EFFICIENT COLLIMATION OF LIGHT WITH OPTICAL WEDGE
First Claim
1. An optical collimator comprising:
- an optical waveguide havinga first end comprising a first light interface;
a second end opposite the first end;
a viewing surface comprising a second light interface extending at least partially between the first end and the second end and having a first critical angle of internal reflection with respect to a normal of the viewing surface;
a back surface opposing the viewing surface, the back surface being configured to be reflective to internally incident light at the first critical angle of internal reflection; and
an end reflector arranged at the second end of the optical waveguide, wherein the end reflector comprises a faceted lens structure comprising a plurality of facets angled to cause a majority of the viewing surface to be uniformly illuminated when uniform light is injected into a first end and also to cause a majority of the injected light to exit the viewing surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of optical collimators are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment comprises an optical waveguide having a first end, a second end opposing the first end, a viewing surface extending at least partially between the first end and the second end, and a back surface opposing the viewing surface. The viewing surface comprises a first critical angle of internal reflection, and the back surface is configured to be reflective at the first critical angle of internal reflection. Further, an end reflector is disposed at the second end of the optical waveguide, and includes a faceted lens structure to cause a majority of the viewing surface to be uniformly illuminated when uniform light is injected into the first end and also to cause a majority of the injected light to exit the viewing surface.
76 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical collimator comprising:
an optical waveguide having a first end comprising a first light interface; a second end opposite the first end; a viewing surface comprising a second light interface extending at least partially between the first end and the second end and having a first critical angle of internal reflection with respect to a normal of the viewing surface; a back surface opposing the viewing surface, the back surface being configured to be reflective to internally incident light at the first critical angle of internal reflection; and an end reflector arranged at the second end of the optical waveguide, wherein the end reflector comprises a faceted lens structure comprising a plurality of facets angled to cause a majority of the viewing surface to be uniformly illuminated when uniform light is injected into a first end and also to cause a majority of the injected light to exit the viewing surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An optical collimator comprising:
an optical wedge having a thin end comprising a first light interface; a thick end opposite the thin end; a viewing surface comprising a second light interface extending at least partially between the thin end and the thick end and having a first critical angle of internal reflection with respect to a normal of the viewing surface; a back surface opposing the viewing surface and having a second critical angle of internal reflection with respect to a normal of the back surface, wherein the second critical angle of reflection is less than the first critical angle of reflection; and an end reflector arranged at the thick end of the optical wedge, wherein the end reflector comprises a faceted lens structure comprising a plurality of facets arranged at an angle relative to a surface of the thick end, the plurality of facets alternating between facets facing the viewing surface and facets facing the back surface, and the facets having an angle relative to a normal of a surface of the end reflector of three-eighths of a difference of ninety degrees and the first critical angle. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of collimating light via an optical waveguide, the optical waveguide comprising a first end, a second end opposite the first end and comprising an end reflector, a viewing surface extending between the first end and the second end, and a back surface opposing the viewing surface, the method comprising:
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injecting light into the first end of the optical waveguide; delivering the light to the end reflector via total internal reflection; internally reflecting the light off of the end reflector; emitting a first portion of light from the viewing surface at a critical angle of reflection; internally reflecting a second portion of light from the back surface at an angle equal to the critical angle of reflection, and then emitting the second portion of light from the viewing surface after internally reflecting the second portion of light from the back surface. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification