3m Innovative Properties Company

Other

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties

Kenneth A Epstein

John Allen Wheatley

Andrew John Ouderkirk

Michael F Weber

Gary Timothy Boyd

Robert M Emmons

Mark E Gardiner

James E Watson

Wade D Kretman

Sanford Cobb, Jr

Nicholas A Johnson

John C Schultz

Daniel J Schmidt

Keith Michael Kotchick

Kevin W Gotrik

Caleb T Nelson

Raymond J Kenney

David J Lamb

Craig R Schardt

Mark David Gehlsen

Ryan T Fabick

Michael E Lauters

Linda Mae Rivard

James W Laumer

Leland Ray Whitney

Kenneth Jason Hanley

Byung-Soo Ko

Corey D Balts

Ji-Hwa Lee

Adam D Haag

Philip Edwin Watson

Hung Thien Tran

Timothy J Gardner

Patrick H Marushin

Shandon Dee Hart

Christopher Stewart Lyons

Robert J Fleming

Marc Dudley Radcliffe

Sergey Lamansky

David G Freier

Guanglei Du

Eric Wayne Nelson

Stephen P Maki

Charles David Hoyle

Donald J McClure

Mark B O'Neill

Gary E Gaides

Daniel C Snustad

Seong Taek Lee

Robert P Wenz

Michael P Keyes

Kenneth L Smith

Martin B Wolk

Michael Alan Meis

Olester Benson, Jr

Gilles J Benoit

Timothy J Hebrink

Scott D Gullicks

Matthew B Johnson

Kiran S Kanukurthy

David Scott Thompson

Clinton P Waller, Jr

Neeraj Sharma

Tri Dinh Pham

Kui Chen-Ho

Tao Liu

Bryan V Hunt

Kristopher J Derks

Glenn E Casner

William A Tolbert

Alan B Campbell

Rui Zhang

David Jon Lundin

David L Wortman

David J W Aastuen

Patrick A Thomas

Ralph R Roberts

D Scott Thompson

Michael A McCoy

Steven J Martin

Jie Zhou

Elisa M Cross

Brian W Ostlie

Brett J Sitter

Richard A Miller

James Hillis

Quinn D Sanford

Scott E Brigham

Brian G Koethe

Stephan J Pankratz

Scott R Kaytor

Nathaniel K Naismith

Stephen J Etzkorn

Tien Yi T H Whiting

Morgan A Priolo

Yuji Saito

John T Cowher

John F Van Derlofske, Iii

Neal T Strand

Brian T Weber

A light control film comprises a light input surface and a light output surface opposite the light input surface. Alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions are disposed between the light input surface and the light output surface. The absorptive regions have an aspect ratio of at least 30 and the alternating transmissive region and absorptive regions have a relative transmission at a viewing angle of 0 degrees of at least 75%.

High transmission light control film

An optical system comprises a turning film and a lenticular diffuser. The lenticular diffuser comprises a structured surface comprising a plurality of microstructures each comprising a lenticular prism having linear end sections connected by a blend section separated by a substantially flat land area, wherein the blend section shape is a segment of an ellipse of 2nd, 4th or 6th order polynomial.

Light control film with turning film and lenticular diffuser for view enhancement in the horizontal plane

A light control film is described comprising alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions disposed between the light input surface and the light output surface. The absorptive regions have an aspect ratio of at least 30. In some embodiments, an absorptive layer or reflective layer is disposed between the alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions and the light input surface and/or light output surface. In another embodiment, the alternating transmissive regions comprise an absorptive material. The light control film can exhibit low transmission of visible light and high transmission of near infrared light. Also described is a light detection system comprising such light control films and a microstructured film.

Light control film

An optical film () includes a microstructured surface () comprising a plurality of prismatic structures (), the microstructured surface () defining a reference plane (-) and a thickness direction () perpendicular to the reference plane; wherein the plurality of prismatic structures includes a plurality of facets (), each facet having a facet normal direction forming a polar angle with respect to the thickness direction and an azimuthal angle along the reference plane, and wherein the microstructured surface has a surface azimuthal distribution of the plurality of facets that is substantially uniform, and wherein the microstructured surface has a surface polar distribution of the plurality of facets that has an off-axis peak polar distribution.

Faceted microstructured surface

A light control film is described comprising alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions disposed between a light input surface and a light output surface. The absorptive regions have an aspect ratio of at least 30. In some embodiments, the alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions have a transmission as measured with a spectrophotometer at a viewing angle of 0 degrees of at least 35, 40, 45, or 50% for a wavelength of the range 320-400 nm (UV) and/or at least 65, 70, 75, or 80% for a wavelength of the range 700-1400 nm (NIR). In another embodiment, the absorptive regions block light at the light input surface and light output surface and the maximum surface area that is blocked is less than 20% of the total alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions. Also described are various optical communication systems comprising the light control films described herein and methods.

A light control film comprises a light input surface and a light output surface opposite the light input surface; alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions disposed between the light input surface and the light output surface, wherein the absorptive regions comprise a core having a first concentration, C, of a light absorbing material sandwiched between cladding layers having a second concentration, C, of the light absorbing material, wherein C<C, and wherein the cores have an aspect ratio of at least 20.

A light control film, comprises a light input surface and alight output surface opposite the light input surface. Alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions are disposed between the light input surface and the light output surface. The absorptive regions have an aspect ratio of at least 30 and the alternating transmissive region and absorptive regions have a relative transmission at a viewing angle of 0 degrees of at least 75%.

An optical system including a lighting component and a switchable diffuser in optical communication with the lighting component. The optical system may further include a low absorbing optical component. At least one outer surface of the switchable diffuser and/or the low absorbing optical component includes light redirecting structures. When the switchable diffuser is in a first state and the optical system produces a light output, the light redirecting structures are configured to increase the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the light output of the optical system in at least one direction by at least 5 degrees relative to that of an otherwise equivalent optical system that does not include the light redirecting structures.

Optical system with switchable diffuser

The disclosure describes asymmetric turning films (ATFs) that may be used in conjunction with multiple light sources in a liquid crystal display assembly to provide multiple different characteristic output distributions of light. In some examples, the ATFs include a structured surface defining a plurality of microstructures having two or more faces with each face configured to reflect light in different directions. The microstructure may define a microstructure axis and an angle gradient characterizing the rotation of the microstructure axis across the structured surface of the ATF.

Multiplexing backlight with asymmetric turning film

A light control film comprises a light input surface and a light output surface opposite the light input surface; alternating transmissive regions and absorptive regions disposed between the light input surface and the light output surface, wherein the absorptive regions comprise a core having a first concentration, C, of a light absorbing material sandwiched between cladding layers having a second concentration, C, of the light absorbing material, wherein C&#x3c;C, and wherein the cores have an aspect ratio of at least 20.

An optical system comprises a turning film and a lenticular diffuser. The lenticular diffuser comprises a structured surface comprising a plurality of microstructures comprises a plurality of lenticular prisms separated by substantially flat land areas, the lenticular prisms having a rounded tip and two sides comprising a linear base section and a linear tip section connected by a polynomial blend section.

An optical system including a light guide and a turning film that includes a first major surface, where the first major surface is substantially smooth and a second major surface including a plurality of asymmetric microstructures each respective asymmetric microstructure including a first side, where the first side is substantially planar, and a second side including a first surface segment defining a substantially planar surface and a second surface segment defining a non-planar surface.

Asymmetric turning film with top-hat light output distributions

Retroreflecting articles are described. In particular, retroreflecting articles including a quarter wave retarder and a retroreflecting layer are described. The retarder is rotationally invariant and the retroreflecting layer is non-depolarizing. Such articles may be useful for sensor-detectable signs, labels, and garments.

Retroreflecting article including retarder

Backlights are described. In particular, backlights including wide-web turning films and reflective polarizers having quarter-wave retarders are disclosed. Such configurations can provide turning film systems with improved luminance uniformity for large format displays.

Backlight including wide-web turning film and reflective polarizer with quarter-wave retarder

Optical system including a lightguide; a turning film, including a first smooth surface perpendicular to a display axis and a first structured surface including a plurality of first microstructures defining a first plurality of parallel grooves, where the turning film is optically coupled to the lightguide, where the turning film outputs light collimated in a first plane parallel to the display axis; and a lenticular diffuser, including a second smooth surface perpendicular to the display axis and a second structured surface comprising a plurality of second microstructures defining a second plurality of parallel grooves extending along a plane perpendicular to the display axis, where the lenticular diffuser is optically coupled to the turning film, where the lenticular diffuser reflects or refracts collimated light toward a second plane perpendicular to the first plane; where the first plurality of parallel grooves is perpendicular to the second plurality of parallel grooves.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Kenneth A Epstein