Low power liquid crystal display backlight

Claim 1

A liquid crystal display of the backlighting type comprising: a panel having a front view surface and a rear surface, a light passage member gradually reducing in thickness from spaced light input portions at opposite ends thereof and bounded by a light output surface and a light reflecting surface, a semiconductor light source comprising a battery source of voltage above a minimum level and two light emitting diodes disposed at the light input portions from which light enters into the light passage member, at an effective illumination level and light reflective means disposed at and attached to the light reflecting surface for diffusing and reflecting the light at said effective illumination level toward the light output surface with generally uniform distribution of illuminating intensity, said light reflecting surface being angled with respect to and facing the light output surface, said diffused and reflected light at the effective illumination level exiting the light output surface on the rear surface of the panel, the improvement residing in current regulator means electrically interconnecting the light emitting diodes in series with the battery source for generation of said light at the effective illumination level by constant current conducted through the light emitting diodes with minimum drain of the battery source while maintained thereby above the minimum voltage level.