Light emitting panel assemblies include a light emitting panel member having a uniform or variable pattern of light extracting deformities of well defined shapes in or on one or more surface areas of the light emitting panel member. The size and shape as well as the depth and angular orientation and position or location of the light extracting deformities may vary along the length and/or width of a panel surface area to obtain a desired light output distribution from the panel surface area. Also, at least some of the deformities may have planar surfaces in parallel spaced relation to a panel surface area. A focused light source may be insert molded or cast within a light transition area of the light emitting panel member to focus the light on an input surface of the light transition area with predetermined ray angles to fit a particular application. Molded supports may be provided on the panel member for supporting other parts or components in spaced relation therefrom. In another embodiment of the invention, an array of light sources may be mounted on a printed circuit board for directing light through a diffuser or lens mounted in spaced relation to the light sources for use in phototherapy treatment or the like.

Light emitting panel assemblies

Light redirecting films include a pattern of individual optical elements of well defined shape on the light exit surface of the films for refracting the light entering the entrance surface of the films from a backlight toward a direction normal to the exit surface. The individual optical elements overlap and intersect each other. Also, the orientation, size and/or shape of the optical elements may be tailored to redirect more of the incident light from the backlight within a desired viewing angle.

Light redirecting films and film systems

The transreflectors may comprise a transparent substrate having reflective surfaces and other light transmissive surfaces for respectively reflecting and transmitting a greater portion of the light striking opposite sides of the substrate. Alternatively, the transreflectors may comprise two or more transparent substrates of different indices of refraction bonded together, with a pattern of optical deformities in the mating side of one of the substrates and an inverse pattern of optical deformities in the mating side of an other substrate in mating engagement with each other. The transreflectors are used in a transreflector system or display to transmit more of the light emitted by a backlight or other light source incident on one side of the transreflectors and reflect more of the light incident on the opposite side of the transreflectors. The transreflectors and backlight may be tuned to each other to enable the transreflectors to better transmit more of the light emitted by the backlight.

Transreflectors, transreflector systems and displays and methods of making transreflectors

Light emitting panel assemblies include in one form of the invention a light emitting panel member made of a transparent resiliently deformable elastomeric material that absorbs impact without breakage for use in automotive lighting applications of various types. In another form of the invention, a rigid light emitting panel member may be used with dome switches for switch area lighting or to backlight control buttons/key pads by providing holes or openings in the panel member for the control buttons/key pads. Also, a rigid light emitting panel member may be used as a structural member, and two or more such light emitting panel members may be stacked together and used to light an instrument panel or the like. One or more light sources may be mounted within one or more light transition areas adjacent one or more light input surfaces of the light emitting panel members. Also one or more light sources may be positioned adjacent one side of the light emitting panel members for causing light to shine through the panel members or through holes in the panel members for performing specified lighting functions.

Light emitting panel assemblies for use in automotive applications and the like

Illuminators include transparent light emitting members (1) having a pattern of rounded shallow notches or grooves (3) in one or more surfaces of the members (1) for causing internally reflected light (5) to be emitted from the members (1). The notches or grooves (3) may be cut using a circular cutting tool. The relative speed of the cutting tool and feed rate of the cutting tool relative to the members (1) may be controlled to produce a roughened surface on the notches or grooves (3).

Transparent light emitting members and method of manufacture

An illuminated elastomeric keypad switch assembly has an optical conductor on which a printed circuit is printed via electrically conductive ink and a keypad provided with translucent areas for passage of light. The optical conductor has recesses located adjacent the key caps whose width and depth progressively increases proceeding from the closest to the farthest key cap from a light source so that a uniform amount of light is transmitted through the key caps.

Switch having combined light pipe and printed circuit board

A fault tolerant automotive serial communication network includes a central communication node directly connected to a plurality of automotive electronic devices through corresponding interface circuitry including fault tolerant circuitry for detecting a serial communication fault in the corresponding device and for rapidly and substantially unintrusively removing the device from the network for the duration of the detected fault to minimize the impact of the fault on network operation.

Mark E. Burns

Papers

Switch having combined light pipe and printed circuit board

Automotive fault tolerant serial communication