Laser device and method for a vehicle

• US 10,084,281 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Raring, James W., Rudy, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US15/710,715
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 372 3802, 372 3807, 372 4901
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/00 Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0056 for blinding or dazzling, i.e. by overstimulating the opponent's eyes or the enemy's sensor equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1603 rare earth
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1643 YAG
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/005 Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0071 for beam steering, e.g. using a mirror outside the cavity to change the beam direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0087 for illuminating phosphorescent or fluorescent materials, e.g. using optical arrangements specifically adapted for guiding or shaping laser beams illuminating these materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02208 characterised by the shape of the housings
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02212 Can-type, e.g. TO-CAN housings with emission along or parallel to symmetry axis
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02325 Mechanically integrated components on mount members or optical micro-benches
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/026 Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers stabilisation of output H01S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/042 Electrical excitation ; Circuits therefor monolithically integrated laser drive components H01S5/0261
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0428 for applying pulses to the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3202 grown on specifically orientated substrates, or using orientation dependent growth
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/320275 semi-polar orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4012 Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4031 : Edge-emitting structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 : emitting more than one wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/31 : Projection devices for colour picture display , e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/77 : Circuits for processing the brightness signal and the chrominance signal relative to each other, e.g. adjusting the phase of the brightness signal relative to the colour signal, correcting differential gain or differential phase circuits for matrixing H04N9/67

Abstract

A laser illumination or dazzler device and method. More specifically, examples of the present invention provide laser illumination or dazzling devices power by one or more violet, blue, or green laser diodes characterized by a wavelength from about 390 nm to about 550 nm. In some examples the laser illumination or dazzling devices include a laser pumped phosphor wherein a laser beam with a first wavelength excites a phosphor member to emit electromagnetic at a second wavelength. In various examples, laser illumination or dazzling devices according to the present invention include polar, non-polar, or semi-polar laser diodes. In a specific example, a single laser illumination or dazzling device includes a plurality of violet, blue, or green laser diodes. There are other examples as well.

Claims

1. A laser source apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a housing member;

a laser device disposed within the housing member, the laser device including an active region and a cavity member, the laser device configured to emit a laser beam having a first wavelength of about 390 nm to about 480 nm and an energy level of at least 1 W, the active region including a gallium and nitrogen containing material;

a driving circuit electrically coupled to the laser device, the driving circuit adapted to deliver electrical energy to the laser device and generate the laser beam;

a power source electrically coupled to the driving circuit;

a phosphor member positioned remote from the laser device in an optical pathway of the laser beam and configured for excitation of the laser beam, the phosphor member coupled to a reflective surface and operable in a reflective mode where at least a portion of the laser beam passing through the phosphor member is reflected by the reflective surface back through the phosphor member, the phosphor member configured to convert at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam from the first wavelength to a second wavelength; and

an optical member configured to collimate and/or project the portion of the electromagnetic radiation comprising at least the second wavelength to provide an output beam configured for illumination.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the phosphor member is configured to convert at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam from the first wavelength to the second wavelength in the 500 nm to 550 nm range.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the phosphor member is configured to convert at least the portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam from a first wavelength to the second wavelength in the 550 nm to 580 nm range;

and the output beam is configured to provide a white light output.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the laser device is associated with one or more operational modes, each of the operational modes associated with an operating frequency.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an optical concentrator aligned with the laser device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the laser device further comprises a waveguide for projecting the laser beam along the first direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the laser device comprises a plurality of laser diodes sharing a single package, and the phosphor comprises a plurality of phosphor members.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical member comprises at least an active or passive safety feature such as a beam dump, photodiode, or design considerations.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical member is configured for a dynamic light feature such as a dynamic spatial pattern feature or a dynamic color feature;

the dynamic light feature including a MEMS scanning mirror or a Digital Light Processing (DLP) chip.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an optic for adjusting the size of the output beam at a predetermined distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the driving circuit is adapted to deliver electrical energy to the laser device in pulses.

12. A laser source apparatus comprising:

a housing member;

a laser device disposed within the housing member, the laser device including an active region and a cavity member, the laser device configured to emit a laser beam having a first wavelength of about 390 nm to 480 nm, the active region including a gallium and nitrogen containing material;

a driving circuit electrically coupled to the laser device, the driving circuit adapted to deliver electrical energy to the laser device and generate a laser beam;

a power source electrically coupled to the driving circuit;

a first phosphor member and a second phosphor member, the laser beam configured for selective optical coupling and excitation of at least the first phosphor member or the second phosphor member;

whereupon at least the first phosphor member is configured to convert at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam to a second wavelength and the second phosphor member is configured to convert at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam to a third wavelength;

a pathway configured from the laser device and provided by selectivity of the optical coupling from the laser beam to at least the first phosphor member or the second phosphor member configured by selecting either the first phosphor member or the second phosphor member in the pathway of the laser beam;

a switch device configured to select either the first phosphor member or the second phosphor member in the optical pathway by changing a spatial position of the laser beam to be directed to either the first phosphor member or the second phosphor member or by changing the spatial position of the laser beam to be directed to either the first phosphor member or second phosphor member; and

an optical member configured for a dynamic light feature such as a dynamic spatial pattern feature or a dynamic color feature;

the dynamic light feature including a MEMS scanning mirror or a Digital Light Processing (DLP) chip, the optical member configured to collimate and/or project an output beam comprising at least the second wavelength or the third wavelength.

13. The apparatus of 12 wherein the first phosphor member is operable in a reflective or a transmissive mode and is configured to convert at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam from the first wavelength to a second green wavelength in the 500 nm to 550 nm range.

14. The apparatus of 12 wherein the second phosphor member is operable in a reflective or transmissive mode and configured to convert at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the laser beam from a first blue wavelength in the 420 nm to 480 nm range to a second yellow wavelength in the 550 nm to 580 nm range;

and the output beam is configured from the yellow and blue light to form a white light output.

15. The apparatus of 12 wherein selecting the phosphor member in the optical pathway is comprised of translating the spatial position of the phosphor members from a first position to a second position.

16. The apparatus of 12 wherein selecting the phosphor member in the optical pathway is comprised of translating the spatial position of the laser beam from a first position to a second position.