Abstract: A billboard or other large display for displaying information has a billboard frame, an artwork layer, and either a plurality of columns of LED light plates or vertical strips of LED lights. The LED plates are small backlight panels formed in an array covering large areas suitable for standard billboards. The LED plates are secured to one another to hang from the billboard frame in separate columns. The columns are situated between the artwork layer and the billboard frame to provide a backlight for the artwork layer. The artwork layer can include two or more layers such that different artwork is displayed depending on the ambient lighting conditions as well as the backlight operation. The LEDs are preferably controlled by a controller to provide desired backlight conditions as well as to display content.

Abstract: A billboard or other large display for displaying information has a billboard frame, an artwork layer, and either a plurality of columns of LED light plates or vertical strips of LED lights. The LED plates are small backlight panels formed in an array covering large areas suitable for standard billboards. The LED plates are secured to one another to hang from the billboard frame in separate columns. The columns are situated between the artwork layer and the billboard frame to provide a backlight for the artwork layer. The artwork layer can include two or more layers such that different artwork is displayed depending on the ambient lighting conditions as well as the backlight operation. The LEDs are preferably controlled by a controller to provide desired backlight conditions as well as to display content.

Abstract: A phosphor-based lamp includes a phosphor material and an excitation source, which may be a laser or an LED, or both. Preferably, the lamp includes a recycling collar to reflect and recycle high angle light to increase brightness. Preferably, when the excitation source is a laser, a beam splitter redirects the laser beam to direct the laser beam through the recycling collar aperture onto the phosphor material. Light emitted by the phosphor material which exits the aperture passes through the beam splitter as the output of the lamp. Alternatively, lenses are used to redirect the laser beam around the recycling collar towards the phosphor material. Preferably, a plurality of excitation lasers are disposed around the recycling collar and aimed either to direct their outputs onto the phosphor material or toward an opposing wall, where the outputs are reflected onto the phosphor material. Such lamp may be used as part of a projection system. In one embodiment, the phosphor material is contained on the color wheel.

Abstract: An illumination system for increasing the brightness of a light source comprises an optical recycling device coupled to the light source, preferably light emitting diode (LED), for spatially and/or angularly recycling light. The optical recycling device spatially recycles a portion of rays of light emitted by the LED back to the light source using a reflector or mirror and/or angularly recycles high angle rays of light and transmits small angle rays of light, thereby increasing the brightness of the light source's output.

Abstract: A LCD display backlight system with improved color mixing and efficiency comprises a reflective surface, a plurality of light sources mounted on the reflective surface, a plurality of fractional wave plates and a reflective polarizer. The plurality of fractional wave plates is mounted on spaces between the plurality of light sources on the reflective surface. The reflective polarizer transmits light having a useable polarization and reflects back unused polarization of light onto the reflective surface. A portion of the unused polarization of light reflected from the reflective polarizer passes through a fractional wave plate. The reflective surface reflects the portion of the unused polarization of light through the fractional wave plate such that the polarization of the unused polarization of light is changed to useable polarization, thereby recycling the unused polarization of light into useful light.

Abstract: An illumination system for increasing the brightness of a light source comprises an optical recycling device coupled to the light source, preferably light emitting diode (LED), for spatially and/or angularly recycling light. The optical recycling device spatially recycles a portion of rays of light emitted by the LED back to the light source using a reflector or mirror and/or angularly recycles high angle rays of light and transmits small angle rays of light, thereby increasing the brightness of the light source's output.

Abstract: A LCD display backlight system with improved color mixing and efficiency comprises a reflective surface, a plurality of light sources mounted on the reflective surface, a plurality of fractional wave plates and a reflective polarizer. The plurality of fractional wave plates is mounted on spaces between the plurality of light sources on the reflective surface. The reflective polarizer transmits light having a useable polarization and reflects back unused polarization of light onto the reflective surface. A portion of the unused polarization of light reflected from the reflective polarizer passes through a fractional wave plate. The reflective surface reflects the portion of the unused polarization of light through the fractional wave plate such that the polarization of the unused polarization of light is changed to useable polarization, thereby recycling the unused polarization of light into useful light.

Abstract: A polarization recovery system includes a polarizing beam splitter transmitting light of a useful polarization in an output direction and reflecting light of a non-useful polarization in a first orthogonal direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction. An initial reflector may reflect the non-useful polarization light in a second orthogonal direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction and the first orthogonal direction, and a final reflector may reflect the non-useful polarization light in the output direction. The non-useful polarization light may be rotated substantially to light of the useful polarization by the initial and final reflectors.

Abstract: A polarization recovery system includes a polarizing beam splitter transmitting light of a useful polarization in an output direction and reflecting light of a non-useful polarization in a first orthogonal direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction. An initial reflector may reflect the non-useful polarization light in a second orthogonal direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction and the first orthogonal direction, and a final reflector may reflect the non-useful polarization light in the output direction. The non-useful polarization light may be rotated substantially to light of the useful polarization by the initial and final reflectors.

Abstract: A polarization recovery system includes a polarizing beam splitter transmitting light of a useful polarization in an output direction and reflecting light of a non-useful polarization in a first orthogonal direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction. An initial reflector may reflect the non-useful polarization light in a second orthogonal direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction and the first orthogonal direction, and a final reflector may reflect the non-useful polarization light in the output direction. The non-useful polarization light may be rotated substantially to light of the useful polarization by the initial and final reflectors.

Abstract: A portion of a nearly spherical reflector is used to direct the electromagnetic radiation onto a small target. The electromagnetic radiation source is displaced from the optical axis of the reflector to maximize flux density at the target with minimal distortion. The present invention is particularly suited to coupling light from an arc lamp into an optic fiber.