Optical beam former and maskless character projector

Abstract

The optical beam former for generating an output light beam from an incident light beam includes a condenser lens array for receiving the incident light beam, the condenser lens array comprising a plurality of condenser lenses. The optical beam former includes a projection lens array arranged parallel to the condenser lens array for emitting the incident light beam, the projection lens array comprising a plurality of projection lenses. The condenser lens array comprises at least one cluster of condenser lenses, each condenser lens of the cluster comprising an aperture adapted to a subarea of ​​an overall pattern projected by the optical beam former and providing, with respect to the projection lens array, a portion of the incident light beam associated with the subarea of ​​the overall pattern. The combination of the apertures of the condenser lenses is adapted to the overall pattern.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical beam former for generating an output light beam from an input light beam, a projector including such an optical beam former, and a method for providing an optical beam former and configuring a focusing lens array. In particular, the present invention relates to a maskless character projector. [Background technology]

[0002] Character projectors are used to transmit information, for example for route marking (so-called exit signs, visitor guides, or the like), for Car2X communication in the automotive sector, for advertising purposes, or for user interfaces, for example, in consumer electronic devices. The gobo projectors frequently used for these applications typically operate according to the principle of a classic slide projector, using LED lighting with a binary slide (gobo) or gobo turret for projecting multiple images.

[0003] Fundamentally, the system transmittance is limited by the surface area of ​​the aperture of the gobo used. The required illuminance of the projected image, together with the brightness of the light source, determines the minimum lateral extension of the projector. These relationships are described by the etendue of the light source and projection optics [1]. The projector's installation length is then largely determined by the focal length of the projection optics (from a few tens of mm to over 100 mm). Increasing the system transmittance and miniaturizing conventional projectors are strictly limited by these principles.

[0004] An alternative approach using micro-optical projector arrays (array projectors) with Köhler illumination allows for a significant reduction in installation length by using a short-focal-length tandem microlens array (MLA) with an embedded binary microslide array [2]. Essentially, this optical scheme corresponds to a honeycomb concentrator with an aperture or slide array embedded near the input lens. This projector architecture allows for space-saving setups, while also enabling projection onto tilted and curved screen surfaces due to the large depth of field of the array projector channels [3]. However, like classical slide projectors, the transmittance of the array projector is primarily limited by the areal fill factor of the binary microslide array. Fabricating an MLA with an embedded slide array has proven difficult: it requires sequential replication of the slide and both MLAs with highly accurate centering in the micrometer range. Expensive replication requires a modified mask aligner [4].

[0005] Highly transparent, compact character projectors can be realized with laser-illuminated computer-generated holograms (CGHs). These CGHs can be inexpensively replicated, for example, by hot stamping plastic, but the attractiveness of this approach is limited by interference light (e.g., from parasitic diffraction orders in the CGH), speckle, and the limited wavelengths of laser diodes, especially the lack of white light [5]. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a projector for displaying characters that can be manufactured with high precision and high cost effectiveness and has a wide range of applications.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an optical beamformer, as well as related projectors and methods for providing optical beamformers, and methods for constructing focusing lens arrays, that enable the projection of patterns with a wide range of applications, can be manufactured accurately, and can be implemented cost-effectively. [Means for solving the problem]

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

[0009] The use of irregularly spaced microlenses in a microlens array, whose apertures are adapted to the pattern displayed by each microlens, also allows beam shaping, but unlike embedded slides, this can be done without reducing the transmittance, so that the output light power is relatively high and the positioning of the corresponding microslide is dispensed with, which is the central idea of ​​the present invention. This on the one hand leads to a wide range of applications, since such microlenses can be illuminated with any wavelength, and on the other hand leads to the possibility of precise, simple and particularly cost-effective replication.

[0010] According to one embodiment, an optical beam former for generating an output light beam from an incident light beam includes a condenser lens array for receiving the incident light beam, the condenser lens array including a plurality of condenser lenses, and a projection lens array arranged parallel to the condenser lens array for emitting the output light beam, the projection lens array including a plurality of projection lenses, The condenser lens array includes at least one cluster of condenser lenses, each condenser lens of the cluster having an aperture adapted to a subarea of ​​an overall pattern projected by the optical beam former and providing, with respect to the projection lens array, a portion of the incident light beam associated with the subarea of ​​the overall pattern, the combination of the apertures of the condenser lenses adapted to the overall pattern.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a method for providing an optical beam former for generating an output light beam from an incident light beam comprises the steps of providing a focusing lens array for receiving the incident light beam, the focusing lens array comprising a plurality of focusing lenses; and arranging a projection lens array configured to emit the output light beam parallel to the focusing lens array such that the projection lens array comprises a plurality of projection lenses, whereby the focusing lens array comprises at least one cluster of focusing lenses, each focusing lens of the cluster comprising an aperture adapted to a subarea of ​​the overall pattern projected by the optical beam former and providing a portion of the incident light beam associated with the subarea of ​​the overall pattern with respect to the projection lens array, whereby the combination of apertures of the focusing lenses is adapted to the overall pattern.

[0012] According to one embodiment, a method for constructing a condenser lens array having multiple condenser lenses for an optical beamformer includes dividing an overall area of ​​an overall pattern to be projected into multiple subareas, adapting the aperture of each of the condenser lenses of the condenser lens array to one of the multiple subareas so as to project each of the multiple subareas using at least one adapted condenser lens, and positioning the multiple condenser lenses within the condenser lens array.

[0013] Further advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0014] Hereinafter, a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1a] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an optical beamformer according to one embodiment; [Figure 1b] 1A-1C are schematic top views of exemplary configurations of patterns associated with embodiments described herein. [Figure 1c]FIG. 1c is a schematic top view of the pattern of FIG. 1b, divided into three exemplary sub-areas to illustrate the embodiment. [Figure 1d] FIG. 1c is a schematic top view of a cluster of collecting lenses with apertures adapted to the respective subareas of FIG. 1b, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1C is a schematic top view of a modified cluster compared to FIG. 1D according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic top view of a further pattern according to an embodiment, exemplarily represented by the letter A; FIG. [Figure 4a] 4A-4C illustrate different cluster variations for the arrangement of the six segments of the pattern of FIG. 3 according to an embodiment. [Figure 4b] 4A-4C illustrate different cluster variations for the arrangement of the six segments of the pattern of FIG. 3 according to an embodiment. [Figure 5a] 3 is a schematic top view of the cluster of FIG. 2 further illustrating intersecting lines HH and VV according to one embodiment. [Figure 5b] FIG. 5b is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the beamformer from FIG. 5a at the intersection line. [Figure 5c] FIG. 5b is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the beamformer from FIG. 5a at the intersection line. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 shows a comparison of the behavior of lenses with large and small numerical apertures to illustrate embodiments described herein. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a method according to one embodiment that can be used, for example, to provide an optical beamformer corresponding to embodiments described herein. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a method according to one embodiment that can be used, for example, to construct a concentrating lens array as described herein. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a projector according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Before the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the drawings, it should be noted that identical, functionally equivalent, or similar elements, objects, and / or structures are given the same reference numerals in different drawings, and therefore, the descriptions of these elements shown in different embodiments are interchangeable or mutually applicable.

[0017] The embodiments described below are described with reference to numerous details. However, the embodiments may be implemented without these detailed features. Furthermore, for clarity, the embodiments are described using block diagrams instead of detailed representations. Furthermore, details and / or features of individual embodiments can be readily combined with each other unless expressly stated to the contrary.

[0018] 1a shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of an optical beam former 10 according to one embodiment. The optical beam former 10 is configured to generate an output light beam 12 from an input light beam 14. The optical beam former 10 includes a condenser lens array 16 for receiving the input light beam 14. The condenser lens array 16 includes a plurality of condenser lenses 181-184: at least two, at least three, preferably at least four, at least ten, and particularly preferably one hundred or several hundred or even more. A projection lens array 22 is arranged parallel to the condenser lens array 16 and configured to emit the output light beam 12. The projection lens array 22 includes a plurality of condenser lenses 241-244.

[0019] The substrates 261 and 262 of the arrays 16 and 22 can be formed separately from one another, but can also be integrally formed.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment, one collecting lens 18 i Each of them has its own projection lens 24 j, forming an array channel. In such an embodiment, the number of projection lenses 24 in the projection array 22 may be equal to the number of collecting lenses 18 in the collecting lens array 16. However, the embodiment is not so limited, and as a result, the number of projection lenses 24 may also differ from the number of collecting lenses 18.

[0021] The collection lens array 16 comprises at least one cluster of collection lenses 18, each with an aperture adapted to a subarea of ​​the overall pattern 28 to be projected by the optical beam former 10, in order to provide to the projection lens array 22 a portion of the incident light beam 14 associated with that subarea of ​​the overall pattern. The combination of the apertures of the collection lenses is adapted to the overall pattern 28.

[0022] FIG. 1b shows, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a schematic top view of an exemplary configuration of pattern 28 having the form of an exclamation mark "!".

[0023] 1c shows a schematic plan view of the pattern 28 of FIG. 1b divided into some exemplary three subareas 321, 322, and 323. The interpretation rules for dividing the pattern 28 into the subareas 321-323 are explained below. However, the shape or geometry of the subareas 321-323 may form the basis for the apertures of the condenser lenses of the condenser lens array 16, and using three condenser lenses may already be sufficient for the projection of the pattern 28.

[0024] Figure 1d shows a schematic top view of a cluster 34 of collecting lenses 181, 182, and 183, which may form at least a part of a collecting lens array 16. The cluster is shown upside down for ease of association with the overall view of Figure 1c.

[0025] The apertures 361, 362, and 363 of the respective condenser lenses 181, 182, and 183 can have shapes that match the respective subareas 321, 322, and 323, respectively. To this end, the apertures or boundaries 361, 362, and / or 363 can, for example, be geometrically similar to the outer boundaries of the respective subareas 321, 322, and 323. The total amount of apertures 361, 362, and 363 can be matched to the overall pattern 28. According to one embodiment, the condenser lenses of a cluster are configured such that they include an aperture area that is influenced or determined by the apertures 361, 362, and / or 363. As shown in FIG. 1d, the aperture area can be filled to form a channel area with an intermediate area that at least partially surrounds the aperture area. The channel area can be, for example, rectangular, parallelogram, hexagonal, or other shape and can, for example, be at least partially influenced by the configuration or aperture of the opposing projection lens. The multiple channel areas within a cluster can be arranged to fill the area, for example as shown in FIG.

[0026] To improve the representation of the overall pattern, the converging lens array 16 and / or its clusters 34 can be provided with light scattering areas 381, 382, ​​and / or 383, which allow filling in intermediate areas of the converging lens array 16 when several converging lenses are joined together, and then masked with the projected pattern. Such filling or geometric shape of the light scattering areas 381-383 can be configured so that corresponding contours can be joined together without problems. Filling between the apertures and the channel areas of the lenslets 421-423 can be achieved by the areas 381-383.

[0027] In other words, the characters can be divided and positioned to fill the areas within the segments and clusters. For projection, the character or pattern to be displayed can first be divided into subgraphics, as described in Figure 1c. This division can be performed so that the channels of the segments are filled as much as possible. Figures 1b and 1c show the division of an exclamation mark into two trapezoids 321, 322, preferably of equal size, and a circle 323.

[0028] To ensure that the collector aperture fills the area as much as possible, the subgraphic can be fitted to a rectangular or square collector lenslet, as shown in Figure 1d. This means that the aperture can be filled. As an alternative to a rectangular configuration, different geometric shapes can be chosen that allow for a good close-packed or area-filling arrangement. These include, for example, triangles or hexagons. The difference between the graphic portion and the lenslet aperture is the scattering area 381-382. (3) It can be formed as:

[0029] The advantages of packing are illustrated by the configuration of FIG. 2, which shows a modified cluster 34′ in a schematic top view. Cluster 34′ comprises, by way of example, three segments 441, 442, and 443, each of which comprises several adjacent, identically formed channels or lenses with identical, particularly coincident, focusing lens boundaries and apertures, imaged onto the same area of ​​the projection area, which can be set by corresponding orientations via the projection lens array. Optional scattering areas can be identically formed with respect to their respective boundaries, although this is not necessarily the case. Alternatively or additionally, the configuration of the scattering areas can differ from channel to channel and / or from cluster to cluster. This means that several clusters can be part of an optical beamformer.

[0030] Each segment 441, 442, and 443 may, for example, consist of a number of six identical lenslets 42. 1,1 ~42 1,6 ~42 3,1 ~42 3,6It should be noted that the number of identical lenslets per segment 441-443 is not necessarily the same and may be different. For this reason, the number of six identical lenslets per segment 441-444 is chosen merely as an example and may be any value greater than or equal to one, as shown in FIG. 1d, for example, which may be any value, such as 2, 3, 4, 5 or more.

[0031] The light scattering areas 38 allow for an area-filling arrangement of the respective lenslets in the clusters 34' and thus in the collecting lens array. According to one embodiment, an optical beamformer is provided in which the filling factor of the collecting lenses 18 in the clusters 34, 34' and / or in the collecting lens array 18 is at least 70%, preferably at least 75%, particularly preferably at least 80%. Correspondingly, the area proportion of the intermediate areas, possibly configured as light scattering areas, can be at most 30%, at most 25%, or at most 20%.

[0032] Embodiments provide that the intermediate areas of the focusing lens arrays and / or clusters are equally distributed within a tolerance range or symmetrically distributed in one or several segments of the clusters 34′ and / or in several groups of clusters within the clusters 34, 34′. The intermediate areas, especially if configured as light scattering areas, can interfere with light transmission and / or reduce local brightness. Such effects can be minimized for an optical observer due to the symmetrical or uniform distribution.

[0033] In other words, an area-filling arrangement of collector apertures in three segments can be obtained by, for example, packing six rectangular or square collector apertures or lenslets 42 in each rectangular segment 441-443, which together can form a rectangular cluster 34'. The configuration of cluster 34' as a rectangle advantageously allows for packing of several clusters, although a rectangular configuration is not absolutely necessary. In this regard, FIG. 2 illustrates a packable cluster variation for arranging six exclamation mark portions in three segments.

[0034] These rectangular clusters can then be densely packed to fill the entire area to achieve the desired overall expansion of the honeycomb concentrator. There are further possibilities for forming segments and combining them into clusters. For example, the circular area of ​​subarea 32 in FIG. 1c can be advantageously inscribed within a higher area filled with concentrating lenslets having regular hexagonal boundaries. These can be arranged as a densely packed hexagonal array. When constructing clusters 34, 34', it is possible to address the fact that segments with non-rectangular boundaries are connected to rectangular segments in the arrays of graphic portions 321 and 323 in FIG. 1c. Advantageously, segments 441 and 442 can be constructed to be larger, i.e., have more subgraphics, resulting in proportionally smaller scattering connection areas being required between the segments.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of pattern 28′, exemplarily represented by the letter A, and thus exemplarily illustrates further segmentation for the letter “A.” While the division of the exclamation mark in FIG. 1b resulted in trapezoidal or circular portions that do not completely fill the area, this can be done without any problems for the exemplary letter A. As a result, segments 32′1-32′4 can be configured, for example, as parallelograms, which can be arranged particularly densely, in a particularly advantageous way for filling the area. A dense arrangement can be understood to mean arranging two adjacent segments, especially a larger number of segments, within a volume with no or negligible intermediate area. The shapes and sizes of subareas 32′1 and 32′2 on the one hand, and 32′3 and 32′4 on the other, can each be identical. The symmetry of the pattern to be divided can be exploited here. Furthermore, there are two trapezoids 32′5 and 32′6, which cannot be arranged closely or are difficult to arrange closely.

[0036] In other words, Figure 3 shows the division of the letter "A" into parallelograms and trapezoids. Again, the letter "A" is used only as an example of a pattern to divide and project.

[0037] 4a and 4b show two different cluster variations for the arrangement of the six segments 32'1 to 32'6 of the pattern 28' of FIG. 3. i,j 4a and 4b, the parameter i corresponds to the numbering of the subareas in FIG. 3, and the parameter j is the consecutive index within the same subareas or lenses of the same shape that are combined to form the segments 441-446. The clusters 441-444 are either formed from apertures that can already be arranged close together or are joined together, but they can also easily be joined together, as shown for example in FIG. 4a but also in FIG. 4b. If the collecting lenses 18 of the different segments 441-444 are different, a light scattering area 38 can be provided in the intermediate area.

[0038] Intermediate Area 38 5,j and 38 6,j can in any case be provided for the condenser lenses of the less easily condensed segments 445 and 446 in order to fill up the condenser base area. This can be particularly advantageous if each segment includes condenser lenses 18 that are arranged in the same direction or with the same orientation, but simply shifted with respect to each other.

[0039] According to one embodiment, all of the focusing lenses may be oriented to correspond to the pattern to be projected.

[0040] 4a, according to embodiments described herein, a cluster may include one or more segments, each including multiple focusing lenses whose respective apertures are adapted to the same sub-area of ​​the overall pattern. Different segments may have equal or different numbers of channels, which allows homogenization and / or individual adaptation of the sub-areas in terms of brightness.

[0041] A cluster can include multiple focusing lenses, and each subarea of ​​the overall pattern can be projected multiple times through the cluster, which is possible when using the segments described herein, but can also be achieved in other ways, such as by distributing focusing lenses aimed at the same subarea. In either case, the focusing lenses of the cluster can be arranged in a densely packed manner within the focusing lens array, where the densely packed arrangement is achieved in at least one subarea, as shown, for example, for segments 441-444, as well as for segments 445 and 446 arranged closely thereon, which also contribute to the densely packed arrangement.

[0042] Two or more segments of a cluster can be positioned adjacent to each other, as shown in FIG. 4a. Each segment can include multiple focusing lenses configured to project the same subarea of ​​the overall pattern. In cluster 34, adjacent segments can be configured to project different subareas of the overall pattern, such as the different areas in FIG. 3. Light-scattering areas 38 between the focusing lenses of the focusing lens array can be arranged to ensure uniform scattered light distribution within the projected pattern. This can be done, for example, by appropriately distributing the light-scattering areas for each segment and / or for the cluster or the overall pattern to consider the dimming caused by the light-scattering areas as a perceptible effect and utilize it as a degree of design freedom. According to one embodiment, different numbers of focusing lenses can be arranged to project different subareas of the overall pattern, adjusting the brightness of the subareas. Such differences can be achieved by different numbers within a cluster and / or different numbers within a segment and / or different configurations of the clusters. A cluster or combination of clusters can control the brightness of the subgraphic.

[0043] The difference between cluster 34' of FIG. 4b and cluster 34 of FIG. 4a is that the segments are arranged in different positions and / or possibly light scattering areas 38 5,1 ~38 5,4 and / or 38 6,1 ~38 6,3 may be located at different positions within the cluster, which may result in different optical effects in the projection pattern caused by the light scattering areas 38. This provides a degree of freedom in the configuration and / or creation of a focusing lens array or light beamformer in that the positions of the light scattering areas can be varied. For example, ’1 Dimension 461 and / or dimension 46 compared to ’2The dimensions 462 compared to can also be configured differently from one another, allowing for additional flexibility in configuring the clusters to increase packing density, especially when using a larger number of clusters in a concentrating lens array.

[0044] The parallelogram portions 32'1-32'4 or corresponding openings in the centers of the clusters 34 and 34' may be closely packed, but the trapezoid 18 5,1 ~18 5,4 and 18 6,1 ~18 6,4 It may be useful to partially mask the channels with a diffuser or other light scattering area. A mixed arrangement of the two cluster variants in the character projector may allow for a more uniform distribution of the coherent light components to the left and right of the trapezoidal portion of the letter "A" projection.

[0045] In the two segmentation examples described with reference to Figures 4a and 4b, the same arrangement of graphic parts is shown in each case within segments 441-446. In special cases, interleaving different parts of the segmentation in a mixed segment can be useful. One example is a space-filling arrangement of equilateral triangular openings in a mixed segment, with side and apex triangles alternating with each other. If the graphic parts to be displayed consist of or include equilateral triangles rotated 180° relative to each other, this is a simple option for area-filling, dense placement. Other options for dense placement are also possible and can be combined with each other as needed. In this way, hexagons and triangles can be easily joined.

[0046] Both cluster 34 and cluster 34' are examples of embodiments in which the concentrating lens array includes multiple clusters arranged in a close-packed manner, which is particularly advantageous due to the configuration of the clusters allowing for close packing without having to provide a large intermediate area.

[0047] 5a shows a schematic top view of cluster 34' of FIG. 2 with segments 441, 442, and 443 and a further representation of intersection lines HH and VV, which are positioned along an exemplary two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system along direction x and perpendicular direction y for subsequent laterally correct and upright projection of the configured optical system. FIGS. 5b and 5c use the cross-section lines to illustrate a schematic side cross-sectional view of a beamformer according to an embodiment. Additionally, FIG. 5a shows a cross-sectional view of a beamformer according to an embodiment, with dimensions 48 i,x and 48 i,y A comparison of the segments 44 i The dimension along the x or y direction of the aperture of the identically formed condenser lens is shown. The aspect ratio 48 can represent the aspect ratio between the maximum and minimum expansion of the aperture of each condenser lens. i,x :48 i,j can be configured, depending on the embodiment, to have a value of at most 4, at most 3, at most 2, preferably less, particularly preferably about 1, as obtained for example for a circular opening of segment 443. It should be noted that the reference directions of maximum and minimum expansion directions can vary arbitrarily in space and are positioned rather randomly along the x and y directions.

[0048] Also advantageously, independent design or layout parameters are implemented, not only in the aspect ratio of the respective focusing lenses, but also in the difference or uniformity of the focusing lenses of the different arrays or lenses associated with the different sub-areas. According to one embodiment, the focusing lenses of the clusters differ from each other in terms of the maximum expansion of the aperture, e.g., 48 3,y or 48 3,x , or alternatively 48 2,x Regarding expansion 48 1,y and 48 2,ydiffer by a factor of at most 5 for cluster 34' with respect to the maximum expansion of the aperture. This avoids excessive deviations from each other, and hence differences in channel crosstalk, due to different diffraction strengths and aberrations of each collecting lenslet in the overall pattern. According to other embodiments, these differences may be explicitly desired, which involves consideration of additional effects of the lenses, such as consideration of different lens diffraction.

[0049] In other words, in an exemplary system configuration, the case of projection to infinity can be discussed first. For example, when viewed from the direction of the light source, the subgraphic must first be mirrored and rotated 180°. The discussion here focuses on the representation of the exclamation point. The mirroring and rotation for each channel of the cluster is shown in FIG. 5a, viewed from the direction of the light source. For accurate projection, the projection lens of a segment can image each subgraphic at a specific angle. In the example of FIG. 5a, 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 lenslets as correspondingly decentered lens segments.

[0050] Figure 5b shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of an optical beamformer 50 according to one embodiment, comprising the cluster 34' of Figure 5a. The drawing is taken along the VV intersection line of Figure 5a.

[0051] The projection lens array 22 arranged on the opposite side each has a respective condenser lens 18 2,1 , 18 2,2 , 18 2,3 , and 18 3,1 and a projection lens 24 capable of forming each optical channel. 2,1 ~24 2,3 , and 24 3,1 Includes.

[0052] Projection lens 24 3,1Even if different implementations are shown for , according to one embodiment the projection lenses of the projection lens array 22 can have apertures identical to one another, which can be, for example, particularly large, particularly uniform, and particularly formed without overlapping.

[0053] The multiple projection lenses 24 may each include an aperture whose geometry is independent of the geometry of the overall pattern, i.e., configured to be different from the aperture of the condenser lens 18. Alternatively or additionally, the geometry of the aperture of a projection lens 24 may be different from the aperture of the condenser lens 18 on the opposite side.

[0054] Independently, a projection lens 24 can be associated with each condenser lens 18. The associated projection lens can optionally include a separate dispersion for the associated condenser lens to image the superposition of sub-images of the overall pattern within the hyperfocal region.

[0055] Projection lenses can be decentered individually or as a group for various reasons. On the one hand, decentering can be used to achieve superposition, e.g., focusing at a given distance, and on the other hand, to achieve direction, i.e., separation of different image segments. Both implementation reasons can be implemented independently of each other, e.g., without considering the other reason, but can also be implemented together.

[0056] In other words, Figure 5b shows a side view of a vertical cross section VV of the honeycomb concentrator shown in Figure 5a. 2,1 ,twenty four 2,2 , and 24 2,3 can image the channel 18 in the center of the graphic without deflection to infinity, but the decentered lens segment 24 3,1 can provide, for example, a downward shifted image of the exclamation point to obtain the body distance to the exclamation point in the overall pattern that is not present in cluster 34'.

[0057] Another possibility is a suitable decentered arrangement of the collector lenslets 18 with respect to the projector lenslets 24. In this case, the collector lenslets can advantageously be configured as decentered lens segments. Depending on the respective graphic shown and the chosen division, a hybrid of both approaches is also possible, as described for example in [7], which allows for projector lenslets 24 of the same or at least similar size and thus an etendue-preserving mode of operation of the beamformer.

[0058] Note that the decentering between the collection lens aperture (imaged object) and the projection lens apex can be crucial for both direction and focusing. Three basic realizations for direction and focusing can be considered:

[0059] 1. An arrangement in which the projection lens is only decentered relative to the condenser lens.

[0060] 2. Variation of 1., plus configuration of the collecting lenslet as a decentered lens segment within the collecting lens aperture, imaging the light source into the decentered projection lens.

[0061] 3. A projection lens aperture centered relative to the collection lens aperture and a projection lens configured as a decentered lens segment within the centered PL aperture.

[0062] Variation 3 offers perhaps the greatest advantage in terms of etendue preservation and good stray light suppression. Variation 2 maintains etendue but complicates the fabrication of the focusing lens and potentially increases stray light / channel crosstalk, but these limitations may be tolerable compared to the benefits of the present invention. Variation 1, on the other hand, reduces the beamformer acceptance angle without changing stray light suppression.

[0063] Projection to a finite distance is possible with downstream focusing optics of the projector, for example, comprising an optical beamformer as described herein and a light source to provide the incident light. Projection may be both hyperfocal and decentered, or may use a focused projection lens and decentered to the projection distance. In other words, the projector may include focusing optics and / or individual projection lens decenters to focus the overall pattern or to correct for the superposition of channel images on the imaging plane. A focused image may be able to image at its focal plane. Alternatively, for sufficiently small projector lenslets 24 operating in the hyperfocal region, focusing is possible by decentering the projector lenslets individually with respect to each focusing lenslet, following the approach of an array projector, as an example but not required. [2]

[0064] One embodiment can be configured such that the non-scattering areas of the collecting lenslets 18 image the light source only onto their associated projector lenslets 24, while the scattering areas distribute the incident light onto many, preferably distant, projector lenslets 24, thus reducing the brightness of the projection by the associated projection lenslets 24 to such an extent that sufficient contrast is achieved between the projected portions 181, 182, 183 of the exclamation mark (see FIG. 1d) and the masked difference amounts 381, 382, ​​and 383 (see FIG. 1d) and the collecting apertures 361, 362, and 363 (see FIG. 1d).

[0065] Figure 5c shows a top view of horizontal cross section HH of Figure 5a. 1,6 , 18 1,3 , 18 2,6 and 18 2,3The light source can be imaged into the associated projection lenslet in the illumination light path, also known as Kohler illumination, thus enabling fast imaging of these areas of the collection lenslet through the associated projection lenslet. The light scattering areas 38 distribute the illumination light into many, preferably more distant, adjacent channels. In this case, coupled with greater aberration when imaged by the more distant projector lenslets, this can reduce the brightness of the projection in these areas, particularly to the point where each part of the character is displayed with sufficient contrast.

[0066] As already shown in the schematic diagrams of Figures 5b and 5c, the filling factor of the projection lenses in the projection lens array 22 can be particularly high, for example at least 90%, at least 92%, or at least 95%. Different optical properties can be used to adjust the direction. According to one embodiment, the condenser lens aperture can be arranged offset with respect to the apex of the projection lens associated with the condenser lens in order to adjust the direction of the projection provided by the projection lens, i.e. the orientation 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 be arranged, for example, on the opposite side of the lens element 24. 3,1 As shown for (a), the condenser lens 18 may include a decentered lens element, at least partially affecting the direction. Alternatively or additionally, the condenser lens 18 may include a decentered lens segment, which may affect the illumination of the projection lens, while the direction may remain unaffected.

[0067] In other words, Figure 5c shows a horizontal cross section through the cluster of Figure 5a, with the scattering areas 38 only shown for the respective lower channels, lower positions of values ​​x, for better illustration.

[0068] The light scattering area 38, shown hatched in FIG. 5a, can be realized as a simple surface scatterer with a microscopic, statistically rough surface. Alternatively, it can be realized as a deterministic diffuser, as described, for example, in [8]. In this case, it is advantageous to avoid hot spots in the projection if the scattering surface profile is not repeated within the channels of the segment. A further implementation is as a concave lenslet, which distributes the light of this area over the largest possible angular range and thus over many projector lenslets. This concave lenslet can be configured, for example, as a Fresnel lenslet. Similar to or similar to a deterministic diffuser, the concave lenslet can or should be configured slightly differently in each channel of the segment to avoid hot spots when imaging the scattering area. This means, for example, configuring the lenslet as an off-center lenslet for each channel, and, in the case of a Fresnel element, further positioning the trailing edge of the Fresnel zone at a different position within the channels of the segment.

[0069] With this in mind, embodiments provide for light scattering areas 38 configured as diffusers, concave lenslets, and / or statistical surface scatterers. Different light scattering areas within a cluster can be configured to have different optical properties relative to the scattered light. Such properties can be, for example, scattering angle, artifact positioning, etc. According to one embodiment, the light scattering areas can be configured as segmented light scattering areas. An example of such a segmented light scattering area is the aforementioned Fresnel lens structure, in which the Fresnel trailing edge of each Fresnel lens structure is advantageously positioned offset relative to another Fresnel lens structure to accommodate different optical properties.

[0070] Additionally, other aspects may be considered when configuring the system, dividing the graphic into segments, and configuring the lenses. For example, as shown in FIG. 1b and / or FIG. 3, it may be necessary to divide the graphic into as few similarly sized segments as possible. This allows for avoiding a relatively small numerical aperture (NA) in the illumination light path. See FIG. 6. A collection lenslet 361 with a too small NA can cause a relatively large Airy diffraction disk 521 in the projected light distribution, which can extend into adjacent projector lenslets and thus cause channel crosstalk. A relatively large collection lenslet 362 can generate a larger illumination NA, which may be inversely proportional to 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 collection lens has a large NA (or small f / #) and therefore tends to generate large aberrations, which can blur the image of the light source in the projection lens and thus also lead to channel crosstalk. A good, preferred but not restrictive trade-off between both limits is an NA in the range of about 0.1...0.2.

[0071] The channel input aperture extension can be configured to make the collection lenslet arrow heights as similar as possible to avoid large variations in the arrow heights of each segment. Such height jumps can generate stray light that can reach adjacent collection lenslets, thus potentially causing channel crosstalk. Furthermore, this allows the projector's lenslets to be configured with the same or at least similar pitch, i.e., distance or repeat distance. This allows the projector to operate in an etendue-preserving manner [6, 7]. The area of ​​the diffuser area 38 within and between segments and between adjacent clusters can be minimized to achieve high usable transmittance. The type of character division to be displayed determines, or at least influences, this.

[0072] The approach proposed here is based on a modified irregular honeycomb concentrator architecture with a microlens array with irregular boundaries similar to [6] with additional scattering structures. The approach described here avoids the embedded sliding structure previously required in the array projector from [2].

[0073] A collimated light source, e.g., a collimated LED, illuminates an irregular honeycomb concentrator, whose area is composed of several identical clusters that fill as much of the area as possible. Each cluster then consists of several segments arranged adjacent to each other to fill as much of the area as possible. If the clusters or segments cannot be filled, the remaining gaps are configured as light scattering areas, thus suppressing their projection.

[0074] The input apertures of the identical collection lenslets in each segment each correspond to a portion of the projected character. Their bounding geometries, such as rectangles, squares, parallelograms, or hexagons, can allow for a dense, area-filling arrangement. If there is no perfect correspondence between the character portions and the area-filling bounding geometries, the remaining portions of the collection lenslets can be configured as scattering areas, thus suppressing their projection. To achieve the highest possible system transmittance and high-contrast projection, the area of ​​the scattering areas can be configured to be as small as possible in proportion to the above-mentioned gaps between segments and clusters.

[0075] The output aperture of each segment's projector lenslet can be advantageously adapted to the far-field distribution of light emitted into the honeycomb concentrator. In the case of a collimated LED light source or other collimated light source, this can correspond, for example, to a square aperture. The projection lenslets can also be arranged to fill the entire surface to take advantage of the advantages of the present invention. This allows for a nearly etendue-preserving projection. [6] However, the area-filling configuration of the input-side concentrator lenslet and minimizing the scattering area can have a relatively high priority. A notable function of the projection lenslet can be to image the individual parts of the character, i.e., the concentrator lenslets of a segment, at a specific angle to achieve the correct projection alignment of the individual parts in the projection direction. For this purpose, the projector lenslet can be configured, for example, as a decentered lens segment.

[0076] FIG. 7 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method 700 according to an embodiment that can be used, for example, to provide an optical beamformer according to embodiments described herein.

[0077] Step 710 includes providing a condenser lens array for receiving an incident light beam, the condenser lens array comprising a plurality of condenser lenses. Step 720 includes arranging a projection lens array arranged to emit an output light beam parallel to the condenser lens array, such that the projector lens array comprises a plurality of projection lenses. One or more boundary conditions 730 are thereby implemented such that the condenser lens array comprises at least one cluster of condenser lenses, each condenser lens of the cluster comprising an aperture adapted to a subarea of ​​the overall pattern projected by the light beam former and providing, with respect to the projection lens array, a portion of the incident light beam associated with a portion of the overall pattern. This is done in such a way that the combination of apertures of the condenser lenses is adapted to the overall pattern.

[0078] 8 shows a simplified flow diagram of a method 800 according to an embodiment that may be used, for example, to construct a concentrating lens array as described herein. Step 810 involves dividing the overall area of ​​the overall pattern to be projected into multiple subareas.

[0079] Step 820 includes adapting an aperture of each of the condenser lenses of the condenser lens array to one of the plurality of subareas so as to project each of the plurality of subareas with at least one adapted condenser lens.

[0080] Step 830 includes positioning a plurality of concentrating lenses in a concentrating lens array.

[0081] Method 800 can be performed such that the collection lenses are configured such that the aspect ratio between the maximum and minimum expansion of the aperture of each collection lens includes values ​​up to four.

[0082] Method 800 may alternatively or additionally be implemented in such a way that the collecting lenses are configured in such a way that the collecting lenses of one cluster differ from each other by a factor of up to 5 relative to the maximum expansion of the aperture.

[0083] Method 800 may alternatively or additionally be performed such that positioning 830 includes closely spaced focusing lenses in at least one cluster having at least one segment, with a light scattering area being provided in an intermediate area between adjacent openings in the closely spaced arrangement.

[0084] Adapting 820 may optionally be performed such that a cluster of converging lenses of the converging lens array includes multiple adjacent segments, and the light scattering intermediate areas between the apertures of the converging lenses of the segments are arranged with low repetition relative to at least one other segment with respect to local placement, meaning, for example, that a uniform distribution is at least targeted.

[0085] Method 800 preferably includes manufacturing a concentrating lens array, which manufacturing may be performed at a different location or location and may include, for example, transmitting the results of method 800 to a manufacturing device.

[0086] FIG. 9 shows a schematic block diagram of a projector 90 according to an embodiment. The projector 90 includes a light source 54 for providing an incident light beam 14 and an optical beamformer according to an embodiment, such as the beamformer 10, although other beamformers described herein, particularly focusing lens arrays, may also be provided. The light source 54 may be a collimated light source, which may be achieved, for example, by using additional or already integrated collimating optics. According to a preferred embodiment, the projection lenses of the beamformer 10 may include apertures whose shape is adapted to the far-field distribution of the light source 54. Optionally, the projector 90 may include focusing optics 56 for focusing the entire pattern onto the imaging plane 58.

[0087] In other words, the embodiments described herein can be configured as maskless character projectors that can eliminate the need for absorbing slide or aperture structures. This allows for high system transmittance and simplifies manufacturing or enables new manufacturing techniques such as plastic injection molding or hot stamping. By using a modified honeycomb concentrator architecture, the dependency between the angle of incidence and the far-field distribution of radiation can be reduced or eliminated, as long as the angle of incidence is equal to or less than the acceptance angle of the honeycomb concentrator. Simple adaptability for projection onto tilted and / or curved projection areas can be achieved similarly to the array projector architecture described in [3].

[0088] The embodiments described herein can be used in particular in the field of interior and exterior lighting of automobiles, such as character projection onto the road for Car2X communication and interior lighting for well-defined lighting areas. Alternatively or additionally, symbols can be projected for safety and advertising applications, and any other applications are possible.

[0089] Implementation aspects of the embodiments described herein also refer to the following. 1. A maskless character projector consisting of or including at least a cluster of honeycomb concentrators consisting of at least two distinct segments, each of the at least two distinct segments: - a collector array having collecting lenslets with identical boundaries that fill an entire area including a partial scattering area; - a projector array with decentered lenslets; is formed from Each segment projects a portion of the projected character to a specific position on the projection screen or to infinity at a specific angle, so that the character recombines from the projected portion on the screen or at infinity; Maskless character projector.

[0090] 2. Formation of scattering areas on the concentrator array by statistical scattering, matte surface.

[0091] 3. Formation of scattering areas on the collector array by deterministic scattering, structured surfaces, where the scattering surface profile varies within the collectors of a segment.

[0092] 4. Formation of scattering areas by different concave curved surfaces within the segment in the segment collector.

[0093] 5. Formation of a concave curved surface from point 4 as a Fresnel structure with different positions of the Fresnel trailing edge in the concentrator of the segment.

[0094] 6. Suppression of imaging of areas not covered by the focusing lenslets between two adjacent segments or two adjacent clusters due to scattering structures similar to points 2-5 in these areas.

[0095] 7. Formation of scattering area by points 2-6 as wide-angle scatterers.

[0096] 8. Formation of the base area of ​​the scattering region from points 2-7 as a freeform area so that jumps in the height profile at the transitions to adjacent focusing lenslets are avoided.

[0097] 9. Projection of characters of uniform brightness due to the identical frequency of the individual parts of the division within the cluster.

[0098] 10. Different parts of the character are projected with different brightness due to the different frequencies of the character parts in the cluster.

[0099] 11. Formation of character projector as an irregular tandem microlens array.

[0100] Although some aspects have been described in the context of an apparatus, it is clear that these aspects also represent descriptions of corresponding methods, whereby blocks or devices of the apparatus also correspond to respective method steps or features of method steps. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method step also represent descriptions of corresponding blocks or details or features of the corresponding apparatus.

[0101] Depending on specific implementation requirements, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware or software. Implementation can be performed using a digital storage medium, such as a floppy disk, DVD, Blu-ray disk, CD, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or flash memory, a hard drive, or another magnetic or optical memory, on which electronically readable control signals are stored, which cooperate or can cooperate with a programmable computer system to perform the respective methods. Thus, the digital storage medium may be computer-readable. Some embodiments according to the present invention include a data carrier having electronically readable control signals that can cooperate with a programmable computer system to perform one of the methods described herein.

[0102] Generally, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a computer program product having program code that operates to perform one of the methods when the computer program product is run on a computer, and the program code can be stored on, for example, a machine-readable carrier.

[0103] Other embodiments comprise the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein, wherein the computer program is stored on a machine readable carrier.

[0104] In other words, therefore, an embodiment of the inventive methods is a computer program having a program code for performing one of the methods described herein, when the computer program runs on a computer.

[0105] A further embodiment of the inventive method is therefore a data carrier (or digital storage medium, or computer readable medium) having recorded thereon a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. The data carrier, digital storage medium, or computer readable medium is typically tangible or non-volatile.

[0106] A further embodiment of the inventive method is, therefore, a data stream or a sequence of signals representing the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein, The data stream or the sequence of signals can for example be arranged to be transmitted via a data communication connection, for example via the Internet.

[0107] A further embodiment comprises a processing means, for example a computer, or a programmable logic device, configured to or adapted to perform one of the methods described herein.

[0108] A further embodiment comprises a computer having installed thereon the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein.

[0109] 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, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. In general, the methods are preferably performed by any hardware apparatus. This may be universally applicable hardware, such as a computer processor (CPU), or method-specific hardware, such as an ASIC.

[0110] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. It is understood that modifications and variations of the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims, and not by the specific details presented by way of description and explanation of the embodiments herein.

[0111] literature [1] Geissler, Enrico "Meeting the challenges of developing LED-based projection displays." Photonics in Multimedia. Vol. 6196. SPIE, 2006. [2] Sieler, Marcel et al. "Ultraslim fixed pattern projectors with inherent homogenization of illumination", Appl. Opt. 51 (2012) 64-71. [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. [4] Dannberg, Peter et al. "Wafer-level hybrid integration of complex micro-optical modules." Micromachines 5.2 (2014):325-340. [5] Buckley, Edward "Computer-Generated Phase-Only Holograms for Real-Time Image Display", Nov. 2011, DOI:10.5772 / 18709. [6] Li, Chen et al. "Optical beam former", DE 102017217345 B4. [7] Schreiber, Peter et al. " Light Shaping with Micro-optical Irregular Fly's Eye Condensers", IODC 2021, vol. 12078, SPIE 2021, 1207813. [8] Eckstein, Hans-Christian et al. "Electromagnetic radiation-scattering element and method of manufacturing same", US 10254449 B2.

Claims

1. 1. An optical beam former for generating an output light beam (12) from an input light beam (14), said optical beam former comprising: a focusing lens array (16) for receiving the incident light beam (14), the focusing lens array (16) comprising a plurality of focusing lenses (18); a projection lens array (22) arranged parallel to the condenser lens array (16) for emitting the output light beam (12), the projection lens array (22) comprising a plurality of projection lenses (24); Equipped with the focusing lens array (16) comprises at least one cluster (34; 34') of focusing lenses (18), each focusing lens (18) of the cluster (34; 34') comprising an aperture (36) adapted to a sub-area (32) of the overall pattern (28) projected by the light beam former to provide, with respect to the projection lens array (22), a portion of the incident light beam (14) associated with said sub-area (32) of the overall pattern (28), and a combination of the apertures (36) of the focusing lenses (18) adapted to said overall pattern (28); Optical beamformer.

2. 2. The optical beamformer of claim 1, wherein intermediate areas between the apertures (36) of adjacent focusing lenses (18) of said clusters (34; 34') are configured as light scattering areas (38).

3. 3. The optical beamformer of claim 2, wherein the light scattering area (38) is configured as a diffuser, a concave lenslet, and / or a statistical surface scatterer.

4. 4. The optical beam former of claim 3, wherein the light scattering area (38) is a first light scattering area within a segment of the cluster (34; 34'), and the cluster (34; 34') includes a second light scattering area between two adjacent focusing lenses (18) of the cluster (34; 34') within the segment, and the optical properties of the first light scattering area and the second light scattering area for scattering light are different from each other.

5. 5. The optical beamformer of claim 4, wherein the first light scattering area and the second light scattering area are formed as split light scattering areas.

6. 6. The optical beamformer of claim 5, wherein the first light scattering area comprises a first Fresnel lens structure and the second light scattering area comprises a second Fresnel lens structure, a Fresnel trailing edge of the second Fresnel lens structure being offset relative to the first Fresnel lens structure to accommodate the different optical properties.

7. 7. An optical beam former as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein several intermediate areas of the focusing lens array (16) are evenly distributed or symmetrically arranged within a tolerance range in at least one of a segment of the cluster (34; 34'), the cluster (34; 34'), or a group of several clusters (34; 34').

8. 8. An optical beam former as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the filling rate of the focusing lenses (18) within the cluster (34; 34') and / or within the focusing lens array (16) is at least 70% and the area percentage of the intermediate areas between adjacent openings (36) is at most 30%.

9. 9. An optical beam former as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the focusing lenses (18) of the cluster (34; 34') have an aperture area, the aperture area being filled into a channel area by an intermediate area at least partially surrounding the aperture area, and wherein multiple channel areas are combined within the cluster (34; 34') in an area-filling arrangement.

10. 10. The optical beam former of claim 1, wherein the projection lenses (24) in the projection lens array (22) have a fill factor of at least 90%.

11. 11. An optical beam former as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a focusing lens aperture (36) is positioned offset relative to the apex of the projection lens (24) associated with the focusing lens (18) to adjust the direction of projection through the projection lens (24).

12. 12. The optical beam former of claim 11, wherein an aperture of the projection lens (24) is positioned opposite the aperture (36) of the focusing lens (18), and the projection lens comprises a decentered lens element configured to at least partially provide the direction.

13. 13. The optical beam former of claim 11 or 12, wherein the collecting lens (18) comprises a decentered lens segment.

14. An optical beam former as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the cluster (34; 34') comprises segments having multiple focusing lenses (18) whose respective apertures (36) are adapted to the same sub-area (32) of the overall pattern (28).

15. 15. An optical beam former as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the cluster (34; 34') comprises a plurality of focusing lenses (18), each subarea (32) of the overall pattern (28) is projected multiple times through the cluster (34; 34'), and the focusing lenses (18) of the cluster (34; 34') are arranged closely packed within the focusing lens array (16).

16. 16. The optical beam former of claim 15, wherein different subareas (32) of the overall pattern (28) are projected by different numbers of condenser lenses (18) in the condenser lens array (16) to adjust the brightness of the subareas (32).

17. 17. An optical beam former as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the cluster (34; 34') comprises a plurality of segments arranged adjacent to each other, each segment comprising a plurality of focusing lenses (18) configured to project the same sub-area (32) of the overall pattern (28), and within the cluster (34; 34'), adjacent segments are formed for projecting different sub-areas (32) of the overall pattern (28), and light scattering areas (38) are arranged between the focusing lenses (18) of the focusing lens array (16) for uniform scattered light distribution within the projected pattern.

18. 18. An optical beamformer according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the aspect ratio between the maximum and minimum expansion of the aperture (36) of each collecting lens (18) comprises a value of up to 4.

19. 19. An optical beamformer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the collecting lenses (18) of the clusters (34; 34') differ from each other by a factor of up to 5 relative to the maximum expansion of the aperture (36).

20. 20. An optical beamformer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the array of converging lenses (16) comprises a plurality of closely spaced clusters (34; 34').

21. 21. The optical beam former of any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the projection lenses (24) have equal apertures.

22. 22. An optical beam former as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein each of the plurality of projection lenses (24) has an aperture whose geometric shape is independent of the geometric shape of the overall pattern (28) and / or which is different from the geometric shape of the aperture (36) of the opposite focusing lens (18).

23. 23. An optical beam former as described in any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein each focusing lens (18) of the focusing lens array (16) is associated with a projection lens (24), and the associated projection lens (24) has an individual decentering with respect to the associated focusing lens (18) to superimpose the partial images to image the entire pattern (28) within the hyperfocal region.

24. an optical beam former according to any one of claims 1 to 23; a light source for providing said incident light beam (14); A projector comprising:

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

26. 26. A projector according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the plurality of projection lenses (24) have apertures shaped to match the far field distribution of the light source.

27. 27. A projector according to claim 25 or 26, comprising focusing optics or individual projection lens decenters for focusing the overall pattern (28) or for correcting the superposition of channel images on an imaging plane (58).

28. 1. A method (700) for providing an optical beamformer for generating an output light beam from an input light beam, the method comprising: providing (710) a focusing lens array for receiving the incident light beam, the focusing lens array comprising a plurality of focusing lenses; Arranging (720) a projection lens array configured to emit the output light beams parallel to the condenser lens array, such that the projection lens array comprises a plurality of projection lenses; Including, whereby the focusing lens array comprises at least one cluster of focusing lenses, each focusing lens of said cluster comprising an aperture adapted to a sub-area of ​​the overall pattern projected by said light beam former and providing, with respect to said projection lens array, a portion of said incident light beam associated with said sub-area of ​​said overall pattern, whereby a combination of said apertures of said focusing lenses is adapted to said overall pattern; Method (700).

29. 1. A method (800) for constructing a focusing lens array having a plurality of focusing lenses for an optical beamformer, comprising: Dividing (810) the overall area of ​​the overall pattern to be projected into a plurality of sub-areas; Adapting (820) an aperture of each of the focusing lenses of the focusing lens array to one of the plurality of subareas so as to project each of the plurality of subareas with at least one adapted focusing lens; positioning the plurality of focusing lenses within the focusing lens array (830); The method (800) includes:

30. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the collecting lenses are configured such that the aspect ratio between the maximum and minimum expansion of the aperture of each collecting lens comprises a value of up to four.

31. 31. The method of claim 29 or 30, wherein the focusing lenses are configured such that the focusing lenses of the clusters differ from each other by a factor of up to 5 relative to the maximum expansion of the aperture.

32. 32. The method of any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein positioning comprises closely spaced arrangement of the focusing lenses in at least one cluster having at least one segment, and wherein a light scattering area is provided in an intermediate area between adjacent openings in the closely spaced arrangement.

33. 33. The method of any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein a cluster of converging lenses of the converging lens array comprises a plurality of adjacent segments, and the adapting of the apertures is carried out such that the light scattering intermediate areas between the apertures of the converging lenses of one segment are arranged with low repetition relative to at least one other segment with respect to the local arrangement.

34. Manufacturing the condenser lens array.

34. The method of any one of claims 30 to 33, further comprising:

Images