Abstract: An electrical device, preferably a light bulb having an electrical base, comprises a container having a sealed interior, an electrical component contained within the sealed interior; a liquid filling the sealed interior; and a pressure relief member. The pressure relief member has an interior tubular passage. The tubular passage has an inlet which is in fluid communication with the liquid. The tubular passage is filled with liquid from the inlet partially toward an outer end of the passage. The remainder of the passage is filled with gas. The pressure relief member provides relief from increases of pressure caused by heating the liquid. Preferably, a heat sink is provided for the electrical component and contacts the liquid coolant. The pressure relief member may be located either in the sealed interior or outside of the container.

Abstract: An LED illumination system includes at least one LED element and a recycling reflector having a transmissive aperture through which emitted light passes. The recycling reflector has a curved surface adapted to reflect the impinging light back to the LED element for improved light output through the transmissive aperture.

Abstract: An illumination system comprises an arc lamp having a cathode and an anode which emit light from a hot spot. A dual paraboloid retroreflector comprising upper and lower halves intercept light emitted rearwardly from the arc lamp and reflects the intercepted light back towards the hot spot. The retroreflector is spaced from the hot spot at a distance such that light rays emitted from the hot spot which are incident on the upper or lower half are redirected to a corresponding surface of the other half and reflected back to the hot spot. The system may further include a main dual paraboloid reflector for redirecting output light from the arc lamp and retroreflector. Light emitted from the arc lamp is intercepted by a first half paraboloid reflector and collimated to be redirected toward to a corresponding surface of a second half paraboloid reflector member, so as to be reflected in a direction opposite to the arc lamp output.

Abstract: An LCD monitor comprises an LCD panel and a backlight for providing illumination to the LCD panel. The backlight includes a light box having a reflective bottom and sides and an open top for allowing light to flow outwardly toward the LCD panel. The light box includes a light source preferably comprising a plurality of LED elements for generating light either from said edge or from said bottom, or from both said bottom and said edge. The light box further preferably comprises a plurality of wave plates interspersed with the LED elements for intercepting light and changing the polarity of such intercepted light. Preferably, the backlight includes a polarizer for transmitting light from the light box of a first polarization towards the LCD panel and reflecting light of a second polarization back towards the light box. At least some of the reflected light of the second polarization passes through the wave plates, is converted to the first polarization, and is reflected back towards said polarizer.

Abstract: An LED illumination system includes a plurality of LED modules and a plurality of corresponding collimating lenses to provide increased brightness. Each LED module has at least one LED chip having a light emitting area that emits light and a recycling reflector. The reflector is positioned to reflect the light from the light emitting area back to the LED chip and has a transmissive aperture through which the emitted light exits. The collimating lenses are arranged to receive and collimate the light exiting from the LED modules.

Abstract: A network comprises a plurality of modules, wherein each module comprises a communications circuit with an antenna for sending information signals to and receiving control signals from a remote base over a wifi connection. Each module includes either a lighting element or a security camera for providing images. Each module may further include sensors to provide information to the base concerning operating conditions. Preferably, each module is programmed to receive signals from other modules and to relay such signals to the remote base, and similarly route control signals from the remote base intended for a different module to the intended module. In one embodiment, the network is a lighting network in which each module includes a light source controlled by the remote base or by a control terminal connected to the remote base.

Abstract: A liquid cooled LED lighting device includes a sealed housing containing an LED element that emits light. Cooling liquid is contained in the housing to disperse heat generated by the LED element. An enclosure containing compressible material is preferably immovably positioned within the housing and outside of the optical path of the emitted light. The enclosure containing the compressible material compresses in response to expansion of the cooling liquid as it absorbs heat from the LED element. Advantageously, the cooling liquid and the enclosure containing the compressible material act to more efficiently cool the LED element, thereby providing higher light output and increased lifetime of the LED element.

Abstract: A lamp system comprises a light source and a parabolic reflecting collar positioned around the light source and having an aperture through which a center axis extends. The aperture permits light rays emitted by the light source at low angles relative to the axis to be emitted from the parabolic reflecting collar, while light rays emitted by said light source at higher angles are reflected by the collar for recycling. The parabolic reflecting collar is positioned such that higher angle light rays are reflected twice, off opposing wall reflecting portions, back to their point of origin. Preferably the light source is an array of multiple LEDs having different colors and sizes.

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: Multi-color light sources are mixed in a recycling housing to achieve high light output. Light from each color light source is multiplexed and a portion of the mixed light passes through an output aperture in the light pipe and a portion light is recycled back, for example, by a shaped reflective surface and/or a reflective coating adjacent the aperture. In one embodiment, the light is directed back from the output side of the housing to an input light source having the same color. In another embodiment, the light is directed back from the output side of the housing to a coating designed to reflect that color. The reflected light is then reflected back toward the output aperture and a portion of that reflected light is again reflected toward the input and impacts the original source for that color light. In this way, light theoretically recycles infinitely.

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 recycling system and method for increasing the brightness of light output using at least one recycling light pipe with at least one light source. The output end of the recycling light pipe reflects a first portion of the light back to the light source, a second portion the light to the input end of the recycling light pipe, and transmits the remaining portion of the light as output. The recycling system is incorporated into a projector to provide color projected image with increased brightness. The light source can be white LEDs, color LEDs, and dual paraboloid reflector (DPR) lamp.

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: Multi-color light sources are mixed in a recycling housing to achieve high light output. In one embodiment, the light from each color light source, such as from red, green and blue LEDs, is multiplexed together and a portion of the mixed light passes through an output aperture in the light pipe. A portion of each colored light is recycled back, for example, by a shaped reflective surface and/or a reflective coating adjacent the aperture. The shape of the reflective surface is such as to direct each color of light back to a specific location to maximize the ultimate output light. In one embodiment, the light is directed back from the output side of the housing to an input light source having the same color. In another embodiment, the light is directed back from the output side of the housing to a coating designed to reflect that color light.

Abstract: A multi-colored illumination system including a beam combiner. The beam combiner includes two triangular prisms and a filter for transmitting a first light and reflecting a second light, each light having a different wavelength. The beam combiner combines the transmitted first light and the reflected light to provide a combined beam. The six surfaces of each of the triangular prism of the beam combiner are polished, thereby combining the lights without increasing etendue of the multi-colored illumination system.

Abstract: A condensing and collecting optical system comprises two asymmetric reflectors. The first and second reflectors comprise a portion of an ellipsoid or paraboloid of revolution having parallel optical axis. A source of electromagnetic radiation is placed at one of the focal points of the first reflector to produce radiation that is received by the second reflector, which focuses the radiation toward a target. To achieve maximum output coupling efficiency, the second reflector has a different focal length than the first reflector such that the radiation inputted to the target has lower angle of incidence.

Abstract: An illumination system using filament lamps including a filament lamp, a reflector having a first and second focal points, the filament lamp disposed proximate to the first focal point of the reflector to emit rays of electromagnetic radiation that reflect from the reflector and converge substantially at the second focal point, wherein a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the filament lamp impinges directly on the reflector and a portion of the electromagnetic radiation does not impinge directly on the reflector and wherein the system further includes an additional reflector constructed and arranged to reflect at least part of the portion of the electromagnetic radiation that does not impinge directly on the reflector toward the reflector through the first focal point of the reflector.

Abstract: An illumination system including a plurality of lamps, a plurality of first light reflectors, a plurality of second light reflectors, and an output light guide. Each of the first light reflectors is arranged to reflect light output from one of the lamps onto an input of one of the second light reflectors, which in turn is arranged to direct light from an output of one the first light reflectors into an input of the output light guide, such that the outputs of each of the lamps is combined into a single output.

Abstract: A compact dual ellipsoidal reflector (DER) system for illuminating a target with rays of electromagnetic radiation comprises first and second molded module. The first molded module has at least a first ellipsoidal reflector section comprising an optical axis, a first focal point and a second focal point. The rays of electromagnetic radiation being directed substantially proximate to the first focal point of the first ellipsoidal reflector section and substantially converge at the second focal point of the first ellipsoidal reflector section. The second molded module has at least a second ellipsoidal reflector section comprising an optical axis, a first focal point and a second focal point.

Abstract: A light pipe based projection engine includes a X-prism transmitting substantially light of a useful polarization in an output direction and reflecting substantially light of a non-useful polarization in a first orthogonal direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction. An initial reflector may reflect the non-said low, said medium, and said high bands of wavelengths in a second orthogonal direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction and the first orthogonal direction, and a final reflector may reflect the non-said low, said medium, and said high bands of wavelengths in the output direction. The non-said low, said medium, and said high bands of wavelengths may be rotated substantially to light of the useful polarization by the initial and final reflectors.