US5319496A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical beam delivery system
Assignee: ALPERT HERB
•
Filing: 1992-11-18
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Granted: 1994-06-07
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Expires: 2012-11-18
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is directed to an optical system which includes an image region having at least one light source which directs a beam of light along an optical axis and an object region which is adapted to receive the light from the light source. An optical delivery system is between the image region and object region. The optical delivery system receives the light from the image region and directs it to the object region. The optical delivery system is formed of a plurality of optical elements, such as lenses and volume holograms. The optical delivery system is designed to either receive a plurality of beams of light from a plurality of sources or different modes of a single light source and form a single spot of light in the image region having the combined power of all of the beams of light or modes of a single beam. The optical delivery system can also condense or expand the spacing between the beams of light from a plurality of light sources. The optical delivery system is designed so that the Lagrange invariant thereof at the object region is different from the Lagrange invariant thereof at the image region.
Inventors
- 👤 Jack L. Jewell
- 👤 Greg R. Olbright
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 08:38
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/09; G02B27/0905; G02B27/0938; G02B27/095; G02B27/0955; G02B27/0961; G02B27/10; G02B27/12; G02B27/123; G02B5/00; G02B5/32
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
180 words
An optical system comprising: an object region having at least one light source which is adapted to direct a beam of light along an optical axis with said light beam having one ray which has a maximum angle w o with respect to said optical axis and another ray originating parallel to said optical axis of a maximum distance y o rom said optical axis; an image region having an array of separated light spots adapted to receive said light from said light source in said object region with the one ray crossing said optical axis in said image region at a maximum angle of w i to said optical axis and said other ray passing through said image region parallel to said optical axis at a maximum distance y i from said optical axis, y o being different from y 1 ; and an optical delivery system receiving the light from the light source of the object region and delivering the light to the image region with y o w o being different from y i w i .
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
180 words
An optical system comprising: an object region having at least one light source which is adapted to direct a beam of light along an optical axis with said light beam having one ray which has a maximum angle w o with respect to said optical axis and another ray originating parallel to said optical axis of a maximum distance y o rom said optical axis; an image region having an array of separated light spots adapted to receive said light from said light source in said object region with the one ray crossing said optical axis in said image region at a maximum angle of w i to said optical axis and said other ray passing through said image region parallel to said optical axis at a maximum distance y i from said optical axis, y o being different from y 1 ; and an optical delivery system receiving the light from the light source of the object region and delivering the light to the image region with y o w o being different from y i w i .
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 1 wherein y o w o and y i w i are by at least 10%.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 1 wherein y o w o and y i w i differ by a factor of at least 2.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 1 in which each light source is a semiconductor device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 4 in which even light source is a laser diode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 5 in which each light source is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 1 in which the optical delivery system comprises a lens.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 7 in which the lens has a plurality of individual micro lenses with each micro lens being adapted to receive the light beam from a separate one of the light sources or to focus the light beam to a separate one of the light spots.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 8 in which each of the micro lenses is shaped to collimate the beam of light received from its respective light source.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 8 in which the optical delivery system includes means for altering the spacing between said beams of light from said light sources so that at said image region said beams of light are closer together than they are at said object region.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
68 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 10 in which said lens includes means for directing said beams of light from said object region toward or away from each other so that they are closer to or farther from each other at a plane spaced from said lens and means along said plane for directing said beams of light parallel to said optical axis into said image region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 11 in which the means on the lens for directing the beams of light toward or away from each other comprises a plurality of prismlets each of which is adapted to receive light from a separate one of the micro lenses.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
84 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 12 in which the means along the plane comprises a second lens having means on the surface facing the first lens for directing all of the light beams substantially parallel to the optical axis and means on a surface facing the image region for focusing the beam of light from each light source to a small spot in the image region with the spots being spaced apart a distance less than the spacing between the light sources.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 13 in which the means on the second lens for directing the beams of light parallel to the optical axis comprises a plurality of prismlets each adapted to receive a beam of light from a separate light source.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 14 in which the means on the second lens for focusing the beams of light comprises a plurality of micro lenses.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 11 in which the lens including means for directing the beams of light toward or away from each other comprises a first macro lens surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
84 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 16 in which the means along the plane comprises a second lens having means on the surface facing the first lens for directing all of the light beams substantially parallel to the optical axis and means on a surface facing the image region for focusing the beam of light from each light source to a small spot in the image region with the spots being spaced apart a distance less than the spacing between the light sources.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 17 in which the means on the second lens for directing the beams of light parallel to the optical axis comprises a second macro lens surface adapted to receive a beam of light from a separate light source.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 18 in which the means on the second lens for focusing the beams of light comprises a plurality of micro lenses.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
An optical system in accordance with claim 1 which comprises a plurality of optical systems whose respective object regions are within a common planar area and whose respective image regions are in another common planar area.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-06-06 | 1997-12-06 | 1998-06-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-06-06 | 2001-12-06 | 2002-06-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-06-06 | 2005-12-06 | 2006-06-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |