Beam shaper and maskless character projector

Abstract

The invention relates to a beam shaper for generating an outgoing beam from an incident beam, the beam shaper comprising a condenser lens array for receiving the incident beam, the condenser lens array comprising a plurality of condenser lenses. The beam shaper includes a projection lens array for emitting an incident beam, the projection lens array being arranged parallel to the condenser lens array, where the projection lens array includes a plurality of projection lenses. The condenser lens array comprises at least one group of condenser lenses, where each condenser lens in the group comprises an aperture adapted to a sub-region of the overall pattern projected by the beam shaper so as to provide a portion of the incident beam to the projection lens array, the portion being assigned to the sub-region of the overall pattern. The aperture group of the condenser lens is adapted to the overall pattern.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a beam shaper for generating an output beam from an incident beam, a projector including such a beam shaper, and a method for providing the beam shaper and for configuring a condenser lens array. In particular, the present invention relates to a maskless character projector. Background Art

[0002] Character projectors are used to spread information, for example for route markings (so-called exit signs, visitor guidance or the like), Car2X communication in the automotive industry, for advertising purposes or in user interfaces (such as household electronic products). Gobo projectors, which are often used in these applications, operate according to the principle of a classic slide projector and typically have a binary slide (gobo) or a gobo turntable with LED illumination for projecting multiple images.

[0003] Basically, the system spread is limited by the surface area of the gobo openings used. The required illumination of the projected image and the brightness of the light source together determine the minimum lateral expansion of the projector. These relationships are explained by the étendue of the light source and the projection device [1]. Accordingly, the mounting length of the projector is largely determined by the focal length of the projection device (ranging from a few tens of millimeters to more than 100 millimeters). The improvement of system spread and the miniaturization of traditional projectors are strictly limited by these principles.

[0004] An alternative approach using a micro-optical projector array (array projector) with Köhler illumination enables a significant reduction in the mounting length by using a series of microlens arrays (MLAs) with a short focal length and an embedded binary micro-slide array [2]. Basically, this optical scheme corresponds to a honeycomb condenser including an aperture or an embedded slide array close to the input lens. With this projector architecture, on the one hand, a space-saving arrangement is possible, and on the other hand, due to the large depth of field of the array projector channels, projection onto inclined and curved screen surfaces will also be possible [3]. However, the spread of the array projector is similar to that of a classic slide projector and is mainly limited by the area filling factor of the binary micro-slide array. It has proven difficult to produce the MLA together with the embedded slide array: this requires sequential replication of the slide and two MLAs with very precise centering in the micrometer range. This high-cost replication requires an improved mask aligner [4].

[0005] Computer-generated hologram (CGH) illuminated by a laser can enable a small character projector with high propagation. Although these CGHs can be inexpensively replicated (e.g., by hot embossing in plastic), the attractiveness of this method is limited by interfering light (e.g., parasitic diffraction orders from the CGH), speckle, and the limited wavelength of laser diodes, especially without white light [5].

[0006] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a projector for displaying characters with a wide range of applications, which can be precisely and cost-effectively manufactured. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a beam shaper and an associated projector, a method for providing a beam shaper, and a method for configuring a condenser lens array, which can project patterns in a wide range of applications, can be precisely manufactured, and can be cost-effectively implemented.

[0008] This object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims.

[0009] The core idea of the present invention is that by using microlenses with irregular boundaries in a microlens array (the apertures of which are adapted to the patterns to be displayed by the respective microlenses), light beams can also be generated. However, different from an embedded slide, this can be accomplished without reducing propagation, which is why the output optical power is relatively high and the positioning of the corresponding micro-slide can be omitted. On the one hand, this enables a wide range of applications because such microlenses can be illuminated with any wavelength; on the other hand, this enables precise, simple, and especially cost-effective replication.

[0010] According to an embodiment, a beam shaper for generating an output beam from an incident beam includes: a condenser lens array for receiving the incident beam, wherein the condenser lens array includes a plurality of condenser lenses; and a projection lens array for emitting the output beam, the projection lens array being arranged parallel to the condenser lens array, wherein the projection lens array includes a plurality of projection lenses. The condenser lens array includes at least one group of condenser lenses, wherein each condenser lens of the group includes an aperture that is adapted to a sub-region of the overall pattern to be projected by the beam shaper to provide a portion of the incident beam associated with the sub-region of the overall pattern for the projection lens array; wherein the combination of the apertures of the condenser lenses is adapted to the overall pattern.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a method for providing a beam shaper for generating an output beam from an incident beam includes the steps of: providing a condenser lens array for receiving the incident beam, such that the condenser lens array includes a plurality of condenser lenses; and arranging a projection lens array parallel to the condenser lens array for emitting the output beam, such that the projection lens array includes a plurality of projection lenses, such that the condenser lens array includes at least one group of condenser lenses, wherein each condenser lens in the group includes an aperture that is adapted to a sub-region of an overall pattern projected by the beam shaper to provide a portion of the incident beam associated with the sub-region of the overall pattern to the projection lens array; and such that the combination of the apertures of the condenser lenses is adapted to the overall pattern.

[0012] According to an embodiment, a method for configuring a condenser lens array having a plurality of condenser lenses for a beam shaper includes: dividing an overall region of an overall pattern to be projected into a plurality of sub-regions; adapting the respective apertures of the condenser lenses of the condenser lens array to one of the plurality of sub-regions; projecting each of the plurality of sub-regions with at least one adapted condenser lens; and positioning the plurality of condenser lenses in the condenser lens array.

[0013] The subject matter of the dependent claims is further advantageous embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0014] The particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

[0015] Figure 1a , a schematic side sectional view of a beam shaper according to an embodiment;

[0016] Figure 1b , a top schematic view of an exemplary configuration of a pattern related to the embodiment described herein;

[0017] Figure 1c , Figure 1b , a top schematic view of the pattern in, which is divided into an exemplary number of three sub-regions to illustrate the embodiment;

[0018] Figure 1d , according to an embodiment, having respective apertures adapted to Figure 1b the sub-regions in a top schematic view of a group of condenser lenses;

[0019] Figure 2 , according to an embodiment, compared with Figure 1d a top schematic view of a modified group;

[0020] Figure 3 , a top schematic view of another pattern according to an embodiment, which is exemplarily denoted by the letter A;

[0021] Figure 4a-b, according to the embodiment Figure 3 Variants of two different groups of the arrangement of the six segments of the pattern in

[0022] Figure 5a , according to the embodiment additionally indicated by the intersecting lines H-H and V-V Figure 2 Top view schematic diagram of the group of

[0023] Figure 5b -c, from Figure 5a Side view schematic diagram of the beam shaper in the intersecting line

[0024] Figure 6 , Comparison of the behavior of lenses with large numerical aperture and small numerical aperture to illustrate the embodiments described herein

[0025] Figure 7 , Schematic flow chart of a method according to an embodiment that can be used, for example, to provide a beam shaper corresponding to the embodiments described herein

[0026] Figure 8 , Schematic flow chart of a method according to an embodiment that can be used, for example, to configure the condenser lens array described herein; and

[0027] Figure 9 , Schematic block diagram of a projector according to an embodiment Detailed Description

[0028] Before the following embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are provided for the same, functionally equivalent or equal elements, objects and / or structures in different figures, so the descriptions of these elements shown in different embodiments are interchangeable or interoperable.

[0029] The following embodiments will be described in conjunction with a large number of details. However, the embodiments can also be implemented without these detailed features. In addition, for clarity, block diagrams are used instead of detailed descriptions to describe the embodiments. Furthermore, as long as there is no clear contrary description, the details and / or features of separate embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0030] Figure 1aShows a schematic side cross-sectional view of a beam shaper 10 according to an embodiment. The beam shaper 10 is configured to generate an output beam 12 from an incident beam 14. The beam shaper 10 includes a condenser lens array 16 for receiving the incident beam 14. The condenser lens array 16 includes a plurality of condenser lenses 181-184 of at least two, at least three, preferably at least four, at least ten, particularly preferably one hundred or several hundred or more. A projection lens array 22 is arranged parallel to the condenser lens array 16, which is configured to emit the output beam 12. The projection lens array 22 includes a plurality of condenser lenses 241-244.

[0031] The substrates 261 and 262 of the arrays 16 and 22 can be formed separately from each other, but can also be formed integrally.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment, each condenser lens 18 i can together with its respective projection lens 24 j form an array channel. In such an embodiment, the number of projection lenses 24 of the projection array 22 can be equal to the number of condenser lenses 18 of the condenser lens array 16. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and thus the number of projection lenses 24 can also be different from the number of condenser lenses 18.

[0033] The condenser lens array 16 includes at least one group of condenser lenses 18, where each condenser lens includes an aperture that is adapted to a sub-region of the overall pattern 28 projected by the beam shaper 10 to provide a portion of the incident beam 14 associated with the sub-region of the overall pattern to the projection lens array 22. The combination of the apertures of the condenser lenses is adapted to the overall pattern 28.

[0034] Figure 1b Shows a top schematic view of an exemplary configuration of the pattern 28, which has the form of an exclamation mark "!" by way of example, but is not limited thereto.

[0035] Figure 1c Shows Figure 1b a plan schematic view of the pattern 28, which is divided into an exemplary number of three sub-regions 321, 322, and 323. The rules for dividing the pattern 28 into the sub-regions 321-323 will be described below. However, the shape or geometry of the sub-regions 321-323 can form the basis for the apertures of the condenser lenses of the condenser lens array 16, where for the projection of the pattern 28, three condenser lenses are sufficient.

[0036] Figure 1d Shows a top schematic view of a group 34 of condenser lenses 181, 182, and 183, where the group 34 can form at least part of the condenser lens array 16. For ease of comparison with Figure 1cassociated with the overall figure, and this group is inverted and displayed upside down.

[0037] The apertures 361, 362, and 363 of the condenser lenses 181, 182, and 183 can each have a shape respectively adapted to their respective sub-regions 321, 322, and 323. To this end, the apertures or boundaries 361, 362, and / or 363 can be, for example, geometrically similar to the outer boundaries of their respective sub-regions 321, 322, and 323. The total amount of the apertures 361, 362, and 363 can be adapted to the overall pattern 28. According to an embodiment, the group of condenser lenses is configured such that the group of condenser lenses includes an aperture region that is affected by or determined by the apertures 361, 362, and / or 363. As Figure 1d shown, the aperture region can be filled in a way that at least partially surrounds the middle region of the aperture region to form a channel region. The channel region can be, for example, rectangular, parallelogram, hexagonal, or other shapes, and can be, for example, at least partially affected by the configuration or aperture of the opposing projection lens. Multiple channel regions in the group can be arranged to fill the region, for example, as Figure 2 shown.

[0038] To improve the representation of the overall pattern, light-scattering regions 381, 382, and / or 383 can be provided in the condenser lens array 16 and / or its group 34, which enables the middle region in the condenser lens array 16 to be filled when several condenser lenses are combined together, and this middle region is subsequently masked in the projected pattern. The filling or geometry of the light-scattering regions 381 - 383 can be configured in a way that enables the corresponding contours to be joined together without problems. The filling between the aperture and the channel regions of the microlenses 421 - 423 can be carried out through the regions 381 - 383.

[0039] In other words, the characters can be segmented and arranged to fill the regions in the segments and groups. For projection, the characters or patterns to be displayed can be first segmented into sub-graphs, as explained in Figure 1c . This segmentation can be carried out in a form that fills the channels of the segments as much as possible. Figure 1b and 1c show the exclamation mark segmented into two trapezoids 321, 322, and a circle 323, which preferably have similar dimensions.

[0040] To ensure that the condenser aperture fills the region as much as possible, as Figure 1dAs shown, sub - graphics can be matched into rectangular or square condenser microlenses. This means that the aperture can be filled. As an alternative to the rectangular configuration, different geometries that enable a good parqueted or area - filling arrangement can also be selected. This includes, for example, triangles or hexagons. The phase difference between the graphic part and the aperture of the microlens can be formed as a scattering region 381 - 38 (3) .

[0041] The advantage of filling is shown by the configuration of Figure 2 , which shows in a top - down schematic view the modified group 34'. By way of example, the group 34' includes three segments 441, 442, and 443, where each segment includes a large number of adjacent, identically - formed channels or lenses having them (especially the boundaries of consistent condenser lenses), apertures, and each segment is imaged onto the same region of the projection area, which can be set in a corresponding direction in the form of a projection lens array. Optional scattering regions can be formed equivalently with respect to their respective boundaries, where this is not necessarily carried out. Alternatively or additionally, the configuration of the scattering regions can vary from channel to channel and / or from group to group. This means that several groups can be part of a beam shaper.

[0042] By way of example, each segment 441, 442, and 443 includes a number of six identical microlenses 42 1,1 -42 1,6 -42 3,1 -42 3,6 . It should be noted that the number of identical microlenses in each segment 441 - 443 is not necessarily the same, and it can also be different. From this, it can also be seen that the number of six identical microlenses in each segment 441 - 444 is only selected by way of example (e.g., as shown in Figure 1d ), and this number can be one or can be a higher value, for example, it can arbitrarily be two, three, four, five, or more.

[0043] The light - scattering region 38 enables an area - filling arrangement of the respective microlenses in the group 34' and thus an area - filling arrangement of the respective microlenses in the condenser lens array. According to an embodiment, a beam shaper is provided, wherein the fill factor of the condenser lenses 18 in the groups 34, 34' and / or the condenser lens array 18 is at least 70%, preferably at least 75%, particularly preferably at least 80%. Correspondingly, the area ratio of the region that may be configured as the intermediate region of the light - scattering region can be at most 30%, at most 25%, or at most 20%.

[0044] Embodiments provide that the intermediate regions of the condenser lens arrays and / or groups are equally or symmetrically distributed within tolerances in one or several segments of the group 34' among the groups 34, 34' and / or distributed in a group of several groups. The intermediate regions interfere with optical propagation and / or reduce local brightness, especially when configured as light scatterer regions. Due to the symmetric or uniform distribution, this effect can be kept to a minimum for an optical observer.

[0045] In other words, by, for example, a tiled filling of the regions of the six rectangular or square condenser apertures or microlenses 42 in each of the rectangular segments 441 - 443, a tiled arrangement of the regions of the condenser apertures in these three segments can be obtained, which can in turn together form the rectangular group 34'. The configuration of the group 34' as a rectangle advantageously enables the tiling of several groups, where the rectangular configuration is not absolutely necessary. In this regard, Figure 2 A variant of a tileable group for arranging multiple parts of six exclamation marks in three segments is shown.

[0046] Accordingly, the rectangular group can be tiled to fill the entire area to achieve the overall expansion required for a honeycomb condenser. There are also further possibilities of forming multiple segments and combining them into groups. For example, Figure 1c The circular region of the sub-region 32 can advantageously be characterized by a higher region filling with condenser microlenses having a regular hexagonal boundary. These can be arranged as a densely tileable hexagonal array. When configuring the groups 34, 34', the fact that the rectangular segments of the arrays of the graphical parts 321 and 323 in Figure 1c will be connected to segments with non-rectangular boundaries can be solved. Advantageously, the segments 441 and 442 can be configured larger (i.e., having more sub-graphs), which proportionally reduces the required scattering connection regions between the segments.

[0047] Figure 3 A top view schematic of the pattern 28' is shown, which is exemplarily denoted by the letter A, and thus Figure 3 exemplarily explains a further segmentation of the letter "A". Although Figure 1bThe division by the exclamation mark results in trapezoidal or circular parts that do not completely fill the area. However, for the exemplary letter A, this can be carried out without any problems. Thus, for example, the segments 32’1 - 32’4 can be configured as parallelograms, which can be arranged in a particularly advantageous manner (especially in a tiled arrangement) to fill the area. The tiled arrangement can be understood to mean that two (especially a larger number of) adjacent segments are arranged in a volume without an intermediate area or with at most a negligible intermediate area. The shapes and sizes of the sub-regions 32’1 and 32’2 on one side and 32’3 and 32’4 on the other side can each be the same. The symmetry of the pattern to be divided can be utilized here. In addition, there are two irregular quadrilaterals 32’5 and 32’6 that cannot be tiled or are difficult to tile.

[0048] In other words, Figure 3 shows the division of the letter "A" into parallelograms and irregular quadrilaterals. Here, the letter "A" is likewise only used as an example of the pattern to be divided and projected.

[0049] Figure 4a and 4b illustrates two different groups of variants of the arrangement of the six segments 32’1 - 32’6 of the pattern 28’ in Figure 3 . By way of example, a quadruple arrangement of the condenser microlenses or condenser lenses 18 i,j is shown, in which in combination with Figure 4a and 4b , the parameter i corresponds to the number of the sub-region of Figure 3 , and the parameter j is the consecutive number of lenses within the same sub-region or of the same shape, which are combined to form the segments 441 - 446. The groups 441 - 444 that have been formed by tileable apertures or that have been joined together can also be easily joined together, for example as shown in Figure 4a and as shown in Figure 4b . If the condenser lenses 18 of the different segments 441 - 444 are different, a light-scattering region 38 can be provided in the intermediate area.

[0050] An intermediate area 38 5,j and 38 6,j can be provided for the condenser lenses of the segments 445 and 446 that are less easily tileable to fill the tileable base area in each case. This would be particularly advantageous if each segment includes a condenser lens 18, and all these condenser lenses 18 are arranged in the same direction or the same orientation and are only relatively shifted.

[0051] According to an embodiment, all condenser lenses can be arranged in an orientation corresponding to the pattern to be projected.

[0052] As Figure 4aAs shown, according to an embodiment described herein, a group may include one or several segments, each segment including a plurality of condenser lenses, the respective apertures of which are adapted to the same sub-region of the overall pattern. Different segments may have equal or different numbers of channels, which enables homogenization in terms of sub-region brightness and / or individual adaptation.

[0053] The group may include a plurality of condenser lenses, and each sub-region of the overall pattern may be projected multiple times by the group, which is possible when using the segments described herein, but other implementations may also be used, such as by a dispersed arrangement of condenser lenses directing to the same sub-region. In both cases, the condenser lenses of the group may be arranged in a tiled form in a condenser lens array, where, as shown, tiling may be performed within at least one sub-region, for example for segments 441 - 444 and for segments 445 and 446 arranged without gaps thereon, which also contributes to tiling.

[0054] As Figure 4a shown, two or more segments of a group may be arranged adjacent to each other. Each segment may include a plurality of condenser lenses configured to project the same sub-region of the overall pattern. In group 34, adjacent segments may be configured to project different sub-regions of the overall pattern, such as Figure 3 different regions. The light scattering regions 38 between the condenser lenses of the condenser lens array may be arranged for uniform scattered light distribution in the projected pattern. This may be done, for example, by appropriately distributing the light scattering regions relative to the respective segments and / or relative to the group or relative to the overall pattern, considering the dimming caused by the light scattering regions as a perceivable effect and exploiting it as a design freedom. According to an embodiment, different numbers of condenser lenses may be arranged to adjust the brightness of the sub-regions for projecting different sub-regions of the overall pattern. Such differences may be achieved by different numbers of groups and / or segments and / or by different configurations of the groups. The combination of groups or multiple groups may control the brightness of the sub-graphics.

[0055] Figure 4b The difference between group 34' in Figure 4a and group 34 in 5,1 -38 5,4 and / or 38 6,1 -38 6,3 may lie in that the segments are arranged in different positions and / or the possible light scattering regions 38 ’1 and / or 462 compared to 46 ’2They can be configured differently from each other, which further increases the degree of freedom in configuring the groups to increase the packing density, especially when a larger number of condenser lenses are used in the condenser lens array.

[0056] Although the corresponding apertures at the centers of the parallelogram portions 32’1 - 32’4 or the groups 34 and 34’ can be densely packed, it is helpful to partially channel mask the irregular quadrilaterals 18 5,1 -18 5,4 and 18 6,1 -18 6,4 or other light scattering regions with a diffuser. The mixed arrangement of the two variants of the groups in the character projector can make the interfering light components more evenly distributed on the left and right of the trapezoidal portion where the letter "A" is projected.

[0057] In the two segmentation examples described with reference to Figure 4a and Figure 4b the examples shown therebetween are the arrangements of the same graphic part in the segments 441 - 446 in each case. In special cases, the interleaved arrangement of different parts of the segmentation in the mixed segments is also useful. An example is the space-filling arrangement of equilateral triangle apertures in the mixed segments, where the triangles standing on the sides and the triangles standing on the vertices alternate with each other. If the graphic part to be displayed consists of or includes equilateral triangles rotated 180° relative to each other, this is a simple option for area-filling tiling. Other tiling options are possible and can be combined with each other if necessary. In that way, hexagons and triangles can be easily joined together.

[0058] Both the group 34 and the group 34’ are examples of embodiments in which the condenser lens array includes a plurality of groups arranged in a tiled form. This is particularly advantageous since the configuration of the groups enables a tiled arrangement without providing a large number of intermediate regions.

[0059] Figure 5a Shows Figure 2 a top view schematic of the group 34’ in Figure 5b and 5c with the segments 441, 442 and 443 and the additional representation of the intersecting lines H-H and V-V, which are arranged along the x-direction of the exemplary Cartesian coordinate system and the y-direction perpendicular thereto, for configuring the subsequent optical devices for lateral correction and upright projection. Figure 5a Also, i,x and 48 i,y a comparison of i is shown, which indicates the dimensions in the x or y direction of the apertures of the condenser lenses formed equivalently along the segment 44 i,x : 48i,j The aspect ratio between the maximum and minimum extensions of the aperture of each condenser lens can be described, which can be arranged according to embodiments to have a value of at most 4, at most 3, at most 2, preferably smaller, and particularly preferably about 1 (such as obtained for the circular aperture of segment 443). It should be noted that the reference directions for the maximum and minimum extension directions can vary arbitrarily in space and, more precisely, are arranged randomly along the x and y directions.

[0060] When performing independent design or layout parameters, it is not only the aspect ratio of the respective condenser lens that is advantageous, but also the difference or uniformity of the condenser lenses of different arrays or the lenses associated with different sub-regions. According to embodiments, the group of condenser lenses differ from each other with respect to the maximum extension of the aperture, for example, with respect to groups 34', 48 1,y and 48 2,y relative to 48 3,y or 48 3,x in terms of extension, or alternatively 48 2,x The coefficient of variation with respect to the maximum extension of the aperture is at most 5. This avoids excessive deviation from each other and the resulting differences in channel crosstalk due to different degrees of diffraction and aberration of the respective condenser microlenses in the overall pattern. According to other embodiments, these differences can be explicitly desired, which then requires considering additional effects of the lenses, such as considering different lens diffractions, etc.

[0061] In other words, for an exemplary system configuration, the case of projection to infinity can be discussed first. For example, looking from the light source direction, the sub-graphs must first be mirrored and rotated by 180°. The explanations made here focus on the representation of the exclamation mark. Looking from the light source direction, Figure 5a shows the mirroring and rotation of the groups channel by channel. To obtain the correct projection, the projection lenses of the segments can image the respective sub-graphs at a certain angle. For Figure 5a the example in, this means that segments 181 and 183 are projected upward or downward relative to the image of segment 442. This can be done by forming the projector microlenses as corresponding eccentric lens segments.

[0062] Figure 5b shows a schematic side cross-sectional view of a beam shaper 50 according to an embodiment, which includes Figure 5a group 34'. An explanation is given along the Figure 5a V-V intersection line of.

[0063] The array 22 of opposingly arranged projection lenses includes projection lenses 24 2,1 -24 2,3 and 24 3,1 , which can be respectively associated with their respective condenser lenses 18 2,1 、18 2,2 、182,3 and 18 3,1 , forming respective optical channels.

[0064] Even though different embodiments of the projection lens 24 3,1 have been described, according to the embodiment, the projection lenses of the projection lens array 22 may have mutually identical apertures, which may be formed, for example, particularly large, particularly uniform and particularly without overlap.

[0065] The plurality of projection lenses 24 may each have an aperture whose geometry is independent of the geometry of the overall pattern, i.e., is configured to be different from the aperture of the condenser lens 18. Alternatively or additionally, the geometry of the aperture of the projection lens 24 may be different from the aperture of the opposing condenser lens 18.

[0066] Independently thereof, the projection lens 24 may be associated with each condenser lens 18. The associated projection lens may include a separate eccentricity relative to the associated condenser lens for imaging the superposition of sub-images of the overall pattern in the hyperfocal region, where this is an optional configuration.

[0067] For various reasons, the projection lenses may be individually or as a group eccentric. On the one hand, eccentricity can be used to achieve superposition, for example, focusing at a given distance; on the other hand, eccentricity can be used to obtain direction, i.e., separating segments of different images. The two reasons for execution can be carried out, for example, independently of each other without considering the other reason, and can also be carried out together.

[0068] In other words, Figure 5b shows a side view of a vertical section V-V through the honeycomb condenser marked in Figure 5a . Although the projector microlenses 24 2,1 , 24 2,2 and 24 2,3 can image the channel 18 for the central part of the pattern without infinite deflection, the segments 24 of the eccentric lens 3,1 can provide a downwardly shifted image of the point of the exclamation mark, for example, to obtain the distance from the trunk to the point of the exclamation mark in the overall pattern, which is not shown in the group 34'.

[0069] Another possibility is a suitable eccentric arrangement of the condenser microlens 18 relative to the projection microlens 24. In this case, the condenser microlens can advantageously be configured as segments of an eccentric lens. Depending on the respective graphics to be illustrated and the selected segmentation, a hybrid form of the two methods is also possible, as described, for example, in [7], such that it is possible to obtain projection microlenses 24 that are the same or at least of a similar size, and thus an operating mode with the expansion amount of the beam shaper retained.

[0070] It should be noted that the condenser lensAperture (Object to be projected) and the projection lens Vertex The eccentricity between them affects both the direction and the focusing Is decisive . Three basic implementation methods can be considered for the direction and the focusing:

[0071] 1. Arrangement of the projection lens that is only eccentric relative to the condenser lens;

[0072] 2. A variant of 1., and additionally, the configuration of the condenser microlenses is a segmentation of the lens that is eccentric within the aperture of the condenser lens, which images the source into the eccentric projection lens.

[0073] 3. The projection lens aperture and the projection lens that are centered relative to the aperture of the condenser lens, and the projection lens is configured as a segmentation of the lens that is eccentric within the central PL aperture.

[0074] Variant 3 may offer the greatest advantages in terms of extension retention and good stray light suppression. Although variant 2 maintains the extension, it complicates the manufacture of the condenser lens and potentially increases the stray light / channel crosstalk, although these limitations may be acceptable compared to the advantages of the present invention. On the other hand, variant 1 reduces the acceptance angle of the beam shaper while the stray light suppression remains unchanged.

[0075] It can be projected to a finite distance, for example, through a downstream focusing device in a projector, which includes the beam shaper described herein and a light source for providing incident light. The projection can be superfocused and eccentric, or alternatively, a focusing projection lens can be used and an eccentric projection distance can be adopted. In other words, the projector can include a focusing device and / or a separate projection lens, which is eccentric for correct superposition of the overall pattern or channel images in the imaging plane. It can be imaged in the focusing plane by a focusing imaging method. Alternatively, by operating a sufficiently small projection microlens 24 in an exemplary but non-essential superfocus region, focusing can be achieved by making the projection microlenses eccentric relative to their respective condenser lenses according to the method of an array projector [2].

[0076] The embodiment can be configured in such a way that when the non-scattering region of the condenser microlens 18 only images the light source onto the respective associated projection microlenses 24, the scattering region distributes the incident light to many, preferably more distant, projection microlenses 24, and thus reduces the brightness projected by the associated projector microlenses 24 to such an extent that the projected portions (see Figure 1d , 181, 182, and 183 of the exclamation marks) and the difference amounts to be masked (see Figure 1d , 381, 382, and 383) and the condenser aperture (see Figure 1d , 361, 362, 363) achieve sufficient contrast.

[0077] Figure 5c shows the Figure 5a top view of the horizontal section H-H. The regions 18 of the condenser microlenses to be imaged 1,6 、18 1,3 、18 2,6 and 18 2,3 can image the light source onto associated microlenses in the illumination optical path, which can also be referred to as Köhler illumination, and thus enables high-speed imaging of these regions of the condenser microlenses through the associated projection microlenses. The light scattering region 38 distributes the irradiated light to many, preferably more distant, adjacent channels. Additionally, in this case, larger aberrations are generated when imaging through the more distant projector microlenses, which can reduce the brightness of the projections of these regions, especially to such an extent that the individual parts of the characters are displayed with sufficient contrast.

[0078] As Figure 5b and Figure 5c already shown in the schematic representations, the fill factor of the projection lenses in the projection lens array 22 can be particularly high and can be, for example, at least 90%, at least 92% or at least 95%. Different optical properties can be used to adjust the direction. According to an embodiment, the aperture of the condenser lens can be arranged offset with respect to the vertex of the projection lens associated with the condenser lens to adjust the direction of the projection affected by the projection lens (i.e., the direction setting of the projection). For example, the aperture of the projection lens 24 can be arranged opposite to the aperture of the condenser lens, and the projection lens 24 can include an eccentric lens element that at least partially affects the direction, such as the lens element 24 shown in the figure 3,1 . Alternatively or additionally, the condenser lens 18 can include segments of eccentric lenses. This can affect the illumination of the projection lens, while the direction can remain unaffected.

[0079] In other words, Figure 5c shows the horizontal section through the Figure 5a group. For better illustration, only the scattering region 38 is indicated for the respective lower channels, at the position below the value x.

[0080] Figure 5aThe light scattering region 38 shown in the figure as the shaded area can be implemented as a simple surface scatterer having a microscopic, statistically rough surface. Alternatively, implementation of a deterministic diffuser is also possible, for example as described in [8]. In this case, if the scattering surface profile is not repeated in the segmented channels, this will advantageously avoid hot spots in the projection. A further implementation is as a configuration of a concave microlens which distributes the light in this region over the largest possible angular range and thus over many projection microlenses. Such a concave microlens can be configured as, for example, a Fresnel lens. Similar or identical to the deterministic diffuser, the concave microlens can or should be configured slightly differently in each of the segmented channels to avoid hot spots when imaging the scattering region. This means, for example, a configuration as a channel-like eccentric microlens and, in the case of a configuration as a Fresnel element, additionally positioning the trailing edge of the Fresnel zone at different positions within the segmented channels.

[0081] From here on, the embodiments provide the light scattering region 38 as configurable as a diffuser, a concave microlens, and / or a statistical surface scatterer. Different light scattering regions in a group can be configured in such a way that the optical properties of the light scattering regions for scattering light are different from each other. Such properties can be, for example, the scattering angle, artifact positioning, etc. According to an embodiment, the light scattering region can be configured as a segmented light scattering region. An example of such a segmented light scattering region is the aforementioned Fresnel lens structure, where the Fresnel trailing edge of each respective Fresnel lens structure is advantageously arranged offset with respect to another Fresnel lens structure to adjust different optical properties.

[0082] Furthermore, other aspects can also be considered when configuring the system and partitioning the pattern into segments, and other aspects can be considered when configuring the lens. For example, as Figure 1b and / or Figure 3 described in, it may be necessary to partition the pattern into as few segments as possible with similar sizes. This makes it possible to avoid a relatively small numerical aperture (NA) in the illumination optical path. See Figure 6。A too small NA of the condenser microlens 361 will cause a relatively large Airy diffraction disk 521 in the projected light distribution, which can extend into adjacent projected microlenses and thus cause channel crosstalk. A relatively large condenser microlens 362 can generate a larger illumination NA and thus inversely generate a relatively small Airy disk 522, thereby reducing or avoiding channel crosstalk, which is beneficial to the overall projection. On the other hand, a large condenser lens has a large NA (or a low f / #) and thus tends to generate a larger aberration, which will blur the imaging of the light source in the projection lens and thus also cause channel crosstalk. A beneficial, preferred but non-limiting trade-off between these two limitations is an NA in the range of about 0.1...0.2.

[0083] The expansion of the channel input aperture can be configured to be as similar as possible to avoid large fluctuations in the arrow height of the condenser microlenses between segments and segments. Such jumps in height can generate stray light, which can reach adjacent condenser microlenses and thus also cause channel crosstalk. Further, this enables the projected microlenses to be configured with the same or at least similar pitch (i.e., distance or repeat distance). This enables the projector to operate in the form of an expansion amount retention [6, 7]. The area of the diffuser region 38 within and between segments and between adjacent groups can be minimized to achieve a higher available propagation. The segmentation type of the characters to be displayed determines this or at least has an impact on this.

[0084] The method proposed herein is based on an improved irregular honeycomb condenser structure with a microlens array having an irregular boundary similar to [6] and with an additional scattering structure. The method described herein avoids the embedded slide structure required in previous array projectors according to [2].

[0085] A collimated light source (such as a collimated LED) illuminates the irregular honeycomb condenser, the area of which consists of several equivalent groups that fill the area as much as possible. Accordingly, each group consists of several segments that are also arranged close to each other to fill the area as much as possible. If the area of the group or its segments cannot be filled, the remaining gaps are configured as light scattering regions, thereby suppressing their projection.

[0086] The input apertures of the equivalent condenser microlenses of each segment each correspond to a part of the character to be projected. Their boundary geometries (such as rectangles, squares, parallelograms, or hexagons) can achieve the tiling of area filling. If there is no perfect correspondence between the part of the character and the boundary geometry of the area filling, the remaining part of the condenser microlens can be configured as a scattering region, thereby suppressing its projection. In order to achieve the highest possible system propagation and high-contrast projection, the proportion of the area of the scattering region can be configured to be as small as possible in proportion to the above-mentioned gaps between segments and groups.

[0087] The output aperture of each segmented projection microlens is advantageously and as much as possible adapted to the far-field distribution of the light incident on the honeycomb concentrator. In the case of a collimated LED light source or other collimated light source, this can for example correspond to a square aperture. The projection microlenses can also be arranged to fill the entire surface in order to make good use of the advantages of the present invention. This enables an almost etendue-preserving projection [6]. However, the area filling configuration of the concentrating microlenses on the input side and the minimization of the scattering area can have a relatively higher priority. A notable function of the projection microlenses can be to image the individual parts of a character (i.e., the segmented concentrating lenses) at an angle in order to achieve the correct arrangement of the individual parts in the projection (direction). For this purpose, for example, the projection microlenses are configured as segments of an eccentric lens.

[0088] Figure 7 A schematic flowchart of a method 700 according to an embodiment that can be used to provide, for example, a beam shaper corresponding to the embodiments described herein is shown.

[0089] Step 710 includes providing a concentrating lens array for receiving an incident beam such that the concentrating lens array includes a plurality of concentrating lenses. Step 720 includes arranging a projection lens array parallel to the concentrating lens array for emitting an outgoing beam such that the projection lens array includes a plurality of projection lenses. Thereby, one or more boundary conditions 730 are achieved such that the concentrating lens array includes at least one group of concentrating lenses, where each concentrating lens of the group includes an aperture that is adapted to a sub-region of the overall pattern projected by the beam shaper to provide a portion of the incident beam associated with a part of the overall pattern to the projection lens array. In such a manner, an adaptation of the combination of the apertures of the concentrating lenses to the overall pattern is achieved.

[0090] Figure 8 A schematic flowchart of a method 800 according to an embodiment that can be used to configure, for example, the concentrating lens array described herein is shown. Step 810 includes dividing an overall region of the overall pattern to be projected into a plurality of sub-regions.

[0091] Step 820 includes adapting the respective apertures of the concentrating lenses of the concentrating lens array to one of the plurality of sub-regions to project each sub-region with at least one adapted concentrating lens.

[0092] Step 830 includes positioning the plurality of concentrating lenses in the concentrating lens array.

[0093] Method 800 can be performed such that the concentrating lenses are configured such that the aspect ratio between the maximum and minimum extents of the aperture of each concentrating lens includes a value of at most 4.

[0094] Alternatively or additionally, method 800 may be performed such that the condenser lenses are configured such that the maximum extensions of the condenser lenses in a group differ from each other by at most a factor of 5 with respect to the aperture.

[0095] Alternatively or additionally, method 800 may be performed such that positioning 830 includes assembling the condenser lenses in at least one group having at least one segment and providing a light scattering region in an intermediate region of adjacent apertures in the assembly.

[0096] Optionally, adaptation 820 may optionally be performed such that the groups of condenser lenses of the condenser lens array include a plurality of adjacent segments, and with respect to the local arrangement, the light scattering intermediate regions between the apertures of the condenser lenses of one segment are arranged with low repeatability with respect to at least one other segment, which means, for example, aiming at least at a uniform distribution.

[0097] Method 800 preferably includes the step of manufacturing a condenser lens array, wherein the manufacturing may be performed at different locations or sites and may include, for example, transmitting the results of method 800 to a manufacturing device.

[0098] Figure 9 A schematic block diagram of a projector 90 according to an embodiment is shown. It includes a light source 54 for providing an incident beam 14 and a beam shaper according to an embodiment (e.g., beam shaper 10), however, other beam shapers described herein may also be provided, in particular a condenser lens array. The light source 54 may be, for example, a collimated light source, which may be achieved by using additional or already integrated collimation devices. According to a preferred embodiment, the plurality of projection lenses of the beam shaper 10 may include apertures having a shape adapted to the far-field distribution of the light source 54. Optionally, the projector 90 may include focusing optics 56 for focusing the overall pattern onto an imaging plane 58.

[0099] In other words, the embodiments described herein may be configured as a maskless character projector, which may eliminate the need for an absorptive slide or aperture structure. This makes high throughput of the system possible and simplifies the manufacturing process or enables new manufacturing techniques (such as plastic injection molding or hot embossing). By using an improved honeycomb condenser architecture, the dependence between the incident angle and the illumination far-field distribution may be reduced or eliminated as long as the incident angle is less than or equal to the acceptance angle of the honeycomb condenser. A simple adaptability similar to the array projector architecture according to [3] for projection onto tilted and / or curved projection areas may be achieved.

[0100] The embodiments described herein can be particularly used in the field of automotive interior and exterior lighting, for example, projecting characters onto the road for Car2X communication and interior lighting for well-defined lighting areas. Alternatively or additionally, symbols can also be projected for safety and advertising applications, and any other applications are possible.

[0101] The implementation aspects of the embodiments described herein also refer to:

[0102] 1. A maskless character projector, which consists of or includes at least one set of honeycomb condensers, and the honeycomb condenser consists of at least two different segments, and each segment is formed by:

[0103] - An array of condensers with condenser microlenses, the condenser microlenses having the same boundaries filling the entire area, some of which include scattering regions,

[0104] - And an array of projectors with eccentric microlenses,

[0105] wherein each segment projects a part of the character to be projected onto a specific location on the projection screen or projects it at a specific angle to infinity, so that the characters are recombined from the projected parts on the screen or at infinity.

[0106] 2. Forming a scattering region on the condenser array through statistical scattering and extinction surfaces.

[0107] 3. Forming a scattering region on the condenser array through deterministic scattering and structured surfaces, wherein the scattering surface spectrum is different within the segmented condenser.

[0108] 4. Forming a scattering region through a concave curved surface, which is different within the segments of the segmented condenser.

[0109] 5. The concave curved surface formed according to point 4 is a Fresnel structure, and the Fresnel trailing edge positions are different within the segmented condenser.

[0110] 6. Between two adjacent segments or two adjacent groups, imaging of the regions not covered by the condenser microlenses is suppressed through scattering structures similar to those in points 2 - 5 in these regions.

[0111] 7. Using the scattering regions formed according to points 2 - 6 as wide-angle scatterers.

[0112] 8. Forming the base region of the scattering regions in points 2 - 7 as a free region, so as to avoid high spectral jumps when transitioning to adjacent condenser microlenses.

[0113] 9. Projecting characters with uniform brightness through the same frequency of the separate parts divided in the group.

[0114] 10. Due to the different frequencies of the character parts in the group, different parts of the character are projected with different brightnesses.

[0115] 11. The character projector forms an irregular series-connected microlens array.

[0116] Although some aspects have been described in connection with apparatuses, it is evident that these aspects also represent a description of corresponding methods, such that a block or device of an apparatus also corresponds to respective method steps or features of method steps. Similarly, the various aspects described in the context of method steps also represent a description of corresponding blocks or details or features of the corresponding apparatus.

[0117] According to certain implementation requirements, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by hardware or software. Implementation can be carried out using a digital storage medium, such as a floppy disk, DVD, Blu-ray disc, CD, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or flash memory, a hard disk drive, or other magnetic or optical memory on which electronically readable control signals are stored, which cooperate or are capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system to execute respective methods. Thus, the digital storage medium can be computer-readable. Some embodiments of the present invention include a data carrier that contains electronically readable control signals capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system to execute one of the methods described herein.

[0118] Generally speaking, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a computer program product having program code, and when the computer program product runs on a computer, the program code can be used to execute one of the methods described above. For example, the program code can be stored on a machine-readable carrier.

[0119] Other embodiments include a computer program for executing one of the methods described herein, where the computer program is stored on a machine-readable carrier.

[0120] Therefore, in other words, an embodiment of the method of the present invention is a computer program that, when the computer program runs on a computer, includes program code for executing one of the methods described herein.

[0121] Therefore, a further embodiment of the method of the present invention is a data carrier (or digital storage medium or computer-readable medium) that includes a computer program recorded thereon for executing one of the methods described herein. The data carrier, digital storage medium, or computer-readable medium is generally tangible or non-volatile.

[0122] Accordingly, a further embodiment of the method of the present invention is a data stream or signal sequence representing a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. For example, the data stream or signal sequence may be configured to be transmitted via a data communication connection (e.g., via the Internet).

[0123] A further embodiment includes a processing component, such as a computer or a programmable logic device, configured or adapted to perform one of the methods described herein.

[0124] A further embodiment includes a computer having installed thereon a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein.

[0125] In some embodiments, a programmable logic device (e.g., a field programmable gate array, FPGA) may be used to perform some or all of the functions of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, the field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. Generally, the methods are preferably performed by any hardware device. This may be general hardware (e.g., a computer central processing unit CPU) or dedicated hardware dedicated to the method (e.g., an ASIC).

[0126] The above embodiments are only illustrative of the principles of the present invention. It should be understood that modifications and variations to the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent to other technicians in the art. Accordingly, the intention of the present invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and not by the specific details presented herein by way of description and explanation of the embodiments.

[0127] Literature

[0128] [1] Geiβler, Enrico "Meeting the challenges of developing LED-based projection displays." Photonics in Multimedia. Vol. 6196. SPIE, 2006.

[0129] [2] Sieler, Marcel et al. "Ultraslim fixed pattern projectors with inherent homogenization of illumination", Appl. Opt. 51 (2012) 64 - 71.

[0130] [3]Fischer, Stephanie et al. "Array projector design for projection on arbitrarily curved surfaces." Optical Systems Design 2015: Optical Design and Engineering VI. Vol. 9626. SPIE, 2015.

[0131] [4]Dannberg, Peter et al. "Wafer-level hybrid integration of complex micro-optical modules." Micromachines 5.2 (2014): 325 - 340.

[0132] [5]Buckley, Edward "Computer-Generated Phase-Only Holograms for Real-Time Image Display", Nov. 2011, DOI: 10.5772 / 18709.

[0133] [6]Li, Chen et al. "Optical beam former", DE 102017217345 B4.

[0134] [7]Schreiber, Peter et al. "Light Shaping with Micro-optical Irregular Fly's Eye Condensers", IODC 2021, vol. 12078, SPIE 2021, 1207813.

[0135] [8]Eckstein, Hans-Christian et al. "Electromagnetic radiation-scattering element and method of manufacturing same", US 10254449 B2.

Claims

1. A beam shaper for generating an output beam (12) from an incident beam (14), the beam shaper comprising: a condenser lens array (16) for receiving the incident beam (14), wherein the condenser lens array (16) comprises a plurality of condenser lenses (18); and a projection lens array (22) for emitting the output beam (12), the projection lens array (22) being arranged parallel to the condenser lens array (16), wherein the projection lens array (22) comprises a plurality of projection lenses (24), wherein the condenser lens array (16) comprises at least one group (34; 34') of condenser lenses (18), wherein each condenser lens (18) in the group (34; 34') comprises an aperture (36) that is adapted to a sub-region (32) of an overall pattern (28) projected by the beam shaper to provide the projection lens array (22) with a portion of the incident beam (14) associated with the sub-region (32) of the overall pattern (28); wherein the combination of the apertures (36) of the condenser lenses (18) is adapted to the overall pattern (28).

2. The beam shaper according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate region between the apertures (36) of adjacent condenser lenses (18) of the group (34; 34') is configured as a light scattering region (38).

3. The beam shaper according to claim 2, wherein the light scattering region (38) is configured as a diffuser, a concave microlens, and / or a statistical surface scatterer.

4. The beam shaper according to claim 3, wherein the light scattering region (38) is a first light scattering region in a segment of the group (34; 34'); and the group (34; 34') comprises a second light scattering region between two adjacent condenser lenses (18) in the segment of the group (34; 34'), wherein the optical properties of the first light scattering region and the second light scattering region for scattering light are different from each other.

5. The beam shaper according to claim 4, wherein the first light scattering region and the second light scattering region are formed as segmented light scattering regions.

6. The beam shaper according to claim 5, wherein the first light scattering region comprises a first Fresnel lens structure, and wherein the second light scattering region comprises a second Fresnel lens structure; and the Fresnel trailing edge of the second Fresnel lens structure is arranged to be offset relative to the first Fresnel lens structure to adjust different optical properties.

7. The beam shaper according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein a plurality of intermediate regions of the condenser lens array (16) are evenly distributed or symmetrically arranged within at least one segment of the group (34; 34'), within the group (34; 34'), or within a group of a plurality of groups (34; 34') within a tolerance range.

8. The beam shaper according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the filling factor of the condenser lenses (18) in the group (34; 34') and / or in the condenser lens array (16) is at least 70%, and the area ratio of the intermediate region between adjacent apertures (36) is at most 30%.

9. The beam shaper according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the condenser lenses (18) of the group (34; 34') include an aperture region, and the aperture region is filled into a channel region by at least partially surrounding the intermediate region of the aperture region; and a plurality of channel regions are combined in the group (34; 34') in a region-filling arrangement.

10. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filling factor of the projection lenses (24) in the projection lens array (22) is at least 90%.

11. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the condenser lens apertures (36) are arranged to be offset with respect to the vertex of the projection lens (24) associated with the condenser lens (18) to adjust the direction of the projection caused by the projection lens (24).

12. The beam shaper according to claim 11, wherein the aperture of the projection lens (24) is arranged opposite to the aperture (36) of the condenser lens (18), and the projection lens includes an eccentric lens element configured to at least partially provide the direction.

13. The beam shaper according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the condenser lens (18) includes an eccentric lens segment.

14. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the group (34; 34') includes segments having a plurality of condenser lenses (18), and their respective apertures (36) are adapted to the same sub-region (32) in the overall pattern (28).

15. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the group (34; 34') includes a plurality of condenser lenses (18), and each sub-region (32) of the overall pattern (28) is projected a plurality of times by the group (34; 34'); wherein the condenser lenses (18) of the group (34; 34') are arranged in a tiled manner in the condenser lens array (16).

16. The beam shaper according to claim 15, wherein different sub-regions (32) of the overall pattern (28) are projected by a different number of condenser lenses (18) in the condenser lens array (16) to adjust the brightness of the sub-regions (32).

17. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the group (34; 34') comprises a plurality of segments arranged adjacent to each other, and each segment comprises a plurality of condenser lenses (18) configured to project the same sub-region (32) of the overall pattern (28); and adjacent segments in the group (34; 34') are formed to project different sub-regions (32) of the overall pattern (28), wherein the light scattering region (38) is arranged between the condenser lenses (18) of the condenser lens array (16) to form a uniform scattered light distribution in the projected pattern.

18. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aspect ratio between the maximum and minimum extensions of the aperture (36) of each condenser lens (18) comprises a value of at most 4.

19. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the condenser lenses (18) of the group (34; 34') differ from each other by a factor of at most 5 with respect to the maximum extension of the aperture (36).

20. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the condenser lens array (16) comprises a plurality of groups (34; 34') arranged in a tiled form.

21. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of projection lenses (24) have equal apertures with respect to each other.

22. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the plurality of projection lenses (24) has an aperture whose geometry is independent of the geometry of the overall pattern (28) and / or different from the geometry of the aperture (36) of the opposing condenser lens (18).

23. The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each condenser lens (18) of the condenser lens array (16) is associated with a projection lens (24), and the associated projection lens (24) has a separate eccentricity with respect to the associated condenser lens (18) for superimposing partial images to image the overall pattern (28) in the hyperfocal region.

24. A projector, comprising: The beam shaper according to any one of the preceding claims; and A light source for providing an incident beam (14).

25. The projector according to claim 24, wherein the light source comprises a collimated light source.

26. The projector according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the plurality of projection lenses (24) have apertures whose shapes are adapted to the far-field distribution of the light source.

27. The projector according to claim 25 or 26, comprising focusing optics or a separate projection lens eccentricity for focusing the overall pattern (28) or correctly superimposing the channel images onto the imaging plane (58).

28. A method (700) for providing a beam shaper for generating an output beam from an incident beam, the method comprising: Providing (710) a condenser lens array for receiving the incident beam, such that the condenser lens array comprises a plurality of condenser lenses; and Arrange a projection lens array (720) parallel to the condenser lens array for emitting the output beam, such that the projection lens array includes a plurality of projection lenses. Make the condenser lens array include at least one group of condenser lenses, where each condenser lens in the group includes an aperture that is adapted to a sub-region of the overall pattern projected by the beam shaper to provide, for the projection lens array, a portion of the incident beam associated with the sub-region of the overall pattern; and make the combination of the apertures of the condenser lenses be adapted to the overall pattern.

29. A method (800) for configuring a condenser lens array having a plurality of condenser lenses for a beam shaper, comprising: Dividing (810) the overall region of the overall pattern to be projected into a plurality of sub-regions; Adapting (820) the respective apertures of the condenser lenses of the condenser lens array to one of the plurality of sub-regions; for projecting each of the plurality of sub-regions with at least one adapted condenser lens; Positioning (830) the plurality of condenser lenses in the condenser lens array.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the condenser lenses are configured such that the aspect ratio between the maximum extension and the minimum extension of the aperture of each condenser lens includes a value of at most 4.

31. The method according to claim 29 or 30, wherein the condenser lenses are configured such that the condenser lenses of the group differ from each other by a coefficient of at most 5 with respect to the maximum extension of the aperture.

32. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein positioning includes piecing together the condenser lenses in at least one group having at least one segment, and providing a light scattering region in an intermediate region between adjacent apertures in the piecing together.

33. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein the apertures are adapted such that the group of condenser lenses in the condenser lens array includes a plurality of adjacent segments, and with respect to the local arrangement, the light scattering intermediate regions between the apertures of the condenser lenses of one segment are arranged with low repeatability with respect to at least one other segment.

34. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 33, further comprising: Manufacturing the condenser lens array.

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