Display backlighting apparatus
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJoseph E. Harter, Jr., Gregory K. Scharenbroch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image illumination apparatus for backlighting a portion of a liquid crystal display. The apparatus includes a light source generating an illuminating light, a light shielding medium located between the light source and a display grid, and an aperture formed in the light shielding medium for allowing the transmission of light generated by the light source to pass to a lighted portion of the display grid. The light shielding medium prevents light from being transmitted to a non-lighted portion of the display grid.
Claims25
An image illumination apparatus for backlighting a portion of a display having a grid of pixels that are illuminated with light to generate a lighted image and a masked area that does not generate an image, said apparatus comprising:
- a light source for generating illuminating light;
- a light shielding medium located between the light source and a display for shielding at least some of the light from being transmitted to the masked area in a non-lighted portion of the display, wherein the light shielding medium comprises a conductive heat sink;
- and
- an aperture formed in the light shielding medium for allowing the transmission of light generated by the light source to pass to the grid of pixels in a lighted portion of the display so as to illuminate said lighted portion of the display.
A backlit liquid crystal display comprising:
- a light illuminating display having a grid of pixels that are illuminated with light to generate a lighted image and a masked area that does not generate an image;
- a light source for generating light;
- a light shielding medium located between the light source and the display for shielding at least some of the light from being transmitted to the masked area in a non-lighted portion of the display grid, wherein the light shielding medium comprises a conductive heat sink;
- and
- an aperture formed in the light shielding medium for allowing the transmission of light generated by a light source to pass to the grid of pixels in a lighted portion of the display grid so as to illuminate said lighted portion of the display grid.
A method of backlighting one or more select portions of a display having a grid of pixels that are illuminated with light to generate a lighted image and a masked area that does not generate an image, said method comprising the steps of:
- generating light for illuminating a display;
- shielding at least some of the light from being transmitted to the masked area in a non-lighted portion of the display;
- transmitting light to the grid of pixels in a lighted portion of the display so as to illuminate said lighted portion of the display;
- and
- removing heat from the display via a conductive heat sink.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.