Planar display structure with LED light source

1. A planar light source, comprising:

a plurality of LEDs in a two dimensional array; and

a planar light guide plate, comprising a light emitting surface and a light receiving surface, wherein the light receiving surface has a two dimensional array of recesses receiving the LEDs, and wherein the recesses each has an inner surface that faces away from the light emitting surface and interacts with light emitted from the LED received in the recess to facilitate diffusion of light to the light emitting surface.

2. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein the light emitting surface is generally parallel to the light receiving surface.

3. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein the planar light guide plate has side surfaces at edges of the light receiving surface and the light emitting surface, wherein the side surfaces each has an area significantly smaller than the area of each of the light emitting surface and the light receiving surface.

4. The planar light source as in 1 , wherein the plurality of LEDs are supported on a substrate and said substrate is selected from the group consisting of PCB (printed circuit board) and FPC (flexible printed circuit board).

5. A planar light source, comprising:

a plurality of LEDs in a two dimensional array; and

a planar light guide plate, comprising a light emitting surface and a light receiving surface, wherein the light receiving surface has a two dimensional array of recesses receiving the LEDs, and wherein the planar light guide plate comprises a planar body having the light receiving surface and the light emitting surface, wherein light received at the light receiving surface is transmitted to the light emitting surface through the body of the light guide plate, and wherein each recess is provided in the body having an inner surface facing away from the light emitting surface and sized to cover entire light emitting portion of an LED received in the recess.

6. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein each recess is sized to receive a whole LED.

7. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein the LEDs are supported on a substrate, and each recess is sized to receive a LED, and wherein the substrate is positioned against the light guide plate, with the LEDs received in the recesses, thereby reducing overall thickness of the planar light source.

8. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of each recess has at least a plurality of slanted portions (V-cuts), convex dots, or concave dots.

9. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of each recess has a cross section that is at least a circle, ellipse, or polygon.

10. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of each recess has a geometrical pattern of at least a circle or ellipse.

11. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein the two dimensional array of LEDs are arranged in a pattern of at least rectangular-type or interlacing type.

12. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein each LED comprises at least one of a white LED, or a lighting units that includes at least red, green, and blue LEDs.

13. The planar light source as in claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a diffuser sheet or a prism sheet disposed at the light emitting surface.

14. The planar light source as in claim 1 , wherein the light guide plate has side surfaces at edges of the light receiving surface and the light emitting surface, and wherein there is no LED positioned with light received through the side surfaces.

15. An LCD device, comprising:

a planar light source as in claim 1 ; and

an LCD panel positioned relative to the light emitting surface, receiving light emitted from the light emitting surface.

16. The LCD device as in claim 15 , wherein the LCD panel is positioned parallel to the light emitting surface.

17. The LCD device as in claim 15 , wherein the LCD panel comprises a generally planar surface towards the light emitting surface of the planar light source.

18. The LCD device as in claim 17 , further comprising a diffuser sheet and a prism sheet disposed between the LCD panel and the light emitting surface of the planar light source.

19. The LCD device as in claim 18 , wherein the diffuser sheet comprises a first diffuser sheet and a second diffuser sheet, between which the prism sheet is disposed.

20. The LCD device as in claim 15 , wherein the LEDs are supported on a substrate, and each recess is sized to receive a LED, and wherein the substrate is positioned against the light guide plate, with the LEDs received in the recesses, thereby reducing overall thickness of the planar light source.

21. A planar light source, comprising:

a plurality of light sources in a two dimensional array; and

a planar light guide plate, comprising a light emitting surface and a light receiving surface, wherein the light receiving surface has a two dimensional array of recesses receiving the light sources, and wherein the recesses each has an inner surface that faces away from the light emitting surface and interacts with light emitted from the LED received in the recess to facilitate diffusion of light to the light emitting surface.

22. The planar light source as in claim 21 , wherein the light sources comprises LEDs.