Direct-lit backlight units with optical films

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11513392-B1
Application number	US-202117519358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2021
Priority date	Sep 23, 2021
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A display may have a pixel array such as a liquid crystal pixel array. The pixel array may be illuminated with backlight illumination from a direct-lit backlight unit. The backlight unit may include an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on a printed circuit board. The display may have a notch to accommodate an input-output component. Reflective layers may be included in the notch. The backlight may include a color conversion layer with a property that varies as a function of position. The light-emitting diodes may be covered by a slab of encapsulant with recesses in an upper surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a liquid crystal display panel; and
a backlight unit that provides backlight for the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the backlight unit comprises:
an array of light-emitting diodes, wherein each light-emitting diode emits blue light; and
a color conversion layer, wherein the color conversion layer converts the blue light to white light, wherein the color conversion layer has a central area and an edge, wherein the central area overlaps multiple light-emitting diodes of the array of light-emitting diodes, wherein the color conversion layer has a thickness that varies as a function of position across the color conversion layer, wherein the thickness is uniform in the central area of the color conversion layer, and wherein the thickness increases from the central area towards the edge.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the color conversion layer has a phosphor layer that includes red quantum dots and green quantum dots distributed in a resin.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 , wherein the color conversion layer includes an additional film over the phosphor layer and wherein the additional film also has a varying thickness.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 , wherein the color conversion layer includes an additional film over the phosphor layer and wherein the additional film has a uniform thickness.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 2 , wherein the color conversion layer further includes light-redirecting structures formed over the phosphor layer that recycle a percentage of light from the array of light-emitting diodes.

6. An electronic device comprising:
a liquid crystal display panel; and
a backlight unit that provides backlight for the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the backlight unit comprises:
an array of light-emitting diodes;
at least one light spreading layer formed over the array of light-emitting diodes;
a color conversion layer formed over the at least one light spreading layer;
a first brightness-enhancement film that is formed over the color conversion layer, wherein the color conversion layer includes a first plurality of protrusions that extend towards the first brightness-enhancement film and wherein each protrusion in the first plurality of protrusions has a rounded tip with a radius of curvature between 0.4 microns and 1.5 microns;
a second brightness-enhancement film that is formed over the first brightness-enhancement film; and
a diffusion film that is formed over the second brightness-enhancement film, wherein the second brightness-enhancement film includes a second plurality of protrusions that extend towards the diffusion film and wherein each protrusion in the second plurality of protrusions has a tip with a radius of curvature that is less than 0.3 microns.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the first brightness-enhancement film includes a third plurality of protrusions that extend towards the second brightness-enhancement film and wherein each protrusion in the third plurality of protrusions has a rounded tip with a radius of curvature between 0.4 microns and 1.5 microns.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein each protrusion in the first plurality of protrusions is a pyramidal protrusion.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the first brightness-enhancement film has a base film and a third plurality of protrusions that extend from an upper surface of the base film away from the color conversion layer and wherein the first brightness-enhancement film includes a plurality of clear dots on a lower surface of the base film.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 , wherein the clear dots are concentrated at an edge of the lower surface of the base film.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a liquid crystal display panel; and
a backlight unit that provides backlight for the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the backlight unit comprises:
an array of light-emitting diodes;
a slab of encapsulant formed over the array of light-emitting diodes, wherein the slab of encapsulant conforms to and directly contacts the array of light-emitting diodes;
a plurality of color conversion patches formed directly on an upper surface of the slab of encapsulant, wherein each color conversion patch overlaps a respective light-emitting diode in the array of light-emitting diodes;
at least one light spreading layer formed over the array of light-emitting diodes; and
a color conversion layer formed over the at least one light spreading layer.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein each color conversion patch has a non-uniform thickness.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of color conversion patches is formed in corresponding recesses in the slab of encapsulant and wherein upper surfaces of the plurality of color conversion patches are coplanar with an upper surface of the slab of encapsulant.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Luo Zhenyue
• Amoorezaei Morteza
• Wang Qingbing
• You Chenhua
• Jiao Meizi
• Lee Chungjae
• Spechler Joshua A
• Zhu Xinyu
• Gu Mingxia
• Qi Jun
• Benson Eric L
• Yin Victor H

Classifications

• G02F1/133514

  Colour filters · CPC title

• G02F1/133607

  the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses · CPC title

• G02F1/133603

  with LEDs · CPC title

• G02F1/133614 Primary

  using photoluminescence, e.g. phosphors illuminated by UV or blue light · CPC title

• G02F1/133611 Primary

  including means for improving the brightness uniformity · CPC title