Light guide unit for illuminating functional areas
AssigneeSony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
InventorJacob LERENIUS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and a light guide for illumination of a functional area of portable communication devices. By applying a light reflecting microstructure and quantum dots in the same light guide, a number of advantages are gained, as compared to the provision of multiple light guides stacked onto each other comprising microstructures. By subjecting the singular light guide to light having either one wavelength or another wavelength, different illumination patterns can be provided for functional areas in portable communication devices, such as mobile phones. Moreover, dual illumination patterns that may be overlapping can be provided in the in one and the same colour.
Claims18
A light guide unit for illuminating a functional area of a portable communication device, the light guide unit comprising:
- a singular light guide for emitting illuminating light, said light guide comprising,
- a wavelength converting material, adapted to conditionally convert light of a first wavelength to light of a second wavelength in dependence of the first wavelength, upon receipt of said light of the first wavelength and
- a light reflecting microstructure adapted to reflect part of the light of the first wavelength,
- enabling the singular light guide to provide either a first or a second illumination pattern of light in dependence of the first wavelength of the received light, upon receipt of said light of the first wavelength.
A method for providing dual alternative patterns by a singular light guide upon receipt of light by the singular light guide, comprising the steps of:
- receiving incident light of a first wavelength by the singular light guide,
- Reflecting part of the incident light of the first wavelength by a light reflecting microstructure within said singular light guide,
- conditionally exciting a wavelength converting material with at part of the received light of the first wavelength, in dependence of the first wavelength, and
- providing either a first or a second illumination pattern of light by the singular light guide, in dependence of the first wavelength of the received light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.