Reflective Face Patents (Class 362/623)
  • Patent number: 11982417
    Abstract: A lighting and/or signaling device, comprising a light guide, at least one LED light source, wherein an inlet and diffusion wall and the light outlet wall are opposite to each other along a main optical axis (X). The lighting portion comprises a middle lighting portion aligned with the LED light source and the light emission portion, and a peripheral lighting portion. The device comprises at least one reflector element associated with the light inlet and diffusion wall of the light guide and directly facing the respective extraction elements so as to reflect light towards the light outlet wall. A diffusion layer is arranged to cover the lighting portion on the side of the light outlet wall. Cylindrical optics are provided on the light outlet wall, at the middle lighting portion, which extract the incident light beams thereon, towards the diffusion layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING ITALIA S.p.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Pascal Herlin, Sara Paroni, Pierfrancesco Zilio
  • Patent number: 11974457
    Abstract: An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) device includes a substrate, a well structure on the substrate with the well structure having a recess with side walls and a floor, a lower metal layer covering the floor and side-walls of the well, an upper conductive layer on the lower metal layer covering the floor of the well and contacting the lower metal layer, the upper conductive layer having outer edges at about an intersection of the side walls and the floor, a dielectric layer formed of an oxide of the lower metal layer covering the side walls of the well without covering the upper conductive layer, a stack of OLED layers covering at least the floor of the well, the upper conductive layer providing an electrode for the stack of OLED layers, and a light extraction layer (LEL) in the well over the stack of OLED layers and the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gang Yu, Chung-Chia Chen, Wan-Yu Lin, Hyunsung Bang, Lisong Xu, Byung Sung Kwak, Robert Jan Visser
  • Patent number: 11447069
    Abstract: An illumination device for a motor vehicle includes one or more LED units having one or more LEDs, and a plate-shaped diffuser having a first and second delimiting surface, between which a light-diffusing material having a specified thickness is located. A face of the diffuser, which is provided between the first and second delimiting surfaces, forms the light emission surface of the illumination device that is visible to an observer. The LED unit or LED units are arranged adjacent to the first delimiting surface and, during operation, emit light toward the first delimiting surface, which enters the diffuser via the first delimiting surface. The diffuser is designed and arranged such that at least one part of the light of the LED unit or LED units entering via the first delimiting surface is directed in the diffuser to the light outlet surface and emerges there from the illumination device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Juergen Bruegl
  • Patent number: 11347260
    Abstract: A front light module includes a light source having a light emitting surface and a light guide plate having a microstructure region. The microstructure region includes a first microstructure and a second microstructure. The first microstructure is located between the light emitting surface of the light source and the second microstructure. A surface of the first microstructure close to the light source and a direction of an optical axis have a first angle. A surface of the first microstructure away from the light source and the direction of the optical axis have a second angle. A surface of the second microstructure away from the light source and the direction of the optical axis have a third angle. The first angle and the second angle are respectively in a range of 30 degrees to 50 degrees and a range of 60 degrees to 90 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: E Ink Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Ching-Huan Liao, Hsin-Tao Huang
  • Patent number: 11346994
    Abstract: A lighting and/or signaling device, comprising: a light guide adapted to receive a light ray beam to a light outlet wall which creates a lighting portion of the lighting and/or signaling device, at least one LED light source adapted to receive the light beam, transmitted by total internal reflection towards the light outlet wall. The device includes at least one reflector element associated with the light inlet and diffusion wall of the light guide and directly facing the respective extraction elements so as to reflect light towards the light outlet wall. A diffusion layer is arranged to cover the lighting portion on the side of the light outlet wall. The diffusion layer has a differentiated transmission factor according to the light intensity of the incident light rays on the lighting portion so as to obtain a uniform light intensity over the whole lighting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: MARELLI AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Pascal Herlin, Sara Paroni, Pierfrancesco Zilio
  • Patent number: 11168846
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a plurality of sub-electronic modules arranged side by side. Each of the sub-electronic modules includes a housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls, and a light guide pipe mounted on one of the side walls. The light guide pipe has an incident end, an emergent end located at a front portion of the housing, and a main body located between the incident end and the emergent end and extending in a length direction of the housing. The incident ends of the light guide pipes located between at least a pair of adjacent housings are staggered by a predetermined distance in the length direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiwang Jin, Hongqiang Han, WenYu Liu, Chenxi Wang, Xingjie Ge
  • Patent number: 11170700
    Abstract: An artificial window is provided. In one example, the artificial window includes a transparent light emitting diode (LED) display panel, and a directional backlight module located at a back side of the transparent LED display panel. The transparent LED display panel includes multiple first LEDs to display at least one image frame, and the directional backlight module includes multiple second LEDs forming a directional LED array to generate a collimated directional light toward the transparent LED display. In another example, the artificial window includes a display panel to display at least one image frame; and a backlight module located at a back side of the display panel. The backlight module includes a first light source providing backlight for the display panel, and a second light source to generate a collimated directional light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: A.U. VISTA, INC.
    Inventor: David Slobodin
  • Patent number: 11162670
    Abstract: A backlight module and a display device are provided in the present invention. The backlight module includes a bottom polyester layer, an adhesive layer, a top coat layer, a silver reflective layer, an anchor coat layer, a polyester layer, and a grounding wire which overlap each other in sequence. A through hole in contact with the silver reflective layer is formed through the polyester layer and the anchor coat layer. The grounding wire is electrically connected to the silver reflective layer via the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chunpeng Guo, Chunhung Huang, Gonghua Zou
  • Patent number: 11150399
    Abstract: A backlight module includes a light guide member, a first light source, a second light source, a plurality of first optical microstructures, and a plurality of second optical microstructures. The light guide member has a first light incident surface and an adjacent second light incident surface. The first light source is disposed at one side of the first light incident surface and is configured to generate a first light beam. The second light source is disposed at one side of the second light incident surface and is configured to generate a second light beam. The first and the second optical microstructures are disposed at the light guide member and are configured to reflect the first and the second light beams. The reflected first light beam has a first light emitting angle range without a normal viewing angle range. A display apparatus using the backlight module is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Chien Liao, Ping-Yen Chen, Yung-Lung Liu, Chun-Wei Lee
  • Patent number: 11126035
    Abstract: A backlight module and a liquid crystal display device are provided. The heat in the heat-accumulation region of the liquid crystal display panel is diffused into periphery of the heat sink in the chamber through the plurality of first through holes by using air as a medium, and the heat sink dissipates heat. Therefore, temperature in the heat-accumulation region of the liquid crystal display panel is lowered, and avoids the problem that service life of the liquid crystal display device becomes short due to high local temperature of the heat-accumulation region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Inventor: Qianshuang Hu
  • Patent number: 11067808
    Abstract: Display devices include waveguides with in-coupling optical elements that mitigate re-bounce of in-coupled light to improve overall in-coupling efficiency and/or uniformity. A waveguide receives light from a light source and/or projection optics and includes an in-coupling optical element that in-couples the received light to propagate by total internal reflection in a propagation direction within the waveguide. Once in-coupled into the waveguide the light may undergo re-bounce, in which the light reflects off a waveguide surface and, after the reflection, strikes the in-coupling optical element. Upon striking the in-coupling optical element, the light may be partially absorbed and/or out-coupled by the optical element, thereby effectively reducing the amount of in-coupled light propagating through the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Dean Schmulen, Neal Paul Ricks, Samarth Bhargava, Kevin Messer, Victor Kai Liu, Matthew Grant Dixon, Xiaopei Deng, Marlon Edward Menezes, Shuqiang Yang, Vikramjit Singh, Kang Luo, Frank Y. Xu
  • Patent number: 10859751
    Abstract: A backlight module including a plurality of first light-emitting devices and a light guide plate is provided. The light guide plate includes light-emitting surface, bottom surface and a first light-receiving side. The bottom surface is corresponded to the light-emitting surface, and the first light-receiving side connects the light-emitting surface and the bottom surface. The first light-emitting devices are disposed on the first light-receiving side, arranged along a first direction. The light guide plate further includes a plurality of prisms and a plurality of microstructure groups. The prisms are disposed on the bottom surface and extend along the first direction. The microstructure group includes microstructures, and the microstructures are respectively connecting two of the prisms adjacently disposed. Each of the microstructures has a ridgeline, and the ridgeline is parallel to a second direction, which is different from the first direction. A manufacture method of a light guide plate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: DARWIN PRECISIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu-Huan Chiu, Yen-Lung Chen
  • Patent number: 10816715
    Abstract: A light guide plate, a backlight module and a display device are provided. The light guide plate includes a main body and plural prism portions. The main body has a first extending direction and a second extending direction. The main body includes a light-incident surface extending along the first extending direction and an optical surface connected to the light-incident surface. The optical surface has a first region, a second region and a third region which are arranged along the second extending direction. The prism portions are disposed on the optical surface and extend along the second extending direction. An occupied area ratio of the prism portions located in the first region is greater than an occupied area ratio of the prism portions located in the second region and is smaller than an occupied area ratio of the prism portions located in the third region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignees: RADIANT (GUANGZHOU) OPTO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., RADIANT OPTO-ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chia-Yin Chang, Chin-Ting Weng, Hao Chen, Yi-Ching Chung
  • Patent number: 10712488
    Abstract: An illuminating apparatus for a screen operable in at least two operating modes, viz B1 for a free viewing mode and B2 for a restricted viewing mode. The illuminating apparatus comprising: a backlight with a planar extension radiating light in a restricted angular range; a plate-shaped light guide that is, in a viewing direction, arranged in front of the backlight and with outcoupling elements one of the large surfaces and/or within its volume. The light guide is transparent to at least 70% of the light emitted by the backlight and light sources are arranged laterally at the edges of the light guide. Various parameters are specified for the number of outcoupling elements per unit area and for their extension, and in operating mode B2, the backlight is switched on and the light sources are switched off. In operating mode B1 at least the light sources are switched on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: siOPTICA GmbH
    Inventors: André Heber, Uwe Schroeter, Juergen Schwarz, Ambrose Peter Nari, Markus Klippstein, Stepan Alkhimenko
  • Patent number: 10551602
    Abstract: An optical device (1) includes two prism bodies (41, 42) and four side panels (71-74) attached to both prism bodies (41, 42). A cavity (9) is thereby enclosed. A first reflector (81) can be present at a first side face (81) of the first prism body (41), and a second reflector (82) can be present at a second side face (82) of the second prism body (42). At least one of the prism bodies (41, 42) and/or at least one of the side panels (71-74) can be at least in part made of a non-transparent dielectric material such as a printed circuit board. In some implementations, an optoelectronic component (90) can be attached to the respective constituent of the optical device (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: AMS SENSORS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Nicola Spring, Hartmut Rudmann, Markus Rossi
  • Patent number: 10457201
    Abstract: A badge assembly that includes a translucent, polymeric badge comprising an edge and an interior surface with a diffraction grating having a thickness from 250 nm to 1000 nm and a period from 50 nm to 5 microns; LED sources oriented toward the edge; and fascia configured to obscure the sources. Further, the grating diffracts light from the LED sources through the badge as a visible iridescent pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Paul Kenneth Dellock, James J. Surman
  • Patent number: 10439359
    Abstract: A light source device includes: a base member; a semiconductor laser mounted on an upper surface of the base member; a lateral wall portion having: a lower surface facing the upper surface of the base member and being a non-reflecting surface, and a reflecting surface that reflects light emitted from the semiconductor laser, is connected to the lower surface of the lateral wall portion at a lower end portion of the reflecting surface, and is inclined with respect to the upper surface of the base member; a first bonding film that is a metal film disposed in a region on the upper surface of the base member facing the lower surface of the lateral wall portion; a second bonding film that is a metal film disposed on the lower surface of the lateral wall portion; and a metal bonding member fuse-bonded to the first bonding film and the second bonding film to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tadaaki Miyata, Yoshihiro Kimura
  • Patent number: 10310173
    Abstract: A backlight device includes LEDs, a unit body holding the LEDs, a light guide plate having a light entrance edge surface and a light exit plate surface, and a chassis. The light entrance edge surface is a part of outer peripheral edge surfaces of the light guide plate and extends in a peripheral direction and light from the LEDs enters through the light entrance edge surface. The light exit plate surface is one of plate surfaces of the light guide plate and light exits through the light exit plate surface. The LEDs and the light guide plate are arranged in the chassis and the chassis has a fitting hole that is open in a direction crossing an extending direction of the light entrance edge surface such that the LEDs are inserted in and removed from the fitting hole according to mounting and detaching of the unit body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiromitsu Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 10288265
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical assembly used in the backlight module. The optical assembly comprises: a first optical film having a first surface; an adhesive layer having a second surface and a third surface opposite to the second surface, wherein the second surface of the adhesive layer is disposed on the first surface of the first optical film; and a diffusing sheet having a fourth surface comprising a plurality of first microstructures and a plurality of second microstructures, wherein each of the plurality of second microstructures extends along a first direction, wherein the maximum height of the plurality of second microstructures is greater than that of the plurality of first microstructures so as to bond the plurality of second microstructures to the third surface of the adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: UBRIGHT OPTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yi-Long Tyan, Lung-Pin Hsin, Ching-An Yang, Yu-Mei Juan, Chien-Chih Lai
  • Patent number: 10247873
    Abstract: Disclosed is a lighting device of a vehicle capable of achieving an enhancement in luminous efficacy. The disclosed lighting device includes a light source for generating light, a light guide including a light emitting portion formed with first patterns arranged in a longitudinal direction of the light emitting portion, to guide the light, the light emitting portion performing light emission using the light, and a light receiving portion to receive the light generated by the light source, and a back cover, on which the light guide is mounted. The back cover is formed with second patterns arranged in a longitudinal direction of the back cover at a portion of the back cover, on which the light receiving portion is mounted. The first patterns are formed to have a greater width with increasing distance from the light source. The second patterns are formed to have the same width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kyung Gu Min
  • Patent number: 10088619
    Abstract: Provided are a reflection sheet which is capable of, when light sources, and the like are disposed on one side surface side of a light guide plate, preventing the reflection sheet from coming into contact with the light sources, and the like at a central part of the one edge thereof, and a light source device and a display apparatus. A reflection sheet which is oppositely disposed to the other surface of a light guide plate for emitting light made incident on one side surface from one surface thereof, and reflects the light made incident on the light guide plate to the one surface side of the light guide plate, includes a cutout part provided at a central part of one edge of four sides of the rectangular reflection sheet, and the reflection sheet is arranged so that the one edge is disposed on one side surface side of the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Sakai Display Products Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Teragawa
  • Patent number: 10031278
    Abstract: A light source device and a display device capable of preventing a problem of torsion occurring in a back chassis due to an unevenness in a temperature distribution are provided. In a light source device including: a light guide plate that outputs light incident from one side face from one face; a light source that is arranged on the one side face side of the light guide plate; and a back chassis that has a bottom arranged to face the other face of the light guide plate, by forming a reflection film reflecting light incident from the light guide plate to the light guide plate in a heat absorption plate portion that is arranged between the light guide plate and the bottom of the back chassis and absorbs heat emitted from the light source, the heat absorption plate portion absorbs heat generated from the light source and achieves the role of a reflection sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Sakai Display Products Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuya Idei
  • Patent number: 9995450
    Abstract: A film stack reflects incident light in some areas and transmits incident light in other areas, and it redirects incident light with one or more structured surfaces. The spatially variable reflection and transmission is achieved at least in part with reflective strips, and the reflective strips are attached to a first major surface of a structured optical film in the film stack. A second major surface of the structured optical film, opposite the first major surface, attaches to a substrate. The reflective strips attach to the structured optical film by a first discontinuous adhesive layer, having first adhesive areas. The structured optical film attaches to the substrate by a second discontinuous adhesive layer, having second adhesive areas. A major portion of the first adhesive areas, and a major portion of the second adhesive areas, is circumscribed by the reflective strips. The film stack may be part of a light duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Karl J. L. Geisler, Paul A. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 9939123
    Abstract: A light guide body includes a first rod-like light guide portion and second rod-like light guide portions which are spaced from the first rod-like light guide portion in the vertical direction and plate-like light guide portions which are disposed so as to link their circumferential surfaces. Light that reaches the first rod-like light guide portion via the plate-like light guide portions after being emitted from light sources and entering the second rod-like light guide portions is emitted forward of the lamp from the circumferential surface of the first rod-like light guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Asami Nakada
  • Patent number: 9879843
    Abstract: Lighting systems, devices and techniques are provided to construct solid-state lighting devices and systems that provide energy-efficient illumination, including personal lighting devices, desktop lighting devices, and ceiling/overhead lighting devices based on semiconductor-based solid-state light sources such as LEDs or laser diodes. The disclosed solid-state lighting devices and systems use an illumination plate to receive the generated light from one or more LEDs or laser diodes and to process the received light to exhibit desired spatial distribution of light power across the illumination plate and desired direction of the output light from the illumination plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Axlen, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Xu, Bo Pi, Anthony Hsu
  • Patent number: 9684120
    Abstract: An optical article, such as a backlight for electronic display devices, is disclosed. The optical article includes a lightguide, a viscoelastic layer disposed on the light guide and a nanovoided polymeric layer disposed on the viscoelastic layer. The nanovoided polymeric layer comprises a plurality of interconnected nanovoids and at least some of the interconnected nanovoids are connected to one another by hollow passages. The lightguide may be optically coupled to a light source, and the viscoelastic layer and the nanovoided polymeric layer may be used in conjunction with the lightguide to manage light emitted by the light source. The viscoelastic layer may be a pressure sensitive adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Martin B. Wolk, Michael J. Sykora, Robert L. Brott, William J. Bryan, Erik A. Aho, Martin Kristoffersen, Michael A. Meis, Kevin R. Schaffer, Audrey A. Sherman, John C. Schultz, Mieczyslaw H. Mazurek
  • Patent number: 9671531
    Abstract: Thermoplastic resin composition for a light reflector such as a housing, reflector, and extension of an automotive lamp, and a lighting fixture. The composition contains 2 to 45 parts by mass of an inorganic filler treated with a fatty acid type surface treating agent and has an average diameter of not more than 3 ?m, per 100 parts by mass of a thermoplastic resin. The housing reflector made from such thermoplastic resin composition shows excellent surface smoothness, surface luster and surface image clarify.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasunori Shirai, Haruo Ueda, Tamae Takagi
  • Patent number: 9316376
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing light signals in a vehicle. The same physical apparatus produces light signals of two different colors. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) of two different colors produce diverging light rays. These rays are captured by a transparent plate and conducted to an edge of the plate, which reflects and collimates the light into parallel beams. The parallel beams then reach an elongated lens running along another edge of the plate, which focuses, or de-focuses, the light and transmits it externally as a signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Valeo North America, Inc.
    Inventors: John Steven Orisich, Brant James Potter, Matthew James Berry
  • Patent number: 9194999
    Abstract: A display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel and a backlight unit that emits light toward the back surface of the liquid crystal panel. The backlight unit includes: an LED; a wiring substrate having the LED mounted thereon; a light guide plate which light from the LED enters through a side surface and exits through a main surface toward the back surface of the liquid crystal panel; and a support component including a first support member that supports the LED and a second support member that supports the light guide plate. The support component is able to move between a first position at which the first support member supports the LED and the second support member supports the light guide plate and a second position at which the first support member is apart from the LED and the second support member supports the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Horiuchi, Akifumi Kono
  • Patent number: 9164216
    Abstract: Provided is an illumination device for obtaining planar light having satisfactory uniformity and suppressed brightness irregularities. A backlight unit (illumination device) (20) comprises a light source and a light-guiding element (23) for guiding light from the light source. The light-guiding element (23) includes prisms (23q) formed in an end area (22b) on the light source side, and prisms (23i) formed in an area (a light-emitting area (22a)) on the side opposite the light source relative to the end area (22b). The prisms (23q) vary the propagation angle of light spreading in a direction intersecting the direction of light entry, more so than the prisms (23i).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuzo Yuki, Takeshi Ishida, Fumie Kunimasa
  • Patent number: 9141224
    Abstract: The ability to effect a change in capacitance is not limited to one side of a capacitive touch element. Objects on an opposite side, or approaching from the opposite side, of a touch element can distort the electrostatic field. In some instances, overall device thickness can be such that the presence of a user's fingers on the back of a portable computing device (e.g., when holding the device) can be sensed by the capacitive touch screen on the front of the device. In various embodiments, a metallic plain, shield, or other conductive layer is provided for devices such as, smartphones, tablet computers, and other computing devices to eliminate, or at least reduce, any potential measurable change in capacitance caused by objects behind the touch panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel Isaiah Rowe, Robert Waverly Zehner, Nikolai Orlov
  • Patent number: 9116272
    Abstract: In a light guide plate used in a lighting device, light-emitting elements are arranged at first intervals. However, the light emitting elements are partly arranged at second interval which is larger than the first intervals. Therefore, a rectangular shaped second diffusing areas formed by grooves are provided in an outer edge area arranged between a first diffusing area having a plurality of grooves (diffusing pattern) formed thereon and an end portion of the light guide plate so as to have a width smaller than the second intervals so as to face areas in which the light emitting elements are arranged at the second intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobutaka Urano, Yoichi Momose
  • Publication number: 20150138835
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a light guide plate comprising a light guide layer and a reflective layer; a lower surface of the light guide being a reflective surface; an upper surface of the light guide layer being a stepped surface and comprising an upper step surface, a lower step surface and an inclined surface connecting the upper step surface and the lower step surface; wherein the lower step surface is a light exiting surface and the reflective surface is coated on the inclined surface. Embodiments of the invention further provide a method for manufacturing the light guide plate, a backlight module provided with such a light guide plate, and a display device provided with such a backlight module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Tae Sung Kang, Young Man Kwon
  • Publication number: 20150131316
    Abstract: A light guide body configured to guide light from a light source that enters the light guide body has a light exit surface having at least one light emitting region from which light from the light source is emitted, and a plurality of reflection patterns arranged in a reflection region of a counter surface facing the light exit surface. The reflection region is a region corresponding to the at least one light emitting region. The reflection region has at least a first reflection region that reflects light in a first direction, and a second reflection region that reflects light in a second direction differing from the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Takagi, Masayuki Shinohara, Yoshimasa Osumi, Norikazu Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20150131324
    Abstract: A lighting and/or signaling device and a light ray guide (N) formed by a guide plate comprising a light entry face, a light exit face and a reflection face having an elliptical profile toward the rear adapted to assure reflection of light rays entering the guide plate through the light entry face toward a focus point (F) located at the level of the light exit face of the guide plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Antoine de Lamberterie
  • Publication number: 20150124482
    Abstract: Provided are a light source device and a display device capable of preventing the user from recognizing unevenness in luminance due to reflection, by a reflection sheet, of the unevenness in luminance occurring at a cut-out part of a light guide plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: Sakai Display Products Corporation
    Inventor: Yasumori Kuromizu
  • Patent number: 9022634
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a backlight and a display device, to reduce the number of LEDs in a backlight, save costs, while avoiding dark areas appearing on the screen, so as to ensure display effect. The backlight comprises a first light guide plate and at least one light-emitting diode assembly, and the light-emitting diode assembly is located on one side of the first light guide plate. The light-emitting diode assembly comprises a second light guide plate, at least one light-emitting diode and a reflective film, wherein the at least one light-emitting diode is located on at least one side of the second light guide plate, and the reflective film is located on at least one side of the second light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Beijing Boe Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhanchang Bu, Bochang Wang, Fei Wang, Yanjun Sun, Yi Deng, Guangsheng Hua
  • Publication number: 20150098118
    Abstract: A dual-slope light guide includes a first surface, a second surface and a curved surface. The first surface has first reflecting structures. The second surface, connected to the first surface, has second reflecting structures. An included angle between the first surface and the second surface is unequal to 180 degrees. The curved surface connects the first surface to the second surface. The first surface, the second surface and the curved surface extend from a first end of the light guide to a second end of the light guide. A light beam incident to the first end of the light guide is reflected and converted by the first reflecting structure and the second reflecting structure into linear light emitted from the curved surface. A light source module and an optical assembly for a scanner are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: SHIN GWO SHIUE, SUNG-PO CHENG
  • Patent number: 8994894
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device including a backlight unit that irradiates the entire image formation region with light from light emitting diodes disposed in a concentrated manner, in order to reduce warpage of a reflection sheet to obtain uniform illumination, provided is a liquid crystal display device (1), including: a liquid crystal panel (3); a reflection sheet (6), which is disposed on a rear surface side of the liquid crystal panel (3) and is curved so as to have a concave surface facing the liquid crystal panel (3); a light emitting diode substrate on which a plurality of light emitting diodes (14) are disposed along a horizontal direction; and a support (21) for fixing the reflection sheet (6) at a curved portion of the reflection sheet (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sachiko Yamazaki, Ikuko Imajo, Masashi Baba
  • Patent number: 8979349
    Abstract: Illumination devices and methods of making same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an illumination apparatus includes a light source, a light guide having a planar first surface, a first end and a second end, and a length therebetween, the light guide positioned to receive light from the light source into the light guide first end, and the light guide configured such that light from the light source provided into the first end of the light guide propagates towards the second end, and a plurality of light turning features that are configured to reflect light propagating towards the second end of the light guide out of the planar first surface of the light guide, each light turning feature having a turning surface and an interferometric stack formed on the turning surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ion Bita, Sapna Patel, Clayton Ka Tsun Chan, SuryaPrakash Ganti, Brian W. Arbuckle
  • Patent number: 8974104
    Abstract: A backlight module includes a light guide plate, at least one light source, and a light-reflecting plate. The light guide plate includes a light-emitting surface, a bottom surface, a light-incident surface, and a guiding tilt surface. One end of guiding tilt surface and light-emitting surface are intersected at a first boundary, and the other end connects to a top edge of light-incident surface. The guiding tilt surface extends toward a direction of protruding the light-emitting surface. The horizontal distance between the first boundary and light-incident surface is L. The light-reflecting plate is disposed under the bottom surface. When the horizontal distance d between light-incident surface and an end of light-reflecting plate near light-incident surface is less than L, the horizontal distance between a vertical projection of the end on light-emitting surface and first boundary is not more than 0.5 mm. When d is more than L, x is at least 0.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yi-Wen Chang, Fu-Cheng Fan
  • Patent number: 8967847
    Abstract: An illumination assembly is adapted to illuminate a display module that is visible by reflecting environmental lights. The illumination assembly includes a substrate, a visual-light source, and a light guide. The substrate includes a top surface. The visual-light source is disposed on the top surface and is provided for emitting a visual light. The light guide is disposed corresponding to the top surface of the substrate. The light guide includes a light-incidence surface and a light-emergence surface. The visual light enters the light guide through the light-incidence surface and is reflected at least once. The visual light then exits the light guide through the light-emergence surface and travels along a light-emergence direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventor: Sheng-Shan Huang
  • Patent number: 8960966
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a backlight unit having a reflective portion, including a light source module for emitting a light, a first reflective portion arranged spaced a first distance away from one side of the light source module to have an open region, and a second reflective portion arranged spaced a second distance which is greater than the first distance away from the other side of the light source module to have at least a portion with a sloped surface for reflecting the light toward the open region of the first reflective portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Se Jin Ko
  • Patent number: 8957880
    Abstract: In a local dimming technology for reducing power consumption of a display device using a backlight as in a liquid crystal display, the backlight is configured by a plurality of independently controllable light sources, an image is divided into areas of the same number as that of the controllable light sources and light emission intensity of the light source is calculated based on a feature value of each area. However, this technology has a problem that when a backlight luminance distribution within each area is not uniform, image quality is deteriorated or a power consumption reduction effect is lowered. In the present invention, the image is divided into areas of the number greater than that of the controllable light sources, and the light emission intensity of each light source is determined based on the feature values of a plurality of areas to reduce the above-described problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Tanaka, Yasutaka Tsuru, Yuya Ogi
  • Patent number: 8950902
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a light emitting device comprises an array of legs extending from a body of film with the bounding edges of the legs stacked, a first light source emitting light of a first color and a second light source emitting light of a second color into the stacked bounding edges where the light emitting region defined within the body is configured to extract light of a third color. In another embodiment, a light emitting device comprises three light sources positioned to direct light into a stacked array of bounding edges. In one embodiment, a method of generating light of adjustable color exiting a surface of a film is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: FLEx Lighting II, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony J. Nichol, Zane A. Coleman
  • Patent number: 8950920
    Abstract: A light reflector including a multilayer film wherein the multilayer film includes a substrate layer and an emission line preventing layer including a scale-like light reflecting section, and the reflection angle light quantity ratio is from 1.5 to 6.5. The light reflector is capable of preventing generation of emission lines when it is incorporated in a planar light source device or an illuminating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Yupo Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiko Ueda, Hiroshi Koyama
  • Patent number: 8950921
    Abstract: The invention described herein is a very thin flat panel LED luminaire, including a flat baseboard, a flat reflection panel, a flat acrylic panel, a flat diffusion panel, LED bar, and aluminum encasement frame which combines with the baseboard to form the chassis for the luminaire. The LED bar is placed along either or both sides of the stack. The acrylic panel is printed with a mesh-like mask pattern of dots in a pattern in which the density of the pattern is decreases the farther away from the LED bar the pattern is, differentially coupling the light from the point source LED bar from the reflection panel into the flat acrylic panel so that illumination across the luminaire is substantially uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: CT Advanced LED Lighting, LLC
    Inventor: Yu Lin Sheng
  • Patent number: 8950924
    Abstract: Optical constructions use a low index of refraction layer (120) disposed between a low absorption layer (101) and a high absorption layer (103) to increase confinement of light to the low absorption region of the optical constructions. Low index layers can be used in optical constructions that have multi-tiered light confinement. In these constructions, a first tier of reflection is provided when light is reflected at the surface of a low index optical film which is disposed directly or indirectly on a light guide (110). A second tier of reflection occurs at the surface of a light redirecting film having appropriately oriented refractive structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: John A. Wheatley, Tao Liu, Encai Hao
  • Patent number: 8944664
    Abstract: A display device includes: a display panel; a bottom container member which receives the display panel; an auxiliary member including a bottom, and a side extending from an edge of the bottom, and coupled with the bottom container member; a light source unit coupled with the side of the auxiliary member; and a first heat radiating member between the auxiliary member and the light source unit. The first heat radiating member includes a phase change material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Hwi Kim, Won Jin Kim, Sang Hoon Lee, Seong Sik Choi, Jae Chang Choi
  • Patent number: 8920017
    Abstract: A variation in luminance is reduced near a light source without decreasing intensity of a light exit pattern. A light source is disposed and a light exit pattern is formed. The light exit pattern reflects light guided in a light guide plate and outputs the light. In inclined angles of tangents of the light exit patterns in a section passing through a center axis of the light exit pattern, a largest inclined angle of the tangent is defined as a maximum inclined angle of the light exit pattern. At this time, in the light exit pattern provided in the light guide plate, the maximum inclined angle is decreased with increasing distance from a light incident surface in a region near the light incident surface, and the maximum inclined angle is decreased or kept constant with increasing distance from the light incident surface in a region distant from the region near the light incident surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Gouo Kurata, Koichi Takemura, Kazuhide Hirota, Jun Kishimoto, Masayuki Shinohara