Illuminator using non-uniform light sources
First Claim
1. An optical system comprising at least:
- a source module comprising a non-uniform extended source;
at least one of a lightpipe and a lenslet array arrangement; and
an optical engine, comprising;
a first toroidal ray guide defining an axis of revolution and having a toroidal entrance pupil adapted to image radiation originating from the source module that is incident on the entrance pupil, said first toroidal ray guide having a first imaging surface opposite the entrance pupil; and
a second ray guide also defining the axis of revolution and having a second imaging surface adjacent to the first imaging surface, wherein at least one of;
the lightpipe is disposed between the source module and the optical engine,and the optical engine is disposed between the source module and the lenslet array arrangement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical system comprises at least a source module comprising a non-uniform extended source (e.g., RGB-LED), an optical engine, and at least one of a lightpipe and a lenslet array arrangement. The optical engine is by example detailed at co-owned WO 2008/017718, and has a first toroidal ray guide and a second ray guide defining a common axis of revolution and having complementary imaging surfaces and pupils. For the case in which the system includes the lightpipe, such a lightpipe is disposed between the source module and the optical engine. For the case in which the system includes the lenslet array arrangement, the optical engine is disposed between the source module and the lenslet array arrangement. At least one ray guiding component, also detailed at WO 2008/017718, can be an alternative to the above optical engine. The lenslet array arrangement may include first and second lenslet arrays having corresponding lenslets.
52 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical system comprising at least:
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a source module comprising a non-uniform extended source; at least one of a lightpipe and a lenslet array arrangement; and an optical engine, comprising; a first toroidal ray guide defining an axis of revolution and having a toroidal entrance pupil adapted to image radiation originating from the source module that is incident on the entrance pupil, said first toroidal ray guide having a first imaging surface opposite the entrance pupil; and a second ray guide also defining the axis of revolution and having a second imaging surface adjacent to the first imaging surface, wherein at least one of; the lightpipe is disposed between the source module and the optical engine, and the optical engine is disposed between the source module and the lenslet array arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An optical system comprising at least:
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a source module comprising a non-uniform extended source; at least one of a lightpipe and a lenslet array arrangement; and at least one ray guiding component that is substantially cylindrically symmetrical about an axis of revolution, said at least one ray guiding component being arranged to substantially image at least a portion of the rays, which emanate from the source module towards an entrance pupil of the said at least one ray guiding component, to an image; said at least one ray guiding component being arranged to substantially image the entrance pupil into an exit pupil of the said at least one ray guiding component, such that each point on the entrance pupil is substantially imaged to a projection of the point substantially along the direction of the said axis of revolution on the exit pupil; said at least one ray guiding component being arranged to have substantially all points of the entrance pupil at approximately a same distance from the source module; and said at least one ray guiding component being arranged so that no path of any meridional ray imaged from the entrance pupil into the exit pupil crosses the said axis of revolution between the entrance pupil and the exit pupil; wherein at least one of; the lightpipe is disposed between the source module and the at least one ray guiding component, and the at least one ray guiding component is disposed between the source module and the lenslet array arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification