US 7384177

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 7384177:

US Patent 7384177: Light Emitting Panel Assemblies

• Title: Light emitting panel assemblies
• Assignee (Current): Innovative Display Technologies LLC
• Inventor: Jeffery R. Parker
• Filing Date: October 6, 2005
• Issue Date: June 10, 2008
• Abstract: Light emitting assemblies include a tray that forms a cavity or recess containing one or more light sources. A sheet, film or substrate is positioned over the cavity or recess for controlling the light emitted from the assembly. The tray acts as a back, side or edge reflector, and has one or more secondary reflective or refractive surfaces.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: This claim describes a light-emitting assembly that includes a tray with a back wall and continuous side walls, forming a hollow, fully enclosed cavity. Inside this cavity, there is at least one light source. Overlying this assembly is a sheet, film, or substrate designed to control the light emitted. A key feature is that the tray itself functions as a reflector (back, side edge, and/or end edge) and also incorporates one or more secondary reflective or refractive surfaces (which can be flat, angled, faceted, or curved) to redirect a portion of the light from the light source in a specific way within the cavity.

• Claim 15: This claim focuses on a light-emitting assembly similar to Claim 1, with a tray, cavity, and an overlying sheet, film, or substrate for light control. The distinction here is the presence of at least two light sources within the cavity. The tray again acts as a reflector (back, side edge, and/or end edge) and features at least one secondary reflective or refractive surface (flat, angled, faceted, or curved). The purpose of these surfaces is specifically to improve the mixing of light rays within the cavity, aiming to produce a desired light output color or a more uniform light distribution.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, a search of CAFC 2026 dockets did not return any specific cases directly involving US patent 7384177. Information available relates to general patent litigation in the Federal Circuit in 2026, but no direct matches for this patent number were found.