Apparatus for producing patterned illumination including at least one array of light sources and at least one array of microlenses
First Claim
1. An apparatus for producing structured light, the apparatus comprising a first optical arrangement comprising:
- a microlens array comprising a multitude of transmissive or reflective microlenses which are regularly arranged at a lens pitch P; and
an illumination unit for illuminating the microlens array;
the illumination unit comprising an array of light sources for emitting light of a wavelength L each and having an aperture each, wherein the apertures are located in a common emission plane which is located at a distance D from the microlens array, wherein
P2=2LD/N, and wherein N is an integer with N≧
1,wherein each of the light sources is arranged to illuminate a respective subset of the multitude of microlenses, each of the subsets comprising a plurality of neighboring microlenses, such that light from each particular one of the light sources passes through different ones of the microlenses in the respective subset so as to produce an interference pattern.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for producing structured light comprises a first optical arrangement which comprises a microlens array comprising a multitude of transmissive or reflective microlenses which are regularly arranged at a lens pitch P and an illumination unit for illuminating the microlens array. The illumination unit comprises an array of light sources for emitting light of a wavelength L each and having an aperture each, wherein the apertures are located in a common emission plane which is located at a distance D from the microlens array. For the lens pitch P, the distance D and the wavelength L, the following equation applies
P2=2LD/N,
wherein N is an integer with N≧1. High-contrast high-intensity light patterns can be produced.
69 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for producing structured light, the apparatus comprising a first optical arrangement comprising:
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a microlens array comprising a multitude of transmissive or reflective microlenses which are regularly arranged at a lens pitch P; and an illumination unit for illuminating the microlens array; the illumination unit comprising an array of light sources for emitting light of a wavelength L each and having an aperture each, wherein the apertures are located in a common emission plane which is located at a distance D from the microlens array, wherein
P2=2LD/N,and wherein N is an integer with N≧
1,wherein each of the light sources is arranged to illuminate a respective subset of the multitude of microlenses, each of the subsets comprising a plurality of neighboring microlenses, such that light from each particular one of the light sources passes through different ones of the microlenses in the respective subset so as to produce an interference pattern. - 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)
the second illumination unit comprising a second array of light sources for emitting light of a wavelength L2 each and having an aperture referred to as second aperture each, wherein the second apertures are located in a common plane referred to as second emission plane which is located at a distance D2 from the second microlens array, wherein
(P2)2=2*L2*D2/N2,and wherein N2 is an integer with N2≧
1, and whereinthe second microlens array is different from the microlens array of the first optical arrangement;
orthe second illumination unit is different from the illumination unit of the first optical arrangement;
orboth, the second microlens array is different from the microlens array of the first optical arrangement, and the second illumination unit is different from the illumination unit of the first optical arrangement.
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12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second microlens array is different from the microlens array of the first optical arrangement, and wherein the second microlens array is shifted with respect to the microlens array of the first optical arrangement in a direction parallel to the emission plane.
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13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the lens pitches P1 and P2 are different from each other.
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14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the wavelengths L1 and L2 are different from each other.
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15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second microlens array is rotated with respect to the microlens array of the first optical arrangement.
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16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second microlens array and the microlens array of the first optical arrangement are both of rectangular geometry having two mutually perpendicular symmetry axes each, and wherein an angle φ
- between the symmetry axes of the second microlens array and the symmetry axes of the microlens array of the first optical arrangement amounts to at least 1° and
to at most 20°
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- between the symmetry axes of the second microlens array and the symmetry axes of the microlens array of the first optical arrangement amounts to at least 1° and
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17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second microlens array and the microlens array of the first optical arrangement are embodied in a single-piece optical component.
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18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical arrangement comprises an additional optical component, wherein the microlens array is arranged between the illumination unit and the additional optical component.
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19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the additional optical component comprises at least one prism.
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20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the additional optical component comprises a prism array.
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21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the structured light originates from the interference patterns.
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22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein respective subsets illuminated by neighboring ones of the light sources are partially overlapping.
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23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the light sources emits the light of the wavelength L into an emission cone having a circular or non-circular cross-section, wherein the emission cones of immediately adjacent light sources are partially overlapping.
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24. An apparatus for producing structured light, the apparatus comprising an optical arrangement comprising:
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a first microlens array comprising a multitude of transmissive or reflective microlenses which are regularly arranged at a lens pitch P1; a second microlens array comprising a multitude of transmissive or reflective microlenses which are regularly arranged at a lens pitch P2; and an illumination unit for illuminating the first microlens array and the second microlens array; the illumination unit comprising; a first array of light sources for emitting light of a wavelength L1 each and having an aperture each, wherein the apertures are located in a common first emission plane which is located at a distance D1 from the first microlens array, wherein
(P1)2=2*(L1)*(D1)/(N1),and wherein N1 is an integer with N≧
1; anda second array of light sources for emitting light of a wavelength L2 each and having an aperture each, wherein the apertures are located in a common second emission plane which is located at a distance D2 from the first microlens array, wherein
(P2)2=2*(L2)*(D2)/(N2),and wherein N2 is an integer with N≧
1.- View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification