LIGHTING DEVICE, ARRAY OF LIGHTING DEVICES AND OPTICAL PROJECTION DEVICE

• US 20100231863A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hikmet, Rifat Ata Mustafa, Balkenende, Abraham Rudolf
• Granted Patent: US 8,662,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/31
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/20 Lamp housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/204 using secondary light emission, e.g. luminescence or fluorescence using different colours G03B33/00; if related to video signals H04N9/3197
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3161 using laser light sources using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device (1), an array of such lighting devices and an optical projection device comprising such lighting device. The lighting device, comprises at least one laser source (4) for generating laser radiation, wherein the laser source is optically coupled to an optical element (7, 8, 9) comprising at least one luminescent material, suitable for emitting luminescent radiation upon laser excitation by the laser radiation, wherein the optical element is provided with at least one reflector for directing the radiation from the luminescent dot through an emission window of the optical element. The lighting device is particularly useful in a projector and other lighting applications.

Claims

1. Lighting device, comprising:

at least one laser source for generating laser radiation optically coupled to at least one optical element comprising at least one luminescent material for emitting luminescent radiation upon excitation by the laser radiation, the optical element comprising at least one reflector for directing the emitted luminescent radiation from the luminescent material through an emission window of the optical element,

wherein the device comprises a plurality of said optical elements, at least two optical elements of the plurality of said optical elements comprising different luminescent materials for the emission of luminescent radiation of different wavelengths, and

wherein the at least one laser source is optically coupled to the at least one optical element through an optical switch arranged to switch the laser radiation between at least two optical elements.

4. Lighting device according to claim 1 wherein the luminescent material is a ceramic phosphor material.

7. Lighting device according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of said optical elements comprises at least three different optical elements, wherein

a first optical element comprises a luminescent material for the emission of red light,

a second optical element comprises a luminescent material for the emission of green light, and

a third optical element comprises a luminescent material for the emission of blue light.

8. Lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the device comprises multiple laser sources, wherein each laser source is optically coupled to at least one optical element.

9. Lighting device according to claim 7, wherein at least one optical element is optically coupled to at least two different laser sources.

11. Lighting device according to claim 1 wherein the optical switch comprises a laser reflector provided with displacement means for switching the direction of the reflected laser radiation.

12. Lighting device according to claim 11, wherein the optical switch comprises active non-moving components, including active polarization rotators, active polarizing beam splitters and/or passive beam splitters.

13. Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the reflector has an essentially semi-spherical shape, wherein the emission window is defined by the essentially flat surface portion of the semi-spherical shape.

14. Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element defines a laser window for entry of the laser radiation, wherein the laser window is located away from the emission window.

15. Lighting device according to claim 14 wherein the laser window is arranged for directing of the laser radiation towards the luminescent material in a direction essentially perpendicular to the emission window.

16. Lighting device according to claim 14, wherein the emission window has a larger area than the laser window.

17. Lighting device according to claim 14 wherein the laser window is provided with a dielectric reflector for selectively transmitting the laser radiation and reflecting the emitted radiation.

19. Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one laser source is optically coupled to the luminescent material in the optical element through the emission window.

20. Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one laser source is located at a distance from the optical element, wherein the laser source is optically coupled to the optical element through optical coupling means comprising at least one mirror element.

21. Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the device is provided with projection means for projecting the emitted radiation.

22. Lighting device according to claim 21, wherein the projection means comprise an image-forming element.

2-3. -3. (canceled)

5-6. -6. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

23-25. -25. (canceled)