Abstract: Many applications of radiant energy transducer systems call for specific performance characteristics over desired fields of view or footprints on identified surfaces. Constructive occlusion utilizes a mask sized and positioned to occlude an active optical area, such as an aperture of a diffusely reflective cavity, so as to provide a tailored performance characteristic. Use of principles of constructive occlusion alone or in combination with several other techniques enable tailoring of the illumination distribution or the sensitivity profile of a radiant energy transducer system to meet the demands of specific applications. One mechanism used to further tailor performance involves a non-diffuse reflective shoulder along a peripheral section of the mask and cavity type system. Another technique involves using a retro-reflective surface, for example along a portion of the periphery of the system, to limit the angular field of view and to redirect light back into the system for emission within the desired field.

Abstract: A conical deflector receives light from a source through an opening at the narrow end of the cone. In one embodiment, an optical fiber bundle supplies light directly into the cone. In another embodiment, the conical deflector receives light via an optical integrating cavity. A substantial portion of the inner surface of the cones has a specular reflectivity. The entire surface may be uniformly specular (e.g., highly specular). Alternatively, one or more sections of the inner walls of the cone may have a diffuse reflectivity or a different degree of specular reflectivity (e.g., quasi-specular). The deflector is dimensioned relative to a narrow, desired field of view and the light source to deflect light that would otherwise pass out of the desired field of view, so as to efficiently illuminate the desired field of view. The conical deflector provides a substantially uniform light intensity distribution over the desired field of view.