EP0372942A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1989-12-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-12-07
Abstract
Abstract A thin electroluminescent edge emitter structure having an integral beam-shaping lens system includes a common electrode layer disposed on a layer of substrate material. A first dielectric layer is disposed on the common electrode layer, a second dielectric layer is spaced from the first dielectric layer, and a phosphor layer is interposed between the first and second dielectric layers. The phosphor layer has an edge face extending between the first and second dielectric layers. A plurality of control electrodes are disposed on the second dielectric layer, and the common electrode layer, first and second dielectric layers with the phosphor layer interposed therebetween and the plurality of control electrodes define a plurality of pixels. Each of the pixels has a light-emitting face formed from at least the phosphor layer edge face. The plurality of control electrodes and the common electrode are adapted to be connected with an excitation source for applying an excitation signal to selected pixels. The application of an excitation signal to an individual pixel caused the pixel to radiate light energy within the phosphor layer associated with the pixel in in at lease a direction towards the pixel light-emitting face. The light-emitting face of the pixel is shaped to a preselected contour to define an optical lens integral therewith to project the light energy passed therethrough in a preselected direction and form a beam of light energy having a preselected beam pattern.
Inventors
- 👤 David Leksell
- 👤 Zoltan K. Kun
- 👤 Robert Mazelsky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 09:12
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B33/00; H05B33/02; H05B33/06; H05B33/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
249 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure having an integral beam-shaping lens system, comprising: a common electrode layer (42); a first dielectric layer (46) disposed on said common electrode layer (42); a second dielectric layer (48) spaced from said first dielectric layer (46); a phosphor layer (5) interposed between said first and second dielectric layers (46,48), said phosphor layer (50) having an edge face extending between said first and second dielectric layers; a plurality of control electrodes (52) disposed on said second dielectric layer; said common electrode layer (42), first (46) and second (48) dielectric layers with said phosphor layer (50) interposed therebetween and said plurality of control electrodes defining a plurality of pixels (54), each of said pixels (54) having a light-emitting face (64) formed at least from said phosphor layer edge face; said plurality of control electrodes (52) and said common electrode layer (42) being adapted to be connected with an excitation means (56) for applying an excitation signal to selected pixels, the application of said excitation signal to an individual pixel causing said pixel to radiate light energy within said phosphor layer (50) associated with said pixel in at least a direction towards said pixel light-emitting face (64); and said light-emitting face (64) of said pixel being shaped to a preselected contour to define an optical lens integral therewith for projecting said light energy passed therethrough in a preselected direction and forming said light energy into a beam of light energy having a preselected beam pattern.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
249 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure having an integral beam-shaping lens system, comprising: a common electrode layer (42); a first dielectric layer (46) disposed on said common electrode layer (42); a second dielectric layer (48) spaced from said first dielectric layer (46); a phosphor layer (5) interposed between said first and second dielectric layers (46,48), said phosphor layer (50) having an edge face extending between said first and second dielectric layers; a plurality of control electrodes (52) disposed on said second dielectric layer; said common electrode layer (42), first (46) and second (48) dielectric layers with said phosphor layer (50) interposed therebetween and said plurality of control electrodes defining a plurality of pixels (54), each of said pixels (54) having a light-emitting face (64) formed at least from said phosphor layer edge face; said plurality of control electrodes (52) and said common electrode layer (42) being adapted to be connected with an excitation means (56) for applying an excitation signal to selected pixels, the application of said excitation signal to an individual pixel causing said pixel to radiate light energy within said phosphor layer (50) associated with said pixel in at least a direction towards said pixel light-emitting face (64); and said light-emitting face (64) of said pixel being shaped to a preselected contour to define an optical lens integral therewith for projecting said light energy passed therethrough in a preselected direction and forming said light energy into a beam of light energy having a preselected beam pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each of said pixels has a first and a second face generally defined by said common and control electrodes, respectively, and: each said pixel light-emitting face is substantially perpendicular to said first and second faces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said light emitting face is positioned relative to said first and second faces to provide that said beam of light energy is orientated in a plane substantially parallel with said first and second faces.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that said light-emitting face is shaped to a preselected contour to provide that said optical lens defined thereby refracts said light energy to form a beam of light energy having a converging or a diverging pattern.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure ad claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said light-emitting face has a concave contour.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A thin electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said light-emitting face has a convex contour.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said light-emitting face has a generally serrated contour.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that one of said electrodes is disposed on a layer of substrate material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
230 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the phosphor layer is divided into a plurality of zones each formed from a preselected composition of light-radiating materials; the plurality of control electrodes being disposed on said second dielectric layer with one said control electrode in alignment with one said phosphor zone; said common electrode layer, first and second dielectric layers with said plurality of control electrodes defining said plurality of pixels, each said pixel having a light-emitting face formed from at least said edge face of said zone associated with said pixel; said plurality of control electrodes and said common electrode layer adapted to be connected with an excitation means for applying an excitation signal to selected pixels, the application of said excitation signal to an individual pixel causing said pixel to radiate light energy of a preselected colour within said phosphor zone associated with said pixel in at least a direction towards said pixel light-emitting face, said colour of said light energy being dependent upon said preselected composition of light-radiating materials forming said phosphor zone; and said light-emitting face of said individual pixel being shaped to a preselected contour to define an optical lens integral therewith for projecting said coloured light energy passed therethrough into an an overlapping relationship with the coloured light energy projected by predetermined other ones of said pixels.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that said coloured light energy projected by a plurality of pixels into an overlapping relationship is blended at the area of said overlap to form a resultant light image having a colour dependent upon the colour of said light energy projected by each of said pixels.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
136 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterised in that said phosphor layer includes a first zone formed from a first preselected composition of light-radiating materials, a second zone formed from a second preselected composition of light radiating materials and a third zone formed from a third preselected composition of light-radiating materials, said first, second and third phosphor zones being associated with first, second and third pixels, respectively; and said first, second and third pixels each having a light-emitting face shaped to a preselected contour to project light energy at a first, second and third preselected colour, respectively, into an overlapping relationship for blending at the area of said overlap to form a linear light image having a resultant colour determined by said first, second and third preselected colours.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that said first, second and third colours are selected from a group consisting of the colours red, blue and green.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, characterised by means for varying the magnitude of said excitation signal applied to selected ones of said plurality of pixels for varying the intensity of said coloured light energy radiated by said selected ones of said pixels.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13, characterised in that said light-emitting face of each of said plurality of pixels has a convex contour to define an integral, convex optical lens.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
251 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure having an integral beam-shaping lens system, comprising: a common electrode layer; a plurality of control electrodes spaced from said electrode layer; a layer of dielectric material interposed between said common electrode layer and said plurality of control electrodes; a phosphor layer having an edge face extending in a direction between said common electrode layer and said plurality of control electrodes interposed between said common electrode layer and said plurality of control electrodes; said common electrode layer, layer of dielectric material, phosphor layer and said plurality of control electrodes formed in a generally laminar arrangement and disposed on a layer of substrate material; said common electrode layer, layer of dielectric material, phosphor layer and plurality of control electrodes defining a plurality of pixels each having a light-emitting face formed at least from said phosphor layer edge face; said plurality of control electrodes and said common elect:rode layer adapted to be connected with excitation means for applying an excitation signal to selected pixels, said application of said excitation signal to a selected pixel causing said pixel to radiate light energy within a portion of said phosphor layer associated with said pixel in at least a direction towards said pixel light-emitting face; and said pixel light-emitting face being shaped to a preselected contour to define an optical lens integral therewith for projecting said light energy passed therethrough in a preselected direction and forming said light energy into a beam of light energy having a preselected beam pattern.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
251 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure having an integral beam-shaping lens system, comprising: a common electrode layer; a plurality of control electrodes spaced from said electrode layer; a layer of dielectric material interposed between said common electrode layer and said plurality of control electrodes; a phosphor layer having an edge face extending in a direction between said common electrode layer and said plurality of control electrodes interposed between said common electrode layer and said plurality of control electrodes; said common electrode layer, layer of dielectric material, phosphor layer and said plurality of control electrodes formed in a generally laminar arrangement and disposed on a layer of substrate material; said common electrode layer, layer of dielectric material, phosphor layer and plurality of control electrodes defining a plurality of pixels each having a light-emitting face formed at least from said phosphor layer edge face; said plurality of control electrodes and said common elect:rode layer adapted to be connected with excitation means for applying an excitation signal to selected pixels, said application of said excitation signal to a selected pixel causing said pixel to radiate light energy within a portion of said phosphor layer associated with said pixel in at least a direction towards said pixel light-emitting face; and said pixel light-emitting face being shaped to a preselected contour to define an optical lens integral therewith for projecting said light energy passed therethrough in a preselected direction and forming said light energy into a beam of light energy having a preselected beam pattern.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 15, in which: said layer of dielectric material is disposed on said phosphor layer ; and said plurality of control electrodes are disposed on said layer of dielectric material.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 16 or 16 characterised in that said layer of dielectric material is formed from a plurality of dielectric sublayers each formed from a preselected dielectric material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 15 characterised in that said phosphor layer is disposed on said layer of dielectric material; and said plurality of control electrodes are disposed on said phosphor layer.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
A thin film electroluminescent edge emitter structure as claimed in claim 22, characterised in that said layer cf dielectric material is formed from a plurality of dielectric material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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