Addressable illuminator with eye-safety circuitry
First Claim
1. An optical illuminator, comprising:
- at least two optical sources configured to be independently energized;
a combined current source configured to deliver a shared total current, wherein the shared total current is determined by an eye-safe level of output power when only a single optical source is energized; and
an electronic circuit including one or more switches for dividing distribution of the shared total current among zero or more of the optical sources, the electronic circuit being configured to generate an output power from a single optical source among the optical sources that is eye-safe when the shared total current is distributed to only the single optical source and to generate a combined optical power of two or more optical sources that is eye-safe when the shared total current is distributed to a combination of two or more optical sources.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An addressable illuminator is disclosed consisting of multiple optical sources used in combination with an electrical circuit so that different combinations of the optical sources can be energized without exceeding eye-safety limits. Operation of multiple optical sources may be proximate, which is eye-safe, regardless of the number of or which ones of the optical sources are energized and regardless of the position of observers. An illuminator with multiple optical sources remains eye-safe when there are single-point electrical failures, such as short circuits, in the driving circuit. Monitoring or a feedback loop for the output power is not required or necessary to control the distance of an observer in order to be eye-safe.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An optical illuminator, comprising:
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at least two optical sources configured to be independently energized; a combined current source configured to deliver a shared total current, wherein the shared total current is determined by an eye-safe level of output power when only a single optical source is energized; and an electronic circuit including one or more switches for dividing distribution of the shared total current among zero or more of the optical sources, the electronic circuit being configured to generate an output power from a single optical source among the optical sources that is eye-safe when the shared total current is distributed to only the single optical source and to generate a combined optical power of two or more optical sources that is eye-safe when the shared total current is distributed to a combination of two or more optical sources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An optical illuminator, comprising:
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a plurality of optical sources configured to be independently energized; a combined current source configured to deliver a total current to the plurality of optical sources, the total current being approximately constant regardless of any changes to the combined current source; and an electronic circuit including one or more switches configured to simultaneously distribute the total current to the plurality of optical sources based on at least one set of control inputs to the electronic circuit. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method of operating an optical illuminator including an array of optical sources for illuminating an object, comprising:
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(a) switching on at least one optical source of the array at a time without switching on any other optical source of the array not included in the at least one optical source, wherein switching on comprises connecting the optical source to a constant current power source; (b) controlling a total current provided to the at least one optical source when turned on such that the total current supplied to the at least one optical source multiple multiplied by an electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency yields an optical power of the optical illuminator that is eye-safe; (c) turning off the at least one optical source before turning on a next at least one optical source of the array in accordance with steps (a) and (b); and (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) to maintain illuminator of the object. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification