Fluorescent volume light source
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An illumination system, comprising:
- at least a first source of incoherent light capable of generating light in a first wavelength range;
a body containing a fluorescent material that emits light in a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range, when illuminated by light in the first wavelength range;
the body having an extraction area, at least some of the light at the second wavelength being internally reflected within the body to the extraction area, light at the second wavelength exiting the extraction area in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction at which the light at the first wavelength is substantially incident on the body; and
the body comprising a material having a mean free path for light in the second wavelength range of at least twice the length of the body.
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Abstract
An illumination system, such as might be used for illuminating a projection system, includes at least a first source of incoherent light capable of generating light in a first wavelength range. The system also includes a body containing a fluorescent material that emits light in a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range, when illuminated by light in the first wavelength range. The body has an extraction area and at least some of the light at the second wavelength is internally reflected within the body to the extraction area.
107 Citations
51 Claims
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1. An illumination system, comprising:
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at least a first source of incoherent light capable of generating light in a first wavelength range; a body containing a fluorescent material that emits light in a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range, when illuminated by light in the first wavelength range; the body having an extraction area, at least some of the light at the second wavelength being internally reflected within the body to the extraction area, light at the second wavelength exiting the extraction area in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction at which the light at the first wavelength is substantially incident on the body; and the body comprising a material having a mean free path for light in the second wavelength range of at least twice the length of the body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An illumination system capable of producing a beam of illumination light, comprising:
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a body containing fluorescent material, the body having at least one pump area and a light extraction area; at least one light emitting diode (LED) capable of generating light at a first wavelength substantially in a first direction, at least some of the light at the first wavelength passing through the at least one pump area into the body, fluorescent light at a second wavelength being generated in the body following absorption of the light at the first wavelength, at least some of the light at the second wavelength being directed by total internal reflection within the body towards the light extraction area, at least some of the light of the second wavelength passing through the light extraction area as the beam of illumination light substantially in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction; and the body comprising a material having a mean free path for light at the second wavelength of at least twice the length of the body. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification