Back-lit transmissive display having variable index light extraction layer

US9541701B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY · US

Inventors

• David Scott Thompson · Lake Elmo, US
• Kevin R. Schaffer · Woodbury, US
• Zhaohui Yang · Beijing, CN
• Encai Hao · Woodbury, US
• Audrey A. Sherman · Windom, US
• Michael A. Meis · Stillwater, US
• John A. Wheatley · Stillwater, US
• Matthew S. Stay · Minneapolis, US
• Robert F. Kamrath · Mahtomedi, US
• Mikhail L. Pekurovsky · Bloomington, US
• Steven D. Solomonson · Shoreview, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 9, 2012
• Grant date: Jan 10, 2017
• Expiry date: Aug 11, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/0058
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

This application describes a back-lit transmissive display including a transmissive display (620) and a variable index light extraction layer (640) optically coupled to a lightguide (630). The variable index light extraction layer has first regions (140) of nanovoided polymeric material and second regions (130) of the nanovoided polymeric material and an additional material. The first and second regions are disposed such that for light being transported at a supercritical angle in the lightguide, the variable index light extraction layer selectively extracts the light in a predetermined way based on the geometric arrangement of the first and second regions. The transmissive display may be a transmissive display panel or a polymeric film such as a graphic.