagation of light from the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventor: David A. ENDER
  • Publication number: 20100290247
    Abstract: Disclosed are a light emitting apparatus and a display apparatus having the same. The light emitting apparatus comprises a light guide plate comprising a groove in a side surface thereof, and a light emitting diode unit, in which at least a portion of the light emitting device unit is inserted into the groove of the light guide plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventor: Hyung Suk Im
  • Patent number: RE41995
    Abstract: There is provided a very thin light guide plate for a surface light source device and a method of manufacturing it without the use of high-precision molding machine. A surface light source device using this light guide plate generates outgoing light having high uniformity. According to the manufacturing method, a light guide plate free from a weld line or warp can be manufactured with good transferring characteristics. The light guide plate is thick on an incident surface 1 side and thin on a lower surface 4 side. At the central portion of an incident surface 1 in a longitudinal direction, a projecting portion obtained by cutting an overhang portion 7 at a position a distance D apart from the incident surface 1 is formed. The cut surface of the projecting portion is not made specular and is kept rough. In molding of the light guide plate, a molten material is supplied from the position of a gate mark 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ishikawa, Hiroshi Yamazaki