Illuminated display with light source destructuring and shaping device

A liquid crystal display system having a homogenizer with a normal axis, a horizontal direction, and a vertical direction, said homogenizer spaced from a light source and including:

• A. a sheet of deformable material having formed therein a micro-sculpted surface structure that (i) controls the direction in which light propagates and (ii) homogenizes light with directionality, said micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed by replicating in said sheet of deformable material a prior micro-sculpted surface structure that (i) controls the direction in which light propagates and (ii) homogenizes light with directionality, said prior micro-sculpted surface structure having been formed in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by:
• (a) generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in said photosensitive medium using coherent light, said coherent light having been diffused through a diffuser, so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in said refractive index of said photosensitive medium, said non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes scattering collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation;
• and
• (b) developing said photosensitive medium;
• and
• B. a reflective layer deposited on and conforming to said micro-sculpted surface structure, whereby light incident on said homogenizer is reflected into an output area by said micro-sculpted surface structure,
• wherein light scattered from said micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by said random, disordered and non-planar speckle.

A light emitting diode system having a homogenizer spaced from a light source, the homogenizer made by a process including:

• A. generating random disordered non-planar speckle in a photosensitive medium having a refractive index by exposing said photosensitive medium with coherent light, said coherent light having been diffused through a holographic diffuser, so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in said refractive index of said photosensitive medium, said non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes scattering collimated light into a controlled pattern with smooth brightness variation;
• B. developing said photosensitive medium to form a micro-sculpted surface structure that (i) controls the direction in which light propagates and (ii) homogenizes light with directionality;
• and
• C. making a replica of said micro-sculpted surface structure from said photosensitive medium,
• wherein light scattered from said replica of said micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by said random, disordered and non-planar speckle.

A liquid crystal display comprising:

• a display screen;
• a light source disposed behind the display screen for illuminating the display screen;
• and
• a homogenizer spaced from the light source;
• wherein the homogenizer includes a sheet of deformable material having formed therein a micro-sculpted surface structure that both controls the direction in which light propagates and homogenizes light with directionality, the homogenizer having been formed by generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in a photosensitive medium using coherent light, the coherent light having been diffused through a diffuser, so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in a refractive index of the photosensitive medium, such that the non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with a smooth brightness variation and then developing the photosensitive medium, wherein light scattered from the micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by the random, disordered and non-planar speckle.

A light emitting diode comprising:

• a display surface;
• a light source disposed behind the display surface for providing light thereto;
• and
• a homogenizer, spaced from the light source;
• wherein the homogenizer includes a sheet of deformable material having formed therein a micro-sculpted surface structure that both controls the direction in which light propagates and homogenizes light with directionality, the homogenizer having been formed by generating random, disordered and non-planar speckle in a photosensitive medium using coherent light, the coherent light having been diffused through a diffuser, so as to define non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes in a refractive index of the photosensitive medium, such that the non-discontinuous and smoothly varying changes scatter collimated light into a controlled pattern with a smooth brightness variation, and then developing the photosensitive medium, wherein the light scattered from the micro-sculpted surface structure is characterized by the random, disordered and non-planar speckle.