Propagating light to be sensed
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- a stimulus-wavelength converter that provides output light in response to one or more stimuli;
a transmission structure that has an entry surface at which it receives the output light from the converter and an exit surface;
the entry surface extending in a first direction in which the transmission structure has a laterally varying energy transmission function; and
a spreading component that spreads the output light from the converter across the transmission structure'"'"'s entry surface in at least a spreading direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Light to be sensed is spreaded across an entry surface of a transmission structure with a laterally varying energy transmission function. For example, the light could be output from a stimulus-wavelength converter, provided through an optical fiber, or it could come from a point-like source or broad area source. Output photons from the transmission structure can be photosensed by photosensing components such as an array, position sensor, or array of position sensors. Wavelength information from the light can be obtained in response to the photosensing component. Spreading can be performed by air, gas, transparent material, or vacuum in a gap, by a region or other part of a lens, or by an optical fiber end surface. If the light comes from more than one source, a propagation component can both spread the light and also keep light from the sources separate.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a stimulus-wavelength converter that provides output light in response to one or more stimuli;
a transmission structure that has an entry surface at which it receives the output light from the converter and an exit surface;
the entry surface extending in a first direction in which the transmission structure has a laterally varying energy transmission function; and
a spreading component that spreads the output light from the converter across the transmission structure'"'"'s entry surface in at least a spreading direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A sensing method comprising:
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receiving output light from a stimulus-wavelength converter, the converter providing the output light in response to one or more stimuli;
spreading the output light received from the converter in at least a spreading direction across a transmission structure'"'"'s entry surface;
in response to the light spreaded across the entry surface, providing output photons at an exit surface of the transmission structure in accordance with an energy transmission function that varies laterally in a first direction in which the entry surface extends, the first direction and the spreading direction not being perpendicular to each other. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. Apparatus comprising:
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two or more sources that provide light that includes wavelength information;
a transmission structure that has an entry surface at which it receives light and an exit surface, the entry surface extending in a first direction in which the transmission structure has a laterally varying energy transmission function; and
a propagation component that spreads the light from each source across the transmission structure'"'"'s entry surface and keeps the light from the sources separate;
the propagation component spreading the light in at least a spreading direction that is not perpendicular to the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification