Illumination system having a plurality of light source modules disposed in an array with a non-radially symmetrical aperture

• US 7,300,177 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Conner, Arlie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Ali
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US10/776,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 362/11, 362/19, 362/227, 362/233, 362/235, 362/237, 362/244, 362/252, 362/253, 362/326, 362/330, 362/337, 362/338, 362/347, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/244
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0014 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0066 in the form of an LED array
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1053 having a single light modulator for all colour channels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/123 The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/148 including stacked surfaces having at least one double-pass partially reflecting surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3152 for shaping the light beam beam shaping per se G02B27/09
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3164 using multiple light sources

Abstract

Illumination systems are disclosed, which include a plurality of light source modules, each having a light-emitting surface, and a system of optical elements configured to image the emitting surfaces onto an illumination target. The shape of the emitting surface or of the image of the emitting surface produced by the system of optical elements may substantially match the shape of the target. In addition, illumination systems are disclosed that utilize a plurality of source modules having light-emitting surfaces of different colors. Furthermore, the present disclosure is directed to illumination systems including a plurality of light source modules disposed in an array within a non-radially symmetrical aperture and to illumination systems in which the light source modules and the system of optical elements are configured to form a plurality of channels aimed substantially into the illumination target.

Claims

1. The illumination system:

a plurality of light source modules disposed in an array within a non-radially symmetrical aperture, each light source module comprising a light-emitting surface;

a light tunnel having an entrance; and

a system of optical elements disposed between the plurality of light source modules and the light tunnel;

wherein the system of optical elements images the emitting surfaces of the light source modules onto the entrance of the light tunnel.

2. The illumination system as recited in claim 1, wherein images of the emitting surfaces are substantially superimposed to form an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the entrance of the light tunnel.

3. The illumination system as recited in claim 2, wherein a shape of at least one of the emitting surfaces substantially matches, a shape of the entrance of the light tunnel.

4. The illumination system as recited in claim 3, wherein the shape of the entrance of the light tunnel is substantially square.

5. The illumination system as recited in claim 3, wherein the shape of the entrance of the light tunnel is substantially rectangular.

6. The illumination system as recited in claim 2, wherein a shape of at least one of the emitting surfaces is substantially square, a shape of the entrance of the light tunnel is substantially rectangular, and the system of optical elements is configured so that a shape of the illumination patch substantially matches the shape of the entrance of the light tunnel.

7. The illumination system as recited in claim 1, wherein images of the emitting surfaces are closely packed thus forming an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the entrance of the light tunnel.

8. The illumination system as recited in claim 1, wherein images of the emitting surfaces overlap thus forming an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the entrance of the light tunnel.

9. The illumination system as recited in claim 1, wherein the light source modules and the system of optical elements are configured to form plurality of channels aimed substantially into the entrance of the light tunnel.

10. The illumination system as recited in claim 9, wherein the light source modules are disposed tangentially to and along a spherical surface.

11. The illumination system as recited in claim 9, wherein the light source modules are disposed substantially coplanar with each other and the system of optical elements comprises means for aiming at least some light from each light source module substantially toward the entrance of the light tunnel.

12. The illumination system as recited in claim 1, wherein each light source module comprises a plurality of emitting surfaces of different colors disposed next to each other.

13. The illumination system as recited in claim 12, wherein each light source module comprises a first light-emitting surface of a first color, a second light-emitting surface of a second color and a third light-emitting surface of a third color.

14. The illumination system as recited in claim 13, wherein the system of optical elements comprises dichroic mirrors.

15. The illumination system as recited in claim 13, wherein the first, second and third colors are primary colors.

16. An illumination system, comprising:

a plurality of light source modules disposed in an array within a non-radially symmetrical aperture;

an illumination target; and

a system of optical elements disposed between the plurality of light source modules and the illumination target,

wherein the illumination target is an image-forming device having a plurality of mirrors rotatable about a pivot axis, and wherein the non-radially symmetrical aperture has a long dimension and a short dimension and is oriented so that the long dimension is aligned with the pivot axis of the mirrors of the image-forming device.

17. An illumination system, comprising:

a plurality of light source modules disposed in an array within a non-radially symmetrical aperture, each light source module comprising a light-emitting surface;

an image-forming device; and

a system of optical elements disposed between the plurality of light source modules and the image-forming device;

wherein the system of optical elements images the emitting surfaces of the light source modules onto the image-forming device.

18. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein images of the emitting surfaces are substantially superimposed to form an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the image-forming device.

19. The illumination system as recited in claim 18, wherein the illumination patch overfills the image-forming device.

20. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein a shape of at least one of the emitting surfaces substantially matches a shape of the image-forming device.

21. The illumination system as recited in claim 20, wherein the shape of the image-forming device is substantially square.

22. The illumination system as recited in claim 20, wherein the shape of the image-forming device is substantially rectangular.

23. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein a shape of at least one of the emitting surfaces is substantially square, a shape of the image-forming device is substantially rectangular, and the system of optical elements is configured so that a shape of the illumination patch substantially matches the shape of the image-forming device.

24. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein images of the emitting surfaces are closely packed thus forming an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the image-forming device.

25. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein images of the emitting surfaces overlap thus forming an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the image-forming device.

26. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein the image forming device is an LCD comprising a plurality of pixels.

27. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein the light source modules and the system of optical elements are configured to form a plurality of channels aimed substantially into the image-forming device.

28. The illumination system as recited in claim 27, wherein the light source modules are disposed tangentially to and along a spherical surface.

29. The illumination system as recited in claim 27, wherein the light source modules are disposed substantially coplanar with each other and the system of optical elements comprises means for aiming at least some light from each light source module substantially toward the image-forming device.

30. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein each light source module comprises a plurality of emitting surfaces of different colors disposed next to each other.

31. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein each light source module comprises a first light-emitting surface of a first color, a second light-emitting surface of a second color and a third light-emitting surface of a third color.

32. The illumination system as recited in claim 31, wherein the image forming device comprises first, second and third color zones, and wherein the system of optical elements images the first emitting surface onto the first color zone, the second emitting surface onto the second color zone, and the thud emitting surface onto the third color zone.

33. The illumination system as recited in claim 31, wherein the first, second and third colors are primary colors.

34. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein the system of optical elements comprises dichroic mirrors.

35. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein the system of optical elements comprises a lenticular array disposed between the plurality of light source modules and the image forming device.

36. An illumination system comprising:

a plurality of light source modules disposed in an array within a non-radially symmetrical aperture, each light source module comprising a light-emitting surface;

a light tunnel having an entrance; and

a system of optical elements disposed between the plurality of light source modules and the light tunnel,

wherein the system of optical elements images the emitting surfaces of the light source modules onto the entrance of the light tunnel, and the system decreases etendue degradation.

37. The illumination system as recited, in claim 36, wherein images of the emitting surfaces are substantially superimposed to form an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the entrance of the light tunnel.

38. The illumination system as recited in claim 36, wherein a shape of at least one of the emitting surfaces substantially matches a shape of the entrance of the light tunnel.

39. The illumination system as recited in claim 36, wherein images of the emitting surfaces are closely packed thus forming an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the entrance of the light tunnel.

40. The illumination system as recited in claim 36, wherein images of the emitting surfaces overlap thus forming an illumination patch, said illumination patch substantially filling the entrance of the light tunnel.

41. The illumination system as recited in claim 36, wherein the light source modules and the system of optical elements are configured to form a plurality of channels aimed substantially into the entrance of the light tunnel.

42. The illumination system as recited in claim 36, wherein each light source module comprises a plurality of emitting surfaces of different colors disposed next to each other.