US Patent 7635200 Planar light source device and display using the same

A planar light source device having excellent in-plane uniformity of brightness includes an illuminator having an array of light sources, a light transmission plate in an optical path of light output by the illuminator, and a plurality of refractive diffusing elements on the light transmission plate, each refractive diffusing element providing more than two refractive surfaces in at least one vertical cross-section along the optical path at an angle determined in accordance with a pattern of the array of light sources. Each refractive diffusing element may be a polygonal prism or a microlens.