The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 09, 2014
Filed:
Apr. 19, 2012
Qingbing Wang, Woodbury, MN (US);
Gary T. Boyd, Woodbury, MN (US);
Tri D. Pham, Oakdale, MN (US);
Robert Lee Erwin, Hudson, WI (US);
David Scott Thompson, West Lakeland, MN (US);
Qingbing Wang, Woodbury, MN (US);
Gary T. Boyd, Woodbury, MN (US);
Tri D. Pham, Oakdale, MN (US);
Robert Lee Erwin, Hudson, WI (US);
David Scott Thompson, West Lakeland, MN (US);
3M Innovative Properties Company, Saint Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
Lightguides are disclosed. More particularly, lightguides that include a lightguiding layer and a light extracting layer having a structured surface are disclosed. The light guiding layer is optically coupled to a first set of structures of the structured surface at given locations, and is not optically coupled to a second set of structures at given locations, thereby producing total internal reflection at the second locations. The selective optical coupling may be achieved by a number of different contemplated means as discussed herein. The lightguides allow for distribution of light along with redirection towards an image viewer without a number of commonly required optical elements in backlights.