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US 12,111,686 B2Granted
Optical unit, illumination apparatus, display, and optical communication apparatus
AssigneeSaturn Licensing LLC
InventorsNorimasa Furukawa, Kenichi Nakaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical unit includes a ball lens and a light source. The ball lens condenses light and outputs the condensed light. The light source has a light emitting surface and the light source outputs light toward the ball lens. The light emitting surface is located closer to the ball lens than a focal position of the ball lens.
Claims13
An optical unit, comprising:
- a first plurality of ball lenses and a first plurality of first light sources, the first plurality of ball lenses comprising ball lenses of a first type, the first light sources are the same;
- and
- a second plurality of ball lenses and a second plurality of second light sources, the second plurality of ball lenses comprising ball lenses of a second type in which the first type is different than the second type, the second light sources are the same,
- wherein the ball lenses of the first plurality and the second plurality of ball lenses are configured to:
- receive light from the respective light sources and condense the received light;
- and
- output the condensed light;
- each light source of the respective light sources having a light emitting surface, wherein
- each light source of the respective light sources is configured to emit the light toward each ball lens of the respective ball lenses via the respective light emitting surface, and
- the respective light emitting surface is located closer to the respective ball lens than a focal position of the respective ball lens;
- and
- an optical sheet configured to:
- pass a first portion of the output light that is output from the first plurality and second plurality of ball lenses;
- and
- reflect a second portion of the output light to return to the first plurality and second plurality of ball lenses,
- wherein the first plurality and second plurality of ball lenses include a material having a uniform refractive index.
13 more elements
An illumination apparatus, comprising:
- a first plurality of ball lenses and a first plurality of first light sources, the first plurality of ball lenses comprising ball lenses of a first type, the first light sources are the same;
- and
- a second plurality of ball lenses and a second plurality of second light sources, the second plurality of ball lenses comprising ball lenses of a second type in which the first type is different than the second type, the second light sources are the same,
- wherein the ball lenses of the first plurality and the second plurality of ball lenses are configured to:
- receive light from the respective light sources and condense the received light;
- and
- output the condensed light as illumination light;
- each light source of the respective light sources having a light emitting surface, wherein
- each light source of the respective light sources is configured to emit the light toward each ball lens of the respective ball lenses via the respective light emitting surface, and
- the respective light emitting surface is located closer to the respective ball lens than a focal position of the respective ball lens;
- and
- an optical sheet configured to:
- pass a first portion of the output light that is output from the first plurality and second plurality of ball lenses;
- and
- reflect a second portion of the output light to return to the first plurality and second plurality of ball lenses.
12 more elements
A display, comprising:
- a first plurality of ball lenses corresponding to a first plurality of first light sources, the first plurality of ball lenses comprising ball lenses of a first type, the first light sources are the same;
- and
- a second plurality of ball lenses corresponding to a second plurality of second light sources, the second plurality of ball lenses comprising ball lenses of a second type in which the first type is different than the second type, the second light sources are the same,
- wherein the ball lenses of the first plurality and the second plurality of ball lenses are configured to:
- receive light from the respective light sources and condense the received light;
- and
- output the condensed light;
- wherein
- each of the first and second plurality of light sources has a light emitting surface,
- each of the first and second plurality of light sources is configured to output the light toward of the respective ball lens via respective light emitting surface, and
- the respective light emitting surface of each of the first and second plurality of light sources is located closer to the respective ball lens than a focal position of the respective ball lens;
- and
- an optical sheet configured to:
- pass a first portion of the output light that is output from the first and second plurality of ball lenses;
- and
- reflect a second portion of the output light to return to the first and second plurality of ball lenses.
13 more elements
An optical communication apparatus comprising:
- an optical transmitter, wherein the optical transmitter includes:
- a first plurality of ball lenses and a first plurality of first light sources, the first plurality of ball lenses comprising ball lenses of a first type, the first light sources are the same;
- and
- a second plurality of ball lenses and a second plurality of second light sources, the second plurality of ball lenses comprising ball lenses of a second type in which the first type is different than the second type, the second light sources are the same,
- wherein the ball lenses of the first plurality and the second plurality of ball lenses are configured to:
- receive light from the respective light sources and condense the received light;
- and
- output the condensed light;
- each light source of the respective light sources having a light emitting surface,
- each light source of the respective light sources is configured to emit the light toward the respective ball lens via the respective light emitting surface, and
- the respective light emitting surface is located closer to the respective ball lens than a focal position of the respective ball lens;
- and
- an optical sheet configured to:
- pass a first portion of the output light that is output from the respective ball lens;
- and
- reflect a second portion of the output light to return to the respective ball lens.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.