Face-lit waveguide illumination systems
First Claim
1. A face-lit waveguide illumination system, comprising:
- a portion of a light transmitting planar waveguide;
an elongated optical element attached to a major broad-area surface of said planar waveguide, said elongated optical element having a longer dimension that is much greater than the shorter dimensions and further having a first optically transparent surface facing said planar waveguide and an opposing second optically transparent surface facing away from said planar waveguide;
a plurality of light sources distributed along said longer dimension and optically coupled to said elongated optical element; and
one or more light extracting features configured for extracting light from said planar waveguide;
wherein said second optically transparent surface is configured for reflecting light by means of a total internal reflection, wherein said elongated optical element is configured for injecting light emitted by said light source into said planar waveguide at an angle permitting for propagating substantially all of the injected light in said planar waveguide by means of a total internal reflection; and
wherein a transversal width of the optical contact area of said elongated optical element with said major broad-area surface is approximately equal to or less than 2d/√
{square root over (n2−
1)}, where d is the thickness of said planar waveguide and n is the refractive index of the medium of said planar waveguide.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A face-lit waveguide illumination system employing a planar slab or plate of an optically transmissive material. A light source is optically coupled a linear optical element which is attached to a face of the waveguide and is configured to inject light at an angle permitting for light propagation by means of a total internal reflection. Light is propagated through the waveguide towards a predetermined direction in response to optical transmission and total internal reflection. Light extraction features located along the prevailing path of light propagation extract light from the waveguide and emit such light towards a surface perpendicular. In one embodiment, the planar waveguide includes a window pane which provides light transport from one location, where light is injected through the face of the pane, to another location where light is extracted. Additional embodiments of the face-lit waveguide illumination system are also disclosed.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A face-lit waveguide illumination system, comprising:
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a portion of a light transmitting planar waveguide; an elongated optical element attached to a major broad-area surface of said planar waveguide, said elongated optical element having a longer dimension that is much greater than the shorter dimensions and further having a first optically transparent surface facing said planar waveguide and an opposing second optically transparent surface facing away from said planar waveguide; a plurality of light sources distributed along said longer dimension and optically coupled to said elongated optical element; and one or more light extracting features configured for extracting light from said planar waveguide; wherein said second optically transparent surface is configured for reflecting light by means of a total internal reflection, wherein said elongated optical element is configured for injecting light emitted by said light source into said planar waveguide at an angle permitting for propagating substantially all of the injected light in said planar waveguide by means of a total internal reflection; and
wherein a transversal width of the optical contact area of said elongated optical element with said major broad-area surface is approximately equal to or less than 2d/√
{square root over (n2−
1)}, where d is the thickness of said planar waveguide and n is the refractive index of the medium of said planar waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A face-lit waveguide illumination system, comprising:
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a portion of a light transmitting planar waveguide; a highly elongated optical element longitudinally extending between a first terminal end and a second terminal end and attached to a major broad-area surface of said planar waveguide at a distant location from edges defining said planar waveguide, said highly elongated optical element having a longer dimension that is much greater than the shorter dimensions and further having a first optically transparent surface facing said planar waveguide and an opposing second optically transparent surface facing away from said planar waveguide, said second optically transparent surface is configured for reflecting light by means of a total internal reflection; at least one light source optically coupled to said first terminal end of the highly elongated optical element; and one or more light extracting features configured for extracting light from said planar waveguide; wherein said highly elongated optical element is configured for injecting light emitted by said light source into said planar waveguide at an angle permitting for propagating substantially all of the injected light in said planar waveguide by means of a total internal reflection; and
wherein a transversal width of the optical contact area of said highly elongated optical element with said major broad-area surface is approximately equal to or less than 2d/√
{square root over (n2−
1)}, where d is the thickness of said planar waveguide and n is the refractive index of the medium of said planar waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification