3m Innovative Properties Company

3m Innovation Properties Company

Ryan T Fabick

Matthew B Johnson

Mark David Gehlsen

Kenneth A Epstein

Edward J Kivel

Linda Mae Rivard

James W Laumer

Timothy J Nevitt

Quinn D Sanford

Ji-Hwa Lee

Ji-Hyung Kim

Gilles J Benoit

Carl A Stover

Adam D Haag

Robert M Emmons

Chideuk Kim

Youngsoo Park

Byungsoo Ko

Chingwen Chen

Laurence R Gilbert

Byung-Soo Ko

Nathaniel K Naismith

Kang-Il Seo

Sang-Dae Kim

Stephen A Johnson

Gary Timothy Boyd

Stephen J Etzkorn

Matthew E Sousa

Victor Ho

William B Black

Benjamin J Bending

James A Stevenson

Christopher W A Krohe

Yu Hsin Lu

An optical system includes an extended illumination source configured to emit light from an extended emission surface thereof toward a display panel. The emitted light includes substantially distinct blue, green and red emission spectra having respective blue, green and red peaks at respective blue, green and red peak wavelengths, and corresponding blue, green and red full widths at half maxima (FWHMs). The blue FWHM extends from a smaller blue wavelength to a longer blue wavelength. The optical system further includes reflective polarizer disposed on the emission surface of the extended illumination source. The reflective polarizer includes a plurality of first polymeric layers. The optical system also includes an optical filter disposed between the reflective polarizer and the emission surface of the extended illumination source.

Optical system and optical combination

An optical film including a plurality of alternating first and second layers disposed on a skin layer is described. The skin layer has an average thickness greater than about 2 microns. A transmittance of the film for substantially normally incident light includes a band edge separating first and second wavelength ranges, where each range is at least 250 nm wide. A reflectance of the film is greater than about 95% for each wavelength in the first wavelength range; an average transmittance of the film is greater than about 80% in the second wavelength range; and a difference between maximum and minimum values of the optical transmittance of the film in the second wavelength range is less than about 30%. The band edge may have a slope that is greater than about 2%/nm. The transmittance may increase monotonically at least from about 10% to about 70% with increasing wavelength.

Optical film

An optical stack for reflecting and transmitting light in a predetermined wavelength range includes stacked first and second optical films, the predetermined wavelength range defining a first wavelength range and a remaining wavelength range. For normally incident light and for each wavelength in a first wavelength range, the first optical film substantially reflects light having a first polarization state, and substantially transmits light having a second polarization state. For each of the first and second polarization states, for wavelengths in the first wavelength range, the second optical film has a maximum optical transmittance Tfor light incident at a first incident angle, and an optical transmittance T/2 for light incident at a second incident angle, where the second incident angle is greater than the first incident angle by less than about 50 degrees. For wavelengths in the remaining wavelength range, the second optical film reflects at least 80% of light.

Display optical film and backlight unit

Broadband visible reflectors are disclosed. In particular, broadband visible reflectors with reduced on-axis blue reflectivity are described. Broadband visible reflectors that appear yellow in reflection are described. Such broadband visible reflectors may be used in backlights and displays.

Broadband visible reflector

A backlight for an image forming device includes spaced-apart front and back optical reflectors defining an optical cavity therebetween, and at least one light source for emitting light into the optical cavity. The front optical reflector may be disposed between the image forming device and the back optical reflector. For substantially normally incident light and for nonoverlapping first and second wavelength ranges, the front optical reflector may transmit at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the first wavelength range, and may reflect at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the second wavelength range. The back optical reflector may reflect at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the first wavelength range, and may transmit at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the second wavelength range. The emitted light may have at least one wavelength in the first wavelength range and at least one wavelength in the second wavelength range.

Backlight for an image forming device comprising an optical cavity formed by opposing cold and hot mirrors

An optical stack for reflecting and transmitting light in a predetermined wavelength range includes stacked first and second optical films, the predetermined wavelength range defining a first wavelength range and a remaining wavelength range. For normally incident light and for each wavelength in a first wavelength range, the first optical film substantially reflects light having a first polarization state, and substantially transmits light having a second polarization state. For each of the first and second polarization states, for wavelengths in the first wavelength range, the second optical film has a maximum optical transmittance Tmax for light incident at a first incident angle, and an optical transmittance Tmax/2 for light incident at a second incident angle, where the second incident angle is greater than the first incident angle by less than about 50 degrees. For wavelengths in the remaining wavelength range, the second optical film reflects at least 80% of light.

A display system includes a light source configured to emit light from a light exit surface, the emitted light having an emitted wavelength. An optical filter is disposed on the light exit surface of the light source. One or more light converting films are disposed between the optical filter and the light exit surface of the light source. The one or more light converting films are configured to receive the emitted light from the light source and convert at least portions of the received emitted light to blue, green, and red lights having respective blue, green and red wavelengths. For a substantially normally incident light and for at least an in-plane first polarization state, the optical filter reflects more than about 80% of the incident light having the emitted wavelength, and transmits greater than about 60% of the incident light for each of the blue, green and red wavelengths.

Backlighting for display systems

A backlight () for an image forming device () includes spaced-apart front and back optical reflectors () defining an optical cavity () therebetween, and at least one light source () for emitting light into the optical cavity. The front optical reflector () is disposed between the image forming device and the back optical reflector (). For substantially normally incident light and for non-overlapping first (e.g. visible light) and second (e.g. infrared) wavelength ranges, the front optical reflector () may transmit () at least 70% of light () for each wavelength in the first wavelength range, and may reflect () at least 70% of light () for each wavelength in the second wavelength range. The back optical reflector () may reflect () at least 70% of light for each wavelength in the first wavelength range, and may transmit () at least 70% of light () for each wavelength in the second wavelength range. The light (90) emitted by the at least one light source () has at least one wavelength in the first wavelength range and at least one wavelength in the second wavelength range.

Thin multilayer reflectors are described. In particular, thin multilayer reflectors that partially transmit blue light and reflect green and red light are described. The thin multilayer reflectors have a uniform left bandedge across each dimension of the film, wherein the location of the left bandedge varies in a range of no more than 10% of the average left bandedge across that dimension.

Thin multilayer reflector with uniform left bandedge

Polymeric multilayer optical films are described. More particularly, polymeric multilayer optical films having a first optical packet and a second optical packet are described. The second optical packet is disposed on the first optical packet. How the configuration of the layers of the optical packets affect hemispheric reflectivity of the overall film is also described. The polymeric multilayer optical film reflects more than 95% of light from 400 nm to 700 nm at normal incidence.

Polymeric multilayer optical film

A birefringent polyester film includes naphthalate units, ethylene units, a titanate compound, a planar branching unit, and 1 to 80 ppm metal content. The birefringent polyester film has an out-of-plane birefringence of at least 0.1 at 633 nm.

Birefringent polyester film with low haze having specified Tan Delta value

An optical film including a thermoplastic birefringent multilayer optical film and a UV-cured layer disposed adjacent an outer layer of the multilayer optical film is described. The outer layer has a thickness in a range of about 0.5 micrometers to about 1.0 micrometers and the UV-cured layer includes a structured surface opposite the outer layer. The UV-cured layer has a Tg less than about 30&#xb0; C. and has a pencil hardness in a range of 2B to 2H.

Growing community of inventors

Shoreview, MN, United States of America

Ryan T Fabick