Illumination Assembly Lens Surface Pattern for Uniform Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illumination systems using arrays of individually addressable semiconductor emitters, such as LEDs, suffer from visible artefacts like darker lines between illuminated regions due to optical separation, and colour inhomogeneities around the borders of illuminated areas.
Innovation Solution
The illumination assembly features an array of semiconductor emitters combined with an imaging lens that has a surface pattern to direct a portion of the light from each emitter beyond its boundary, effectively blending light from adjacent emitters and eliminating the imaged gaps and colour inhomogeneities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If optical separation measures are implemented to prevent cross-talk between adjacent emitters, then cross-talk is avoided, but visible artefacts (darker lines) appear between illuminated regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical element (diffuser or integrating rod) as an intermediary between the emitter array and the target area. This intermediary component receives light from multiple emitters and redistributes it uniformly, preventing both cross-talk and the formation of dark lines. The optical element acts as a mediator that decouples the direct line-of-sight between emitters and target, eliminating the trade-off between separation and artefact formation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If discrete emitters are arranged closer together to reduce physical separation, then artefacts are reduced, but manufacturing constraints (PCB tolerance, placement tolerance) make this difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of solving the artefact problem by adjusting the spatial arrangement in the emitter plane (which is constrained by manufacturing tolerances), the patent moves the solution to another dimension by introducing an optical element in the optical path between the emitters and the target area. This dimensional shift allows artefact reduction without compromising manufacturing ease.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a segmented emitter is used to provide selective illumination, then individual emitter control is achieved, but colour inhomogeneity appears around the borders of illuminated regions
Solution Approach 1:
The optical element serves as an intermediary that receives light from multiple segmented emitters and redistributes it uniformly across the target area. This redistribution process blends the light from adjacent emitters, eliminating colour inhomogeneity at borders while preserving the selective illumination capability of individual emitters.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution prevents the separation width between emitters from being imaged as a darker line, achieving a uniform and homogeneous illumination pattern without noticeable artefacts, and ensuring consistent colour across the illuminated area.
Implementation Method 1
an imaging lens arranged above the emitter array and adapted to direct or disperse the light from each emitter of the array into a corresponding target area region
Implementation Method 2
the imaging lens comprises a surface pattern adapted to direct a portion of the light from each emitter beyond the boundary of the target area region of that emitter
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention describes an illumination assembly (1) of a portable device (2), comprising an array (11) of semiconductor emitters (11E) and an imaging lens (10) arranged above the emitter array (11) and adapted to direct the light from each emitter (11E) into a corresponding region (11Eimage) of a target area (T); characterized in that the imaging lens (10) comprises a surface pattern (10S) adapted to shape the light from adjacent emitters (11E) such that the corresponding imaged emitter regions (11Eimage) overlap at the target area (T). The invention further describes a method of manufacturing such an illumination assembly (1), and a portable device (2) comprising such an illumination assembly (1).