Claims
- 1. A light emitting system, comprising:
- an emitter surface facing an area to be illuminated;
- a mask positioned a predetermined distance from said emitter surface and between the emitter surface and the area to be illuminated, whereby the mask constructively occludes a substantial portion of the emitter surface with respect to the area to be illuminated;
- a baffle positioned in a region between said mask and said emitter surface, said baffle dividing said region into sections; and
- a plurality of emitters, each emitter being coupled to emit light into a distinct one of the sections.
- 2. A light emitting system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the emitters emits light of a distinguishable spectral characteristic.
- 3. A light emitting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the emitter surface comprises a diffusely reflective cavity having an aperture.
- 4. A light emitting system as defined in claim 3, wherein said baffle includes an extended portion that divides said cavity.
- 5. A light emitting system as defined in claim 1, wherein said mask and said baffle have diffusely reflective surfaces.
- 6. A optical device that senses or emits light volume, comprising:
- first and second tubular members positioned substantially orthogonally to each other, each of said tubular members having an interior volume and light transmitting apertures;
- a plurality of masks, each positioned a predetermined distance from a distinct one of said apertures;
- a plurality of baffles, each positioned within a distinct tubular member subdividing said interior volume into subvolumes;
- a plurality of optical elements that either sense or emit light, each of which is positioned within a distinct subvolume.
- 7. A spherical optical device in accordance with claim 6, wherein each of said interior volumes is defined by a diffusely reflective surface.
- 8. A spherical optical device as defined in claim 6, wherein said optical elements are emitters.
- 9. A spherical optical device as defined in claim 6, wherein said optical elements are detectors that generate signals representative of light detected within a respective distinct subvolume.
- 10. A light distributor, comprising:
- a base having a reflective surface for facing toward an area to be illuminated;
- a mask positioned a predetermined distance from the reflective surface of the base and between the reflective surface of the base and the area to be illuminated, the mask having a reflective surface facing toward the reflective surface of the base;
- a diffusely reflective cavity formed in one of the reflective surfaces at a location such that an aperture of the cavity is occluded by the mask with respect to the area to be illuminated;
- a baffle positioned in a region between the mask and the reflective surface of the base, the baffle dividing the region into sections; and
- a plurality of emitters, each emitter being coupled for emission of light into a distinct one of the sections.
- 11. A light distributor as in claim 10, wherein the diffusely reflective cavity is formed in the base.
- 12. A light distributor as in claim 10, wherein:
- the baffle divides the region into four sections; and
- the plurality of emitters comprises four emitters, each of the four emitters being coupled to emit light into a distinct one of the four sections.
- 13. A light distributor as in claim 10, wherein each of the reflective surfaces has a substantially diffuse reflective characteristic with respect to light from the emitters.
- 14. A light distributor as in claim 13, wherein surfaces of the baffle have a substantially diffuse reflective characteristic with respect to light from the emitters.
- 15. A light distributor as in claim 10, wherein the baffle extends into and divides the cavity so that the sections extend into the cavity.
- 16. A light distributor as in claim 10, wherein each of the emitters emits light having a distinct spectral characteristic.
- 17. A light distributor as in claim 10, wherein said one of the reflective surfaces comprises a reflective shoulder formed around at least a substantial portion of the diffusely reflective cavity.
- 18. A light distributor as in claim 17, wherein the reflective shoulder has a substantially diffuse reflective characteristic with respect to light from the emitters.
- 19. A light distributor as in claim 10, wherein the mask constructively occludes the cavity in such a manner that the light distributor exhibits a tailored intensity distribution over a range of angles in the area to be illuminated.
- 20. A light distributor as in claim 19, wherein the tailored intensity distribution is substantially uniform in intensity over the range of angles in the area to be illuminated.
- 21. A light distributor as in claim 19, wherein the range of angles in the area to be illuminated includes angles about a central axis of the light distributor extending into through the mask and the cavity and into the area to be illuminated.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of Ser. No. 08/781,826 filed Jan. 10, 1997 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (32)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
516361 |
Jan 1940 |
GBX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
781826 |
Jan 1997 |
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