3m Innovative Properties Company

Other

Wade D Kretman

Sanford Cobb, Jr

Kenneth A Epstein

Mark E Gardiner

William L Kausch

Alan B Campbell

James E Lockridge

Timothy L Hoopman

Leland Ray Whitney

Keith Michael Kotchick

Charles David Hoyle

Scott R Kaytor

Marvin J Niezgocki

Shandon Dee Hart

Gary Timothy Boyd

Eric Wayne Nelson

Todd R Williams

Rui Zhang

David L Wortman

Jie Zhou

Bettie C Fong

Richard A Miller

Kazuhiko Toyooka

Byung-Soo Ko

David J Lamb

Yuji Saito

John F Van Derlofske, Iii

John T Cowher

Yasuyuki Daigo

Xianneng Peng

Xingpeng Yang

Chideuk Kim

Ji-young Choi

Youngsoo Park

Seo-Hern Lee

Naoya Taniguchi

Andrew McKee

Yang Yu

Min-Young Ji

A backlight includes a light source and one or more light recycling films. The light source generates light that exits the light source with an angular exit distribution. The light recycling films are oriented in relation to the light source so that the prism peaks of the recycling films are oriented away from the light source. The recycling films have a range of optimal incident angles that allow light to pass through the recycling films without recycling. The components of the light source, the characteristics of the recycling films, or both, are configured to control the overlap between the exit distribution of the light source and the optimal incident angle range of the recycling films.

Systems and methods for controlling backlight output characteristics

A backlight includes a lightguide, a light source disposed with respect to the lightguide to introduce light into the lightguide and a turning film. Optical structures are formed in one of an output surface and a back surface of the lightguide. The optical structures are arranged to extract light from the lightguide. A back reflector is disposed adjacent the back surface. The optical structures are formed to include a varying pattern arranged to mask non-uniformities in the output of the lightguide.

Backlight with structured surfaces

An optical construction that is static-dissipative and includes a static-dissipative layer buried within optical material.

Static dissipative optical construction

A method of making an optical construction that is static-dissipative and includes a static-dissipative layer buried within optical material.

An optical element, such as a lightguide or an optical film, is formed with a predetermined, programmed pattern of optical structures. The optical structures may be arranged to selectively correct for non-uniformities in the output a lightguide, or may be arranged to otherwise enhance the performance of a display.

Optical elements having programmed optical structures

An illumination system includes a light guide for distributing light. Extraction structures are provided to uniformly extract light from the light guide. The structures extract more light out of the light guide when light is propagating in the light guide in a direction toward the light input area than when light is propagating in the light guide in a direction away from the light input area.

Illumination device

Blacklight with structured surfaces

Optical element having programmed optical structures

Diffuse reflective materials proximate to a structure formed by thermally induced phase separation of a thermoplastic polymer and a diluent providing enhanced flexibility and reflectivity especially in the visible wavelengths of 380-730 nanometers are described. Such materials find a wide variety of application among combinations with other reflective layers. The diffuse reflective articles are useful in backlight units of liquid crystal displays, lights, copy machines, projection system displays, facsimile apparatus, electronic blackboards, diffuse white standards, photographic lights and the like.

Diffuse reflective articles

An optical turning film has a first surface including an array of prisms. The array has a plurality of first prisms, with each of the first prisms having a first prism configuration, and a plurality of second prisms, with each of the second prisms having a second prism configuration different from the first prism configuration. The optical film also has a second surface opposing the first surface, and light rays incident to the first surface are directed by the plurality of first prism and the plurality of second prisms along a direction substantially parallel to a viewing axis.

Optical film with variable angle prisms

An optical film having structures that vary in height along their length where the variations have a nominal period of less than forty times the nominal height of the structures is taught. In some embodiments of the invention the variation is random.

Method of making tool to produce optical film

Growing community of inventors

Afton, MN, United States of America

Wade D Kretman