Optical waveguides – Noncyclindrical or nonplanar shaped waveguide
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-27
2003-12-30
Palmer, Phan T. H. (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
Noncyclindrical or nonplanar shaped waveguide
C385S043000, C385S901000, C385S129000, C359S559000, C362S558000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06671452
ABSTRACT:
The present invention is concerned generally with a luminaire device for providing selected light illumination. More particularly, the invention is concerned with luminaires, such as a wedge, for backlighting by light output from a liquid crystal display layer and also by manipulating light polarization, recycling light of selected polarization and filtering selected light polarizations to enhance light illumination and image output.
A variety of applications exist for luminaire devices, such as, for liquid crystal displays. For flat panel liquid crystal displays, it is important to provide adequate backlighting while maintaining a compact lighting source. It is known to use wedge shaped optical devices for general illumination purposes. Light is input to such devices at the larger end; and light is then internally reflected off the wedge surfaces until the critical angle of the reflecting interface is reached, after which light is output from the wedge device. Such devices, however, have only been used to generally deliver an uncollimated lighting output and often have undesirable spatial and angular output distributions. For example, some of these devices use white painted layers as diffuse reflectors to generate uncollimated output light.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved optical device and method of manufacture.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel three dimensional luminaire.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved multilayer tapered luminaire for optical purposes, such as for controlled utilization of light polarization.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a novel tapered luminaire device for controlled transmission or concentration of light.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel optical device for providing collimated polarized light illumination from the device.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an improved tapered luminaire having a polarization filter layer.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a novel luminaire allowing conversion of polarized light to enhance illumination output from the invention.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an improved illumination system wherein a combination of a polarization filter layer and a light redirecting layer are utilized to provide improved light illumination over a controlled angular range of output to the viewer.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a novel luminaire optical device wherein a combination of a polarization filter, polarization converting layer and a post LCD diffuser layer are used to enhance light illumination from the optical device.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an improved luminaire optical device wherein an LCD layer is disposed adjacent an overlying post LCD diffuser layer to enable control of light distribution over broader angles to viewers without loss of light output or image qualities.
It is also another object of the invention to provide an improved luminaire optical device having an internal polarization cavity for converting luminaire light to one polarization state for enhanced illumination gain.
It is yet an additional object of the invention to provide a novel luminaire optical device having a selected arrangement of a structured back reflector layer with a polarization beam splitter to enhance illumination efficiency.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved luminaire optical device having a polarization converting layer interacting with a structural back reflector layer to provide enhanced illumination efficiency.
It is also a further object of the invention to provide a novel luminaire optical device having a polarization beam splitter, a quarter wave converting layer and a microstructural back reflector layer to provide enhanced illumination gain.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved luminaire optical device having a selectable arrangements of polarization splitting layers including one of (a) the splitting layer evaporated directly onto a base layer of the luminaire, and (b) evaporation of the splitting layer onto a separate glass plate.
It is also an additional object of tie invention to provide a novel luminaire optical device including a quarter plate polarization converting element in one of a set of selectable arrangements of (a) disposed between a back reflector and luminaire base layer with air layers between, (b) coupled directly to a back reflector with an air layer between the luminaire base layer and the directly coupled layers, (c) coupled directly to the luminaire base layer with an air layer between the converting element and a metallic back reflector layer or a BEF type of back reflector, (d) coupled directly to the luminaire base layer on one side and a high efficiency mirror on the other side, and (e) coupled directly to the luminaire base layer on one side thereof and an air layer and back reflector on the other side of the base layer.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an improved luminaire optical device having a textured base layer for enhancing illumination properties.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a novel luminaire optical device utilizing a film based reflective polarizer in combination with a converter layer and BEF type back reflector.
It is also a further object of the invention to provide an improved luminaire optical device having a base layer separated by various air layers with polarized splitter, redirecting, converter, and back reflector layers disposed above and/or below the base layer.
It is yet an additional object of the invention to provide a novel luminaire optical device including a back reflector below a base layer and a redirecting layer adjacent the top surface of the base layer and a reflective polarizer and redirecting/diffuser layer positioned above the redirecting layer.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings described below.
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Emmons Robert M.
Gleckman Philip
Holman Robert L.
Jacobson Benjamin A.
Winston Roland
3M Innovative Properties Company
Buckingham Stephen W.
Palmer Phan T. H.
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