LED light shaping device and illumination system

• US 8,061,857 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science And Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science And Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Liu, Ying, Chen, Shou-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps; Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz; Magda
• Application Number:
  US12/275,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20100128233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 353/102, 353/98, 353/99, 362/327, 362/328, 362/341, 362/346, 362/326, 362/331
• US Class Current: 353/102
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

An LED light shaping device and illumination system are provided. According to one embodiment, a light shaping lens is configured to shape light emitted from a light source and direct the light on a display panel for projection. The light shaping lens comprises a light input surface configured to receive light emitted from the light source a reflective surface configured to reflect at least part of the light received by the light source; and a light output surface having a first curvature in a first direction and a second curvature in a second direction, wherein the light output surface is configured to emit the light that is received by the light input surface and reflected by the reflective surface, and wherein the first curvature and the second curvature are configured to shape the light such that the emitted light has an oval cross section.

Claims

1. A light shaping lens, the light shaping lens configured to shape light emitted from a light source, the light shaping lens comprising:

a first refractive lens surface configured to receive a first part of the light emitted from the light source;

a second refractive lens surface configured to receive a second part of the light emitted from the light source;

a reflective lens surface configured to reflect at least part of the light received by the second refractive lens surface; and

a third refractive lens surface configured to emit the light the light received from the first refractive lens surface and the second refractive lens surface and reflected by the reflective lens surface, the third refractive lens surface having a first curvature and a second curvature, and wherein the third refractive lens surface refracts the emitted light in an oval cross section.

2. The light shaping lens of claim 1, wherein the first curvature has a first curvature in a first direction and the second curvature has a second curvature in a second direction, and the first curvature is different from the second curvature.

3. The light shaping lens of claim 1, wherein the reflective lens surface is a total reflection surface.

4. The light shaping lens of claim 1, wherein a first plurality of light rays are refracted along the first curvature at a first inward angle and a second plurality of light rays are refracted along the second curvature at a second inward angle, and wherein the first inward angle is greater than the second inward angle.

5. The light shaping lens of claim 1, further comprising a display panel, and wherein the light source is one or more light emitting diodes (LED), and the display panel is positioned receive the light emitted from the light shaping lens.

6. The light shaping lens of claim 5, wherein the one or more LED is an RGB LED.

7. The light shaping lens of claim 5, wherein the one or more LED is a white LED.

8. The light shaping lens of claim 5, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal on silicon display panel.

9. The light shaping lens of claim 5, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal display panel.

10. The light shaping lens of claim 5, wherein the display panel is a digital micro-mirror device.

11. The light shaping lens of claim 5, wherein the display panel is a spatial light modulation device.

12. A light shaping lens, the light shaping lens configured to shape light emitted from a light source, the light shaping lens comprising:

a first refractive lens surface configured to receive a first part of the light emitted from the light source;

a second refractive lens surface configured to receive a second part of the light emitted from the light source;

a reflective lens surface configured to reflect at least part of light received by the first refractive lens surface and the second refractive lens surface; and

a third refractive lens surface configured to emit the light the light received from the first refractive lens surface and the second refractive lens surface and reflected by the reflective lens surface, the third refractive lens surface having a first curvature and a second curvature, and wherein the third refractive lens surface refracts the emitted light in an oval cross section.

13. The light shaping lens of claim 12, wherein the light output surface is free-form.

14. The light shaping lens of claim 12, wherein the first curvature is generally perpendicular to the second curvature.

15. The light shaping lens of claim 12, wherein the first curvature has a first curvature and the second curvature has a second curvature, and the first curvature is different from the second curvature.

16. The light shaping lens of claim 12, wherein the reflective lens surface is a total internal reflection surface.

17. The light shaping lens of claim 12, further comprising a display panel, and wherein the light source is one or more light emitting diodes (LED), and the display panel is positioned receive the light emitted from the light shaping lens.

18. The light shaping lens of claim 17, wherein the one or more LED is a RGB LED.

19. The light shaping lens of claim 17, wherein the one or more LED is a white LED.

20. The light shaping lens of claim 17, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal on silicon display panel.

21. The light shaping lens of claim 17, wherein the display panel is a liquid crystal display panel.

22. The light shaping lens of claim 17, wherein the display panel is a digital micro-mirror device.

23. The light shaping lens of claim 17, wherein the display panel is a spatial light modulation device.

24. An illumination system, comprising:

a light source configured to emit light;

a display panel;

a light shaping lens, the light shaping lens configured to shape light emitted from the light source, the light shaping lens comprising;

a first refractive lens surface configured to receive a first part of the light emitted from the light source;

a second refractive lens surface configured to receive a second part of the light emitted from the light source;

a reflective lens surface configured to reflect at least part of light received by the second refractive lens surface; and

a third refractive lens surface configured to emit the light the light received from the first refractive lens surface and the second refractive lens surface and reflected by the reflective lens surface, the third refractive lens surface having a first curvature and a second curvature, and wherein the third refractive lens surface refracts the emitted light in an oval cross section, and wherein the light shaping lens is positioned to direct the light emitted from the output surface on the display panel.

25. A projection system, comprising:

a light source configured to emit light;

a display panel;

a light shaping lens, the light shaping lens configured to shape light emitted from the light source, the light shaping lens comprising;

a first refractive lens surface configured to receive a first part of the light emitted from the light source;

a second refractive lens surface configured to receive a second part of the light emitted from the light source;

a reflective lens surface configured to reflect at least part of light received by the second refractive lens surface; and

a third refractive lens surface configured to emit the light the light received from the first refractive lens surface and the second refractive lens surface and reflected by the reflective lens surface, the third refractive lens surface having a first curvature and a second curvature, and wherein the third refractive lens surface refracts the emitted light in an oval cross section, and wherein the light shaping lens is positioned to direct the emitted light on the display panel; and

a projection lens group that receives the light emitted from the output surface, modulated by display panel, the projection lens group configured to project the modulated image.