Specification
FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See section 10, rule 13)
“LIGHT-EMITTING UNIT AND DISPLAY”
SONY CORPORATION, of 1-7-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo,
Japan
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
FIELD OF INVENTION
The disclosure relates to a light-emitting unit which may be used, without limitation, for a backlight unit of a display, and to a display provided with the light-emitting unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For a backlight of a display such as a liquid crystal display, a planar-light-emitting unit is used that causes, using a light-guide plate, planar light emission of light emitted from a light source such as a light-emitting diode (LED). For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-87570 proposes a planar-light-emitting unit in which a laser diode is used for a light source.
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a light-emitting unit includes: a light-guide section having a light entering surface; and a plurality of light sources opposed to the light entering surface of the light-guide section and arrayed in a first direction, and each having an anisotropy in emission intensity. A pattern shape of light applied from any of the light sources to the light entering surface has a shape anisotropy, and the light sources are each disposed to allow a longitudinal direction of the pattern shape to be inclined relative to the first direction.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
The principal object according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a light-emitting unit capable of reducing luminance unevenness or color unevenness in a light emission plane, and a display provided with the light-emitting unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is desired in a light-emitting unit, in which a laser diode is used as described above, is to reduce luminance unevenness or color unevenness in a light emission plane.
It is desirable to provide a light-emitting unit capable of reducing luminance unevenness or color unevenness in a light emission plane, and a display provided with the light-emitting unit.
A light-emitting unit according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes: a light-guide section having a light entering surface; and a plurality of light sources opposed to the light entering surface of the light-guide section and arrayed in a first direction, and each having an anisotropy in emission intensity. A pattern shape of light applied from any of the light sources to the light entering surface has a shape anisotropy, and the light sources are each disposed to allow a longitudinal direction of the pattern shape to be inclined relative to the first direction.
A display according to an embodiment of the disclosure is provided with a display panel and a light-emitting unit configured to illuminate the display panel. The light-emitting unit includes: a light-guide section having a light entering surface; and a plurality of light sources opposed to the light entering surface of the
light-guide section and arrayed in a first direction, and each having an anisotropy in emission intensity. A pattern shape of light applied from any of the light sources to the light entering surface has a shape anisotropy, and the light sources are each disposed to allow a longitudinal direction of the pattern shape to be inclined relative to the first direction.
In the light-emitting unit and the display according to the above-described embodiments of the disclosure, the plurality of light sources are arrayed in the first direction for the light entering surface of the light-guide section. Each of the light sources has an anisotropy in emission intensity, and the pattern shape formed by the application of light to the light entering surface has a shape anisotropy. The light sources are each disposed to allow the longitudinal of the pattern shape to be inclined from the first direction. Thus, even when there is a difference in emission intensity between the light sources, an influence caused by the difference is reduced, making it easier to uniformize luminance distributions derived from the respective light sources.
According to the light-emitting unit and the display in the above-described embodiments of the disclosure, the plurality of light sources are provided that are arrayed in the first direction for the light entering surface of the light-guide section. Each of the light sources has an anisotropy in emission intensity, and the pattern shape formed by the application of light to the light entering surface has a shape anisotropy. The light sources are each disposed to allow the longitudinal of the pattern shape to be inclined from the first direction. Thus, even when there is a difference in emission intensity between the light sources, it is possible to uniformize luminance distributions derived from the respective light sources. Hence, it is possible to reduce luminance unevenness or color unevenness in a light emission plane.
It is to be noted that what is described above is one example of the
disclosure. Also, effects of the disclosure are not limited to those described above. Effects achieved by the disclosure may be those that are different from the above-described effects, or may include other effects in addition to those described above. Further, it is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the technology as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the technology.
Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a backlight unit according to a first embodiment of the disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of the backlight unit illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3A is a plan view illustrating an outline configuration of light sources and a first light-guide plate illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3B is a plan view illustrating an outline configuration of the light sources and a second light-guide plate illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4A is a schematic plan view for describing a dot pattern of the first light-guide plate illustrated in FIG. 3A.
FIG. 4B is a schematic plan view for describing a dot pattern of the second
light-guide plate illustrated in FIG. 3B.
FIG. 5A is a schematic view for describing an anisotropy (directivity) in an emission intensity of a laser diode.
FIG. 5B is a characteristic diagram showing an example of the emission intensity (in a lateral direction) of the laser diode.
FIG. 5C is a characteristic diagram showing an example of the emission intensity (in a longitudinal direction) of the laser diode.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a detailed arrangement of the light sources illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 7A is a schematic view for describing a reference arrangement (θr = 0°) of the light source.
FIG. 7B is a schematic view for describing an inclined arrangement (θr > 0°) of the light source.
FIG. 8 schematically illustrates design parameters that achieve a preferred arrangement of the light source illustrated in FIG. 5A.
FIG. 9 schematically illustrates design parameters that achieve the preferred arrangement of the light source illustrated in FIG. 5A.
FIG. 10 is a characteristic diagram showing emission intensities of respective light sources that are different in directivity from each other.
FIG. 11A is a characteristic diagram showing luminance distributions in the reference arrangement.
FIG. 11B is a characteristic diagram showing luminance distributions in the inclined arrangement.
FIG. 12 is a schematic view for describing the distributions in FIGs. 11A and 11B.
FIG. 13 is a characteristic diagram showing luminance distributions when respective inclination angles are varied.
FIG. 14A is a characteristic diagram showing a luminance distribution when the inclination angle is at 30°.
FIG. 14B is a characteristic diagram showing a luminance distribution when the inclination angle is at 60°.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating an example of arrangement of the light sources according to a first modification.
FIG. 16 is a plan view in a Y-Z plane of the light sources and the light-guide plate illustrated in FIG. 15.
FIG. 17 is a characteristic diagram showing emission intensities of respective light sources that are different in directivity from each other.
FIG. 18A is a characteristic diagram showing luminance distributions of respective two types of light sources (θr1 = θr2 = 30°) illustrated in FIG. 17.
FIG. 18B is a characteristic diagram showing luminance distributions of respective two types of light sources (θr1 = 30° and θr2 = 26°) illustrated in FIG. 17.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating an example of arrangement of the light sources according to a second embodiment of the disclosure.
FIG. 20A is a cross-sectional view taken along an X-Z plane of one of the light sources and the light-guide plate illustrated in FIG. 19.
FIG. 20B is a cross-sectional view taken along an X-Z plane of the other of the light sources and the light-guide plate illustrated in FIG. 19.
FIG. 21 is a characteristic diagram showing emission intensities of respective light sources that are different in directivity from each other.
FIG. 22A is a characteristic diagram showing luminance distributions of respective two types of light sources (θr = 30° and θt1 = θt2 = 0°) illustrated in FIG. 21.
FIG. 22B is a characteristic diagram showing luminance distributions of respective two types of light sources (θr = 30°, θt1 = 3°, and θt2 = 0°) illustrated in
FIG. 21.
FIG. 23 is a characteristic diagram showing luminance distributions when respective inclination angles are varied.
FIG. 24A is a plan view in an X-Y plane illustrating a design example of the light sources and the first light-guide plate according to Example.
FIG. 24B is a plan view in an X-Y plane illustrating a design example of the light sources and the second light-guide plate according to Example.
FIG. 25 is a plan view in an X-Y plane illustrating part of FIG. 24B in an enlarged manner.
FIG. 26 is a schematic plan view illustrating an example of arrangement of the light sources according to a second modification.
FIG. 27 is a schematic view for describing an effect achieved by the configuration illustrated in FIG. 26.
FIG. 28 is a schematic plan view illustrating an example of arrangement of the light sources according to a third modification.
FIG. 29 is a schematic view for describing an effect achieved by the configuration illustrated in FIG. 28.
FIG. 30A shows an example of an emission luminance distribution when no offset is performed in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 28.
FIG. 30B shows an example of an emission luminance distribution when offset is performed in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 28.
FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an outline configuration of the backlight unit according to a fourth modification.
FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an outline configuration of the backlight unit according to a fifth modification.
FIG. 33 schematically illustrates an outline configuration of a display according to an application example.
FIG. 34 is a perspective view illustrating appearance of a television set.
FIG. 35A is a perspective view illustrating appearance of an electronic book.
FIG. 35B is a perspective view illustrating appearance of another electronic book.
FIG. 36 is a perspective view illustrating appearance of a smartphone.
FIG. 37A is a perspective view illustrating appearance of a digital camera as seen from the front.
FIG. 37B is a perspective view illustrating appearance of the digital camera as seen from the back.
FIG. 38 is a perspective view illustrating appearance of a notebook personal computer.
FIG. 39 is a perspective view illustrating appearance of a video camera.
FIG. 40A illustrates appearance of a mobile phone in a closed state, as seen from the front, the left side, the right side, the top, and the bottom.
FIG. 40B illustrates appearance of the mobile phone in an open state, as seen from the front and the side.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the following, some example embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail in the following order with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1. First Embodiment (An example of a backlight unit in which a plurality of laser light sources are arranged to be turned around respective optical axes)
2. First Modification (An example in which a first inclination angle is varied in accordance with directivity of the laser light source)
3. Second Embodiment (An example of a backlight unit in which the plurality of laser light sources are arranged such that respective optical axes are inclined relative to a light entering surface of a light-guide plate)
4. Second Modification (An example of arrangement in which the light sources are so arranged as to be offset from one another between upper and lower light-guide plates)
5. Third Modification (An example of arrangement in which the light sources are arranged at other side surfaces)
6. Fourth Modification (An example in which a monochromatic laser light source is used)
7. Fifth Modification (An example in which the laser light source and an LED light source are used in combination)
8. Application Examples [First Embodiment] [Configuration]
FIG. 1 illustrates an overall configuration of a light-emitting unit (a backlight unit 1) according to a first embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional configuration of the backlight unit 1. For example, the backlight unit 1 may illuminate a transmissive liquid crystal panel from behind thereof, and may include light sources 10, a first light-guide plate 11A, a second light-guide plate 11B, a reflection sheet 12, and an optical sheet 13. In one embodiment, the first light-guide plate 10A and the second light-guide plate 10B correspond to a specific but non-limiting example of a "light-guide section".
Each of the light sources 10 is a point light source, and may include a laser diode (a semiconductor laser). The laser diode may be, for example but not limited to, a laser diode that emits color light of red, green, or blue. The plurality of such light sources 10 are provided side-by-side and are in opposition to light
entering surfaces S11 and S21 of the respective first and second light-guide plates 11A and 11B, as described later in detail. However, the light source 10 may be a light-emitting diode (LED). Also, the laser diodes and the light-emitting diodes may be provided in a mixed fashion in the plurality of light sources 10.
The first light-guide plate 11A and the second light-guide plate 11B each may be a plate-like optical member (may have a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape), for example. The first light-guide plate 11A has the light entering surface S11 and a light exiting surface (a later-described light exiting surface S12), and guides light entered from the light entering surface S11 to the light exiting surface S12. The second light-guide plate 11B has the light entering surface S21 and a light exiting surface (a later-described light exiting surface S22), and guides light entered from the light entering surface S21 to the light exiting surface S22. Each of the first light-guide plate 11A and the second light-guide plate 11B may mainly include a transparent thermoplastic resin such as, but not limited to, a polycarbonate resin (PC) or an acrylic resin (for example, PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate)), for example. For example, the first light-guide plate 11A and the second light-guide plate 11B may be so disposed as to be overlapped (stacked) with each other in a Z direction, thereby causing superposed light, in which pieces of emission light derived from the respective first and second light-guide plates 11A and 11B are superimposed, to form an emission luminance distribution in the backlight unit 1.
FIG. 3A is a plan view in an X-Y plane illustrating an arrangement configuration of the first light-guide plate 11A and the light sources 10. FIG. 3B is a plan view in an X-Y plane illustrating an arrangement configuration of the second light-guide plate 11B and the light sources 10. In the first light-guide plate 11A, one or more surfaces (in this embodiment, one side surface) serves as the light entering surface S11, and one main surface (a surface in opposition to the second light-guide plate 11B) serves as the light exiting surface S12. In the second
light-guide plate 11B, one or more surfaces (in this embodiment, one side surface) serves as the light entering surface S21, and one main surface (a surface in opposition to the optical sheet 13) serves as the light exiting surface S22. In the present embodiment, the light exiting surface S22 of the second light-guide plate 11B form a light emission plane of the entire light-guide section.
The first light-guide plate 11A and the second light-guide plate 11B are so stacked as to prevent overlapping of the light entering surface S11 and the light entering surface S21 in the Z direction. In one embodiment, the light entering surface S11 of the first light-guide plate 11A is provided on one (for example, the right side surface) of the two side surfaces corresponding to the short sides in an XY planar shape (for example, a rectangular shape), and the light entering surface S21 of the second light-guide plate 11B is provided on the other (for example, the left side surface) of the two side surfaces corresponding to the short sides in the rectangular shape. The plurality of light sources 10 are so arrayed in one direction (in a first direction d1 to be described later) as to be opposed to each of the light entering surfaces S11 and S21 of the respective first and second light-guide plates 11A and 11B. Such a configuration causes light La and light Lb derived from the light sources 10 to enter the respective first and second light-guide plates 11A and 11B in opposite directions from each other.
FIG. 4A is a schematic view for describing a dot pattern of the first light-guide plate 11A. FIG. 4B is a schematic view for describing a dot pattern of the second light-guide plate 11B. A back surface (the surface opposed to the reflection sheet 12) S13 of the first light-guide plate 11A may have a dot pattern in which fine dots (convex portions or concave portions) are provided regularly or irregularly (provided at random), for example. Likewise, a back surface (the surface opposed to the first light-guide plate 11A) S23 of the second light-guide plate 11B may have a dot pattern in which the dots are provided regularly or at
random.
In each of the first light-guide plate 11A and the second light-guide plate 11B, a density of the dots in the dot pattern described above may be so configured as to be varied in accordance with a distance from the light entering surface S11 or S21. In one embodiment, the density of dots in the first light-guide plate 11A becomes higher with an increase in distance from the light entering surface S11 (becomes lower as approaching the light entering surface S11). In the second light-guide plate 11B, the density of dots becomes higher with an increase in distance from the light entering surface S21 (becomes lower as approaching the light entering surface S21). For example, the density of dots may be varied in a stepwise fashion by varying factors such as, but not limited to, the number of dots, a pitch, and a size, for each region.
In the present embodiment, the light sources 10 that emit light toward the first light-guide plate 11A and the second light-guide plate 11B as described above are disposed to oppose the light-entering surfaces S11 and S21 while being turned at a predetermined angle around respective optical axes. In the following, a description is given with reference to an example of a combination of the first light-guide plate 11A and the light sources 10 disposed to oppose the light entering surface S11 thereof unless particular distinction is necessary; however, the same arrangement and configuration apply likewise to the light sources 10 disposed to oppose the light entering surface S21 of the second light-guide plate 11B.
For example, the light source 10 may be the laser diode whose emission light thus has an anisotropy (directivity) in emission intensity. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, light emitted from the light source 10, or the laser diode in this embodiment, has a shape anisotropy in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis E and thus may spread in an elliptical shape (i.e., a far-field pattern (FFP) of the emission light derived from the light source 10 has a shape of an ellipse), for
example. The elliptical shape has a major axis dA in a direction in which a half-value angle in the emission intensity becomes the maximum, and has a minor axis dB in a direction in which the half-value angle becomes the minimum. In other words, the emission intensity differs in the direction along the minor axis dB (in the lateral direction, as shown in FIG. 5B) and in the direction along the major axis dA (in the longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG. 5C).
The major axis dA and the minor axis dB intersect each other at substantially 90 degrees. Also, when a maximum value of the half-value angle in the emission intensity (the half-value angle in a cross-section along the major axis dA of the emission light) is defined as θa and a minimum value of the half-value angle in the emission intensity (the half-value angle in a cross-section along the minor axis dB of the emission light) is defined as θb, the half-value angle θb may be equal to or less than about 1/2 of the half-value angle θa, for example.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a detailed arrangement of the light sources 10 for the light entering surface S11. FIG. 7A schematically illustrates a reference arrangement (inclination angle (turning angle) θr = 0°) of the light source 10, whereas FIG. 7B schematically illustrates an inclined arrangement (inclination angle θr > 0°) of the light source 10. As illustrated in FIG. 7B, the light source 10 is so disposed as to be turned around its optical axis from the state illustrated in FIG. 7A as a reference. In one embodiment, the inclination angle θr corresponds to a specific but non-limiting example of a "first inclination angle".
The emission light derived from the light source 10 has the directivity; hence, a shape of a region irradiated therewith (i.e., a pattern shape LP) on the light entering surface S11 may be in the shape of the ellipse including the major axis dA and the minor axis dB as described above, for example. In the present embodiment, the light source 10 is disposed such that the major axis dA (the longitudinal
direction) of the pattern shape LP is inclined relative to the first direction d1 (in the present embodiment, relative to a Y direction) for the light entering surface S11. An angle between the first direction d1 and the major axis dA in the light entering surface S11 (i.e., the inclination angle θr) may be preferably set at an appropriate value in accordance with factors such as, but not limited to, a pitch of the light sources 10, the half-value angle, and a color mixing distance, although the angle therebetween is not particularly limited. In one embodiment, the following expression (1) may be satisfied: 2*L1*tanθa*sinθr≤t (1)
where L1 is a distance between the light source 10 and the first light-guide plate 11A and t is a thickness of the first light-guide plate 11A, as illustrated in FIG. 8.
More preferably, the following expressions (2) to (4) may be satisfied for the light sources 10 that are the same in type as each other (e.g., the light sources that are equal in a ratio of the half-value angle θb to the half-value angle θa (θb/θa) to each other) in the light sources 10 disposed for the light entering surface S11: P1/2/tanθ2
Documents
Application Documents
| # |
Name |
Date |
| 1 |
3190-MUM-2014-ENGLISH TRANSLATION(14-10-2014).pdf |
2014-10-14 |
| 2 |
3190-MUM-2014-CORRESPONDENCE(14-10-2014).pdf |
2014-10-14 |
| 3 |
3190-MUM-2014-FORM 1(31-10-2014).pdf |
2014-10-31 |
| 4 |
3190-MUM-2014-CORRESPONDENCE(31-10-2014).pdf |
2014-10-31 |
| 5 |
3190-MUM-2014-FORM 18 [13-09-2017(online)].pdf |
2017-09-13 |
| 6 |
Specification Final.pdf |
2018-08-11 |
| 7 |
Form 5.pdf |
2018-08-11 |
| 8 |
Form 3.pdf |
2018-08-11 |
| 9 |
Drawings.pdf |
2018-08-11 |
| 10 |
ABSTRACT1.jpg |
2018-08-11 |
| 11 |
3190-MUM-2014-Form 3-050115.pdf |
2018-08-11 |
| 12 |
3190-MUM-2014-Correspondence-050115.pdf |
2018-08-11 |
| 13 |
3190-MUM-2014-FER.pdf |
2020-06-01 |
Search Strategy
| 1 |
SearchStrategyE_26-05-2020.pdf |