Device and apparatus configured for illuminating an indicium

Abstract

An illumination device includes a first indicium configured for releasing light trapped by total internal reflection (TIR) at an exterior surface of a refractive object, thereby illuminating the first indicium. The illumination device also includes a second indicium configured to reflect light from a source external to the refractive object.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An illumination device comprising:
 an object including refractive material, the refractive material having opposing exterior surface portions of a first refractive index;   a first light source configured to at least periodically couple light into the refractive material, at least a portion of the light being trapped by total internal reflection (TIR) at a first exterior surface portion that is configured for TIR;   a first indicium portion at a second exterior surface portion configured as a light extraction feature to defeat the TIR, including through intervening refractive media, and release light trapped in the refractive material and illuminate the first indicium portion and make it detectable from a point external to the object; and   a second indicium portion in a predetermined spatial relationship with the refractive material and the first indicium portion, wherein:   the second indicium portion is displaced a greater distance than the first indicium portion from the second exterior surface portion along an axis parallel to a surface normal of the first exterior surface portion,   none of the refractive material within which light is trapped by the TIR lies between the second indicium portion and the point external to the object, and   the second indicium portion being detectable from the point external to the object when illuminated by a second light source external to the object.   
     
     
         2 : The illumination device of  claim 1  wherein the first indicium portion includes a scattering white ink. 
     
     
         3 : The illumination device of  claim 2  wherein the scattering white ink adds physical separation between the second indicium portion and the second exterior surface portion. 
     
     
         4 : The illumination device of  claim 3  wherein the second indicium portion includes at least one of an ink and a dye. 
     
     
         5 : The illumination device of  claim 4  wherein a third exterior surface portion, devoid of an optically coupled first indicium portion, lies between fourth and fifth exterior surface portions, both the fourth and fifth exterior portions including optically coupled first indicium portions. 
     
     
         6 . The illumination device of  claim 4  wherein the first exterior surface portion is non-planar. 
     
     
         7 : The illumination device of  claim 6  wherein the non-planar first exterior surface portion causes trapped rays to alter their angular properties. 
     
     
         8 : The illumination device of  claim 1  wherein the second indicium portion is connected to a polyester substrate. 
     
     
         9 : The illumination device of  claim 1  wherein the second indicium portion is located on or near a sixth exterior surface portion of the refractive media opposed to the second exterior surface portion. 
     
     
         10 . The illumination device of  claim 9  including a reflector adjacent the light extraction feature configured to redirect the illumination from the first indicium portion back through the refractive material to pass through the sixth exterior surface portion. 
     
     
         11 : The illumination device of  claim 1  wherein the first indicium portion includes scattering material in a curable medium, the curable medium having a refractive index equal to or greater than the first refractive index. 
     
     
         12 : The illumination device of  claim 11 , wherein the curable medium is cured using UV light. 
     
     
         13 : The illumination device of  claim 4  wherein the first indicium portion further includes at least one of a fluorescent and a colored material. 
     
     
         14 : The illumination device of  claim 4  wherein the intervening refractive media includes at least one of a cling film and an electret film. 
     
     
         15 : The illumination device of  claim 4  wherein the intervening refractive media includes a film adhering to the first exterior surface portion using suction forces distributed across the surface of the film in at least one of a periodic and aperiodic fashion. 
     
     
         16 : The illumination device of  claim 1  configured for wireless communications. 
     
     
         17 : The illumination device of  claim 16 , comprising a communicatively coupled remote device adapted for wireless communications, wherein the illumination device is configured to receive one or more commands from the remote device using wireless communications. 
     
     
         18 : The illumination device of  claim 17 , wherein the remote device is further configured to control one or more of other sources of light and sound. 
     
     
         19 : The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the first light source is configured to at least periodically flash on-and-off at one or more frequencies higher than can be perceived by a human eye, communicating to one or more devices external to the illumination device. 
     
     
         20 . A method of configuring an exposed face of a refractive object, for use as a light guide operating under total internal reflection, with first and second indicium portions, comprising:
 imparting one or more extraction features onto the exposed face for illuminating the one or more extraction features by defeating total internal reflection at the exposed face, the one or more extraction features formed in a shape of a first indicium portion; and   overlaying the exposed face with a second indicium portion, in a predetermined spatial relationship with the first indicium portion, the second indicium portion configured not to defeat TIR at the exposed face.