Lighting arrangement

• US 10,471,467 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2014
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: North Inc.
• Inventors: Abele, Nicolas, Kilcher, Lucio
• Primary Examiner(s): Tumebo, Tsion
• Application Number:
  US14/335,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 362 84, 359576, 359 15, 359321, 35948503, 35948601, 35948911
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/06 to obtain multicolour or other optical effects B05D5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/02 by mechanical means, e.g. pressing B29C59/007 takes precedence; embossing expanded porous articles B29C44/5627
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00336 by making depressions in the lens surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00605 Production of reflex reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00865 Applying coatings; tinting; colouring printing, marking or copying processes B41M; identification in general G09F3/00; producing decorative effects in general B44C; positioning or marking of lenses B24B13/0055
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/0083 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/64 using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/176 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/337 the reflector having a structured surface, e.g. with facets or corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/37 characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/30 Semiconductor lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/204 using secondary light emission, e.g. luminescence or fluorescence using different colours G03B33/00; if related to video signals H04N9/3197
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/208 Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0567 Solid-state light source, e.g. LED, laser

Abstract

A lighting system with a laser light source for radiating light; a wavelength conversion element for receiving the radiated light from the light source and for re-emitting wavelength converted white light; and a reflector element for reflecting the light received from the wavelength conversion element is disclosed. The reflector element comprises a reflective surface and a micro-patterned surface comprising an array of micro-focal elements. Each micro-focal elements is configured to converge or diverge incident light from the wavelength conversion element.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a laser light source;

a scanning mirror arranged to rotate around two substantially orthogonal axes, the scanning mirror to receive light radiated by the laser light source and to reflect the received light;

a wavelength conversion element to receive the light reflected by the scanning mirror and to emit multi-spectral light; and

a reflector element non-coupled to and spatially separate from the wavelength conversion element, the reflector element comprising;

an array of a plurality of micro-focal elements to receive the multi-spectral light emitted from the wavelength conversion element and to converge or diverge the received multi-spectral light, wherein the array comprises at least one first micro-focal element having a first concave shape and at least one second micro-focal element having a second convex shape; and

a reflective surface to reflect the converged or diverged multi-spectral light towards an exit aperture.

2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the laser light source is located on a first side of the wavelength conversion element, where the reflected light is arranged to exit the lighting system, and the reflector element is located on a second side of the wavelength conversion element, the second side being opposite to the first side.

3. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of micro-focal elements are microlenses or micro-reflectors.

4. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of micro-focal elements have a maximum dimension between 1 micrometers and 5 millimeters.

5. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the array comprises between 10,000 and 2,250,000 micro-focal elements.

6. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the array comprises micro-focal elements of at least two different types.

7. The lighting system according to claim 6, wherein one type of micro-focal element is defined by at least one of a focal length, or a size.

8. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the second convex shape of the micro-focal elements corresponds to a spherical shape.

9. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the first concave shape of the micro-focal elements corresponds to a cylindrical shape.

10. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first shape or the second shape of the micro-focal elements corresponds to an aspherical shape.

11. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the light reflected from the reflector element is arranged to pass through the wavelength conversion element towards the exit aperture.

12. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the reflector element is oriented so that the light reflected from the reflector element exits the lighting system without being further reflected.

13. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength conversion element comprises a phosphorous layer.

14. A method, comprising:

radiating light to a scanning mirror arrangement arranged to be rotatable around two substantially orthogonal axes;

reflecting the radiated light to a wavelength conversion element;

re-emitting, from the wavelength conversion element, broad-spectral light;

converging or diverging, at an array of a plurality of micro-focal elements, the broad-spectral light re-emitted by the wavelength conversion element,

wherein the array comprises at least one first micro-focal element having a first concave shape and at least one second micro-focal element having a second convex shape; and

reflecting the converged or diverged light towards an exit aperture of a lighting system by a reflector element physically non-coupled to and spatially separate from the wavelength conversion element.