Uniform illumination system
First Claim
1. An illuminating system comprising:
- one or more light emitting diodes (“
LEDs”
), having an input aperture;
a mounting plate disposed behind said one or more LED, the mounting plate supporting and in electrical communication with the one or more LEDs;
a set of substantially identical four-sided reflecting elements associated with each one of the one or more LEDs, arranged to radiate substantially all emitted light into the input aperture of each of the reflecting elements, each of the reflecting elements having a metallic surface substantially bounding a dielectric medium, the input aperture having a first width, and defining an input aperture plane, and an output aperture having a second width, the input aperture of the reflecting element in communication with and sized to match or approximate the output aperture of each corresponding LED, said output aperture of each reflecting element being larger in area than said input aperture, such that at least two opposing sidewalls of said four-sided reflecting elements mathematically curved between said input and output apertures according to the Sine Law so that the distance between said sidewalls at said output aperture (the second width) times the Sine of a chosen output illumination angle corrected for refractive index of said reflecting elements dielectric medium disposed within the reflecting elements, substantially equals the distance between said sidewalls at said input aperture (the first width) with the focal point of one such sidewall surface shape located at the line of intersection existent between the reflecting element'"'"'s input aperture plane and the opposing sidewall surface shape, and the focal point of the opposing sidewall surface shape located at the line of intersection existent between the reflecting element'"'"'s input aperture plane and said first sidewall surface shape, such that at least two opposing sidewalls are mathematically curved between said input and output apertures in such way that said opposing sidewalls have equivalent conicoidal surface shapes, the common conicoidal vertex located on an optical axis perpendicular to said input aperture plane, said vertex being substantially centered within said reflecting element input aperture, the common focal point of said conicoidal surface shapes being located substantially at a height H above the input aperture plane with at least one of a first light redirecting layer and second light redirecting layer, which is positioned between the first light redirecting layer and the input aperture plane, positioned substantially at a height H/2 parallel to and above said input aperture plane;
the first light redirecting layer for receiving light of a first polarization state and transmitting light of a second polarization state orthogonal to said first polarization state, said first light redirecting layer being substantially perpendicular to the optical axis and in optical communication with the one or more LEDs and located beyond said output aperture substantially mid-way between said input aperture plane and said common focal point;
the second light redirecting layer substantially parallel to said first light redirecting layer located between said input aperture plane and said output aperture plane and arranged for the purpose of scattering light such that a first fraction of the incoming light is transmitted in an angular direction, a second fraction of the incoming light is reflected in a different angular direction, and a third fraction of the incoming light is transmitted with substantially no change to its incoming direction; and
a third light redirecting layer disposed above said first and second light redirecting layers for receiving light from the second light redirecting layer and which is polarization neutral.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compact and efficient optical illumination system featuring planar multi-layered LED light source arrays concentrating their polarized or un-polarized output within a limited angular range. The optical system manipulates light emitted by a planar light emitters such as electrically-interconnected LED chips. Each light emitting region in the array is surrounded by reflecting sidewalls whose output is processed by elevated prismatic films, polarization converting films, or both. The optical interaction between light emitters, reflecting sidewalls, and the elevated prismatic films create overlapping virtual images between emitting regions that contribute to the greater optical uniformity. Practical illumination applications of such uniform light source arrays include compact LCD or DMD video image projectors, as well as general lighting, automotive lighting, and LCD backlighting.
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Citations
62 Claims
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1. An illuminating system comprising:
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one or more light emitting diodes (“
LEDs”
), having an input aperture;a mounting plate disposed behind said one or more LED, the mounting plate supporting and in electrical communication with the one or more LEDs; a set of substantially identical four-sided reflecting elements associated with each one of the one or more LEDs, arranged to radiate substantially all emitted light into the input aperture of each of the reflecting elements, each of the reflecting elements having a metallic surface substantially bounding a dielectric medium, the input aperture having a first width, and defining an input aperture plane, and an output aperture having a second width, the input aperture of the reflecting element in communication with and sized to match or approximate the output aperture of each corresponding LED, said output aperture of each reflecting element being larger in area than said input aperture, such that at least two opposing sidewalls of said four-sided reflecting elements mathematically curved between said input and output apertures according to the Sine Law so that the distance between said sidewalls at said output aperture (the second width) times the Sine of a chosen output illumination angle corrected for refractive index of said reflecting elements dielectric medium disposed within the reflecting elements, substantially equals the distance between said sidewalls at said input aperture (the first width) with the focal point of one such sidewall surface shape located at the line of intersection existent between the reflecting element'"'"'s input aperture plane and the opposing sidewall surface shape, and the focal point of the opposing sidewall surface shape located at the line of intersection existent between the reflecting element'"'"'s input aperture plane and said first sidewall surface shape, such that at least two opposing sidewalls are mathematically curved between said input and output apertures in such way that said opposing sidewalls have equivalent conicoidal surface shapes, the common conicoidal vertex located on an optical axis perpendicular to said input aperture plane, said vertex being substantially centered within said reflecting element input aperture, the common focal point of said conicoidal surface shapes being located substantially at a height H above the input aperture plane with at least one of a first light redirecting layer and second light redirecting layer, which is positioned between the first light redirecting layer and the input aperture plane, positioned substantially at a height H/2 parallel to and above said input aperture plane; the first light redirecting layer for receiving light of a first polarization state and transmitting light of a second polarization state orthogonal to said first polarization state, said first light redirecting layer being substantially perpendicular to the optical axis and in optical communication with the one or more LEDs and located beyond said output aperture substantially mid-way between said input aperture plane and said common focal point; the second light redirecting layer substantially parallel to said first light redirecting layer located between said input aperture plane and said output aperture plane and arranged for the purpose of scattering light such that a first fraction of the incoming light is transmitted in an angular direction, a second fraction of the incoming light is reflected in a different angular direction, and a third fraction of the incoming light is transmitted with substantially no change to its incoming direction; and a third light redirecting layer disposed above said first and second light redirecting layers for receiving light from the second light redirecting layer and which is polarization neutral. - 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)
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26. An illuminating system comprising:
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one or more light emitting diodes (LED); a four-sided rectangular reflecting element whose input aperture has an aperture area that bounds said one or more LEDs and whose aperture shape generally follows the boundary of said one or more LEDs, and having an output aperture elevated above said input aperture at a height H established by the physical position of two opposing pairs of optically reflecting sidewalls having a mathematical curvatures substantially satisfying the geometric Sine Law expression di×
Sin θ
i=dj×
Sin θ
j for each opposing pair of reflecting side walls, said output aperture height H being determined by the interrelated geometric Sine law expression H=[(di+dj)/2]/Tan θ
j, di being the distance between said opposing pair of reflecting sidewalls measured at their input aperture, θ
i being the distance between said opposing pair of reflecting sidewalls measured at their output aperture, θ
i being half the full emission angle of said one or more LEDs at said input aperture of each said opposing pair of reflecting sidewalls, θ
j being half the maximum emission angle occurring at said output aperture of each said opposing pair of reflecting sidewalls, each said maximum emission angle θ
j combining to form the periphery of a substantially rectangular output beam; anda light redirecting layer disposed in optical communication with said four-sided rectangular reflecting element for receiving light from said reflecting element and change the direction of at least a portion of the light. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An illuminating system comprising:
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one or more sets of light emitting diodes (LEDs); one or more rectangular reflecting elements, each of whose input aperture has an aperture area that bounds at least one of said one or more sets of LEDs and whose aperture shape generally follows the boundary of said one or more sets of LEDs, each of the one or more rectangular reflecting elements having an output aperture which is elevated above said input aperture at a height H established by the physical position of two opposing pairs of optically reflecting sidewalls having a mathematical curvatures substantially satisfying the geometric Sine Law expression di×
Sin θ
i=dj×
Sin θ
j for each opposing pair of reflecting side walls, said output aperture height H being determined by the interrelated geometric Sine law expression H=[(di+dj)/2]/Tan θ
j, di being the distance between said opposing pair of reflecting sidewalls measured at their input aperture, dj being the distance between said opposing pair of reflecting sidewalls measured at their output aperture, θ
i being half the full emission angle of said one or more sets of LEDs at said input aperture of each said opposing pair of reflecting sidewalls, θ
j being half the maximum emission angle occurring at said output aperture of each said opposing pair of reflecting sidewalls, each said maximum emission angle θ
j combining to form the periphery of a substantially square or rectangular output beam;a first light redirecting layer, positioned in optical communication with the output aperture of each of the one or more rectangular reflecting elements, opposite the one or more sets of sets of LEDS , each first light redirecting layer changing the direction of at least a portion of light received from the output aperture of each corresponding one or more reflecting elements; and a second light redirecting layer in optical communication with said first light redirecting layer for receiving light from said first light redirecting layer. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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Specification