WO2012007895A2

WO2012007895A2 - Transparent active frame

Info

Publication number: WO2012007895A2
Application number: PCT/IB2011/053085
Authority: WO
Inventors: Filip Marcel Denise BRUYNEEL; Dirck Seynaeve; Pieter Jan Delva; Jens Albert Margriet De Mey
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Priority date: 2010-07-16
Filing date: 2011-07-11
Publication date: 2012-01-19
Also published as: EP2593821A2; WO2012007895A3

Abstract

A device comprising a transparent plate (TP) and a light guiding foil (LGF). A light source (LS) supplies light into the light guiding foil (LGF) so as to provide light, preferably visible light, from a surface (S) of the light guiding foil (LGF) and emitted through the transparent plate (TP). In one embodiment, the light guiding foil (LGF) is laminated onto a plane glass plate (TP) which forms part of or forms the entire front of a device. Especially, the device is a display device, e.g. a TV set or monitor with a display panel (DP), where the light guiding foil (LGF) is used to provide a transparent lighting frame or rim around an image area (IA) of the display panel (DP). With the use of a light reflector (R), it is possible to provide light also from the border or bezel area (B) of the display panel (DP), and thus provide a seamless transition between the transparent lighting frame or rim and the image area (IA) of the device.

Description

Transparent active frame

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices with light generating effects, more specifically to the field of devices with transparent light generating parts, such as light generating parts for decoration or entertaining purposes. More specifically, the invention provides a device, e.g. a display device with a light generating transparent rim or frame, and a method for generating a light effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Devices with lighting systems serving to provide light effects for increasing the experience of the user, especially in combination with display devices such as TV sets are known. Different kind of more or less complicated ambient lighting effects are used to enhance the viewing experience by supplementing the image displayed on a display panel. Philips trademarks Ambilight and Aurea are examples of such trends. Light is transmitted towards the wall behind the display device, and the rim or frame around the display panel is active and emits light. Especially, such light effects can be colored light that follow the color and intensity of the image displayed by the display panel.

US 2010/0053229 Al assigned to Philips describes a rim system for a display. Controllable light sources are used to emit a light beam into a light guide. An out-coupling structure serves to interact with the light guided in the light guide so as to extract light out of the front side of the light guide. Such rim system can generate a light effect which makes the frame around a display device an active part of the device. However, the rim system is bulky since the structure required is thick compared to modern slim display panels, e.g. LCD, TFT or LED panels, and thus such rim system is not suited for integration into super slim display devices such as TV sets and monitors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be advantageous to provide a device capable of generating a light effect, and which is suited for implementation in embodiments with limited thickness. In a first aspect, the invention provides a device comprising a transparent plate, a light guiding foil, and a light source arranged to supply light into the light guiding foil so as to provide light from a surface of the light guiding foil emitted through the transparent plate.

Such device is advantageous, since it allows various visible light effects without the need for a bulky light structure. The use of a light guiding foil to guide light away from the light source, e.g. an array of Light Emitting Diodes LEDs emitting visible light, provides spreading of light in a very thin structure, thus occupying only a small amount of space. Furthermore, the transparent plate serving as supporting structure for the light guiding foil may already be a part of an existing device, and thus with the light guiding foil in practice almost no extra space is required to provide the light effect. Still further, the use of a light guiding foil is advantageous since the foil is flexible such that it allows easy fitting onto plane transparent plates as well as transparent plates with other surface curvates, and thus the invention is advantageous for providing light effects in many spatially different

configurations. Still further, it is possible to provide a transparent light guiding foil which will allow a light effect which can be invisible, or at least almost invisible, when turned off.

Especially, a very thin structure can be provided, if the light guiding foil is directly attached to the transparent plate, or at least attached to the transparent plate by means of a thin layer of transparent or semi-transparent glue. The transparent plate, e.g. a rectangular shaped plane glass or polymer plate, may at the same time serve as a front cover for the device, and thus the light generating system can in this way share a part of the device which is already present, and thus the light system can form an integrated part of the device, and therefore the light system only adds a very small extra space, especially only very small extra thickness, if any, to the device.

Especially, the device may be a display device, where the transparent plate serves as a single front panel covering a display panel and further extends beyond the border or bezel of the display panel. The light guiding foil can then be arranged on the border part of the transparent plate so as to provide a light frame or rim around the image area of the display device. Since the light guiding foil is generally transparent, the light frame around the image area can be provided without the device suffering from a bulky visual appearance when turned off, since the frame will be generally transparent when the device is in its in-active mode. However, if the border or frame of the device is preferred to be visible when the device is turned off, a backside of the light guiding foil could simply be painted, e.g. black, white, or another preferred color. It is to be understood that LEDs, especially side-firing LEDs on a thin flexible structure, are suited for laminating onto the light guiding foil and thus provide altogether a light system occupying only a minimum of space within the device.

The invention is further advantageous in combination with a display panel, since the thin light guiding foil allows the light guide to be placed in front of the border or bezel of the display panel, i.e. at least between a part of the border or bezel of the display panel and a front cover constituted by the transparent panel. Hereby it is possible to provide a seamless transition between the image displayed on the image area of the display panel and light frame around the display device, still without any negative effect on the overall thickness of the device. Especially, the thickness of the active light frame can be reduced down to the thickness of the transparent plate, i.e. a few mm in case of a glass plate.

It is to be understood that the light source in the form of an array of individually controllable light sources, e.g. LEDs, which are spatially distributed and which may be controlled with respect to color and intensity to follow the image displayed on an image part of the display panel, so as to visibly support the image being displayed, and to create the effect of a seamless transition between the image and the surroundings. This is especially supported in case the display device is also equipped with a back lighting system serving to further cooperate with the frame light to form a transition to light emitted towards the wall behind the display device. Such control of light source is known in the art and outside the scope of the present invention

By 'light guiding foil' is understood a light guide shaped as a foil and being flexible enough to allow lamination of the foil on the transparent plate such as a glass or plastic carrier or plate. One example to achieve this is to reduce the thickness perpendicular to its primary light guiding direction to below 1 mm. Such light guiding foil is commercially available, e.g. in a version with a thickness of 0.8 mm.

By 'transparent plate' is understood a transparent carrier which provides the mechanical strength to carry the light guiding foil. The transparent plate may be a stiff and plane plate, such as a glass plate, or it may be a flexible carrier such as flexible glass.

In combination with flexible glass, see e.g. www.schott.com, a roll to roll process could be used for manufacturing a stand-alone system: LEDs on flexible PCB laminated on flexible foil laminated on a flexible glass plate, e.g. with a white reflector. This could in turn be laminated on another mechanical construction, a transparent or non- transparent construction.

In one embodiment the light source is arranged to guide light into a long edge of the light guiding foil, the light source preferably being arranged adjacent to said edge. Hereby it is possible to obtain an even distribution of light emitted from the surface of the light guiding foil. More specifically, the light guiding foil may be shaped as a rectangular strip, e.g. 10-40 mm wide, suited to be used as a side of a light frame around a display device and such as 30-60 cm long, and where the light source comprises an array of single light sources, e.g. LEDs, arranged to provide light into the light guiding foil along the long edge of the light guiding foil strip.

A light reflector, e.g. in the form of paint, may be arranged at least partly between the light guiding foil and the transparent plate so as to reflect a portion of light emitted from the surface of the light guiding foil and reflected backwards by the transparent plate. Especially, such light reflector may be used to hide the border or bezel of a display panel, and still light can be emitted from the transparent plate in the area in front of the light reflector. Hereby a seamless transition between active light frame and the image area of the display device can be provided. This will be further illustrated in the following.

In one embodiment, the device comprises a light reflector, wherein the light guiding foil is arranged between the light reflector and the transparent plate. Thus, all light emitted by the surfaces of the light guiding foil is emitted through the transparent plate, but in case the light guiding foil serves as providing a light frame, this frame will then not be transparent.

In one embodiment, an air gap separates at least part of the light guiding foil and the transparent plate. This may facilitate a more convenient position of the light source in relation to the light guiding foil, since one end of the light guide and the light source can be hidden inside an enclosure of the device, however, the air gap will decrease the intensity of light emitted through the transparent plate. Especially, a flexible transparent carrier separates the light guiding foil from the transparent plate.

In one embodiment, where an air gap separates at least part of the light guiding foil and the transparent plate, comprises glue for attaching a first part of the light guiding foil to the transparent plate, and a second part of the light guiding foil is positioned with the air gap separation to the transparent plate, wherein the light source is attached to the second part of the light guiding foil.

The device may be a display device comprising a display panel arranged to display an image at an image area, e.g. an LED, OLED, LCD, or plasma display panel. The transparent plate may be arranged in front of the display panel such that the transparent plate covers the display panel, and wherein the light guiding foil is arranged on a part of the transparent plate extending beyond the image area of the display panel. More specifically, the transparent plate may have a peripheral portion extending beyond a border or bezel of the display panel, and wherein said peripheral portion of the transparent plate extending beyond the border of the display panel constitutes a frame around the display panel, and wherein one or more pieces of light guiding foil is arranged on the transparent plate on all sides of the frame. Such part of the transparent plate extending beyond the image area of the display panel can then act as a transparent active frame, and via the transparent plate serving at the same time as a cover in front of the display panel, it is possible to provide a visibly seamless transition between the lighting frame and the display area of the display panel. However, it should be understood that the transparent plate forming part of the frame light system may be different from a transparent panel used to cover the display panel.

In one embodiment, the light source comprises a module of a plurality of LEDs arranged on a flexible substrate. Especially, driver electronics arranged to drive the LEDs may be arranged on a separate substrate, thus enabling the LEDs and the driver electronics to be spatially separated. E.g. only the LED substrate is placed in connection with a frame lighting, while the driver electronics is placed inside an enclosure of the device. More specifically, said driver electronics may be arranged on a substrate that also carries driver electronics for an ambient back light system of the device, and driver electronics for LEDs forming part of a frame light system may share driver electronic components with the ambient back light system. The flexible substrate with the plurality of LEDs thereon may be laminated onto the transparent plate, thus providing together with the light guiding foil a very thin structure that does not significantly increase the thickness of the transparent plate, typically being at least 0.5-3 mm thick. To provide an effective interface with the light guiding foil, the LEDs are preferably of the side-firing type.

The device may especially be one of: a TV set, a display monitor, a window, a light armature, a lamp housing, a decoration device. E.g. the invention can be used for fancy lighting effects such as pimping of car windows, or disco windows, shop windows. Another possibility is a low resolution windows: due to the pixilation effect in the LEDs you can have a resolution higher than the windows. An area of application is architectural lighting, e.g. where the transparent plate is glass in a window in a building, or special decoration device may be mounted on the facade of a building or form part of an interior.

As mentioned, the invention is advantageous as a decoration or entertaining light effect around the device, e.g. a display. However, such light may also be used as a warning or merely information light, e.g. in case the device is used in connection with a user interface for a medical devices. E.g. flashing red frame around a user interface panel can be used to draw the user's attention towards a critical situation. The device may be a lighting armature, since light from the surface of the transparent panel can be used to light up objects, such as a white board.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a method for generating a light effect, the method comprises providing a transparent plate, providing a light guiding foil, and arranging a light source to supply light into the light guiding foil so as to provide light from a surface of the light guiding foil emitted through the transparent plate.

It is appreciated that the same advantages and embodiments of the first aspect apply as well for the second aspect. In general the first and second aspects may be combined and coupled in any way possible within the scope of the invention. These and other aspects, features and/or advantages of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows a simple cross section sketch of an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 shows a front view of an embodiment where the transparent plate has the shape of a frame or rim to be mounted on a device, e.g. on a front of a display device,

Fig. 3 shows a cross section sketch of a display device with a lighting frame integrated with its front panel,

Fig. 4 shows a photo of a corner of a prototype according to the sketch of

Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 shows a photo of a display device prototype as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, displaying an image and with light in the frame supporting the color and intensity in the image border,

Fig. 6 shows a photo of a light source in the form of side-firing LEDs on a flexible substrate which is laminated onto the transparent plate,

Fig. 7 shows a cross section and a front view sketch of one display device embodiment with a frame light system according to the invention, and with an additional ambient back lighting system,

Fig. 8 shows a cross section sketch of a display device embodiment,

Fig. 9 shows specific examples of thin light source substrates with side-firing LEDs for use as part of a frame lighting system, Figs. 10-12 show three different configurations of light source and light guiding foil in relation to the transparent plates,

Fig. 13 shows a photo of a flexible PCB with LEDs and a light guiding foil laminated onto a transparent plate in the form of flexible glass,

Fig. 14 shows photos of examples of application of the invention for interior and exterior architectural use of a device according to the invention, and

Fig. 15 illustrates a method according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 illustrates a cross section view of a plane transparent plate TP, e.g. a glass plate or polymer based plate forming a front panel of at least a part of a device, such as a display panel. A light source LS, e.g. a light source generating visible light such as an LED, is placed adjacent to an edge of the light guiding foil LGF and thus generates visible light, indicated by a large dashed arrow, into a light guiding foil LGF which is arranged behind the transparent plate TP. The light guiding foil LGF is shown here as directly attached to the transparent plate TP, in practice by means of glue or by means of some type of lamination. The light from the light source LS is guided along the direction in the light guiding foil as indicated by the large dashed arrow, i.e. in the plane defined by the light guiding foil LGF, and light is hereby emitted from a surface S of the light guiding foil LGF and through the transparent plate TP, shown as dashed arrows and thus provides visible light L through the transparent plate TP. Since the light guiding foil LGF is transparent, it is possible to provide a light effect from the transparent plate TP, and still the same area of the transparent plate TP where the light comes from is transparent.

Fig. 2 shows a front view of an embodiment, where the transparent plate TP, e.g. a plane plate of glass or polymer, is shaped as a frame or rim, such as to fit the dimensions of a border of a display device. Light sources LSI, LS2 and rectangular strips of light guiding foil LGFl, LGF2 are attached to two sides of the transparent plate TP frame merely to illustrate the principle and to illustrate the orientation of the light guiding direction in the light guiding foil LGFl, LGF2 which is along the lines symbolizing the foil LGFl, LGF2. Thus, here the light guiding foil LGFl, LGF2 is shaped such and placed with the light sources LSI, LS2 such that light is provided from the longest edges of the light guiding foils LGFl, LGF2.

All four sides of the frame may be provided with light guiding foil and light sources. In other embodiments the transparent plate is a single rectangular shaped plane plate which can then form a front panel of a device such as a display device, thus forming an integrated part of the display device. However, the illustrated embodiment is suited to be mounted as an add-on to a device merely as a frame lighting system.

Fig. 3 illustrates a cross section of a display device frame. A transparent plane plate TP, e.g. glass or polymer, provides a front F of the display device, i.e. the transparent plate TP is arranged in front of a display panel DP and thus covers image area IA and border or bezel B of the display panel DP, and further extends beyond the border or bezel B area, thus providing a transparent periphery of the display device. A thin light source LS, e.g. side- firing LED, inputs light into the light guiding foil LGF, as indicated by the arrows, and light is emitted from a surface of the light guiding foil LGF and thus penetrates through the transparent plate TP and is then visible from the front F of the display device. As seen, a portion of light is also emitted from the opposite surface of the light guiding foil LGF and thus backwards.

The light guiding foil LGF is attached to the transparent plate by means of glue G. A light reflector R, e.g. in the form of paint, is inserted between the transparent plate TP and part of the light guiding foil LGF and light source LS so as to hide the light source LS, and so as to reflect a portion of the light emitted from the surface of the light guiding foil LGF which is "trapped" in the transparent plate TP, dashed arrows, i.e. reflected backwards by the front surface of the transparent plate TP. More specifically, light from the surface of the light guiding foil LGF enters the transparent plate TP through a first surface, and a portion of the light enters the transparent plate in an angle such that it is reflected by a second surface of the transparent plate TP, i.e. the front surface of the transparent plate. Thus, this light portion is refiected backwards from the second surface towards the first surface. A part of this backwards refiected light will then reach the reflector R and is then finally reflected by the reflector R and out through both of the first and second surfaces of the transparent plate TP and thus generate the visual impression that light comes also from the border or bezel B area, since the light reflector R is inserted in front of the border or bezel B area of the display panel P. The effect is a seamless transition between the transparent lighting periphery and the image area of the display device.

In some embodiments, it may be preferred that all light is emitted from the surface of the transparent plate TP in the area where the reflector R is placed.

Fig. 4 illustrates a front view photo of an implementation in a prototype of the principle illustrated in Fig. 3, i.e. a light frame system integrated with the front panel of a display device. One single transparent plate TP covers the display panel, i.e. covers the image area IA, a border or bezel area B, and extends e.g. 20-50 mm further so as to provide a transparent frame around the display device. Light guiding foil also extends from the periphery of the transparent plate TP and overlaps the border/bezel B area as shown in Fig. 3, and thus provides an active light AA area that covers also the border/bezel B area.

Fig. 5 illustrates a prototype of a TV set showing an image. The TV set has a transparent active frame as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A seamless transition between image and lighting frame is provided, and still the frame is very thin, e.g. provided by the front glass plate having a thickness of 3 mm plus the thickness of the light guiding foil, which may be less than 1 mm.

Fig. 6 shows a photo of a prototype illustrating the transparent plate TP with a light guiding foil LGF laminated thereon. White reflective paint RP serves as reflector to cover the border/bezel of the display panel, and the light source is in the form of a flexible substrate LSF with side-firing LEDs disposed thereon. This substrate LSF can be laminated onto the transparent plate TP and overlapping the light guiding foil such that the LEDs match the position of the light guiding ends of the light guiding foil LGF.

Fig. 7 shows a cross section (top part) sketch and a front view sketch (lower part) of an embodiment of a display device with a display panel and a frame light system as already illustrated and provided by a first light source LS 1 , a light guiding foil LGF glued with a glue G onto a transparent plate TP. A light blocker or light reflector R is inserted to cover the border/bezel of the display panel DP. The frame light source LSI has side-firing LEDs on a flexible substrate, distributed with a pitch PI .

The display device further includes a back ambient lighting system provided by a second light source LS2 placed on a side of the display panel DP. As seen, via a flexible substrate FS and a connector CN, the driver electronics for the two light sources LSI, LS2 for the two lighting systems can be more or less integrated. Especially, it is preferred that the driver electronics for the frame system is placed away from the frame, so as to save space and provide a transparent frame. The back light source LS2 has side-firing LEDs on a flexible substrate, distributed with a pitch P2 which is seen to provide a more coarse spatial resolution than the frame light source LSI .

Fig. 8 illustrates a more detailed embodiment of the principle sketched in

Fig. 3. As in Fig. 7, the sketched embodiment is a display device with an ambient back light system. The light source LS for the frame light is connected to a substrate BLS carrying driver electronics for the back light system via connector CN and flexible structure FS, and thus allows integration and use of common driver electronic parts for back light and frame light system. A light blocker LB is inserted to block light from the light source LS towards the image area of the display panel DP. A light guiding foil and a light source of a thickness of 0.8 mm is used in combination with a glass plate TP having a thickness of 3 mm. As already explained, the frame light system provides light from a border/bezel area BA having a width of 15 mm, and a transparent active frame area TAF having a width of 30 mm. The dotted structure R LB at the far end of the light guiding foil LGF is an optional reflector or light blocker.

Fig. 9 shows sketches of flexible structures with side-firing LED light sources for a display device frame lighting system. The large arrows indicate the light direction LD. Edge connectors EC provide the electric connection to the LEDs.

Fig. 10 shows a sketch of an alternative to the embodiment shown in Fig. 8. A display device cabinet is provided at least partly by a metal bracket MB, and in this embodiment, the metal bracket MB is used to hide the light source LS, and thus the light source is here placed with a distance to the transparent plate TP. The light guiding foil LGF is attached to a transparent carrier TP by means of glue G which thus separates the foil LGF from the transparent plate TP. As seen, towards the border/bezel of the display panel, an air gap A further separates the foil LGF from the transparent plate TP. The air gap reduces the light intensity observed from the front of the display device compared to direct gluing or lamination of the foil LGF onto the transparent plate TP.

Fig. 11 illustrates another embodiment with the light source placed towards the distal end of the transparent plate TP. A reflector R2 behind the light guiding foil LGF serves to cover the necessary flexible substrate that provides the electrical connection to the light source LS. In this embodiment, glue G is used for attaching the light guiding foil LGF to the transparent plate TP and thus provides an even distribution of light, but the reflector R2 provides a non-transparent frame. A light blocker LB is inserted at the end of the light guiding foil LGF so as to stop light towards the display area of the display panel DP, however the light blocker LB could also be a reflector.

Fig. 12 illustrates another embodiment where an air gap separates the light guiding foil LGF and the transparent plate TP in part of the frame, here with the light source LS positioned towards the distal end of the light guiding foil LGF. Again, this results in an uneven light distribution.

Fig. 13 shows a photo of an embodiment where the transparent plate is a transparent flexible carrier, e.g. flexible glass, where the light guiding foil and light source in the form of side-firing LEDs on a flexible carrier are laminated onto the transparent flexible carrier. With such embodiment, different lighting surfaces can be provided which are applicable for various decoration, warning, and lighting applications.

Fig. 14 shows photos of devices according to the invention used within architectural lighting. To the left, two examples are shown where a flexible transparent plate is used as carrier for the light guiding foil which enables use for decoration/lighting effects for interior architectural applications. To the right, the transparent plate is a window glass, where the window, or rather many windows on the facade or whole facade areas being formed by transparent glass panels, are used to provide exterior lighting effects on the building without the need for any additional mechanical structure on the facade, since the window glasses simply form the lighting surface. With controllable LED light sources, different shapes and colors can be formed. For both interior and exterior light effects light it is a desirable feature that the device is invisible, or at least almost invisible, when the source is turned off.

Fig.15 illustrates a method for generating a light effect, e.g. a frame light effect of a display device. The method comprises:

providing a transparent plate 1 ,

arranging a light guiding foil behind the transparent plate 2, and arranging a light source to supply light into the light guiding foil so as to provide light from a surface of the light guiding foil emitted through the transparent plate 3.

The method and the devices described above are applicable within a number of different technical fields, where a light effect is desired for a front of a device, and especially where the aesthetic design or other parameters dictate that the required structure for such light system must be very thin, e.g. modern display devices as TV sets and display monitors.

To sum up, the invention provides a device comprising a transparent plate TP and a light guiding foil LGF. A light source LSI supplies light into the light guiding foil LGF so as to provide light, preferably visible light, from a surface S of the light guiding foil LGF and emitted through the transparent plate TP. In one embodiment, the light guiding foil LGF is laminated onto a plane glass plate TP which forms part of or forms the entire front of a device. Especially, the device is a display device, e.g. a TV set or monitor with a display panel DP, where the light guiding foil LGF is used to provide a transparent lighting frame or rim around an image area I A of the display panel DP. With the use of a light reflector R, it is possible to provide light also from the border or bezel area BA of the display panel DP, and thus provide a seamless transition between the transparent lighting frame or rim and the image area I A of the device.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measured cannot be used to advantage. A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless

telecommunication systems. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A device comprising

a transparent plate (TP),

a light guiding foil (LGF), and

a light source (LSI) arranged to supply light into the light guiding foil (LGF) so as to provide light from a surface (S) of the light guiding foil (LGF) emitted through the transparent plate (TP).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the light source (LSI) is arranged to supply light into a long edge of the light guiding foil (LGF).

3. Device according to claim 1, comprising a light reflector (R) arranged at least partly between the light guiding foil (LGF) and the transparent plate (TP) so as to reflect a portion of light emitted from the surface of the light guiding foil (LGF) and reflected backwards by the transparent plate (TP).

4. Device according to claim 1, comprising glue for attaching the light guiding foil (LGF) to the transparent plate (TP).

5. Device according to claim 1, comprising a light reflector (R2), wherein the light guiding foil (LGF) is arranged between the transparent plate (TP) and the light reflector (R2).

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein an air gap (A) separates at least part of the light guiding foil (LGF) and the transparent plate (TP).

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein a flexible transparent carrier (TC) separates the light guiding foil (LGF) from the transparent plate (TP).

8. Device according to claim 6, comprising glue for attaching a first part of the light guiding foil (LGF) to the transparent plate (TP), and wherein the air gap (A) separates a second part of the light guiding foil (LGF) and the transparent plate (TP), wherein the light source (LS) is attached to said second part (LGF).

9. Device according to claim 1, comprising a display panel (DP) arranged to display an image at an image area (IA).

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein the transparent plate (TP) is arranged in front of the display panel (DP) such that the transparent plate (TP) covers the display panel

(DP), and wherein the light guiding foil (LGF) is arranged on a part of the transparent plate (TP) extending beyond the image area (IA) of the display panel (DP).

11. Device according to claim 10, wherein the transparent plate (TP) has a peripheral portion (TAF) extending beyond a border (BA) of the display panel (DP), and wherein said peripheral portion (TAF) of the transparent plate (TP) extending beyond the border of the display panel (DP) constitutes a frame around the display panel (DP), and wherein one or more pieces of light guiding foil (LGF) is arranged on the transparent plate (TP) on all sides of the frame.

12. Device according to claim 1, wherein the light source (LS) comprises a module of a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes arranged on a flexible substrate (LSF), and wherein driver electronics arranged to drive the Light Emitting Diodes is arranged on a separate substrate.

13. Device according to claim 12, wherein the flexible substrate (LFS) with the plurality of Light Emitting Diodes thereon is laminated onto the transparent plate (TP).

14. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device is one of: a TV set, a display monitor, a window, a light armature, a lamp housing, and a decoration device.

15. Method for generating a light effect, the method comprises

providing a transparent plate (1),

providing a light guiding (2), and arranging a light source to supply light into the light guiding foil so as to provide light from a surface of the light guiding foil emitted through the transparent plate (3).