Patent ID: 8692956
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: G02F,G09F

Abstract:
1. A display, comprising: an LCD panel; a plurality of light sources spaced apart along a planar optical structure; a reflector in between the point light sources, the point light sources and reflector configured to illuminate the LCD panel by way of the planar optical structure; driving circuits configured to control the point light sources to emit light; the driving circuits being configured to receive image data specifying an image and to drive the light sources to illuminate the LCD panel with a low-resolution version of the image to be displayed; wherein: the plurality of light sources are configured such that light from the light sources is mixed together in the planar optical structure to form a pattern of light that varies smoothly to provide the low-resolution version of the image on the LCD panel; the LCD panel is configured to modulate the smoothly varying low resolution version of the image to provide a higher resolution rendering of the image for viewing by observers; the planar optical structure comprising a light diffuser configured to diffuse light which passes into the structure from the point light sources, the light diffuser comprising a plurality of layers of a thin weakly light-scattering sheet material, the diffuser providing anisotropic scattering of light rays wherein light rays in the planar optical structure directed parallel to a direction from the point light sources into the planar optical structure normal to a surface of the planar optical structure are scattered more strongly than light rays in the planar optical structure travelling in other directions.