Illuminator method and device
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a first toroidal ray guide defining an axis of revolution and having a toroidal entrance pupil adapted to image radiation incident on the entrance pupil at an angle to the axis of revolution between 40 and 140 degrees, said first toroidal ray guide having a first imaging surface opposite the entrance pupil; and
a second ray guide also defining the axis of revolution and having a second imaging surface adjacent to the first imaging surface.
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Abstract
A first toroidal ray guide defines an axis of revolution and has a toroidal entrance pupil adapted to image light incident on the entrance pupil at an angle to the axis of revolution between 40 and 140 degrees, and it also has a first imaging surface opposite the entrance pupil. A second toroidal ray guide also defines the same axis of revolution and has a second imaging surface adjacent to the first imaging surface. Various additions and further qualities of the ray guides, which form optical channels, are disclosed. In a method light emanating from a source at between 40-140 degrees from an optical axis is received at an entrance pupil of a ray guide arrangement that is circularly symmetric about the optical axis. Then the received light is redirected through the ray guide arrangement to an exit pupil in an average direction substantially parallel to the optical axis.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a first toroidal ray guide defining an axis of revolution and having a toroidal entrance pupil adapted to image radiation incident on the entrance pupil at an angle to the axis of revolution between 40 and 140 degrees, said first toroidal ray guide having a first imaging surface opposite the entrance pupil; and a second ray guide also defining the axis of revolution and having a second imaging surface adjacent to the first imaging surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 72)
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19. A method comprising:
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emanating radiation from a source disposed along an optical axis at an angle between 40 and 140 degrees from the optical axis; receiving the emanated radiation at an entrance pupil of a ray guide arrangement, said ray guide arrangement being circularly symmetric about the optical axis; and redirecting the received radiation through the ray guide arrangement to an exit pupil in an average direction substantially parallel to the optical axis. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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32-62. -62. (canceled)
Specification