Claims
- 1. A light projecting device, comprising:
a light source; a light homogenizer; wherein the light homogenizer homogenizes the light from the light source into a uniform image.
- 2. The light projecting device of claim 1, further comprising:
a reflector; wherein the reflector directs light from the light source towards the light homogenizer.
- 3. The light projecting device of claim 2, wherein the reflector is an elliptical reflector.
- 4. The light projecting device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a conventional flashlight bulb.
- 5. The light projecting device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.
- 6. The light projecting device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a laser.
- 7. The light projecting device of claim 1, wherein the light source is an arc lamp.
- 8. The light projecting device of claim 1, further comprising:
a light modifying component for displaying an image.
- 9. The light projecting device of claim 8, wherein the light modifying component is a mask.
- 10. The light projecting device of claim 8, wherein the light modifying component is a film.
- 11. The light projecting device of claim 1, further comprising:
a flashlight battery as a light power source.
- 12. The light projecting device of claim 1, wherein the light homogenizer is a light pipe.
- 13. The light projecting device of claim 12, wherein the light pipe further comprises:
an input face arranged to receive light from the light source; and an output face for communicating the uniform image.
- 14. The light projecting device of claim 13, wherein the input face has a smaller area than the output face.
- 15. The light projecting device of claim 13, wherein the input face and the output face have substantially the same area.
- 16. The light projecting device of claim 13, further comprising a diffuser.
- 17. The light projecting device of claim 16, wherein the diffuser is a holographic diffuser.
- 18. The light projecting device of claim 16, wherein the diffuser is located at the input face of the light pipe.
- 19. The light projecting device of claim 12, wherein the light pipe is hollow.
- 20. The light projecting device of claim 12, wherein the light pipe is solid.
- 21. The light projecting device of claim 20, wherein the solid light pipe is a circular rod of glass.
- 22. The light projecting device of claim 12, wherein the light pipe is a compound parabolic concentrator.
- 23. The light projecting device of claim 1, wherein the light homoginizer is a lens array.
- 24. The light projecting device of claim 23, the lens array further comprising:
lenslets; wherein light from the light source is reimaged through the lenslets into a more uniform image.
- 25. The light projecting device of claim 23, further comprising:
at least two lens arrays, each having lenslets; wherein the more uniform image from a first array is reimaged through the lenslets of a second lens array into an even more uniform image.
- 26. A method of projecting a uniform image using a light source, comprising the steps of:
generating light from a light source; homogenizing the light with a light homogenizer; focusing the homogenized light onto an object using a lens.
- 27. The method of projecting a uniform image of claim 26, wherein the light source is an ordinary flashlight bulb.
- 28. The method of projecting a uniform image of claim 26, further comprising the step of:
powering the light source with an ordinary flashlight battery.
- 29. The method of projecting a uniform image of claim 26, further comprising the step of:
shaping the boundaries of the light image exiting the homogenizer.
- 30. The method of projecting a uniform image of claim 26, further comprising the step of:
altering the light image exiting the output face to produce an image.
- 31. The method of projecting a uniform image of claim 26, the step of homogenizing, further comprising the steps of:
receiving the light from the light source into a light pipe face; homogenizing the light within the light pipe; communicating the light out of the light pipe's output face.
- 32. The method of projecting a uniform image of claim 26, the step of homogenizing, further comprising the step of:
reimaging the light from the light source through lenslets of a first lens array.
- 33. The method of projecting a uniform image of claim 32, the step of reimaging, further comprising the step of:
reimaging the light from the first lens array through the lenslets of a second lens array.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This applications claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/266,589, filed Feb. 6, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60266589 |
Feb 2001 |
US |