Energy augmentation structures for use with energy emitters and collectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964167-B2
Application number	US-202017433748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2020
Priority date	Mar 4, 2019
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An emission enhancement structure having at least one energy augmentation structure; and an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom a light of a different energy than the received energy. The energy converter is disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure. Also described are various uses for the energy emitters, energy augmentation structures and energy collectors in a wide array of fields, such as color enhancement, and color enhancement structures containing the same.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy emitter comprising:
at least one energy augmentation structure, wherein the energy augmentation structure is a non-plasmonic structure; and
an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom an emitted light of a higher or lower energy than the received energy, and the energy converter being disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the energy converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure, or if the energy augmentation structure were not present.

2. A paint comprising:
a pigment; and
the emitter of claim 1 .

3. An ink comprising:
a dye; and
the emitter of claim 1 .

4. A light display comprising:
at least one of a color filter or a color reflective surface;
the emitter of claim 1 included in the color filter or as part of the color reflective surface.

5. A protective coating for moderating UV light damage to an object exposed to UV light irradiation, comprising:
a mixture of light scattering particles and the emitter of claim 1 ; and
the mixture configured, upon exposure to UV light, to
convert a first part of the UV light into visible light,
emit from the mixture a fraction of the visible light, and
reflect from the mixture a second part of the UV light such that said second part of the UV light is not absorbed by said object.

6. A light emitting composition comprising:
first color emitters configured to emit, upon exposure to an energy source at an energy higher than or lower than the visible light spectrum, visible light at a first target color;
second color emitters configured to emit, upon exposure to the energy source, visible light at a second target color; and
the emitter of claim 1 .

7. A cosmetic product comprising:
color emitters including,
first color emitters configured to emit, upon exposure to an energy source, visible light at a first target color in response to absorption of energy across a first band of wavelengths;
second color emitters configured to emit, upon exposure to the energy source, visible light at a second target color in response to absorption of energy across a second band of wavelengths; and
the emitter of claim 1 .

8. A method for enhancing visible light emission from a surface, comprising:
providing on the surface at least one color enhancement structure, wherein the color enhancement structure comprises at least one emitter of claim 1 ;
exposing the surface and the at least one color enhancement structure to an applied energy from an energy source; and
emitting visible light at at least one target color by conversion of a part of said applied energy into said visible light.

9. A method for enhancing visible light emission from a paint, comprising:
providing in the paint or in a vicinity of a surface of the paint at least one emitter of claim 1 ;
exposing the surface and the at least one structure to an applied energy from an energy source; and
emitting said visible light at at least one target color by conversion of a part of said applied energy into said visible light.

10. A method for enhancing visible light emission from an ink, comprising:
providing in the ink at least one color enhancement structure, wherein the color enhancement structure comprises at least one emitter of claim 1 ;
exposing the ink and the at least one color enhancement structure to an applied energy from an energy source; and
emitting said visible light at at least one target color by conversion of a part of said applied energy into said visible light.

11. A method for enhancing visible light emission from a display, comprising:
providing on a color filter or a color reflective surface of the display at least one color enhancement structure, wherein the color enhancement structure comprises at least one emitter of claim 1 ;
exposing the color filter or color reflective surface, and the at least one color enhancement structure to an applied energy from an energy source; and
emitting said visible light at at least one target color by conversion of a part of said applied energy into said visible light.

12. An energy or color enhancement device comprising:
an energy collector comprising at least one energy augmentation structure, wherein the energy augmentation structure is a non-plasmonic structure; and
an energy converter capable of receiving an applied electromagnetic energy, converting the applied electromagnetic energy and emitting therefrom a wavelength of emitted energy shifted in wavelength/energy from the applied electromagnetic energy, and the energy converter being disposed in a vicinity of the energy augmentation structure,
wherein the energy augmentation structure is configured to provide an electric field between opposing elements of the structure.

13. An energy or color enhancement device comprising:
an energy collector comprising at least one energy augmentation structure, wherein the energy augmentation structure is a non-plasmonic structure; and
an energy converter capable of receiving an applied electromagnetic energy, converting the applied electromagnetic energy and emitting therefrom a wavelength of emitted energy shifted in wavelength/energy from the applied electromagnetic energy, and the energy converter being disposed in a vicinity of the energy augmentation structure,
wherein the energy collector collects energy from a branched antenna.

14. An energy or color enhancement device comprising:
an energy collector comprising at least one energy augmentation structure, wherein the energy augmentation structure is a non-plasmonic structure; and
an energy converter comprising a mechanoluminescent emitter capable of receiving at least one acoustic, vibrational, and ultrasonic energy, converting the received energy and emitting therefrom a wavelength of light from the energy converter.

15. An energy augmentation structure capable of capturing one or more wavelengths of electromagnetic energy, and augmenting the one or more wavelengths of electromagnetic energy in at least one property, wherein the energy augmentation structure is a non-plasmonic structure.

16. An energy collector comprising at least one energy augmentation structure, wherein the energy augmentation structure is a non-plasmonic structure; and at least one energy converter capable of receiving an applied electromagnetic energy, converting the applied electromagnetic energy and emitting therefrom an emitted electromagnetic energy shifted in wavelength or energy from the applied electromagnetic energy and the energy converter being disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted electromagnetic energy is emitted with at least one augmented property compared to if the energy converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure.

17. The emitter of claim 1 , wherein the at least one energy augmentation structure comprises a structure in which a locally intensified electric field exists in one part of the structure when the structure receives electromagnetic energy.

18. The emitter of claim 17 , wherein the at least one energy augmentation structure comprises at least one resonator dimensioned to be resonant with the applied electromagnetic energy.

19. The emitter of claim 18 , wherein the resonator comprises a folded resonator.

20. The emitter of claim 19 , wherein the folded r

Assignees

• Immunolight Llc

Inventors

• Bourke Jr Frederic A
• Walder Harold
• Fathi Zakaryae
• Beyer Wayne F
• Rudder Ronald A
• Simmons Joseph H

Classifications

• H10W74/15

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• H10W72/07141

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• H10W72/071

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• H10W72/59

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• H10W72/07338

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