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    High efficiency non-imaging optics

     Juan C. Minano et al
    A highly efficient optical device comprises two opposing active non-spherical optical surfaces defined by a two-dimensional representation that is symmetrically extended to provide a three-dimensional device. A focal area, spaced apart from the optical surface and non-contiguous therewith, is...
    Inventors: Juan C. Minano, Pablo Benitez, Juan C. Gonzalez, Waqidi Falicoff, H. J. Caulfield
    Assignees: Light Prescriptions Innovators, LLC.
    Primary Examiner: David N. Spector
    Attorney: Law Offices of James D. McFarland

    U.S. Classification
    359/728; 359/726; 359/718; 362/327

    International Classification
    G02B/1700; G02B/302; F21V/500

    View patent at USPTO

    Citations

    Patent NumberTitleIssue date
    4337759Radiant energy concentration by optical total internal reflectionJul 6, 1982
    4767172Collector for an LED arrayAug 30, 1988
    5001609Nonimaging light sourceMar 19, 1991
    5055892High efficiency lamp or light accepterOct 8, 1991
    5237170Method and apparatus for non-imaging concentration and projection of electromagnetic radiationAug 17, 1993
    5289356Nonimaging optical illumination systemFeb 22, 1994
    5365354Grin type diffuser based on volume holographic materialNov 15, 1994
    5404869Faceted totally internally reflecting lens with individually curved faces on facetsApr 11, 1995
    5486940Liquid crystal light polarizer and methodJan 23, 1996
    5526190Optical element and device for providing uniform irradiance of a surfaceJun 11, 1996
    5534386Homogenizer formed using coherent light and a holographic diffuserJul 9, 1996
    5586013Nonimaging optical illumination systemDec 17, 1996
    5609939Viewing screen formed using coherent lightMar 11, 1997
    5676453Collimating TIR lens devices employing fluorescent light sourcesOct 14, 1997
    5757557Beam-forming lens with internal cavity that prevents front lossesMay 26, 1998
    5767935Light control sheet and liquid crystal display device comprising the sameJun 16, 1998
    5816693Nonimaging optical illumination systemOct 6, 1998
    5825542Diffusely reflecting multilayer polarizers and mirrorsOct 20, 1998
    5882774Optical filmMar 16, 1999
    5982541High efficiency projection displays having thin film polarizing beam-splittersNov 9, 1999
    6019485Nonimaging optical illumination systemFeb 1, 2000
    6101032Light fixture having a multilayer polymeric filmAug 8, 2000
    6336738System and method for high intensity irradiationJan 8, 2002
    6501877Wavelength routerDec 31, 2002

    Claims

    What is claimed is:

    1. A method of manufacturing an optical device having two opposing active optical surfaces that convert a first distribution of an input radiation to a second distribution of output radiation, comprising:

    providing a two-dimensional mathematical model that describes the first distribution of radiation as an input bundle of edge rays and the second distribution of radiation as an output bundle of edge rays, and representing the input and output edge ray bundles each in a phase-space representation in terms of the position of each ray in space and its associated optical cosine, where the locus of the edge rays in the phase-space for the input bundle defines a closed boundary of a first planar shape, and the locus of the edge rays in the phase-space for the output bundle defines a closed boundary of a second planar shape, wherein these two planar shapes have a substantially equal area;
    approximating the two-dimensional shape of the outer caustic of said input and output radiation distribution ray bundles, where the outer caustic is defined such that it does not touch any of said active optical surfaces;
    defining a two-dimensional representation of said active optical surfaces responsive to the boundary conditions of the phase-space representations and the outer caustics, including defining a focal area spaced apart from, and noncontiguous with, said optical surfaces, said active optical surfaces each having a continuous second derivative, said optical surfaces further formed so that the theoretical transmission efficiency of the said first input radiation distribution to said second input radiation distribution, neglecting attenuation losses in the processing path, is greater than about 80% of the maximum transmission efficiency; and
    symmetrically extending said two-dimensional representation of said optical surfaces to provide a three-dimensional optical device.

    2. The method of claim 1 wherein one of said active optical surfaces is substantially flat.

    3. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming said optical surfaces on a transparent dielectric core.

    4. The method of claim 1 further comprising situating a receiver approximately at the focal area, thereby providing a concentrator.

    5. The method of claim 1 wherein said theoretical transmission efficiency of the said first input radiation distribution to said second input radiation distribution, neglecting attenuation losses in the processing path, is greater than about 90% of the maximum transmission efficiency.

    6. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a diffuser on at least one of said optical surfaces.

    7. The method of claim 6 wherein said diffuser transforms incident radiation into a predetermined shape.

    8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of symmetrically extending said two-dimensional representation includes extruding said two-dimensional representation to provide a linearly-symmetric optical device.

    9. The method of claim 8 further comprising situating an extended linearly extruded light source approximately at the focal area, thereby providing a collimator with an approximately rectangular cross-sectional output.

    10. The method of claim 1 wherein said optical surfaces are formed to define an RR device.

    11. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming said optical surfaces to form a folded edge ray device.

    12. The method of claim 11 wherein said optical surfaces are formed to define an RX device.

    13. The method of claim 11 wherein said optical surfaces are formed to define an RXI device.

    14. The method of claim 11 wherein said optical surfaces are formed to define an XX device.

    15. The method of claim 11 wherein said optical surfaces are formed to define an XR device.

    16. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of symmetrically extending said two-dimensional representation includes rotating said two-dimensional representation so that said optical device is rotationally symmetric about a central axis.

    17. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming said optical surfaces on a transparent dielectric core, and forming a cylindrical hole substantially centered about said central axis.

    18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of inserting a receiver into said cylindrical hole and positioning said receiver approximately at said focal area.

    19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of attaching said receiver to said dielectric core using a material that has a substantially different index of refraction than said dielectric core.

    20. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of inserting an extended source into said cylindrical hole and positioning said source approximately at said focal area.

    21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of attaching said source to said dielectric core using a material that has a substantially different index of refraction than said dielectric core.

    22. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said optical surfaces is formed to comprise facets including an active facet and an inactive facet.

    23. The method of claim 22 wherein the optical surfaces are formed to define an aspect ratio that is within a range of about 0.65 to about 0.1.

    24. The method of claim 22 wherein one of said active optical surfaces comprises a cuspoid shape that approaches said focal area.

    25. The method of claim 1 further comprising situating an extended light source approximately at the focal area, thereby providing a collimator.

    26. The method of claim 25 wherein said optical surfaces are formed so that the average angle of the output distribution of radiation is less than about 15 from normal incidence.

    27. The method of claim 25 comprising situating an LED light source approximately at said focal area.

    28. The method of claim 25 comprising situating an array of LED light sources approximately at said focal area.

    29. An optical device that converts a first distribution of an input radiation to a second distribution of output radiation, comprising:

    two opposing active non-spherical optical surfaces defined by a two-dimensional representation that is symmetrically extended to provide a three-dimensional device;
    a focal area defined by said two opposing active optical surfaces, said
    said active optical surfaces each having a continuous second derivative;
    said optical surfaces being defined by a polynomial with an order of at least about twenty; and
    said optical surfaces further providing a theoretical transmission efficiency of said first input radiation distribution to said second input radiation distribution, neglecting attenuation losses in the processing path, of greater than about 80% of the maximum transmission efficiency.

    30. The optical device of claim 29 wherein said optical device is rotationally-symmetric.

    31. The optical device of claim 29 further comprising a transparent dielectric core, and wherein said optical surfaces are formed on said optical core.

    32. The optical device of claim 29 further a receiver situated approximately at the focal area, thereby providing a concentrator.

    33. The optical device of claim 29 wherein said theoretical transmission efficiency of said first input radiation distribution to said second input radiation distribution, neglecting attenuation losses in the processing path, is greater than about 90% of the maximum transmission efficiency.

    34. The optical device of claim 29 wherein one of said optical surfaces is substantially flat.

    35. The optical device of claim 29 wherein said optical device is linearly-symmetric, so that said focal area comprises a linear shape.

    36. The optical device of claim 29 further comprising a linear extended light source that extends along said focal area, thereby providing a collimator with an approximately rectangular cross-sectional output.

    37. The optical device of claim 29 wherein said optical surfaces define an RR device.

    38. The optical device of claim 29 wherein said optical surfaces define a folded edge ray device.

    39. The optical device of claim 38 wherein said optical surfaces define an RX device.

    40. The optical device of claim 38 wherein said optical surfaces define an RXI device.

    41. The optical device of claim 38 wherein said optical surfaces define an XX device.

    42. The optical device of claim 38 wherein said optical surfaces define an XR device.

    43. The optical device of claim 29 wherein at least one of said optical surfaces comprises facets including an active facet and an inactive facet.

    44. The optical device of claim 43 wherein the optical surfaces define an aspect ratio within a range of about 0.65 to about 0.1.

    45. The optical device of claim 43 wherein one of said active surfaces comprises a cuspoid shape that approaches said focal area.

    46. The optical device of claim 29 wherein at least one of said optical surfaces comprises a diffuser formed thereon.

    47. The optical device of claim 46 wherein said diffuser transforms incident radiation into a predetermined shape.

    48. The optical device of claim 29 further comprising a light source situated approximately at the focal area, thereby providing a collimator.

    49. The optical device of claim 48 wherein said optical surfaces define an average angle of the output distribution of radiation that is less than about 15 from normal incidence.

    50. The optical device of claim 48 wherein said light source comprises an LED.

    51. The optical device of claim 48 wherein said light source comprises an array of LEDs.

    52. The optical device of claim 29 wherein said optical device comprises a transparent dielectric core and said optical device is rotationally symmetric so that said optical device is rotationally symmetric around a central axis.

    53. The optical device of claim 52 wherein said optical device further comprises:

    a cylindrical hole centered about said central axis; and
    a receiver positioned in said cylindrical hole approximately at said focal area.

    54. The optical device of claim 53 further comprising an attaching material for attaching said receiver to said dielectric, and wherein said attaching material has a substantially different index of refraction than said dielectric.

    55. The optical device of claim 52 wherein said optical device further comprises:

    a cylindrical hole centered about said central axis; and
    an extended light source positioned in said cylindrical hole approximately at said focal area.

    56. The optical device of claim 55 further comprising an attaching material for attaching said light source to said dielectric, and wherein said attaching material has a substantially different index of refraction than said dielectric.

    Drawings