Remote Optical Element for Lighting Directionality Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting systems with uniformly directional light fields can be too uniform for certain tasks, requiring modification to achieve efficient and convenient illumination, especially in applications like retail lighting where focus and contrast are crucial.
Innovation Solution
A lighting system comprising a light-emitting module and an optical element, where the optical element is separately arranged to modify the light field's uniformity, allowing for focused or redirected illumination patterns without altering the light-emitting module, using refractive and wavelength-selective elements to achieve desired illumination effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a light-emitting module provides a light field with uniform directionality, then the lighting is consistent and predictable, but the light field is too uniform for certain tasks requiring focused illumination or contrast
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light field modification function from the light source itself by introducing a separate optical element. This allows the light-emitting module to maintain its uniform directionality while the optical element independently provides the needed variation in illumination patterns, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical element acts as an intermediary between the light-emitting module and the illuminated scene. It receives the uniform light field and transforms it into patterns with varied directionality, enabling focused illumination and contrast enhancement without modifying the stable light source.
2Illumination intensity
If the light field cross-section is kept small for focused illumination, then the illumination is concentrated, but the coverage area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic controllability to the optical element, allowing it to adjust between producing concentrated light patterns and expanded illumination areas. This enables the system to adapt the light field cross-section dynamically based on the specific illumination requirements, resolving the contradiction between concentration and coverage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional light sources are added to modify the light field, then the illumination flexibility is improved, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding more light sources, the patent uses a single optical element as an intermediary to transform the light field from an existing light source. This approach achieves illumination flexibility through optical manipulation rather than through multiple sources, thereby improving adaptability while avoiding increased system complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the light-emitting module is modified to change the light field uniformity, then the illumination pattern is optimized, but the light source design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the illumination optimization function from the light source design by placing the optical element downstream. This allows the light-emitting module to remain simple and focused on light generation, while the optical element handles the complex task of pattern optimization, thereby achieving adaptability without increasing light source design complexity.
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
Enables adaptable illumination patterns, enhancing contrast and visual attention by redistributing light intensity, allowing for efficient and convenient lighting in various applications without modifying the light source, and can produce desired effects like spot lighting with a dark annulus.
Implementation Method 1
The optical element is separately arranged with respect to the light-emitting module and configured to modify the light field input into the optical element such that light field output from the optical element has a changed uniformity of directionality
Data Source
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AI summary
A lighting system (100) is disclosed. The lighting system (100) comprises a light-emitting module (101) adapted to emit a light field (103) having a predefined uniformity of directionality and an optical element (102) arranged so as to receive a portion of the light field (103) emitted by the light-emitting module (101) and configured to output a modified light field (104) based on the received light field (103). The optical element (102) is separately arranged with respect to the light-emitting module (101) and configured to modify the light field (103) input into the optical element (102) such that light field (104) output from the optical element (102) has a changed uniformity of directionality with respect to the light field (103) emitted by the light-emitting module (101). An optical element (102) adapted to be included in the lighting system (100) is also disclosed.