Multi-function LED Indicia Illumination via Backlight Repurposing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LEDs are limited in their ability to provide continuous illumination of logos or indicia on devices like laptops without increasing thickness or battery drain, as they require additional lighting elements that consume power and add bulk.
Innovation Solution
The use of thin edge-lighting techniques and unpackaged LEDs directly transferred to a substrate, allowing for efficient illumination of indicia without the need for additional lighting elements, using a thin second display or surface-mounted LEDs to maintain device slimness and conserve power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If additional lighting elements are added to illuminate logos when the lid is shut, then continuous illumination of the logo is achieved, but the thickness of the laptop increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The LCD backlight is made multi-functional by enabling it to serve both as the display backlight and as the logo illumination source. The controller detects when the lid is closed and activates the backlight to illuminate the logo through the housing, allowing one lighting system to perform multiple functions without requiring separate dedicated lighting elements for the logo.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing LCD backlight system serves itself by being repurposed to also illuminate the logo. Instead of requiring an independent logo lighting system, the backlight automatically illuminates the logo when needed (when the lid is closed), making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for additional lighting components that would increase thickness.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the backlight is kept lit to illuminate the logo when the laptop is in hibernate mode, then continuous logo illumination is achieved, but battery power is consumed inefficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The backlight illumination system is made dynamic and adaptive rather than static. The controller continuously monitors the lid position and power state, activating the backlight only when the lid is closed and the system is in an appropriate state. This dynamic control allows the logo to be illuminated continuously when needed while consuming power only during specific operational states, avoiding unnecessary battery drain during hibernate mode when the logo illumination is not required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback control through the controller that detects lid position and power state conditions. Based on this feedback, the controller intelligently activates or deactivates the backlight for logo illumination, ensuring that power is consumed only when the logo actually needs to be illuminated (when the lid is closed and the system is active), thereby optimizing battery usage while maintaining continuous illumination capability when required.
3Illumination intensity
If conventional packaged LEDs are used for logo illumination, then sufficient light output is achieved, but the device thickness increases due to the package size
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential light-emitting function from the conventional LED package, eliminating the bulky packaging, lenses, and mounting structures. By using bare LED dies or unpackaged LEDs directly mounted on the housing or backlight assembly, the system achieves sufficient logo illumination while reducing the thickness contribution from the lighting element itself to minimal dimensions, thereby resolving the contradiction between brightness and thickness.
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
Enables continuous illumination of indicia on devices without increasing thickness or power consumption, providing flexible and customizable lighting options for logos, notifications, and environmental illumination.
Implementation Method 1
The array of LGSs comprises light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a housing and an array of LEDs deposited on a substrate disposed in the housing. The array of LEDs is disposed to form an indicia via which a logo is displayable.