US 12,645,015 B1Granted

Light management system with light converting quantum dot layer and distributed light input ports

AssigneeS.V.V. Technology Innovations, Inc.

InventorSergiy Vasylyev

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A light management system includes a visible light source and a planar layered light confining structure having front and back sheets with a light converting layer between them. A microstructured front layer on the front sheet includes linear optical structures extending between opposite edges. The back sheet has an opaque reflective surface, and the structure includes a surface for total internal reflection. Light input ports having a cumulative area of no more than 10% of the converting layer area are arranged in a two-dimensional array and used to inject light into the structure. The light converting layer has an active layer containing light converting materials with different bandgaps that absorb light in a selected spectral band and transmit light in a different spectral band. The active layer includes quantum dots and has a thickness less than needed for complete single-pass absorption to accommodate multiple transverse light propagation.

Claims54

Dependent claims

A light management system, comprising:

a source of visible light;
and
a generally planar layered light confining structure comprising:
a front sheet of an optically clear material having a generally rectangular shape and comprising a back substrate layer having a substantially constant thickness and a microstructured front layer formed on a front surface of the back substrate layer and having a parallel array of linear optical structures longitudinally extending between two opposite edges of the front sheet,
a back sheet approximately coextensive in size with the front sheet and disposed at a distance from the front sheet, the back sheet comprising an opaque reflective surface,
a surface configured to reflect light using total internal reflection,
a light converting layer approximately coextensive in size with the front and back sheets and disposed between the front sheet and the back sheet, and
a plurality of light input ports arranged into a regular two-dimensional array and configured for injecting light emitted by the source into the generally planar layered light confining structure at a plurality of regions distributed across an area of the generally planar layered light confining structure,
wherein a cumulative area of the light input ports is no more than 10% of a total area of the light converting layer,
wherein the light converting layer has a monolithic layered structure comprising an active layer and a first protective layer bonded to a surface of the active layer and configured to protect the active layer from ambient air and/or moisture,
wherein the active layer comprises a first light converting material having a first bandgap and a second light converting material having a second bandgap, each of the first and second light converting materials configured to selectively absorb light in a first spectral band of the visible light and transmit light without substantial absorption in a second spectral band which is different than the first spectral band,
wherein at least one of the first and second light converting materials comprises semiconductor quantum dots distributed within an optically transmissive material,
wherein the active layer is provided at a thickness which is less than a thickness sufficient to absorb substantially all light in the first spectral band transversely propagating through the light converting layer in a single pass, and
wherein the generally planar layered light confining structure is configured to propagate light transversely through the light converting layer multiple times.

11 more elements

A light management system, comprising:

a source of visible light;
an optically transmissive surface configured to reflect light using total internal reflection;
an opaque reflective surface;
a light converting layer distributed over a broad area between said opaque reflective surface and said optically transmissive surface;
and
a plurality of light input ports arranged in a regular two-dimensional array of rows and columns and configured to admit light from said source into a space between said opaque reflective surface and said optically transmissive surface at a broad range of propagation angles with respect to a normal to the light converting layer, wherein said light input ports have a cumulative area no more than 10% of a total area of said light converting layer,
wherein said light converting layer comprises an active layer and a first protective layer, wherein said active layer comprises a first light converting material having a first bandgap and a second light converting material having a second bandgap, wherein said first and second light converting materials are configured to selectively absorb light in a first spectral band of the visible light and transmit light without substantial absorption in a second spectral band different than the first spectral band, wherein said first protective layer is bonded to a surface of said active layer and configured to protect said active layer from ambient air and/or moisture, wherein at least one of the first and second light converting materials comprises semiconductor quantum dots distributed within an optically transmissive material, and wherein said active layer has a thickness less than a minimum thickness sufficient to absorb substantially all light in said first spectral band in a single pass.

4 more elements

A light management system, comprising:

(i) a front surface distributed over a broad area and configured for reflecting light using total internal reflection;
(ii) a back opaque reflective surface distributed over said broad area;
(iii) an active layer disposed between said front surface and said back opaque reflective surface and comprising a first light converting material having a first bandgap and a second light converting material having a second bandgap, wherein said first and second light converting materials are configured to selectively absorb light in a first spectral band, and wherein at least one of the first and second light converting materials comprises semiconductor quantum dots distributed within an optically transmissive material;
(iv) a first protective layer bonded to said active layer and configured to protect said active layer from ambient air and/or moisture;
(v) a source of light configured to emit light in said first spectral band;
and
(vi) a regular array of light input ports having a cumulative area no more than 10% of a total area of said active layer and configured for injecting light from said source into a space between said front surface and said back opaque reflective surface at multiple regions distributed across said broad area and at a range of angles with respect to a normal to the active layer,
wherein said active layer has a thickness less than a minimum thickness sufficient to absorb substantially all received light in a single pass.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/964,348Filed 30 Nov 2024 · continuation
Priority: 13 Jul 2010
Published: US 2026/0153655 A14 Jun 2026
Granted: 2 Jun 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

H10F 77/488
Directly associated or integrated with photovoltaic cells, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means: reflecting…
G01J 1/0407
Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts: optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. manifolds, windows, holograms, gratings
G01J 5/0853
Optical arrangements: having infrared absorbers other than the usual absorber layers deposited on infrared detectors like bolometers, wherein the…
G02B 3/0056
Characterized by the distribution or form of lenses: arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses

Family

Application61/399,552Us provisional application · filed 13 Jul 2010
Application61/402,061Us provisional application · filed 21 Aug 2010
Application13/181,482Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jul 2011
Application14/222,588Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Mar 2014
Application15/442,645Parent of this division · filed 25 Feb 2017
Application16/368,272Parent of this division · filed 28 Mar 2019
Application16/585,550Parent of this continuation · filed 27 Sep 2019
Application17/119,487Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Dec 2020
Application17/687,639Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Mar 2022
Application18/126,353Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Mar 2023
Application18/593,940Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Mar 2024
US 12,159,951 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Dec 2024
US 11,923,475 B2Parent of this continuation
US 11,616,157 B2Parent of this continuation
US 11,276,795 B2Parent of this continuation
US 10,868,205 B2Parent of this continuation
US 10,439,089 B2Parent of this division
Application16/585,550Parent of this division
US 10,269,999 B2Parent of this division
Application15/442,645Parent of this continuation
US 8,735,791 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0012741 A1Published application
US 2014/0202530 A1Published application
US 2017/0170352 A1Published application
US 2019/0221699 A1Published application
US 2020/0028015 A1Published application
US 2021/0135034 A1Published application
US 2022/0190180 A1Published application
US 2023/0231067 A1Published application
US 2024/0322059 A1Published application
US 2026/0153655 A1Published application
US 12,645,015 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.