Touch Display Light Guide Plate Pillar Structures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing front light modules in touch displays face inefficiencies in guiding light downward, leading to energy loss and interference with user viewing, along with implementation and durability issues, while also compromising pixel display intensity and color saturation.

Innovation Solution

A touch display with a front light module featuring a light guide plate, a cover layer with a lower refractive index, and pillar structures with a higher refractive index than the light guide plate, which are placed under the light guide plate to enhance light guidance and prevent light emission from the top surface, allowing for improved light distribution and concentration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If diffusion points are used on the top face of the light guide plate, then the implementation is easy, but the efficiency in guiding light downward is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of implementationVSAvoidlight guidance efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional location of light-guiding structures from the top face to the bottom face of the light guide plate. By placing protruding structures on the bottom face instead of diffusion points on the top face, the design achieves both high light guidance efficiency and ease of manufacturing, resolving the technical contradiction between these two parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Loss of energy

If V type microstructures are used on the top face of the light guide plate, then the efficiency in guiding light downward is improved, but the implementation is not easy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight guidance efficiencyVSAvoidease of implementation

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the location of V-type microstructures from the top face to the bottom face of the light guide plate. This inversion maintains the high light guidance efficiency of V-type structures while simplifying manufacturing, as the inverted structures can be more easily formed on the bottom face using conventional processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the dimensional arrangement of light-guiding structures by moving them from the top surface to the bottom surface of the light guide plate. This dimensional relocation allows the structures to function effectively while being easier to manufacture, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and ease of implementation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Loss of energy

If diffusion points or V type microstructures are located at the top face of the light guide plate, then light guidance is achieved, but they interfere with user viewing and are subject to getting scratched

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight guidance efficiencyVSAvoiduser viewing interference and durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the light-guiding structures from the top face of the light guide plate and relocates them to the bottom face. This extraction removes the harmful factors of viewing interference and susceptibility to scratching from the user-facing surface, while maintaining light guidance efficiency through the inverted structures on the bottom face.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent relocates light-guiding structures from the top surface dimension to the bottom surface dimension of the light guide plate. This dimensional change separates the light-guiding function from the user viewing surface, eliminating viewing interference and improving durability while maintaining optical performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

The solution enhances light guidance efficiency, prevents interference with user viewing, and improves pixel display intensity and color saturation, while maintaining a thin thickness and low light attenuation, making it easier to implement and durable.

Implementation Method 1

the incident light hitting the diffusion points 111 indirectly (after going through a total reflection at the bottom face of the light guide plate 110)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTotal internal reflection: Total Internal Reflection

Implementation Method 2

a cover layer with a lower refractive index, and a plurality of pillar structures with a higher refractive index than the light guide plate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentUS8952935B2Touch display

Publication Date: 2015.02.10 E INK HLDG INC

AI summary

A touch display, including: a light source; a light guide plate, having a first refractive index and having a side face close to the light source; a cover layer, having a second refractive index and being placed over the light guide plate, and the second refractive index is smaller than the first refractive index; a plurality of pillar structures, having a third refractive index and being placed under the light guide plate, and the third refractive index is larger than or equal to the first refractive index; a touch structure, placed over the cover layer; and an electronic paper device, placed under the pillar structures.