Methods and apparatus for illumination with laser modulated adaptive beam shaping

A method of projecting light for illumination, the method comprising:

• directing light from a first laser illumination source onto only a first portion of a down converter material;
• directing light from a second laser illumination source onto only a second portion of the down converter material, wherein the first and second portions are only partially overlapping;
• when the down converter material is illuminated by one or more of the laser illumination sources, directing light emitted from the down converter material onto a light modulator;
• causing the first laser illumination source to adaptively vary a first intensity of illuminating the first portion of the down converter material while the second laser illumination source illuminates the second portion of the down converter material;
• causing the second laser illumination source to adaptively vary a second intensity of illuminating the second portion of the down converter material while the first laser illumination source illuminates the first portion of the down converter material, the first intensity being different from the second intensity at various times;
• and
• causing the light modulator to allow a selected amount of the down converter material's emitted light to be projected from a light projection system.

A headlamp, comprising:

• at least first and second laser illumination sources;
• a light modulator;
• a phosphor, arranged between the light modulator and the laser illumination sources, to emit light when illuminated by one or more of the laser illumination sources, wherein:
• the first laser illumination source is arranged to illuminate only a first portion of the phosphor;
• the second laser illumination source is arranged to illuminate only a second portion of the phosphor;
• and the first and second portions are only partially overlapping;
• illumination optics, positioned between the phosphor and the light modulator, to direct the phosphor's emitted light onto the light modulator;
• projection optics to collect light from the light modulator and having a lens to project the collected light out of the headlamp;
• and
• a controller to apply control signals to the first and second laser illumination sources and to the light modulator, for causing the first laser illumination source to adaptively vary a first intensity of illuminating the first portion of the phosphor while the second laser illumination source illuminates the second portion of the phosphor, for causing the second laser illumination source to adaptively vary a second intensity of illuminating the second portion of the phosphor while the first laser illumination source illuminates the first portion of the phosphor, and for causing the light modulator to allow a selected amount of the phosphor's emitted light to be projected from the projection optics, the first intensity being different from the second intensity at various times.