Radiation emitting element and a method of providing it

Abstract

A radiation emitting element comprising a radiation transmissive element having a first refractive index, a first surface, a second, opposite surface, a radiation emitter adapted to emit radiation of a predetermined wavelength into the radiation transmissive element, and a plurality of radiation controlling elements, wherein each radiation controlling element comprises: a first liquid having a second refractive index, a second fluid having a third refractive index being lower than the second refractive index, the second refractive index being closer to the first refractive index than the third refractive index, means for altering a shape of the first liquid between two modes wherein: in a first mode, the first liquid being in contact with the first surface at a first surface part, and an interface between the first liquid and the second fluid, at the first surface part, is not parallel to the first surface part and in a second mode, a surface of the second fluid, at the first surface part, is at least substantially parallel to the shape of the first surface part, wherein the first liquid has a transmittance of at least 10% at the predetermined wavelength.

1 .- 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . A radiation controlling element comprising
 a first optical layer comprising a waveguide with an abutting outcoupling element,   a second optical layer comprising a refractive optical element, and   a third optical layer comprising beam shaping optics,   the outcoupling element being arranged at the waveguide for outcoupling radiation from the waveguide, and   wherein the refractive optical element and the beam shaping optics are configured to control a radiation propagation direction of the outcoupled radiation.   
     
     
         35 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the second optical layer is positioned between the first optical layer and the third optical layer. 
     
     
         36 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the third optical layer is positioned between the first optical layer and the second optical layer. 
     
     
         37 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the outcoupling element forms a dynamical shutter element. 
     
     
         38 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 37 , wherein the dynamical shutter element is configured to be controllable between at least a first mode and a second mode, 
       wherein the waveguide has, in the first mode, an optical support that is less than in the second mode, whereby radiation is outcoupled from the waveguide in the first mode. 
     
     
         39 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 37 , wherein the dynamic shutter element is a dynamic electrowetting shutter element. 
     
     
         40 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the beam shaping optics comprise diffractive optics. 
     
     
         41 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the beam shaping optics comprise micro prisms. 
     
     
         42 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the radiation controlling element further comprises at least one additional layer between the first optical layer and the second optical layer. 
     
     
         43 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the radiation controlling element further comprises at least one additional layer between the first optical layer and the third optical layer. 
     
     
         44 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the radiation controlling element comprises:
 a first liquid having a second refractive index,   a second fluid having a third refractive index being lower than the second refractive index,   shape altering arrangement for altering a shape of the first liquid between two modes,   
       wherein:
 in the first mode, the first liquid being in contact with the first surface at a first surface part, and an interface between the first liquid and the second fluid, at the first surface part, is not parallel to the first surface part and 
 in the second mode, a surface of the second fluid, at the first surface part, is at least substantially parallel to the shape of the first surface part, 
 
       wherein the first liquid has a transmittance of at least 10% at the predetermined wavelength. 
     
     
         45 . A radiation emitting element comprising the radiation controlling element of  claim 34 , the radiation emitting element comprising a radiation transmissive element as the waveguide, the radiation transmissive element having a first refractive index, a first surface, a second, opposite surface, a radiation emitter adapted to emit radiation of a predetermined wavelength into the radiation transmissive element, and a plurality of radiation controlling elements. 
     
     
         46 . The radiation emitting element according to  claim 45 , wherein the radiation controlling elements are configured to be individually controllable. 
     
     
         47 . The radiation emitting element according to  claim 45 , wherein the second refractive index being closer to the first refractive index than the third refractive index. 
     
     
         48 . The element according to  claim 45 , wherein at least one of the radiation controlling elements comprises a covering element having a fourth refractive index being lower than the first refractive index and abutting the first surface and being positioned adjacent to the first surface part, the shape altering arrangement of the at least one radiation controlling element being adapted to, in the second mode, move at least part of the first liquid to a position overlapping the covering element. 
     
     
         49 . The element according to  claim 45 , wherein the radiation emitter comprises a plurality of radiation emitters and a controller adapted to control the individual radiation emitters to emit radiation into the radiation transmissive element sequentially in time. 
     
     
         50 . The element according to  claim 49 , further comprising a controller for controlling the shape altering arrangement of the radiation controlling elements in coordination with the controller for controlling the radiation emitters. 
     
     
         51 . The element according to  claim 45 , further comprising a plurality of radiation converters each being adapted to receive and convert radiation emitted from one or more radiation controlling elements to radiation of one or more wavelengths different from the predetermined wavelength. 
     
     
         52 . The element according to  claim 51 , wherein the radiation converting converters are adapted to convert emitted and received radiation into at least substantially white light. 
     
     
         53 . The radiation controlling element according to  claim 34 , wherein the radiation controlling element further comprises an LCD shutter.