Patent ID: 7789538

Claim:
A directly illuminated display unit, comprising: a display panel; one or more light sources disposed behind the display panel, and capable of producing illumination light; a diffuser disposed between the one or more light sources and the display panel; and a light diverting layer disposed between the one or more light sources and the diffuser, the light diverting layer comprising a first light diverting surface facing the one or more light sources, the first light diverting surface diverting light normally incident on the light diverting layer primarily in a first diverting plane orthogonal to the light diverting layer, the light diverting layer further comprising a second light diverting surface facing the diffuser, the second light diverting surface being configured so as to divert light propagating within the light diverting layer in a direction perpendicular to the light diverting layer into a second diverting plane non-parallel to the first diverting plane.