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US 2010/0141869 A1Published application
Passive and hybrid daylight-coupled backlights for sunlight viewable displays
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsRolf W. Biernath, Jennifer R. Yi, Keith M. Kotchick, John S. Huizinga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A passive daylight-coupled display having an LCD panel, a diffuser, and a curved reflector behind the LCD panel. For passive backlighting, the diffuser transmits daylight to the reflector, which reflects the daylight to the LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the LCD panel for backlighting it. A hybrid display includes both a passive backlight and an active backlight for providing backlighting from an active light source.
Claims40
A passive daylight-coupled display, comprising:
- an LCD panel having a top side and a bottom side;
- a diffuser having a front edge adjacent the top side of the LCD panel and having a back edge;
- and
- a curved reflector having a top side adjacent the back edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side adjacent the bottom side of the LCD panel,
- wherein the diffuser transmits daylight to the reflector and wherein the reflector reflects the daylight to the LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the LCD panel.
2 more elements
14 The display of claim 1, wherein a light pipe, mirror, lens, ambient light concentrator, or shutter system transmits light to the diffuser.
A multi-unit passive daylight-coupled display, comprising:
- a first LCD panel having a top side and a bottom side;
- a second display panel having a top side and a bottom side, wherein the second display panel is located opposite the first LCD panel;
- a diffuser having a front edge adjacent the top side of the first LCD panel and having a back edge adjacent the top side of the second display panel;
- and
- a first reflector having a top side adjacent the front edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side adjacent the bottom side of the second display panel;
- a second reflector having a top side adjacent the back edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side adjacent the bottom side of the first LCD panel,
- wherein the diffuser transmits daylight to the first and second reflectors, wherein the first reflector reflects the daylight to the second display panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the second display panel, and wherein the second reflector reflects the daylight to the first LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the first LCD panel.
4 more elements
A multi-unit passive daylight-coupled display, comprising:
- an LCD panel having a top side and a bottom side;
- a diffuser having a front edge adjacent the top side of the first LCD panel and having a back edge;
- a first reflector having a top side adjacent the back edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side adjacent approximately a mid-point of the LCD panel;
- a second reflector having a top side adjacent the back edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side adjacent the bottom side of the LCD panel;
- and
- a polarization rotator located behind the LCD panel from either approximately the mid-point of the LCD panel to the bottom side of the LCD panel or approximately the mid-point of the LCD panel to the top side of the LCD panel,
- wherein the diffuser transmits daylight to the first and second reflectors, wherein the first reflector reflects the daylight to a top portion of the LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the top portion of the LCD panel, and wherein the second reflector reflects the daylight to a bottom portion of the LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the bottom portion of the LCD panel.
4 more elements
A multi-unit passive daylight-coupled display, comprising:
- a first LCD panel having a top side and a bottom side;
- a second LCD panel having a top side located adjacent the bottom side of the first LCD panel and having a bottom side;
- a diffuser having a front edge adjacent the top side of the first LCD panel and having a back edge;
- a first reflector having a top side adjacent the back edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side adjacent the bottom side of the first LCD panel;
- and
- a second reflector having a top side adjacent the back edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side adjacent the bottom side of the second LCD panel,
- wherein the diffuser transmits daylight to the first and second reflectors, wherein the first reflector reflects the daylight to the first LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the first LCD panel, and wherein the second reflector reflects the daylight to the second LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the second LCD panel.
4 more elements
A hybrid daylight-coupled display, comprising:
- an LCD panel having a top side and a bottom side;
- a diffuser having a front edge adjacent the top side of the LCD panel and having a back edge;
- a reflector having a top side adjacent the back edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side adjacent the bottom side of the LCD panel, wherein the diffuser transmits daylight to the reflector and wherein the reflector reflects the daylight to the LCD panel and provides for substantially uniform distribution of the daylight on the LCD panel;
- and
- an active backlight for providing, when activated, substantially uniform distribution of light on the LCD panel.
2 more elements
A multi-unit passive daylight-coupled display, comprising:
- a first static display panel having a top side and a bottom side;
- a second static display panel having a top side and a bottom side, wherein the second static display panel is located opposite the first static display panel;
- a diffuser having a front edge adjacent the top side of the first static display panel and having a back edge adjacent the top side of the second static display panel;
- a bottom panel having a front edge adjacent the bottom side of the first static display panel and having a back edge adjacent the bottom side of the second static display panel;
- a first side panel located between a first side of the first static display panel and a first side of the second static display panel;
- a second side panel located between a second side of the first static display panel and a second side of the second static display panel;
- and
- a reflector located on the bottom panel on the inside of the display,
- wherein the first and second side panels comprise reflectors, wherein the diffuser transmits daylight inside the display, and wherein the reflector and the first and second side panels provide for substantially uniform backlighting of the first and second static display panels.
6 more elements
A multi-unit passive daylight-coupled display, comprising:
- a first static display panel having a top side and a bottom side;
- a second panel having a top side and a bottom side, wherein the second panel is located opposite the first static display panel;
- a diffuser having a front edge adjacent the top side of the first static display panel and having a back edge adjacent the top side of the second panel;
- a bottom panel having a front edge adjacent the bottom side of the first static display panel and having a back edge adjacent the bottom side of the second panel;
- a first side panel located between a first side of the first static display panel and a first side of the second panel;
- a second side panel located between a second side of the first static display panel and a second side of the second panel;
- and
- a reflector located on the bottom panel on the inside of the display and on the second panel on the inside of the display,
- wherein the first and second side panels comprise reflectors, wherein the diffuser transmits daylight inside the display, and wherein the reflector and the first and second side panels provide for substantially uniform backlighting of the first static display panel.
6 more elements
A passive collapsible backlight for a daylight-coupled display, comprising:
- a diffuser having a front edge, a back edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge;
- and
- a reflector having a top side flexibly connected with the back edge of the diffuser and having a bottom side;
- a first side panel having a top edge flexibly connected with the first side edge of the diffuser and having a front edge;
- and
- a second side panel having a top edge flexibly connected with the second side edge of the diffuser and having a front edge,
- wherein the reflector, the first side panel, and the second side panel are each capable of folding for placement next to the diffuser, and
- wherein when the backlight is in use the front edge of the diffuser, the bottom side of the reflector, the front edge of the first side panel, and the front edge of the second side panel are each placed adjacent a display panel for backlighting the display panel and for providing substantially uniform distribution of daylight on the display panel.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.