Illumination systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An illumination system for receiving first and second input light sources, the first and second input light sources comprising first and second colors, respectively, the illumination system comprising:
- a polarizing beam splitter operable to receive the first input light source at a first input and the second input light source at a second input, and to split the two input light sources into first and second mixed lights, and to output the first mixed light at a first output and the second mixed light at a second output; and
first and second optical filters adjacent to the first and second outputs, respectively, the first and second optical filters operable to selectively convert polarization states of the two mixed lights;
wherein the first and second optical filters are retarder stack filters; and
wherein the first and second optical filters are operable to convert the polarization state of light having a respective first wavelength while leaving unchanged the polarization state of light having a respective second wavelength, wherein the polarization state of light having the first respective wavelength is converted from a first polarization state to a second polarization state.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described are illumination systems whereby light spectra from multiple LEDs of various colors can be combined and polarized with minimal components, while substantially reducing the losses for the combining and polarizing. The described systems and methods use polarizing beam splitters (PBSs) with retarder stack filters to combine color and split polarization for mixed light beams in one step, and to ultimately align the polarizations of the several colored light beams.
40 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An illumination system for receiving first and second input light sources, the first and second input light sources comprising first and second colors, respectively, the illumination system comprising:
-
a polarizing beam splitter operable to receive the first input light source at a first input and the second input light source at a second input, and to split the two input light sources into first and second mixed lights, and to output the first mixed light at a first output and the second mixed light at a second output; and first and second optical filters adjacent to the first and second outputs, respectively, the first and second optical filters operable to selectively convert polarization states of the two mixed lights; wherein the first and second optical filters are retarder stack filters; and wherein the first and second optical filters are operable to convert the polarization state of light having a respective first wavelength while leaving unchanged the polarization state of light having a respective second wavelength, wherein the polarization state of light having the first respective wavelength is converted from a first polarization state to a second polarization state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for splitting first and second input light sources in an illumination system, the method comprising:
-
providing a polarizing beam splitter; receiving first and second input light sources with the polarizing beam splitter at first and second inputs, respectively; splitting the first and second input light sources into first and second mixed lights with the polarizing beam splitter; outputting the first mixed light at a first output; outputting the second mixed light at a second output; providing first and second optical filters adjacent to the first and second outputs, respectively, the first and second optical filters being retarder stack filters that are each operable to convert the polarization state of light having a respective first wavelength while leaving unchanged the polarization state of light having a respective second wavelength, wherein the polarization state of light having the first respective wavelength is converted from a first polarization state to a second polarization state; and selectively converting polarization states of the first and second mixed lights having the respective first wavelengths with the first and second optical filters, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An illumination system for receiving first and second input light sources, the first and second input light sources comprising first and second colors, respectively, the illumination system comprising:
-
a polarizing beam splitter operable to receive the first input light source at a first input and the second input light source at a second input, and to split the two input light sources into first and second mixed lights, and to output the first mixed light at a first output and the second mixed light at a second output; and first and second optical filters adjacent to the first and second outputs, respectively, the first and second optical filters operable to selectively convert polarization states of the first and second mixed lights relative to wavelength ranges of the first and second outputs, wherein the first and second optical filters are operable to convert the polarization state of light having a respective first wavelength while leaving unchanged the polarization state of light having a respective second wavelength, wherein the polarization state of light having the first respective wavelength is converted from a first polarization state to a second polarization state.
-
-
20. A method for splitting first and second input light sources in an illumination system, the method comprising:
-
providing a polarizing beam splitter; receiving first and second input light sources with the polarizing beam splitter at first and second inputs, respectively; splitting the first and second input light sources into first and second mixed lights with the polarizing beam splitter; outputting the first mixed light at a first output; outputting the second mixed light at a second output; providing first and second optical filters adjacent to the first and second outputs, respectively, the first and second optical filters being retarder stack filters, and at least one of the first and second optical filters being operable to convert the polarization state of light having a first wavelength while leaving unchanged the polarization state of light having a second wavelength, wherein the polarization state of light having the first wavelength is converted from a first polarization state to a second polarization state; and selectively converting polarization states of the first and second mixed lights with the first and second optical filters relative to wavelength ranges of the first and second mixed lights, respectively.
-
Specification