Directional backlight unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9971083-B2
Application number	US-201514958099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a directional backlight unit. The directional backlight unit includes a source light unit configured to generate dot source light, a linear source light generator configured to separate a plurality of source lights, which are output in a direction vertical to a line type output surface, from the dot source light according to different grating periods and generate the separated plurality of source lights as linear source lights, and a light guide panel configured to output backlight, which has a form of flat source lights and includes the plurality of source lights, in a direction vertical to a plate type output surface according to the different grating periods. The linear source light generator includes an incident surface on which the dot source light is incident and the line type output surface on which a plurality of grating patterns having the different grating periods are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A backlight unit comprising:
a source light unit configured to generate white light;
a linear source light generator including a first incident surface on which the white light is incident and a line type output surface on which a first plurality of grating patterns are arranged in a first direction, the linear source light generator configured to separate the white light into red light, green light, and blue light using the first plurality of grating patterns, the first plurality of grating patterns including first, second, and third grating patterns that respectively have first, second, and third grating periods, the first grating pattern, the second grating pattern, and the third grating pattern outputting the separated red light, the separated green light, and the separated blue light, respectively, in a second direction perpendicular to the line type output surface; and
a light guide panel including a second incident surface on which the separated red light, the separated green light, and the separated blue light are incident and a plate type output surface on which a second plurality of grating patterns having different grating periods are provided, the light guide panel configured to output backlight using the second plurality of grating patterns.

2. The backlight unit of claim 1 , further comprising: a beam steering film disposed in front of the light guide panel to adjust an output direction of the backlight according to an electric field.

3. The backlight unit of claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, and third grating patterns includes a plurality of projection patterns, each of the plurality of projection patterns protruding from the line type output surface of the linear source light generator, and
wherein the first, second, and third grating periods are differently set by adjusting a width of a projection pattern or an interval between adjacent projection patterns.

4. The backlight unit of claim 1 , wherein the first grating pattern, the second grating pattern, and the third grating pattern are repeatedly provided on the line type output surface.

5. The backlight unit of claim 1 , wherein the red light, the green light, and the blue light are first red light, first green light, and first blue light, respectively, and
wherein the second plurality of grating patterns provided on the plate type output surface comprise:
a fourth grating pattern including a first plurality of projection patterns which are provided based on the first grating period, the fourth grating pattern outputting second red light in a third direction perpendicular to the plate type output surface;
a fifth grating pattern including a second plurality of projection patterns which are provided based on the second grating period, the fifth grating pattern outputting second green light in the third direction perpendicular to the plate type output surface; and
a sixth grating pattern including a third plurality of projection patterns which are provided based on the third grating period, the sixth grating pattern outputting second blue light in the third direction perpendicular to the plate type output surface.

6. The backlight unit of claim 5 , wherein the fourth grating pattern, the fifth grating pattern, and the sixth grating pattern are repeatedly provided on the plate type output surface.

7. The backlight unit of claim 1 , wherein the line type output surface of the linear source light generator is perpendicular to the second direction, and
wherein the plate type output surface of the light guide panel is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

8. The backlight unit of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of grating patterns includes fourth, fifth, and sixth grating patterns respectively having the first, second, and third grating periods.

9. The backlight unit of claim 8 , wherein the red light, the green light, and the blue light are first red light, first green light, and first blue light, respectively, and
wherein the fourth grating pattern, the fifth grating pattern, and the sixth grating pattern of the light guide panel output second red light, second green light, and second blue light, respectively, in a third direction perpendicular to the plate type output surface of the light guide panel, each of the second red light, the second green light, the second blue light having a stripe shape.

10. A backlight unit comprising:
a first grating coupler including a line type output surface on which a first plurality of grating patterns are arranged in a first direction, the first grating coupler configured to separate white light into red light, green light, and blue light using the first plurality of grating patterns, the first plurality of grating patterns including first, second, and third grating patterns respectively have first, second, and third grating periods, the first grating pattern, the second grating pattern, and the third grating pattern outputting the separated red light, the separated green light, and the separated blue light, respectively, in a second direction perpendicular to the line type output surface; and
a second grating coupler including a second incident surface on which the separated red light, the separated green light, and the separated blue light are incident and a plate type output surface on which a second plurality of grating patterns having the same configuration as the first plurality of grating patterns are provided, a light guide panel outputting backlight using the second plurality of grating patterns.

11. The backlight unit of claim 8 , further comprising: a beam steering film disposed in front of the second grating coupler to adjust an output direction of the backlight according to an electric field.

Assignees

• Electronics & Telecommunications Res Inst

Inventors

• Jung Soo Yong
• Kim Hee Seung
• Lee Sun Goo
• Lee Sei Hyoung

Classifications

• G02F1/133524

  Light-guides, e.g. fibre-optic bundles, louvered or jalousie light-guides · CPC title

• G02F1/133621

  providing coloured light (G02F1/133617, G02F1/133533 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/005 Primary

  provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide · CPC title

• G02B6/0026

  Wavelength selective element, sheet or layer, e.g. filter or grating · CPC title

• G02B6/0028

  Light guide, e.g. taper · CPC title