1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a backlight module for light field adjustment. Particularly, the present invention relates to a backlight module that can increase light output efficiency and adjust light field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As technology is continuously developed, applications of display devices in all kind of fields can be seen everywhere in daily life. In practical applications, display devices display image through light generated by a backlight module. For example, backlight modules include edge type backlight modules and direct type backlight modules, and these two types of backlight modules are commonly used in current display devices as the lighting module.
Particularly, please refer to
In addition, light 5A enters the prism in a direction deviated from the normal direction 7 by at least less than about viewing angle 25 degrees and has total reflections at the first time contacting the light exit surface 6A and refractions at the second time contacting the light exit surface 6A. However, in practical situations, light 5A is emitted out of the light exit surface 6A in a direction deviated from the normal direction 7 by larger than about viewing angle 25 degrees, resulting in loss of most light as well as bad influence on light output efficiency.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a backlight module, which can improve light output efficiency and adjust light field.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a backlight module, which utilizes the optical structure layer to improve the light output efficiency.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a backlight module, which can adjust the light field by changing the advancing direction of light.
In one embodiment, the backlight module of the present invention includes a light source module, an optical structure layer, a first prism film, and a second prism film. The light source module has a light exit surface, wherein the light exit surface has a normal direction. The optical structure layer is disposed on the light exit surface and has a plurality of microstructures convex toward the light exit surface. The microstructures guide light that leaves the light exit surface away from the normal direction. The first prism film is disposed on one side of the optical structure layer opposite to the light source module and has a plurality of first prisms extending along a first direction. The first prisms converge light leaving from the optical structure layer toward the normal direction on a cross section vertical to the first direction.
In another embodiment, the backlight module of the present invention includes a light source module, an optical structure layer, a first prism film, and a second prism film. The light source module has a light exit surface, wherein the light exit surface has a normal direction. The light source module emits light to form a first light field and the first light field generates an intensity covering range. The optical structure layer is disposed on the light exit surface, wherein the optical structure layer changes the first light field to form a second light field. In the second light field, the intensity covering range radially extends outward with intensity gradually reduced toward a center to form an intensity ring.
In addition, the first prism film is disposed on one side of the optical structure layer opposite to the light source module, wherein the first prism film has a plurality of first prisms extending along a first direction. The first prisms change the second light field to form a third light field. In the third light field, the intensity ring is converged toward the normal direction on a cross section vertical to the first direction. In the embodiment, the second prism film is disposed on one side of the first prism film opposite to the light source module and changes the third light field to form a fourth light field. In the fourth light field, the intensity ring is converged toward the normal direction on a cross section parallel to the first direction.
In comparison with prior arts, the backlight module of the present invention utilizes the optical structure layer to change the advancing direction of light that prevents light from entering the first prism film along the normal direction (i.e. the forward direction) so as to prevent the total reflection. In addition, the backlight module of another embodiment of the present invention utilizes the optical structure layer to adjust the light field that changes the distribution of light at different emission angles so as to improve the light output efficiency.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a backlight module, which can adjust the light field to improve the light output efficiency. In the embodiment, the backlight module can be a direct type backlight module. In addition, the backlight module is preferably used in liquid crystal displays and also can be used in other types of display devices utilizing a backlight module.
Please refer to
As shown in
In practical applications, the optical structure layer 40 is formed as an independent optical film and disposed between the first prism film 10 and the light source module 30. In other embodiments, the optical structure layer 40 can be formed on the bottom surface of the first prism film 10, but not limited thereto. In addition, the backlight module 1 further has a diffuser (not shown), wherein the diffuser is disposed between the optical structure layer 40 and the light source module 30, but not limited thereto. After the light source module 30 generates light, the light will pass through the optical structure layer 40 and then enters the first prism film 10. In the embodiment, the optical structure layer 40 is not formed as an integral piece with the first prism film 10 in the backlight module 1, but an independent optical film disposed adjacent to the first prism film 10 in the backlight module 1. Particularly, a gap 15 exists between the optical structure layer 40 and the first prism film 10, so that light passing through the optical structure layer 40 will travel in the gap 15 and then enters the first prism film 10.
It is noted that the microstructures 400 can have a quadrangular pyramid shape, a circular convex shape, or other shapes, as appropriate. In the embodiment, the microstructures 400 are formed in a quadrangular pyramid shape with its vertex 46 toward the light exit surface 300. In addition, the vertex 46 has a vertex angle between 50 and 150 degrees.
As shown in
In the embodiment, the microstructures 400 guide light generated from the light exit surface 300 away from the normal direction 33. As shown in
It is noted that when light 500 is incident onto the first prim layer 10 in a non-normal direction (i.e. non-front view angle), the first prisms 100 of the first prism film 10 will converge light 500 that is diverged by the optical structure 40 toward the normal direction 33 on a cross section vertical to the first direction 11. As shown in
In particular, the backlight module 1 utilizes the optical structure layer 40 to adjust the advancing direction of light 500, such that the light 500 leaving from the optical structure layer 40 is incident onto the first prism film 10 in a direction deviated from the normal direction 33. In addition, since the light 500 enters the first prism film 10 in a non-normal direction, the light 500 will not generate total reflections at the first prism film 10. Furthermore, the optical structure layer 40 utilizes the microstructures 400 to change the advancing direction of light 500, preventing light 500 from generating total reflections at the first prism film 10 so as to improve the light output efficiency and the lighting quality of the backlight module 1.
In addition, the second prism film 20 is disposed on one side of the first prism film 10 opposite to the light source module 30, wherein the second prism film 20 has a plurality of second prisms 200 extending along a second direction 22 that is different from the first direction 11. The second prisms 200 converge light leaving from the first prism film 10 toward the normal direction 33 on a cross section vertical to the second direction 22.
In the embodiment, the first direction 11 is vertical to the second direction 22, but not limited thereto. It is noted that the light passes through the first prisms 100 and the second prisms 200 and is converged toward the normal direction 33 respectively on to the cross section vertical to the first direction 11 and the cross section vertical to the second direction 22, such that the light field of the backlight module 1 can be adjusted.
For example, please refer to
Referring to Table 1 and
In addition, referring to Table 1 and
In addition, referring to Table 1 and
Moreover, if the vertex 16 of the first prism 100 and the vertex of the second prism are both 90 degrees, the light field of three dimensional far field of the backlight module 1 is measured and the results are shown in
It is noted that
In practical applications, the optical structure layer 40 changes the first light field to form a second light field. Referring to
Moreover, the first prism film 10 changes the second light field to form a third light field. Referring to
In the embodiment, the intensity peak is concentrated at the azimuth angle between 35 and 55 degrees and the azimuth angle between 125 and 145 degrees, and the intensity peak is concentrated at the azimuth angle between 215 and 235 degrees and the azimuth angle between 305 and 325 degrees, so that the intensity peak of the intensity ring is arranged along the first direction 11 after convergence. It is noted that in the third light field the intensity peak is not distributed at the emission angle between 0 and 20 degrees so as to prevent the light from being concentrated at the normal direction. In addition, in the embodiment, the intensity peak is distributed at the emission angle between 20 and 50 degrees and the FWHM of the intensity peak is 15 degrees, but not limited thereto.
In particular, the second prism 20 changes the third light field to form a fourth light field. As shown in
In addition, the present invention illustrates different embodiments by means of microstructures in different shape.
Referring to
In addition, the microstructure 400A has a width 41 and a height 42; the aspect ratio of width 41 to height 42 is relatively high. It is noted that adjacent microstructures 400A have a tangent line 44, wherein the tangent line 44 is parallel to the normal direction 33.
In practical applications, examples of the vertex angle of the first prism 100 and the aspect ratio of the microstructure 400A are given in Table 2.
As shown in Table 2, the ratio of the aspect ratio of the microstructure 400A to the half tangent of vertex angle of the first prism 100 is between 0.87 and 1.73. It is noted that since some vertex angles of the first prisms 100 are larger than 90 degrees, for calculation convenience, the calculation is based on the value of half vertex angle. In practical applications, when the vertex 16 of the first prism 100 is substantially 60 degrees, the aspect ratio of the microstructure 400A is between 0.5 and 0.8. In addition, when the vertex 16 of the first prism 100 is substantially 90 degrees, the aspect ratio of the microstructure 400A is between 0.8 and 1.6. When the vertex 16 of the first prism 100 is substantially 120 degrees, the aspect ratio of the microstructure 400A is between 1.6 and 3. In other words, the shape of the microstructure 400A and the vertex 16 of the first prism 100 have a corresponding relation.
In particular, for example, if the vertex 16 of the first prism 100 and the vertex of the second prism 200 are both 90 degrees, the light filed of three dimensional far field of the backlight module 1A is measured and the results are shown in
It is noted that
In practical applications, when the emission angle is 0 degree, the emission angle is directed toward the normal direction 33 and is the front view angle. When the emission angle is 90 degrees, the emission angle is diverged toward a direction vertical to the normal direction 33. In the first light field, the intensity covering range has an intensity peak at an emission angle between 0 and 30 degrees. The intensity covering range is radially distributed at an azimuth angle between 0 and 360 degrees and uniformly gradually reduced from the emission angle of 0 degree to 90 degrees.
In practical applications, the optical structure layer 40 changes the first light field to form a second light field. Referring to
Moreover, the first prism film 10 changes the second light field to form a third light field. Referring to
In particular, the second prism 20 changes the third light field to form a fourth light field. As shown in
In comparison with the prior arts, the backlight module of the present invention utilizes the optical structure layer to change the advancing direction of light and in turn to prevent light from entering the first prisms along the normal direction (i.e. front view angle), thus preventing occurrence of total reflections. Furthermore, the backlight module of the present invention utilizes the optical structure layer to adjust the light field so as to change the distribution of light at different emission angle, thus improving the light output efficiency.
Although the preferred embodiments of present invention have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. The preferred embodiments disclosed will not limit the scope of the present invention. Further modification of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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101150481 | Dec 2012 | TW | national |