Patent ID: 7322717

Claim:
An illuminator for a display device, the illuminator comprising: a plurality of rod-shaped light sources arranged along an inner periphery of the illuminator, each of the rod-shaped light sources having a length extending in a first direction and having substantially the same length; wherein the plurality of rod-shaped light sources include a plurality of first rod-shaped light sources arranged to be substantially parallel with respect to one another and spaced from each other in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a plurality of second rod-shaped light sources arranged to be substantially parallel with respect to one another and spaced from each other in the second direction, each of the second rod-shaped light sources being arranged to be spaced from and collinear with a corresponding one of the plurality of first rod-shaped light sources along the first direction; each of the first rod-shaped light sources has substantially the same length as the first rod-shaped light sources that are directly adjacent thereto in the second direction, and each of the second rod-shaped light sources has substantially the same length as the second rod-shaped light sources that are directly adjacent thereto in the second direction; and the only light sources provided in the illuminator are the plurality of first rod-shaped light sources and the plurality of second rod-shaped light sources.