Apparatus for radiating light from a virtual source

Abstract

A lighting assembly that includes an LED source that generates a light cone (solid angle); and a transparent near field lens having a front surface, a collimating surface, and an aspherical groove. The collimating surface collimates the light cone into a beam that reflects off of the front surface toward the aspherical groove, and the aspherical groove directs the beam away from the lens as an exit cone from a virtual focal point, positive virtual focal ring or a negative virtual focal ring. The exit cone may be evenly distributed, substantially forward or substantially rearward from the virtual focal point or virtual focal ring. Parabolic or aparabolic reflectors can be employed with lighting assemblies having a virtual focal point or virtual focal ring, respectively, to reflect the exit cone in a vehicular exterior lighting pattern.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.