Patent US6301417B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6301417B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Ultrathin optical panel and a method of making an ultrathin optical panel
Assignee: Brookhaven Science Associates LLC
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Filing: 1999-05-26
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Granted: 2001-10-09
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Expires: 2019-05-26
Abstract
Abstract An ultrathin optical panel, and a method of producing an ultrathin optical panel, are disclosed, including stacking a plurality of glass sheets, which sheets may be coated with a transparent cladding substance or may be uncoated, fastening together the plurality of stacked coated glass sheets using an epoxy or ultraviolet adhesive, applying uniform pressure to the stack, curing the stack, sawing the stack to form an inlet face on a side of the stack and an outlet face on an opposed side of the stack, bonding a coupler to the inlet face of the stack, and fastening the stack, having the coupler bonded thereto, within a rectangular housing having an open front which is aligned with the outlet face, the rectangular housing having therein a light generator which is optically aligned with the coupler. The light generator is preferably placed parallel to and proximate with the inlet face, thereby allowing for a reduction in the depth of the housing.
Inventors
- 👤 Cyrus Biscardi
- 👤 Calvin Brewster
- 👤 Leonard DeSanto
- 👤 James T. Veligdan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 14:03
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/04; H; H04; H04N; H04N9/00; H04N9/12; H04N9/31; H04N9/3141; G02B6/06; G02B6/08; H04N9/3102; H04N9/3129; H04N5/00; H04N5/74; H04N5/7416; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S385/00; Y10S385/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 52
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
An optical panel for displaying a projected light image, comprising: a plurality of stacked planar optical waveguides, each having a first end and a second end, wherein an outlet face is defined by the plurality of first ends, and wherein an inlet face is defined by the plurality of second ends, the inlet face being substantially parallel to the outlet face; and at least one coupler connected to the inlet face which redirects light that forms the projected light image along a non-perpendicular axis to the inlet face to a perpendicular axis to the inlet face.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
An optical panel for displaying a projected light image, comprising: a plurality of stacked planar optical waveguides, each having a first end and a second end, wherein an outlet face is defined by the plurality of first ends, and wherein an inlet face is defined by the plurality of second ends, the inlet face being substantially parallel to the outlet face; and at least one coupler connected to the inlet face which redirects light that forms the projected light image along a non-perpendicular axis to the inlet face to a perpendicular axis to the inlet face.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , further comprising at least one light generation system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The optical panel of claim 2 , wherein said light generation system includes: a light source, and at least one light redirection element that redirects incident light from the light source into said coupler.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
The optical panel of claim 3 , wherein the light source is adjacent to and parallel with the inlet face, and wherein the light source emits light parallel to the inlet face from a top to a bottom of the inlet face.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The optical panel of claim 3 , wherein the light source is selected from the group consisting of a light bulb, a slide projector, a video projector, and a laser.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The optical panel of claim 3 , wherein said coupler turns the light into the inlet face at an angle in the range of about 45° to about 90°.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical panel of claim 3 , wherein said light generation system further includes a modulator and imaging optics.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The optical panel of claim 2 , wherein said light generation system includes: a light redirection element; and a projector which is optically aligned with the light redirection element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The optical panel of claim 8 , wherein the projector projects light onto the light redirection element, and wherein the light is redirected by the light redirection element to said coupler.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The optical panel of claim 9 , wherein the projector is disposed beneath the inlet face.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
The optical panel of claim 9 , wherein the projector is disposed adjacent to the top of the inlet face for projecting the light generally parallel to the inlet face, and is spaced from the inlet face to allow turning of the light from the light redirection element into said coupler.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The optical panel of claim 9 , wherein the projector includes a light source for producing the light and a modulator for modulating the light to form an image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The optical panel of claim 12 , wherein the modulator is selected from the group consisting of a Liquid Crystal Display, a Digital Micromirror Device, a GLV, a laser raster scanner, a PDLC, an LCOS, a MEMS, and a CRT.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The optical panel of claim 12 , wherein the projector includes image optics for distributing the light horizontally and vertically across the light redirection element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The optical panel of claim 14 , wherein the image optics include focusing lenses and mirrors.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical panel of claim 15 , wherein the image optics and the light redirection element comprise expansion lenses.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The optical panel of claim 2 , wherein between 2 and 4 light generation systems provide light to said coupler.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The optical panel of claim 2 , wherein said light generation system comprises a rastering system which rasters light horizontally and vertically across said coupler.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
The optical panel of claim 2 , further comprising a housing having a front, a back, two sides, a top, and a bottom.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The optical panel of claim 19 , wherein said housing encloses said light generation system and said plurality of waveguides therein.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The optical panel of claim 19 , wherein the front of said housing is open, and wherein said housing has a closed depth looking from the open front to the back of the housing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
The optical panel of claim 21 , wherein the closed depth is about 12 cm.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
49 words
The optical panel of claim 21 , wherein the top, the bottom, the two sides, and the back each have an interior adjacent to the inlet face, and an exterior, and wherein the interior of the top, the bottom, the back, and the two sides are black in color.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein each waveguide extends horizontally, and the plurality of stacked waveguides extends vertically along the outlet face.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein light is displayed on the outlet face as a video image.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
41 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of waveguides has a thickness along a perpendicular axis from the inlet face to the outlet face, which thickness is less than a height and a width of the outlet face.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
18 words
The optical panel of claim 26 , wherein the width and the height have a ratio of 4:3.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
36 words
The optical panel of claim 27 , wherein the height of the outlet face is about 100 cm, the width of the outlet face is about 133 cm, and wherein the thickness is about 1 cm.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
37 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein each waveguide of said plurality of waveguides includes a central transparent core having a first index of refraction, which central core is disposed between at least two cladding layers.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
29 words
The optical panel of claim 29 , wherein the central core is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a plastic laminate, and glass.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
14 words
The optical panel of claim 30 , wherein the glass is of type BK7.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
The optical panel of claim 30 , wherein the glass is formed into sheets having a thickness in the range between about 2 and 40 microns.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
20 words
The optical panel of claim 30 , wherein the central core is laminated between the at least two cladding layers.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
31 words
The optical panel of claim 30 , wherein the cladding layers immediately in contact with the central core have a second index of refraction lower than the first index of refraction.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
28 words
The optical panel of claim 30 , wherein the cladding is selected from the group consisting of plexiglass, glass, plastic, polyurethane, a low refractive index polymer, and epoxy.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
22 words
The optical panel of claim 30 , wherein one cladding layer is disposed between adjacent central cores, and is black in color.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
30 words
The optical panel of claim 30 , wherein at least two cladding layers are disposed between adjacent central cores, and wherein one of the cladding layers is black in color.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
28 words
The optical panel of claim 37 , wherein a clear cladding layer contacts the central core, and a black cladding layer is disposed between adjacent clear cladding layers.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
44 words
The optical panel of claim 36 or claim 37 or claim 38 , wherein the black cladding layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of black spray paint and carbon particles within an epoxy adhesive joining together adjacent central cores.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
29 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of waveguides are formed as flat ribbons extending continuously in a horizontal direction along the outlet face.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
24 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of stacked waveguides comprises a stack of between about 500 and about 800 waveguides.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
19 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of stacked waveguides is stacked without inclination.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
14 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein said coupler is a prismatic coupler.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
36 words
The optical panel of claim 43 , wherein said prismatic coupler includes fresnel prismatic grooves that are straight along a horizontal of the inlet face and are spaced apart along a vertical of the inlet face.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
21 words
The optical panel of claim 44 , wherein said prismatic coupler turns light at an angle up to about 90 degrees.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
17 words
The optical panel of claim 45 , wherein said prismatic coupler is a Transmissive Right Angle Film.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
28 words
The optical panel of claim 45 , wherein a reflector is disposed immediately adjacent to said prismatic coupler for reflecting stray light into said plurality of stacked waveguides.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
14 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein said coupler is a diffractive element.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
14 words
The optical panel of claim 1 , wherein said coupler is a holographic element.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
109 words
An optical panel for displaying a projected image, comprising: a plurality of stacked planar optical waveguides, each having a first end and a second end, wherein an outlet face is defined by the plurality of first ends, and wherein an inlet face is defined by the plurality of second ends, the inlet face being substantially parallel to the outlet face; and at least one coupler connected to the inlet face which redirects light along a non-perpendicular axis to the inlet face to a perpendicular axis to the inlet face; wherein the light forms an image which is projected through the optical panel and is formed at the outlet face.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
109 words
An optical panel for displaying a projected image, comprising: a plurality of stacked planar optical waveguides, each having a first end and a second end, wherein an outlet face is defined by the plurality of first ends, and wherein an inlet face is defined by the plurality of second ends, the inlet face being substantially parallel to the outlet face; and at least one coupler connected to the inlet face which redirects light along a non-perpendicular axis to the inlet face to a perpendicular axis to the inlet face; wherein the light forms an image which is projected through the optical panel and is formed at the outlet face.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-10-08 | 2005-04-09 | 2005-10-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-10-08 | 2009-04-09 | 2009-10-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-10-08 | 2013-04-09 | 2013-10-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |