Non-imaging photon concentrator

• US 6,986,591 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pate, Michael A
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John Anthony
• Application Number:
  US10/327,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20040120153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 362/296, 362/302, 362/304, 362/346, 362/551, 385/31, 385/900, 385/901, 385/902
• US Class Current: 362/296.06
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0605 using two curved mirrors G02B17/0668, G02B17/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7416 involving the use of a spatial light modulator, e.g. a light valve, controlled by a video signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A photon concentrator includes an imaging photon concentrator concentrating photons from a source to an image point and a non-imaging photon concentrator. The non-imaging photon concentrator (NIPC) has an entry aperture coupling to the imaging photon concentrator near the image point. The NIPC also includes an exit aperture wherein the entry aperture is larger than the exit aperture.

Claims

1. A photon concentrator, comprising:

an imaging photon concentrator concentrating photons from a source to an image point; and

a non-imaging photon concentrator having,

an over-rotated compound parabolic concentrator,

an entry aperture coupling to the imaging photon concentrator substantially near the image point, and

an exit aperture,

wherein the entry aperture is larger than the exit aperture.

2. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the imaging photon concentrator comprises an elliptical reflector.

3. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the imaging photon concentrator includes an imaging lens.

4. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises two compound parabolic concentrators.

5. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a fresnel lens.

6. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a re-entrant entry aperture.

7. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a dielectric total internal reflection compound parabolic reflector.

8. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises at least one of a reflective, refractive, or diffractive optical system.

9. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the imaging photon concentrator comprises at least one of a reflective, refractive, or diffractive optical system.

10. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the imaging photon concentrator comprises an array of light sources and a corresponding array of collimating lenses.

11. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises:

a reflective optical system; and

a refractive optical system.

12. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the imaging photon concentrator comprises:

a reflective optical system, and

a refractive optical system.

13. The photon concentrator of claim 1 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a substantially compound parabolic concentrator that includes a portion of the concentrator near the exit that is not parabolic.

14. The photon concentrator of claim 1, further comprising:

a spatial homogenizer coupled to the exit aperture of the non-imaging photon concentrator.

15. The photon concentrator of claim 14 wherein the spatial homogenizer is an integrating rod.

16. The photon concentrator of claim 15, wherein the integrating rod is flared at an end not coupled to the non-imaging photon concentrator.

17. The photon concentrator of claim 1, further comprising:

a spatial homogenizer amalgamated with the non-imaging photon concentrator.

18. A photon concentrator, comprising:

a non-imaging photon concentrator having,

an over-rotated compound parabolic concentrator,

an entry aperture coupling to a focused light source substantially focused at the entry aperture, and

an exit aperture,

wherein the entry aperture is larger than the exit aperture; and

a spatial homogenizer coupled to non-imaging photon concentrator.

19. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the spatial homogenizer is an integrating rod.

20. The photon concentrator of claim 19 wherein the integrating rod has a flared exit aperture.

21. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises two compound parabolic concentrators.

22. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a fresnel lens.

23. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator is amalgamated with the spatial homogenizer.

24. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a dielectric total internal reflection compound parabolic reflector.

25. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a reflective optical system.

26. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the spatial homogenizer comprises a reflective optical system.

27. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a refractive optical system.

28. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the spatial homogenizer comprises a refractive optical system.

29. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises:

a reflective optical system; and

a refractive optical system.

30. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the entry aperture of the non-imaging photon concentrator has a re-entrant profile.

31. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator comprises a substantially compound parabolic concentrator that includes a portion of the concentrator near the exit that is not parabolic.

32. The photon concentrator of claim 18 wherein the spatial homogenizer includes a first section and a second section.

33. The photon concentrator of claim 32 wherein at least one of the first and second sections is flared.

34. The photon concentrator of claim 32, further comprising:

a gamut generator disposed between the first and second sections.

35. The photon concentrator of claim 18, further comprising:

a lens disposed between the exit aperture of the non-imaging concentrator and the spatial homogenizer.

36. A light source, comprising:

a light emitter producing a wide-band light spectrum focused to an image point;

a gamut generator for separating the wide-band spectrum into multiple parts; and

a non-imaging photon concentrator having,

an over-rotated compound parabolic concentrator,

an entry aperture coupling to the light emitter substantially at the image point, and

an exit aperture,

wherein the entry aperture is larger than the exit aperture.

37. The light source of claim 36 wherein the light emitter and the gamut generator are combined into a light array.

38. The light source of claim 36 wherein the gamut generator is disposed before the entry aperture of the non-imaging photon concentrator.

39. The light source of claim 36 wherein the gamut generator is disposed after the exit aperture of the non-imaging photon concentrator.

40. The light source of claim 36 wherein the gamut generator is a color wheel.

41. The light source of claim 36 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator is a Pate collector or an amalgamated non-imaging photon concentrator.

42. The light source of claim 36 wherein the non-imaging photon concentrator is selected from the group consisting of a dielectric total internal reflection compound parabolic concentrator, and a modified compound parabolic concentrator having a portion near the exit aperture that is substantially linear.

43. The light source of claim 36, further comprising:

a spatial homogenizer coupled to the exit aperture of the non-imaging concentrator.

44. The light source of claim 37 wherein the gamut generator is disposed after the spatial homogenizer.

45. The light source of claim 36 wherein the spatial homogenizer has a first section and a second section and the gamut generator is disposed between the first and second sections.

46. A method of increasing the efficiency of an optical system, comprising the steps of:

creating a first collection of photons;

imaging a portion of the first collection of photons using an imaging concentrator to create a second collection of photons at an image point; and

concentrating substantially the second collection of photons and substantially the portion of the first collection not included in the second collection of photons using a non-imaging concentrator with an entry aperture at substantially the area of the image point to create a third collection of photons wherein the non-imaging concentrator is a over-rotated compound parabolic concentrator.

47. A method of making a projector, comprising the steps of:

including a light source for creating a focused collection to an image point of photons and a non-focused collection of photons; and

including a non-imaging optical device with an entry aperture at substantially the area of the image point for concentrating both the focused collection of photons and the non-focused collection of photons wherein the non-imaging optical device is a over-rotated compound parabolic concentrator.

48. A method for displaying an image, comprising the steps of:

including a light source for creating a focused collection of photons at an image point and a non-focused collection of photons;

including a non-imaging optical device with an over-rotated compound parabolic concentrator with an entry aperture at substantially the area of the image point for concentrating both the focused collection of photons and the non-focused collection of photons on a spatial light modulator;

controlling the spatial light modulator to manipulate the direction of the concentrated photons to create the image.