Lensed tapered optical waveguide

A portable front projection system comprising:

• an optical coupling element, said optical coupling element further comprising:
• a TLP to be illuminated with at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said source, said TLP having an input end and an output end;
• a curved surface disposed fixedly to said output end;
• a primary reflector having a first focal point and a first optical axis;
• a secondary reflector having a second focal point and a second optical axis placed substantially symmetrically to said primary reflector such that said first and second optical axes are substantially collinear;
• a source of electromagnetic radiation proximate to said first focal point to emit rays of radiation that reflect from said primary reflector toward said secondary reflector and converge substantially at said second focal point, said source being removably disposed in a fixture;
• a power supply for said source disposed fixedly near said source;
• and
• wherein said input end of said TLP is located proximate to said second focal point;
• wherein:
• a corner of said primary reflector is truncated along a plane substantially parallel to said first optical axis.

A collecting and condensing system comprising:

• an optical coupling element, said optical coupling element further comprising:
• a TLP to be illuminated with at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said source, said TLP having an input end and an output end;
• a curved surface disposed fixedly to said output end;
• a reflector having a first and a second focal points;
• a source of electromagnetic radiation disposed proximate to said first focal point of said reflector to emit rays of radiation that reflect from said reflector and converge substantially at said second focal point;
• and
• wherein said input end of said TLP is located proximate to said second focal point of said reflector, wherein said reflector has a coating that reflects only a pre-specified portion of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, wherein a cross section of said input end or said output end is selected from the group consisting of a rectangle, a square, an ellipse, a circle, an octagon, a hexagon and a polygon.

A method for collecting electromagnetic radiation emitted by a source of electromagnetic radiation and substantially focusing the collected radiation onto a target, the method comprising the steps of:

• positioning said source of electromagnetic radiation substantially at a first focal point of a reflector;
• producing rays of radiation by said source;
• reflecting said rays of radiation by said reflector substantially toward a focal point of said reflector;
• converging said rays of radiation substantially at said second focal point of said reflector;
• positioning a substantially TLP having an input end and an output end so that said input end is substantially proximate to the second focal point of the reflector;
• positioning a curved surface so that a center of said curved surface is substantially proximate to the output end of the TLP;
• and
• adjusting an area or a divergence angle of said rays of radiation by passing the rays of radiation reflected from said reflector through said input end of said TLP and toward the curved surface;
• wherein said reflector comprises at least a portion of a substantially paraboloidal surface of revolution.