Artificial Fireplace Display with Shaped LED Backlight to Reduce Glow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Artificial fireplaces with semi-transparent mirrors suffer from high backlight glow, which reduces the quality of the displayed flames by making the dark background appear lit, thereby diminishing the illusion of real flames.
Innovation Solution
The use of a high-brightness LCD display with a backlight source featuring LEDs arranged in a pattern that only illuminates the flame area, combined with a reflector panel and mask to minimize backlight emission outside the flame region, ensuring only the necessary LEDs are used and reducing energy consumption and heat generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a semi-transparent mirror is used to display flames with a daylight screen, then the fireplace video can be displayed, but the backlight glow becomes visible and reduces the quality of the displayed flames
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the backlight source into multiple independently controllable LED regions corresponding to different areas of the display. This allows selective illumination of only the flame areas while keeping other areas dark, thereby eliminating the harmful backlight glow effect while maintaining necessary brightness for flame display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different illumination characteristics to different regions of the display. The flame regions receive high-intensity backlight illumination, while non-flame regions receive no or minimal illumination. This creates the desired effect of bright flames against a dark background, eliminating the uniform backlight glow that degrades image quality.
2Illumination intensity
If a high-intensity backlight source is used to ensure visible flames, then the flames become bright and visible, but the surrounding dark areas also become illuminated, reducing the realism of the fire effect
Solution Approach 1:
The backlight source is divided into multiple independently controllable LED segments corresponding to different spatial regions. Only the segments corresponding to flame areas are activated, allowing bright flame display while keeping other areas dark. This segmentation enables energy-efficient operation by illuminating only where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of illuminating the entire display area with a uniform high-intensity backlight, the patent applies partial action by illuminating only the specific regions where flames are displayed. This provides sufficient brightness for the flame areas while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption in dark areas, thereby reducing overall energy usage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly reduces backlight glow, enhancing the realism and quality of the displayed fireplace video by maintaining a dark background and improving the visibility of flames, while also reducing energy consumption and heat generation.
Implementation Method 1
a backlight source, which comprises a plurality of LEDs, which are disposed in an LED pattern, wherein the backlight source is configured to emit light with the LEDs
Implementation Method 2
an LCD-panel, which is configured to selectively transmit and/or modulate light from the backlight source
Implementation Method 3
the semi-transparent mirror is arranged to at least partially reflect the first fireplace video at its first side
Implementation Method 4
to at least partially transmit an image of the fireplace background at its second side
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a display device for an artificial fireplace, configured to display a fireplace video that at least comprises flames. The display devise comprises a backlight source, which comprises a plurality of LEDs, which are disposed in an LED pattern, wherein the backlight source is configured to emit light with the LEDs, and an LCD-panel, which is configured to selectively transmit and/or modulate light from the backlight source, in order to display the fireplace video. An edge of the LED pattern thereby substantially corresponds to a flame top edge of a flame area in which the flames are imaged in the fireplace video.