Optical transform system

A process for forming a reflector for providing a beam of light of prescribed intensity profile from a source of known, nonzero dimensions, comprising the steps of:

• dividing said prescribed intensity profile into a plurality of minute target regions;
• computer-defining a reflector shape as a matrix of reflector segments in edge-to-edge justaposition, which matrix is comprised of columns of segments arrayed in one vector direction x and rows of segments arrayed in a second vector direction y which is orthogonal to direction x, by assigning to each segment curve-defining parameters spacially relative to the source and to each target region of said prescribed intensity profile, which parameters comprise
• x and y minimum, center and maximum values,
• x and y radius range values, and
• x and y step size values between reflector segments;
• computer-entering curve-describing formulae for said reflector segments in both x and y directions;
• computer-entering formulae identifying radius change from maximum to minimum values;
• computer-processing said parameters and said formulae for each reflective segment;
• preparing a reflective surface from said computer-processed curve-defining parameters, which surface will provide said profile from said source;
• specifying the input/output characteristics of an optical system including at least one reflector;
• determining reflector surface shape from the specified characteristics;
• providing a computer-output display depicting a visual representation corresponding to light beamed from said source, reflected by said computer-defined reflector shape, and targeted onto said prescribed intensity profile;
• determining machining steps for the control of a machine tool center to replicate the reflector surface;
• and
• reproducing by molding the reflector surface from the machine tool replicated surface.

A process of formulating a surface of a reflector comprising the steps of:

• computer-defining, in spatial relation to a source of reflection and a target of reflection, the size and curvature parameters of a matrix of reflector segments, which matrix is comprised of columns of segments arrayed in one vector direction x and rows of segments arrayed in a second vector direction y which is orthogonal to vector direction x;
• computer-processing said size and curvature parameters of the segments at their peripheral boundaries in such a manner that the radius of curvature parameter of the reflector segments in orthogonal directions at main segment boundaries lie in the same vector direction for each boundary;
• and
• providing by computer generated controls from said parameters of the reflector surface segments an output physical manifestation of the reflector surface.

A process for formulating a reflector for use with a light source to produce a preset intensity profile for an illumination pattern by reflection of light from said source via said reflector, said process comprising the steps of:

• providing computer accessible data identifying said illumination pattern, source location parameters, and reflector location parameters;
• computer-defining, in spacial relation to the location of said source and to the location of said illumination pattern, the size and curvature parameters, according to the computer accessible data, of each portion in a matrix of reflector portions, which matrix is comprised of columns of portions arrayed in one vector direction x and rows of portions arrayed in a second vector direction y which is orthogonal to vector direction x;
• said defining step operative in association with source and reflector data to define a portion size sufficient to illuminate each segment of said illumination pattern with an intensity at least matching said intensity profile;
• and providing by computer generated controls from the defined reflector portions an output physical manifestation of a reflector comprised of the defined reflector portions.

A process for formulating an optical transform surface in accordance with a predetermined optical transformation for transforming light from a source to a target, comprising the steps of:

• computer-defining said optical transform surface as a matrix of surface segments, said matrix comprised of columns of segments arrayed in one vector direction x and rows of segments arrayed in a second vector direction y which is orthogonal to vector direction x;
• computer-tracing rays corresponding to the light from a source location, reflected by corresponding surface segments, and targeted upon corresponding target location in accordance with the predetermined optical transformation whereby source, transform surface, and target points are positionally associated by said trace rays;
• computer-determining the orientation for each surface segment positionally and angularly in order to cause light to be reflected along a traced ray corresponding to each positionally associated source, transform surface segment, and target point;
• and
• providing by computer generated controls from the defined transform surface an output physical manifestation of the defined transform surface.