Patents by Inventor Robert Louis Holman

Robert Louis Holman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9823411
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing illumination. In one aspect, an etendue preserving optical coupling system configured to: receive incident light through an input aperture; and emit the incident light through an output aperture having an area smaller than an area of the input aperture is provided. The light output from the optical coupling system is coupled into a light receiving system including material having substantially the same refractive index as the refractive index of the material of the optical coupling system. The light receiving system includes a light guide configured to internally propagate the redirected light and to release light to illuminate the ambient environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SnapTrack Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Louis Holman
  • Publication number: 20170090102
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing illumination. In one aspect, an etendue preserving optical coupling system configured to: receive incident light through an input aperture; and emit the incident light through an output aperture having an area smaller than an area of the input aperture is provided. The light output from the optical coupling system is coupled into a light receiving system including material having substantially the same refractive index as the refractive index of the material of the optical coupling system. The light receiving system includes a light guide configured to internally propagate the redirected light and to release light to illuminate the ambient environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventor: Robert Louis Holman
  • Publication number: 20170090103
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for illumination. In one aspect, an illumination system includes at least two partially overlapping light guiding units. Each light guiding unit includes an optical source, an optical coupling system, and a tapered light guide. The two light guiding units are disposed such that the tapered light guide of one light guiding unit at least partially overlaps the optical coupling system of an adjacent light guiding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventor: Robert Louis Holman
  • Patent number: 9448353
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for illumination devices. In one aspect, an illumination device having a longitudinal axis includes a light source and a light guide. The light guide has a peripheral edge, a transmissive illumination surface, a center portion, and an upper surface. The transmissive illumination surface is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the center portion and the peripheral edge. The upper surface is oriented relative to the illumination surface to define an angle ? therebetween. In some implementations, the angle ? can be greater than 15 degrees, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Louis Holman, Matthew Brian Sampsell
  • Patent number: 9395479
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for illumination devices. In one aspect, an illumination device having a longitudinal axis includes a light source and a light guide. The light guide has a peripheral edge, a transmissive illumination surface, a center portion, and an upper surface. The transmissive illumination surface is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the center portion and the peripheral edge. The upper surface is oriented relative to the illumination surface to define an angle ? therebetween. In some implementations, the angle ? can be greater than 15 degrees, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Louis Holman, Matthew Brian Sampsell
  • Patent number: 9244212
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for illumination devices. In one aspect, an illumination device having a longitudinal axis includes a light source and a light guide. The light guide has a peripheral edge, a transmissive illumination surface, a center portion, and an upper surface. The transmissive illumination surface is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the center portion and the peripheral edge. The upper surface is oriented relative to the illumination surface to define an angle ? therebetween. In some implementations, the angle ? can be greater than 15 degrees, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Louis Holman, Matthew Brian Sampsell
  • Publication number: 20150300603
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus relating to implementations of an electrically controlled light conditioning sheet. In one aspect, the electrically controlled light conditioning sheet includes a planar electrode having a first conductor and a second conductor and a transmissive elastic layer. The transmissive elastic layer is configured to deform in response to a potential difference applied between the first and the second conductor and produce regions of optical refractive power. The angular spread and/or the radiation pattern of an incoming beam of light incident on the electrically controlled light conditioning sheet is altered by the action of the regions of optical refractive power produced by the applied potential difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Louis Holman, Matthew Brian Sampsell
  • Publication number: 20150168636
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for illumination devices. In one aspect, an illumination device having a longitudinal axis includes a light source and a light guide. The light guide has a peripheral edge, a transmissive illumination surface, a center portion, and an upper surface. The transmissive illumination surface is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the center portion and the peripheral edge. The upper surface is oriented relative to the illumination surface to define an angle ? therebetween. In some implementations, the angle ? can be greater than 15 degrees, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Louis Holman, Matthew Brian Sampsell
  • Publication number: 20150168635
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for illumination devices. In one aspect, an illumination device having a longitudinal axis includes a light source and a light guide. The light guide has a peripheral edge, a transmissive illumination surface, a center portion, and an upper surface. The transmissive illumination surface is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the center portion and the peripheral edge. The upper surface is oriented relative to the illumination surface to define an angle ? therebetween. In some implementations, the angle ? can be greater than 15 degrees, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Louis Holman, Matthew Brian Sampsell
  • Publication number: 20150036386
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for illumination devices. In one aspect, an illumination device having a longitudinal axis includes a light source and a light guide. The light guide has a peripheral edge, a transmissive illumination surface, a center portion, and an upper surface. The transmissive illumination surface is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the center portion and the peripheral edge. The upper surface is oriented relative to the illumination surface to define an angle ? therebetween. In some implementations, the angle ? can be greater than 15 degrees, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS
    Inventors: Robert Louis Holman, Matthew Brian Sampsell
  • Publication number: 20140268873
    Abstract: The present invention introduces a new class of thin doubly collimating light distributing engines for use in a variety of general lighting applications. Output illumination from these slim-profile illumination systems whether square, rectangular or circular in physical aperture shape is directional, square, rectangular or circular in beam cross-section, and spatially uniform and sharply cutoff outside the system's adjustable far-field angular cone. Some embodiments provided include thin light distributing engines which provide input light collimated in one meridian and a light distributing element that maintains input collimation while collimating output light in the un-collimated orthogonal meridian, in such a manner that the system's far-field output light is collimated in both its orthogonal output meridians.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Louis Holman, Matthew Brian Sampsell