Optical films for directing light towards active areas of displays

Abstract

In various embodiments, an interferometric display device includes a plurality of structures that redirect light from an inactive area of the display to an active area of the display. Light incident on the structures that would normally continue towards an inactive area of the display is either reflected, refracted, or scattered towards an active area of the display including moveable and static reflective surfaces that form an optical cavity.

1 . A reflective display comprising:
 a light-modulating array including a plurality of light-modulating elements, the light-modulating array including
 a plurality of active reflector areas, and 
 spaces between the plurality of active reflector areas; 
   a substrate above the light-modulating array; and   a plurality of light redirecting elements concentrated above the spaces of the light-modulating array in comparison to the active reflector areas of the light-modulating array, the light redirecting elements configured to re-direct light propagating from above the light redirecting elements and the substrate and incident on the light redirecting elements into the active reflector areas of the light-modulating array.   
     
     
         2 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of active reflector areas include a plurality of movable mirrors. 
     
     
         3 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein a film includes the plurality of light redirecting elements. 
     
     
         4 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements are between the light-modulating elements and the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is between the light redirecting elements and the light-modulating elements. 
     
     
         6 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements include reflecting surfaces. 
     
     
         7 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements include scatter elements configured to scatter light incident thereon. 
     
     
         8 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements include lenses. 
     
     
         9 . The reflective display of  claim 8 , wherein the lenses have negative power. 
     
     
         10 . The reflective display of  claim 9 , wherein the lenses include concave surfaces that form concave lenses. 
     
     
         11 . The reflective display of  claim 8 , wherein the lenses include Fresnel lenses. 
     
     
         12 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements include diffractive optical elements. 
     
     
         13 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements include holographic regions. 
     
     
         14 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements include a sloped surface. 
     
     
         15 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements include opposing sloped surfaces. 
     
     
         16 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements include total internal reflection elements. 
     
     
         17 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements have widths between about 2 and 10 microns. 
     
     
         18 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light redirecting elements are spaced apart by a distance of between about 125 and 254 microns. 
     
     
         19 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a processor that is in electrical communication with the light-modulating array, the processor being configured to process image data; and   a memory device in electrical communication with the processor.   
     
     
         20 . The reflective display of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a first controller configured to send at least one signal to the light-modulating array; and   a second controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the first controller.   
     
     
         21 . The reflective display of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an image source module configured to send the image data to the processor.   
     
     
         22 . The reflective display of  claim 21 , wherein the image source module includes at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter. 
     
     
         23 . The reflective display of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.   
     
     
         24 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light-modulating elements include spatial light modulators configured to form an image. 
     
     
         25 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light-modulating elements include movable reflective surfaces, static reflective surfaces, and optical resonant cavities between the movable reflective surfaces and the static reflective surfaces. 
     
     
         26 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light-modulating elements include electromechanical mirrors. 
     
     
         27 . The reflective display of  claim 1 , wherein the light-modulating elements include interferometric light modulators. 
     
     
         28 . A reflective display comprising:
 means for modulating light, the light-modulating means including
 a plurality of active reflector areas, and 
 spaces between the plurality of active reflector areas; 
   means for supporting the light-modulating means, the supporting means above the light-modulating means; and   means for redirecting light propagating from above the light redirecting means and the supporting means and incident on the light redirecting means into the active reflector areas of the light-modulating means, the light redirecting means concentrated above the spaces of the light-modulating means in comparison to the active reflector areas of the light-modulating means.   
     
     
         29 . The reflective display of  claim 28 , wherein the supporting means includes a substrate, or wherein the light-modulating means includes a plurality of light-modulating elements, or wherein the light redirecting means includes a plurality of light redirecting elements. 
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing a reflective display, the method comprising:
 disposing a plurality of light redirecting elements above a light-modulating array, a substrate being above the light-modulating array, the light modulating array including a plurality of light-modulating elements, the light modulating array including a plurality of active reflector areas and spaces between the plurality of active reflector areas, the light redirecting elements concentrated above the spaces of the light-modulating array in comparison to the active reflector areas of the light-modulating array, the light redirecting elements configured to re-direct light propagating from above the light redirecting elements and the substrate and incident on the light redirecting elements into the active reflector areas of the light-modulating array.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein disposing the plurality of light redirecting elements includes situating the plurality of light redirecting elements between the light-modulating array and the substrate. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising forming the light-modulating array after disposing the plurality of light redirecting elements. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein disposing the plurality of light redirecting elements includes situating the plurality of light redirecting elements above the substrate. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein disposing the plurality of light redirecting elements includes applying a film including the plurality of light redirecting elements. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein disposing the plurality of light redirecting elements includes forming the plurality of light redirecting elements. 
     
     
         36 . A reflective display manufactured by the method of  claim 30 .