Abstract: Lighted refrigerated display case with remote light source comprises a closed container with an interior of the container refrigerated to a temperature below 7 C. The container is thermally insulated from ambient, having internal and external walls. A solid fiber optic luminaire is at least partially mounted within the container, having an elongated side-light emitting portion for emitting light from the side of the luminaire onto contents in an interior of the display case. The side-light emitting portion comprises an extractor of light arranged to preferentially extract light from the luminaire and direct the light in at least one radial direction along the length of the side-light emitting portion to at least one target area of said contents along a longitudinal axis of the side-light emitting portion. A light-delivery system provides light to the fiber optic luminaire, having a light source mounted remotely from the interior of the container.

Abstract: Various embodiments are described that provide a techniques to produce sharp, high contrast, edge enhanced images using edge-lit displays. The edge-lit displays may comprise extractor pattern painted, etched or molded on a light guide. The extractor pattern may be determined from an edge-enhanced input pattern and modified iteratively to produce an edge-enhanced output pattern.

Abstract: Various embodiments involving structures and methods for illumination can be employed, for example, in projectors, head-mounted displays, helmet-mounted displays, back projection TVs, flat panel displays as well as other optical systems. Certain embodiments may include prism elements for illuminating, for example, a spatial light modulator. Light may be coupled to the prism in some cases using fiber optics or lightpipes. The optical system may also include a diffuser having scatter features arranged to scatter light appropriately to produce a desired luminance profile. Other embodiments are possible as well.

Abstract: Lighted refrigerated display case with remote light source comprises a closed container with an interior of the container refrigerated to a temperature below 7 C. The container is thermally insulated from ambient, having internal and external walls. A solid fiber optic luminaire is at least partially mounted within the container, having an elongated side-light emitting portion for emitting light from the side of the luminaire onto contents in an interior of the display case. The side-light emitting portion comprises an extractor of light arranged to preferentially extract light from the luminaire and direct the light in at least one radial direction along the length of the side-light emitting portion to at least one target area of said contents along a longitudinal axis of the side-light emitting portion. A light-delivery system provides light to the fiber optic luminaire, having a light source mounted remotely from the interior of the container.

Abstract: Lighted display case with remote light source comprises a container having contents for display. A solid fiber optic luminaire is at least partially mounted within the container, having an elongated side-light emitting portion for emitting light from the side of the luminaire onto contents in an interior of the display case. The side-light emitting portion comprises an extractor of light arranged to preferentially extract light from the luminaire and direct the light to at least one target area of said contents. The portion may be rotatable about its own longitudinal axis. A single side-light emitting portion may be arranged to illuminate a target area on one of its lateral sides, and another target area on another lateral side. A single lamp may provide light to first and second luminaires arranged to illuminate a target area on one of its lateral sides, and another target area on another lateral side.

Abstract: A luminaire with improved lateral illuminance control comprising a light pipe with a longitudinal center is disclosed. A light-extraction means applied to a radial swath of the light pipe has a longitudinal portion having dimension along its length, centered about a slice on the light pipe longitudinally; said slice being orthogonal to the longitudinal center and located in a propagation plane through which light propagates to a virtual target area intersecting the propagation plane. The light pipe intervenes between the radial swath and the target area. A first average efficiency point of the light-extraction means corresponds to the minimum distance to the target area being at least approximately 20% less than a respective, second average efficiency point corresponding to a respective maximum distance to such area. The light-extraction means efficiency varies from the first average efficiency point to the second average efficiency point though more than one non-zero value.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise light recycling films comprising an array of parallel ridges and grooves that form prisms that selectively reflect or transmit light. In some embodiments, the light recycling film may be used in displays that include spatial light modulators comprising a plurality of pixels. The light recycling film can limit the field-of-view of the display and enhance the luminance within that field-of-view. Various embodiments comprising multiple arrays of ridges and/or grooves can enhance uniformity of illumination of the pixels in the spatial light modulator and reduce Moiré effects.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise light recycling films comprising an array of parallel ridges and grooves that form prisms that selectively reflect or transmit light. In some embodiments, the light recycling film may be used in displays that include spatial light modulators comprising a plurality of pixels. The light recycling film can limit the field-of-view of the display and enhance the luminance within that field-of-view. Various embodiments comprising multiple arrays of ridges and/or grooves can enhance uniformity of illumination of the pixels in the spatial light modulator and reduce Moiré effects.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise light recycling films comprising an array of parallel ridges and grooves that form prisms that selectively reflect or transmit light. In some embodiments, the light recycling film may be used in displays that include spatial light modulators comprising a plurality of pixels. The light recycling film can limit the field-of-view of the display and enhance the luminance within that field-of-view. Various embodiments comprising multiple arrays of ridges and/or grooves can enhance uniformity of illumination of the pixels in the spatial light modulator and reduce Moiré effects.

Abstract: Various embodiments comprise light recycling films comprising an array of parallel ridges and grooves that form prisms that selectively reflect or transmit light. In some embodiments, the light recycling film may be used in displays that include spatial light modulators comprising a plurality of pixels. The light recycling film can limit the field-of-view of the display and enhance the luminance within that field-of-view. Various embodiments comprising multiple arrays of ridges and/or grooves can enhance uniformity of illumination of the pixels in the spatial light modulator and reduce Moiré effects.

Abstract: An optical apparatus comprises a light source, an optical member and a spatial light modulator. The optical member comprises optically transmissive material and has a textured major surface receiving light from the light source. The textured surface comprises first and second pluralities of non-intersecting elongate features. The pluralities are angled with respect to each other by less than about 90° and intersect each other so as to form total internal reflection structures. The spatial light modulator has rows or columns of pixels for receiving light from the optical member at a major surface. The light source may be (i) a light guide, or (ii) a source of light providing, to the optical member, light having a peak luminance that is shifted from a normal direction to the textured major surface by more than about 30°.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein comprise mixers comprising a light pipe having input and output ends and a central region therebetween. An optical path extends in a longitudinal direction from the input end through the central region to the output end. The central region of the light pipe comprises one or more rippled reflective sidewalls having a plurality of elongate ridges and valleys and sloping surfaces therebetween. Light from the input end propagating along the optical path reflects from the sloping surfaces and is redirected at a different azimuthal direction toward the output end thereby mixing the light at the output end. Illuminance and/or color mixing can therefore be provided.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein comprise illuminators comprising a phosphor color wheel for producing colored light. Light of a first wavelength emitted by a light source is incident on a phosphor color wheel comprising a plurality of different regions, where at least one of these regions comprises a phosphor that fluoresces at a second wavelength when illuminated with light of the first wavelength. The light from the light source and the different regions of the phosphor color wheel are movable with respect to each other such that as the different regions are illuminated by the light, different colors are produced.

Abstract: Luminaire with directional side-light extraction comprises a light pipe with a light-carrying core, and with a light-extraction structure along a first longitudinal side of the luminaire, confined to a radial swath of the luminaire, along the longitudinal axis of the luminaire, of substantially less than 180°. The second end has light-saving structure for directing saved light from the second end towards the first end, at redirection angles other than an excluded range of redirection angles, so long as the photon content of light at so-called alpha redirection angles is at least 10 percent of the photon content of light at so-called beta redirection angles, where the excluded range of redirection angles is defined by a mathematical formula. The light-extraction means is adjustable to accommodate angular distributions of light from various light sources.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of defining an array of extractor elements configured to extract light from a light guide, and thereby produce a desired spatial light pattern ET quantifying optical output at a plurality of locations across the light guide is provided. The method comprises calculating a first spatial light pattern produced by a first array of extractor elements. The first spatial light pattern quantifies optical output at the plurality of locations across the light guide. The method further comprises determining a ratio R of the optical output of the desired spatial light pattern to an optical output of the first spatial light pattern. The method further comprises determining a modified ratio R?, wherein R?=R? and |?|<1. The method further comprises determining a characteristic of a second array of extractor elements by scaling a characteristic of the first array of extractor elements by the modified ratio R?.

Abstract: Various embodiments described herein include lighting systems that produce an optical beam. Moreover, in various embodiments, the beam may be altered to provide, for example, a narrow beam or a wide beam. One such lighting system includes a light source, a diffusing optical element, and a projection lens. The diffusing optical element is disposed between the light source and the projection lens and can be translated to provide zoom capability.

Abstract: A luminaire with directional side-light extraction comprises a light pipe with a light-carrying core. The light pipe has light-extraction structure along a first longitudinal side of the luminaire, which is confined to a radial swath of the luminaire, along the longitudinal axis of the luminaire, of substantially less than 180°. For efficiency, the second end has light-saving structure for directing saved light from the second end towards the first end, at redirection angles other than an excluded range of redirection angles, so long as the photon content of light at so-called alpha redirection angles is at least 10 percent of the photon content of light at so-called beta redirection angles, where the excluded range of redirection angles is defined by: |?r?<=20° and |?r|<|?r|/10, where ?r is the beta redirection angle and ?r is the alpha redirection angle.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical lens for coupling the light output from a high intensity light source, such as an LED, with a light conduit. The optical lens captures, homogenizes and transmits substantially all of the light emitted the light source to a point of convergence that is centrally located on the output face of the optical lens. The present invention transmits upwards of 85% of the light emitted by the light source and produces a uniformly illuminated circular focal point that is easily discharged into the terminal end of an optical conduit such as an optical fiber of light pipe. Optionally the lens may be formed to include structure that serves to receive and retain the terminal end of the optical conduit.

Abstract: An image generator having an illuminator, a reflective display device (in one embodiment) and a beamsplitter which produces a virtual image of an image created in a light modulating medium on said reflective display device. In one embodiment, the image generator is a miniature image generator for a relatively small, lightweight head-mounted display which provides a magnified virtual image which is viewed by a viewer. The beamsplitter is optically coupled to the reflective display device. The beamsplitter comprises a film having a plurality of layers including at least a first layer which comprises an oriented birefringent material. The beamsplitter has a wide angle of acceptance.

Abstract: Various embodiments involving structures and methods for illumination can be employed, for example, in projectors, head-mounted displays, helmet-mounted displays, back projection TVs, flat panel displays as well as other optical systems. Certain embodiments may include prism elements for illuminating, for example, a spatial light modulator. Light may be coupled to the prism in some cases using fiber optics or lightpipes. The optical system may also include a diffuser having scatter features arranged to scatter light appropriately to produce a desired luminance profile. Other embodiments are possible as well.