Illuminated image display systems employing image prints and backlights with segmented emission patterns

1 . An illuminated image display system, comprising:

a backlight assembly comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes and a reflective back sheet;

a front sheet of an optically transmissive material comprising an image print layer and positioned in an energy receiving relationship with respect to the backlight assembly; and

an opaque housing covering one or more peripheral areas of the backlight assembly,

wherein the image print layer comprises a plurality of first areas having a first visible transmittance, and a plurality of second areas having a second visible transmittance which is less than the first visible transmittance, and

wherein the backlight assembly is configured to emit light towards at least one of the plurality of first areas with greater intensity than towards at least one of the plurality of second areas.

2 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical elements configured to direct light of higher intensity towards the plurality of first areas.

3 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical elements distributed across an area of the image print layer according to a two-dimensional pattern, wherein areas of greater density of the two-dimensional pattern are disposed in registration with respect to the plurality of first areas.

4 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the backlight assembly is configured to emit at least 50% more light towards the at least one of the plurality of first areas than towards the at least one of the plurality of second areas.

5 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first visible transmittance is at least 50% and the second visible transmittance is less than 30%.

6 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first areas has a visible transmittance of at least 50% and at least one of the plurality of second areas has a visible transmittance of less than 30%.

7 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first areas defines indicia regions, and wherein the plurality of second areas defines background regions adjacent to the indicia regions.

8 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the opaque housing comprises a first heat-spreading structural member and a second structural member configured to snap together with the first heat-spreading structural member to form a rigid enclosure.

9 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the backlight assembly further comprises a planar optical waveguide disposed in energy receiving relationship with respect to the plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein the planar optical waveguide comprises a two-dimensional pattern of light extraction features comprising clusters of surface structures separated by spacing areas substantially free from surface structures, and wherein the clusters of surface structures are disposed in registration with the first areas of the image print layer.

10 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the backlight assembly further comprises a planar optical waveguide disposed in energy receiving relationship with respect to the plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein the planar optical waveguide comprises a two-dimensional pattern of light extraction features, wherein the two-dimensional pattern of light extraction features comprises a first plurality of areas having a first areal density of light extraction features and a second plurality of areas having a second areal density of light extraction features, the second areal density being less than the first areal density, and wherein the first plurality of areas are disposed in registration with the first areas of the image print layer.

11 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the backlight assembly further comprises a planar optical waveguide disposed in energy receiving relationship with respect to the plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein at least one of the plurality of light emitting diodes comprises a side-emitting LED provided on a flexible heat-spreading PCB substrate, and wherein at least a portion of the flexible heat-spreading PCB substrate extends into a space between the planar optical waveguide and the reflective back sheet.

12 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the backlight assembly further comprises a planar optical waveguide disposed in energy receiving relationship with respect to the plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein at least one of the plurality of light emitting diodes comprises a side-emitting LED provided on a flexible heat-spreading PCB substrate, and wherein at least a portion of the flexible heat-spreading PCB substrate is directly or indirectly bonded to the planar optical waveguide.

13 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of first areas have different colors.

14 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the reflective back sheet comprises reflective areas approximating shapes of the plurality of first areas and disposed in registration with the plurality of first areas.

15 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of second areas comprises a background area formed by an opaque print, and wherein at least one of the plurality of first areas is formed by an optically transmissive opening in the opaque print.

16 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of second areas is formed by an opaque print, and wherein two or more of the plurality of first areas are formed by an optically transmissive opening in the opaque print.

17 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical elements, wherein at least one of the plurality of second areas is formed by an opaque print, wherein two or more of the plurality of first areas are formed by an optically transmissive opening in the opaque print, and wherein the plurality of optical elements is configured to direct light of higher intensity towards the optically transmissive openings.

18 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of second areas comprises an opaque printed region, wherein at least one of the plurality of first areas comprises a transmissive opening in the opaque printed region, and wherein portions of the backlight assembly configured to emit light with greater intensity are disposed in registration with the transmissive opening.

19 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of second areas comprises an opaque printed region, wherein two or more of the plurality of first areas each comprise a transmissive opening formed in the opaque printed region, and wherein portions of the backlight assembly configured to emit light with greater intensity are disposed in registration with the transmissive openings.

20 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes comprises individually addressable RGB LEDs configured to selectively illuminate different ones of the plurality of first areas in different colors.

21 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an optical diffuser sheet positioned between the backlight assembly and the front sheet.

22 . An illuminated image display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the backlight assembly has a thickness that is less than a spacing between adjacent ones of the plurality of first areas by at least 2 times.