Flat panel illuminator with concentrator
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsNeil Emerton, Lincoln Ghioni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Examples are disclosed that relate to the coupling of light into a light guide for a backlight system. One disclosed example provides a flat-panel illuminator comprising a concentrating reflector, a light guide, and one or more light emitters. The concentrating reflector includes a curved reflective portion, a light guide including a planar face and an input edge positioned adjacent the concentrating reflector, and the one or more light emitters are arranged within the concentrating reflector and spaced from the input edge of the light guide.
Claims20
A flat-panel illuminator comprising:
- a concentrating reflector including a curved reflective portion;
- a light guide including a planar face and an input edge positioned adjacent the concentrating reflector;
- and
- one or more light emitters arranged within the concentrating reflector and spaced from the input edge of the light guide by an air-filled gap.
A flat-panel illuminator comprising:
- a light guide having a planar face and an input edge;
- a concentrating reflector having a parabolic reflective portion and a planar reflective portion each extending along the input edge of the light guide, the concentrating reflector being positioned adjacent the input edge of the light guide, the planar reflective portion being oriented obliquely to an axis of the parabolic reflective portion;
- and
- one or more light emitters arranged between the planar reflective portion and the parabolic reflective portion and separated from the input edge of the light guide.
An electronic display comprising:
- a light guide having a planar face and an input edge;
- a concentrating reflector having a parabolic reflective portion and a planar reflective portion each extending along the input edge of the light guide in a direction parallel to the input edge, an axis of the parabolic reflective portion being oblique to the planar face of the light guide;
- one or more light emitters arranged between the planar reflective portion and the parabolic reflective portion and separated from the input edge of the light guide;
- and
- an image-forming layer arranged parallel to the light guide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.