What is claimed is:
1. Alight emitting device having a first electrode layer, a light emissive layer, and a second electrode layer, said layers being deposited on a transparent substrate to form a planar light emitting element region on said transparent substrate, comprising:
a light transmitting region for transmitting out light having been emitted from said light emitting element region and having been propagated through said transparent substrate,
wherein said light transmitting region is formed at a region other than a region opposite to said light emitting element region on a surface of said transparent substrate.
2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein
a part of the surface or an entire surface of said transparent substrate except for said light transmitting region is coated with a reflective coating.
3. A light emitting device comprising a first electrode layer, a light emissive layer, and a second electrode layer, said layers being deposited on a transparent substrate to form a planar light emitting element region on said transparent substrate, wherein
on a surface of said transparent substrate, a display region is formed at a region opposite to said light emitting element region, and in addition to said display region, further formed is a light transmitting region for transmitting out light having been emitted from said light emitting element region and having been propagated through said transparent substrate.
4. Alight emitting device having a first electrode layer, a light emissive layer, and a second electrode layer, said layers being deposited on a first transparent substrate to form a planar light emitting element region on said first transparent substrate, comprising:
a second transparent substrate mounted on said first transparent substrate; and
a light transmitting region for transmitting out light having been emitted from said light emitting element region,
wherein said light transmitting region is formed at a region other than a region opposite to said light emitting element region on a surface of said second transparent substrate.
5. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein
said light transmitting region is formed near an edge of said transparent substrate.
6. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein
said light transmitting region is constituted by a groove or a cut face formed on said transparent substrate.
7. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein
said light transmitting region is linearly shaped to form a linear light source of a light beam transmitted out from said light transmitting region.
8. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein
said light emitting element region is defined as a plurality of light emitting element regions each having a different color, and light beams emitted from said light emitting element region are combined to be transmitted out through said light transmitting region.
9. The light emitting device according to claim 8, wherein
an emission of light from said light emitting element region is controllably turned on or off to make a combined color adjustable, said combined color being provided by a light beam transmitted out through said light transmitting region.
10. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein
said light emissive layer is an organic electroluminescence layer.
11. The light emitting device according to claim 3, wherein
said light transmitting region is formed near an edge of said transparent substrate.
12. The light emitting device according to claim 4, wherein
said light transmitting region is formed near an edge of said second transparent substrate.
13. The light emitting device according to claim 3, wherein
said light transmitting region is constituted by a groove or a cut face formed on said transparent substrate.
14. The light emitting device according to claim 4, wherein
said light transmitting region is constituted by a groove or a cut face formed on said second transparent substrate.
15. The light emitting device according to claim 3, wherein
said light emitting element region is defined as a plurality of light emitting element regions each having a different color, and light beams emitted from said light emitting element region are combined to be transmitted out through said light transmitting region.
16. The light emitting device according to claim 4, wherein
said light emitting element region is defined as a plurality of light emitting element regions each having a different color, and light beams emitted from said light emitting element region are combined to be transmitted out through said light transmitting region.
17. The light emitting device according to claim 3, wherein
said light emissive layer is an organic electroluminescence layer.
18. The light emitting device according to claim 4, wherein
said light emissive layer is an organic electroluminescence layer.
19. The light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein
said light transmitting region is formed near an edge of said transparent substrate.
20. The light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein
said light transmitting region is constituted by a groove or a cut face formed on said transparent substrate.
21. The light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein
said light transmitting region is linearly shaped to form a linear light source of a light beam transmitted out from said light transmitting region.
22. The light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein
said light emitting element region is defined as a plurality of light emitting element regions each having a different color, and light beams emitted from said light emitting element region are combined to be transmitted out through said light transmitting region.
23. The light emitting device according to claim 22, wherein
an emission of light from said light emitting element region is controllably turned on or off to make a combined color adjustable, said combined color being provided by a light beam transmitted out through said light transmitting region.
24. The light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein
said light emissive layer is an organic electroluminescence layer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for producing electricity, comprising:
a plurality of hydraulic-to-electric converters with each hydraulic-to-electric converters including:
a hydraulic motor coupled to a common high-pressure hydraulic line and a common low-pressure hydraulic line;
a controllable hydraulic switch hydraulically coupled to each respective hydraulic motor, each controllable hydraulic switch being capable of controllably placing its respective hydraulic motor on-line by allowing flow of hydraulic fluid from the common high-pressure hydraulic line through its respective hydraulic motor or off-line by preventing flow of hydraulic fluid from the common high-pressure hydraulic line through its respective hydraulic motor; and
an electric generator mechanically coupled to each respective hydraulic motor and configured to generate electricity when hydraulic fluid flows through the respective hydraulic motor, wherein power outputs for each electric generator are commonly coupled; and
a control system coupled to each controllable hydraulic switch configured to place individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line as a function of available energy provided by the high-pressure line so as to enable the electric generators to produce continuous electric power at substantially different power levels.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to place individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line in order to maintain a first range of pressure differential across those hydraulic motors that remain on-line.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control system is configured to place individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line in order to maintain a first range of fluid flow through those hydraulic motors that remain on-line.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to place individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line in order to maintain a first range of fluid flow through those hydraulic motors that remain on-line.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to place individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line in order to enable those hydraulic motors that remain on-line to operate under conditions that provide generally optimum hydraulic-to-mechanical conversion efficiency.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each hydraulic motor is a variable displacement hydraulic motor.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each hydraulic-to-electric converter further includes a flow sensor capable of measuring flow of hydraulic fluid through its respective hydraulic motor.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising at least one pressure sensor capable of measuring hydraulic fluid pressure across the hydraulic motors.
9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each hydraulic-to-electric converter further includes a rate sensor capable of measuring the rotational rate of its respective hydraulic motor.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each hydraulic-to-electric converter further includes at least one of a voltage sensor capable of measuring an output voltage of its respective electric generator or a current sensor capable of measuring an output current of its respective electric generator.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wind turbines coupled to the common high-pressure hydraulic line capable of converting wind energy to hydraulic energy in the form of hydraulic pressure and fluid flow.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substantially different power levels include at least two stepwise continuous power levels of N\xd7K watts, where N is a positive integer representing the number of on-line hydraulic motors, and K represents the power output of each electric generator coupled to each on-line hydraulic motor.
13. A method for producing electricity from a plurality of hydraulic-to-electric converters with each hydraulic-to-electric converters including a hydraulic motor coupled to a common high-pressure hydraulic line and a common low-pressure hydraulic line, a controllable hydraulic switch hydraulically coupled to each respective hydraulic motor, each controllable hydraulic switch being capable of controllably placing its respective hydraulic motor on-line by allowing flow of hydraulic fluid from the common high-pressure hydraulic line through its respective hydraulic motor or off-line by preventing flow of hydraulic fluid from the common high-pressure hydraulic line through its respective hydraulic motor, and an electric generator mechanically coupled to each respective hydraulic motor and configured to generate electricity when hydraulic fluid flows through the respective hydraulic motor, wherein power outputs for each electric generator are commonly coupled, the method comprising:
controlling each controllable hydraulic switch so as to place individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line as a function of available energy provided by the high-pressure line so as to enable the electric generators to produce continuous electric power at substantially different power levels via commonly coupled power outputs for each electric generator.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of controlling places individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line in order to maintain a first range of pressure differential across those hydraulic motors that remain on-line.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of controlling places individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line in order to maintain a first range of fluid flow through those hydraulic motors that remain on-line.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of controlling places individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line in order to enable those hydraulic motors that remain on-line to operate under conditions that provide generally optimum hydraulic-to-mechanical conversion efficiency.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of controlling places individual hydraulic motors on-line or off-line in order to enable the electric generators of those hydraulic motors that remain on-line to operate under conditions that provide generally optimum mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
sensing one or more hydraulic states to produce one or more sensed hydraulic states;
wherein the step of controlling each controllable hydraulic switch includes determining which hydraulic-to-electric converters are to be off-line or on-line based on the one or more sensed hydraulic states.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
sensing one or more electrical states to produce one or more sensed electrical states;
wherein the step of controlling each controllable hydraulic switch includes determining which hydraulic-to-electric converters are to be off-line or on-line based on the one or more sensed electrical states.
20. The method of claim 13, wherein the substantially different power levels include at least two stepwise continuous power levels of N\xd7K watts, where N is a positive integer representing the number of on-line hydraulic motors, and K represents the power output of each electric generator coupled to each on-line hydraulic motor.