Flat panel displays with primary viewing envelopes away from displyay panel normal

A flat panel display having a display normal, the flat panel display comprising:

• a plurality of light emitters providing light;
• a light guide adapted for receiving the light, the light guide including a cavity defined by diffuser/reflector walls for integrating the light to form an extended light surface source providing display normal light, the display normal light being parallel to the display normal;
• a film disposed posteriorly to the light guide, the film including a means for permitting a first portion of the display normal light to pass therethrough and a means for redirecting a second portion of the display normal light to redirected light, the redirected light being non-parallel to the display normal, the film and the means for redirecting the second portion of the display normal light forming a prism surface facing the light guide;
• and
• a display panel having a plurality of pixels for spatially modulating both the display normal light and the redirected light received from the film to form a pattern.

A flat panel display having a display normal, the flat panel display comprising:

• a plurality of light emitters providing light;
• a light guide adapted for receiving the light, the light guide including a cavity defined by diffuser/reflector walls for integrating the light to form an extended light surface source providing display normal light, the display normal light being parallel to the display normal;
• a brightness enhancement film for receiving the display normal light from the light guide and permitting a first portion of the display normal light to pass therethrough and redirecting a second portion of the display normal light to redirected light, the redirected light being non-parallel to the display normal, the brightness enhancement film including a prism surface facing the light guide;
• a diffuser element bonded to the brightness enhancement film by a refractive index matching adhesive, the diffuser element for receiving both the display normal light and redirected light and smoothing out the sharp boundaries therebetween;
• and
• a display panel having a plurality of pixels for spatially modulating both the smoothed display normal light and the smoothed redirected light received from the diffuser element to form a pattern.