Spectral Phosphor Combining for High-CRI Bright Light Sources

The patent divides the single phosphor conversion system into two separate phosphor conversion paths. The pump light is split to excite a first phosphor material and a second phosphor material independently. The first phosphor converts pump light to a first wavelength range, and the second phosphor converts pump light to a second wavelength range including enhanced red emission. This segmentation allows independent thermal management of each phosphor material, preventing the temperature rise issue that occurs when red phosphors are directly combined with garnet phosphors in a single conversion path.

The patent introduces an optical system with wavelength-dependent optics as an intermediary between the two phosphor conversion paths. This optical system combines the light from the first and second phosphor materials while managing their spectral overlap. The intermediary optical system enables the integration of enhanced red emission from the second phosphor with the output from the first phosphor, achieving improved CRI without direct thermal interaction between the phosphor materials.

The patent merges two phosphor conversion paths into a single integrated light generating device. Instead of using separate laser sources and combining their outputs (which would increase complexity), the invention uses a single pump light source that simultaneously excites both the first and second phosphor materials. The optical system then combines the emitted light from both phosphors, achieving high brightness through integrated phosphor conversion rather than through combination of multiple independent light sources.

The single pump light source performs multiple functions by simultaneously exciting both the first and second phosphor materials. This multi-functional approach allows one light source to generate multiple wavelength ranges that are then combined to create the final intense light output, reducing the number of components needed compared to using multiple specialized light sources.

The patent segments the phosphor conversion process into two independent paths, each with its own phosphor material excited by pump light. The first phosphor converts pump light to a first wavelength range, and the second phosphor converts pump light to a second wavelength range with enhanced red emission. By maintaining independent conversion paths, the system achieves spectral overlap for improved CRI while preventing thermal energy accumulation that would occur in a single high-power conversion path.

The patent changes the operational parameters of the phosphor conversion system by using two different phosphor materials with different excitation and emission characteristics. This parameter change allows the system to achieve the desired spectral overlap for improved color rendering while distributing the thermal load across two separate conversion processes, thereby improving thermal management and reducing energy loss as heat.