Illumination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11085609-B1
Application number	US-202117170792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 8, 2021
Priority date	Feb 8, 2021
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

An illumination device including a light source array and a microlens array is provided. The light source array includes a plurality of light sources arranged in an array. The microlens array includes a plurality of microlenses arranged in an array. The illumination device satisfies the following conditional expressions so as to produce structured light: z=z0+dz and z0=(m/2)*(P2/λ), where z is a distance between the light source array and the microlens array along a central axis of the microlens array, P is a lens pitch of the microlens array, λ is a wavelength of the light sources, m is an integer and m′ is a non-integer number. The illumination device satisfies 1%≤dz/z0≤5% or −5%≤dz/z0≤−1%.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination device, comprising:
a light source array comprising a plurality of light sources arranged in an array; and
a microlens array comprising a plurality of microlenses arranged in an array,
wherein the illumination device satisfies the following conditional expressions so as to produce structured light: z=z0+dz and z0=(m/2)*(P 2 /λ), where z is a distance between the light source array and the microlens array along a central axis of the microlens array, P is a lens pitch of the microlens array, λ is a wavelength of the light sources, m is an integer and m′ is a non-integer number,
wherein the illumination device satisfies 1%≤dz/z0≤5% or −5%≤dz/z0≤−1%.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination device has regular lens pitch and regular light-source pitch.

3. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination device satisfies K*P2=N*P, where P2 is a light-source pitch of the light source array, K is an integer and N is an integer.

4. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the microlenses are convex lenses or concave lenses.

5. An illumination device, comprising:
a light source array comprising a plurality of light sources arranged in an array; and
a microlens array comprising a plurality of microlenses arranged in an array,
wherein the illumination device satisfies the following conditional expressions so as to produce flood light: z=z0+dz and z0=(m/2)*(P 2 /λ), where z is a distance between the light source array and the microlens array along a central axis of the microlens array, P is a lens pitch of the microlens array, λ is a wavelength of the light sources, m is an integer and m′ is a non-integer number,
wherein the illumination device satisfies 5%<dz/z0≤20% or −20%≤dz/z0<−5%.

6. The illumination device according to claim 5 , wherein the illumination device has regular lens pitch and satisfies P2≠N*P, where P2 is a light-source pitch of the light source array and N is an integer.

7. The illumination device according to claim 5 , wherein the illumination device has random light-source pitch.

8. The illumination device according to claim 5 , wherein the microlenses are convex lenses or concave lenses.

9. An illumination device, comprising:
a first sub-illumination device, comprising:
a first light source array comprising a plurality of first light sources arranged in an array; and
a first microlens array comprising a plurality of first microlenses arranged in an array,
wherein the first sub-illumination device satisfies the following conditional expressions so as to produce structured light: z1=z0+dz and z0=(m/2)*(P11 2 /λ1), where z1 is a distance between the first light source array and the first microlens array along a central axis of the first microlens array, P11 is a lens pitch of the first microlens array, λ1 is a wavelength of the first light sources, m is an integer and m′ is a non-integer number,
wherein the first sub-illumination device satisfies 1%≤dz/z0≤5% or −5%≤dz/z0≤−1%; and

a second sub-illumination device configured to produce flood light, comprising:
a second light source array comprising a plurality of second light sources arranged in an array; and
a second microlens array comprising a plurality of second microlenses arranged in an array.

10. The illumination device according to claim 9 , wherein the first sub-illumination device has regular lens pitch and regular light-source pitch, and the first sub-illumination device satisfies K*P21=N*P11, where P21 is a light-source pitch of the first light source array, K is an integer and N is an integer.

11. The illumination device according to claim 9 , wherein the first light source array and the second light source array are coplanar, the first microlens array and the second microlens array are coplanar, and the illumination device satisfies z1=z2, where z2 is a distance between the second light source array and the second microlens array along a central axis of the second microlens array.

12. The illumination device according to claim 11 , wherein
the second sub-illumination device has regular lens pitch and satisfies P11=P12, where P12 is a lens pitch of the second microlens array;
the second sub-illumination device has random light source pitch, or has regular light source pitch satisfies P22≠N*P12, where P22 is a light-source pitch of the second light source array and N is an integer.

13. The illumination device according to claim 12 , wherein λ1=λ2, where λ2 is a wavelength of the second light sources.

14. The illumination device according to claim 12 , wherein λ1≠λ2, where λ2 is a wavelength of the second light sources.

15. The illumination device according to claim 11 , wherein
the second sub-illumination device has random lens pitch, and satisfies P12≠P11, where P12 is a lens pitch of the second microlens array.

16. The illumination device according to claim 15 , wherein the second sub-illumination device has random light-source pitch.

17. The illumination device according to claim 15 , wherein the second sub-illumination device has regular light-source pitch.

18. The illumination device according to claim 9 , wherein
the second sub-illumination device has regular lens pitch and satisfies P11=P12, where P12 is a lens pitch of the second microlens array;
the second sub-illumination device has random light source pitch, or has regular light source pitch satisfies P22≠N*P12, where P22 is a light-source pitch of the second light source array and N is an integer.

19. The illumination device according to claim 18 , wherein the first microlens array and the second microlens array are coplanar, and the second sub-illumination device satisfies 5%<(z1−z2)/z1≤20% or −20%≤(z1−z2)/z1<−5%, where z2 is a distance between the second light source array and the second microlens array along a central axis of the second microlens array.

20. The illumination device according to claim 18 , wherein the first light source array and the second light source array are coplanar, and the second sub-illumination device satisfies 5%<(z1−z2)/z1≤20% or −20%≤(z1−z2)/z1<−5%, where z2 is a distance between the second light source array and the second microlens array along a central axis of the second microlens array.

Assignees

• Himax Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Cheng Yu-Ching

Classifications

• F21Y2115/30

  Semiconductor lasers · CPC title

• F21V5/005 Primary

  using microprisms · CPC title

• F21Y2105/10

  comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array of point-like light-generating elements · CPC title

• F21V5/007 Primary

  Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane (combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008) · CPC title

• F21V5/004 Primary

  using microlenses · CPC title