Laser Lighting Selective Resolution Optical Engine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illumination sources face inefficiencies in power consumption, cost, and dynamic functionality, particularly in large displays and smart lighting applications, with low lumens per watt, high cost per delivered lumen, and limited ability to generate dynamic spatial and color patterns in a compact form.
Innovation Solution
The use of optical engines with single or multiple laser diodes, scanning mirrors, and un-patterned phosphors, enabling high power efficiency, adjustable resolution, and color gamut, with configurations for transmission and reflection, and addressing schemes like color line and frame sequential addressing, to achieve speckle-free, high-quality imaging and lighting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional illumination sources are used, then device complexity is low, but power efficiency (lumens per watt) is low and cost per delivered lumen is high
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system is segmented into multiple independent laser diodes (red, green, blue) that can be individually controlled, allowing selective activation based on the required color output. This segmentation enables efficient power usage by activating only the necessary laser types while maintaining the ability to produce full-color illumination when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a multi-functional illumination engine that can operate in multiple modes: single-color illumination using individual laser diodes, multi-color illumination by combining several laser diodes, and dynamic spatial patterning through the scanning mirror system. This universality allows the system to optimize power efficiency for each specific application mode.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional illumination sources are used, then manufacturing cost is low, but cost per delivered lumen is high due to poor optical efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes optical parameters dynamically by adjusting the intensity and wavelength composition of light from multiple laser diodes. By precisely controlling the emission parameters of each laser and their combinatorial output, the system achieves high optical efficiency in converting electrical energy to useful illumination while maintaining cost-effectiveness through the use of standard laser diode components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional illumination sources are used, then device size is acceptable, but ability to generate dynamic spatial and color patterns is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system incorporates dynamic elements including a scanning mirror that can be rapidly repositioned to create time-varying spatial patterns, and individually addressable laser diodes that can dynamically adjust their emission intensity and color composition. This dynamic capability enables the compact device to generate complex spatial and color patterns that would traditionally require much larger systems.
4Illumination intensity
If high power laser sources are used, then illumination intensity is high, but speckle artifacts are introduced degrading image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple laser beams of different wavelengths (red, green, blue) in a controlled manner to create composite illumination. By combining these independently controllable laser sources, the system achieves high overall intensity while the multi-wavelength composition and controlled superposition help mitigate speckle artifacts that would be more pronounced with single-wavelength high-power lasers.
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 results in cost-effective, high-efficiency projection systems and smart lighting with improved optical efficiency, reduced speckle, and minimal safety and regulatory concerns, suitable for various applications including displays and dynamic lighting.
Implementation Method 1
a laser diode device, the laser diode device characterized by a wavelength ranging from 300 to 2000 nm
Implementation Method 2
an un-patterned phosphor plate coupled to the scanning mirror and configured with the laser device
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, the present invention provides an optical engine apparatus. The apparatus has a laser diode device, the laser diode device characterized by a wavelength ranging from 300 to 2000 nm or any variations thereof. In an example, the apparatus has a lens coupled to an output of the laser diode device and a scanning mirror device operably coupled to the laser diode device. In an example, the apparatus has an un-patterned phosphor plate coupled to the scanning mirror and configured with the laser device; and a spatial image formed on a portion of the un-patterned phosphor plate configured by a modulation of the laser and movement of the scanning mirror device.