Variable-beam light source and related methods
First Claim
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1. A light source producing a beam of variable divergence, comprising:
- a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane;
a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry and comprising a plurality of segments, each having an aiming angle with respect to the axis of symmetry, for redirecting light emitted thereon, light emitted by the light-emitting devices and reflected by the optic forming a light beam; and
driver circuitry for controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices individually or in groups thereof to thereby variably control a divergence of the light beam;
wherein at least some of the segments have different aiming angles depending on their distances from the plane of the light-emitting devices;
wherein the aiming angle of each segment with respect to the axis of symmetry increases gradually as the distance between the segment and the plane of the light-emitting devices decrease; and
wherein the reflecting optic comprises first and second edge segments having a shortest distance and a longest distance, respectively, from the plane of the light-emitting devices, the first edge segment having a first aiming angle approximately equal to a desired divergence angle of the light beam and the second edge segment having a second aiming angle approximately parallel to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam.
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Abstract
Light sources with arrangements of multiple LEDs (or other light-emitting devices) disposed at or near the focus of a reflecting optic having multiple segments facilitate varying the angular distribution of the light beam (e.g., the beam divergence) via the drive currents supplied to the LEDs.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A light source producing a beam of variable divergence, comprising:
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a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane; a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry and comprising a plurality of segments, each having an aiming angle with respect to the axis of symmetry, for redirecting light emitted thereon, light emitted by the light-emitting devices and reflected by the optic forming a light beam; and driver circuitry for controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices individually or in groups thereof to thereby variably control a divergence of the light beam; wherein at least some of the segments have different aiming angles depending on their distances from the plane of the light-emitting devices; wherein the aiming angle of each segment with respect to the axis of symmetry increases gradually as the distance between the segment and the plane of the light-emitting devices decrease; and wherein the reflecting optic comprises first and second edge segments having a shortest distance and a longest distance, respectively, from the plane of the light-emitting devices, the first edge segment having a first aiming angle approximately equal to a desired divergence angle of the light beam and the second edge segment having a second aiming angle approximately parallel to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam. - 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. A method of varying a divergence of a light source comprising (i) a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane and in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region, and (ii) a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry and comprising a plurality of segments, each segment having an aiming angle with respect to the axis of symmetry for redirecting light emitted thereon, at least some of the segments having different aiming angles depending on their distances from the plane of the light-emitting devices, the method comprising:
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driving the light-emitting devices to create a light beam emerging from the reflecting optic; and controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices, individually or in groups thereof, based on distances of the devices from center region so that the beam has a divergence variably determined by, at least in part, the controlled drive currents; wherein the aiming angle of each segment with respect to the axis of symmetry increases gradually as the distance between the segment and the plane of the light-emitting devices decreases; wherein the reflecting optic comprises first and second edge segments having a shortest distance and a longest distance, respectively, from the plane of the light-emitting devices, the first edge segment having a first aiming angle approximately equal to a desired divergence angle of the light beam and the second edge segment having a second aiming angle approximately parallel to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A light source producing a beam of variable divergence comprising:
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a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane; a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry and comprising a plurality of segments, each having an aiming angle with respect to the axis of symmetry, for redirecting light emitted thereon, light emitted by the light-emitting devices and reflected by the optic forming a light beam; and driver circuitry for controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices individually or in groups thereof to thereby variably control a divergence of the light beam; wherein at least some of the segments have different aiming angles depending on their distances from the plane of the light-emitting devices; wherein the reflecting optic comprises two regions, segments in a first region having relatively large aiming angles with respect to the axis of symmetry for providing divergence of the light beam and segments in a second region having relatively small aiming angles with respect to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A light source producing a beam of variable divergence comprising:
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a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane; a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry and comprising a plurality of segments, each having an aiming angle with respect to the axis of symmetry, for redirecting light emitted thereon, light emitted by the light-emitting devices and reflected by the optic forming a light beam; and driver circuitry for controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices individually or in groups thereof to thereby variably control a divergence of the light beam; wherein at least some of the segments have different aiming angles depending on their distances from the plane of the light-emitting devices; wherein the light-emitting devices are arranged in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region, the driver circuitry being configured to decrease the drive currents to the light-emitting devices located in the outer region to thereby narrow the beam. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of varying a divergence of a light source comprising (i) a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane and in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region, and (ii) a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry and comprising a plurality of segments, each segment having an aiming angle with respect to the axis of symmetry for redirecting light emitted thereon, at least some of the segments having different aiming angles depending on their distances from the plane of the light-emitting devices, the method comprising:
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driving the light-emitting devices to create a light beam emerging from the reflecting optic; and controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices, individually or in groups thereof, based on distances of the devices from center region so that the beam has a divergence variably determined by, at least in part, the controlled drive currents; wherein the reflecting optic comprises two regions, segments in a first region having relatively large aiming angles with respect to the axis of symmetry for providing divergence of the light beam and segments in a second region having relatively small aiming angles with respect to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of varying a divergence of a light source comprising (i) a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane and in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region, and (ii) a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry and comprising a plurality of segments, each segment having an aiming angle with respect to the axis of symmetry for redirecting light emitted thereon, at least some of the segments having different aiming angles depending on their distances from the plane of the light-emitting devices, the method comprising:
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driving the light-emitting devices to create a light beam emerging from the reflecting optic; and controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices, individually or in groups thereof, based on distances of the devices from center region so that the beam has a divergence variably determined by, at least in part, the controlled drive currents; wherein the light-emitting devices are arranged in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region, the step of controlling the drive currents comprising decreasing the drive currents to the light-emitting devices in an outer region thereof to thereby decrease a divergence angle of the beam. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification