Patent US5333077A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5333077A
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US
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Method and apparatus for efficient concentration of light from laser diode arrays
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Filing: 1991-12-18
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Granted: 1994-07-26
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Expires: 2011-12-18
Abstract
Abstract A lens system for use with a light beam having a spatial cross-sectional distribution which is extended predominantly in one direction, including a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different portions of the light beam to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two portions of said light beam are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light on the imaginary plane; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with the two-dimensional pattern of light for redirecting each portion of the two-dimensional pattern of light to a focal point. Alternatively, the lens system of the invention may be used to receive and redirect to a focal point each individual light beam of a linear array of light beams, or each portion of a two-dimensional light beam, or each individual light beam of a two-dimensional array of light beams.
Inventors
- 👤 James R. Legar
- 👤 William C. Goltsos
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 16:12
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B19/00; G02B19/0033; G02B19/0047; G02B19/0052; G02B19/0057; G02B19/0004; G02B19/0009; G02B19/0014; G02B27/00; G02B27/09; G02B27/0938; G02B27/0944; G02B27/095; G02B27/0955; G02B27/0961; G02B27/10; G02B27/1006; G02B27/1086; G02B27/12; G02B27/123; G02B5/00; G02B5/18; G02B5/1876; G02B5/188; G02B5/1885; G02B6/00; G02B6/10; G02B6/12; G02B6/122; G02B6/124; G02B6/1245; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4249; G02B6/425; H; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/40; H01S5/4025; H01S3/00; H01S3/005; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S3/0941; H01S3/09415; H01S5/005; H01S5/4012; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S359/00; Y10S359/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A lens system for use with a light beam having a spatial cross-sectional distribution which is extended predominantly in one direction, the system comprising: a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different portions of the light beam to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two portions of said light beam are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light on the imaginary plane; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light for redirecting each portion of said two-dimensional pattern of light to a focal point.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
A lens system for use with a light beam having a spatial cross-sectional distribution which is extended predominantly in one direction, the system comprising: a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different portions of the light beam to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two portions of said light beam are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light on the imaginary plane; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light for redirecting each portion of said two-dimensional pattern of light to a focal point.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
The lens system of claim 1 wherein the first optical element comprises a linear array of first lenses, each of said first lenses oriented to receive and redirect a different portion of said light beam to different locations on an imaginary plane so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light on the imaginary plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The lens system of claim 2, wherein the first lenses are diffractive lenses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The lens system of claim 2, wherein the first lenses are refractive lenses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The lens system of claim 4 wherein at least some of the refractive lenses have diffractive aberration correction and/or beam tilt.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
The lens system of claim 2 wherein the first lenses of the linear array of first lenses abut one another and wherein each of the first lenses is sized so that it will be substantially fully illuminated by the light from at least one portion of the light beam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The lens system of claim 1 wherein the second optical element comprises a two-dimensional array of second lenses located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light for redirecting and focusing said two-dimensional pattern of light to a focal point.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The lens system of claim 7 wherein the focal point is at infinity.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The lenses system of claim 7, wherein the two-dimensional array of second lenses is a hexagonally close packed array of lenses.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The lens system of claim 7, wherein the two-dimensional pattern is a rectangular packed pattern.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The lenses system of claim 7, wherein the two-dimensional array of second lenses is a rectangular packed array of lenses.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The lenses system of claim 1, wherein the first optical element and the second optical element are formed on a single substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The lens system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a mode matching lens for focusing to a point the two-dimensional pattern of light redirected by the second optical element.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
106 words
The lens system of claim 1 wherein the first optical element comprises a linear array of first lenses wherein each of said first lenses is oriented to receive and redirect a different portion of the light beam to a different location on an imaginary plane so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light on the imaginary plane; and the second optical element comprises a linear array of second lenses located at the imaginary plane for redirecting each portion of said two-dimensional pattern of light to a focal point, each of said second lenses aligned to receive at least one portion of said two-dimensional light pattern.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
13 words
The lens system of claim 14 wherein the focal point is at infinity.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
The lens system of claim 1 wherein the light beam is generated by a wide-stripe laser and the first optical element redirects different portions of the light beam out of the plane formed by the wide-stripe laser and the propagation direction of the light beam.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
110 words
A lens system for use with a linear array of individual light beams, the system comprising: a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different light beams of the linear array of light beams to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two light beams of said linear array of individual light beams are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light beams on the imaginary plane; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional patterns of light beams for redirecting each light beam of said two-dimensional pattern of light beams to a focal point.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
110 words
A lens system for use with a linear array of individual light beams, the system comprising: a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different light beams of the linear array of light beams to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two light beams of said linear array of individual light beams are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light beams on the imaginary plane; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional patterns of light beams for redirecting each light beam of said two-dimensional pattern of light beams to a focal point.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
113 words
The lens system of claim 17 wherein the first optical element comprises a linear array of first lenses wherein each of said first lenses is oriented to receive and redirect at least one individual light beam to a different location on an imaginary plane so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light beams on the imaginary plane; and the second optical element comprises a linear array of second lenses located at the imaginary plane for redirecting each of the light beams of said two-dimensional pattern of light beams to a focal point, each of said second lenses aligned to receive at least one light beam of said two-dimensional pattern of light beams.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The lens system of claim 18 wherein the second lenses focus the two-dimensional pattern of light beams to a focal point located at infinity.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
The lens system of claim 18, wherein the system comprises a mode matching lens for focusing to a point the two-dimensional pattern of light beams redirected by the second optical element.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The lens system of claim 7 14, 17, or 18 wherein the second lenses are diffractive lenses.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The lens system of claim 7, 14, 17, 18, wherein the second lenses are refractive lenses.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The lens system of claim 22 wherein at least some of the refractive lenses have diffractive aberration correction and/or beam tilt.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
56 words
The lens system of claim 17 or 18 wherein the first lenses of the linear array of first lenses abut one another and wherein each of the first lenses is sized so that it will be substantially fully illuminated by the light from at least one light beam of the linear array of individual light beams.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
56 words
The lens system of claim 17 or 18 wherein the linear array of individual light beams are generated by a wide-stripe laser and the first optical element redirects each light beam of the linear array of individual light beams out of the plane formed by the wide-stripe laser and the propagation direction of the light beams.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
65 words
The lens system of claim 17 wherein the first optical element comprises a linear array of first lenses wherein each of said first lenses is oriented to receive and redirect at least one individual light beam of the linear array of individual light beams to different locations on an imaginary plane so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light beams on the imaginary plane.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
46 words
The lens system of claim 17 wherein the second optical element comprises a two-dimensional array of second lenses located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light beams for redirecting and focusing said two-dimensional pattern of light beams to a focal point.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
13 words
The lens system of claim 27 wherein the focal point is at infinity.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
124 words
A lens system for use with a two-dimensional array of individual light beams, the system comprising: a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different light beams of the two-dimensional array of individual light beams to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two light beams of the two-dimensional array of individual light beams are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light beams being other than a magnified or minified version of the two-dimensional array of light beams; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light beams for redirecting each of the light beams of said two-dimensional pattern of light beams to a focal point.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
124 words
A lens system for use with a two-dimensional array of individual light beams, the system comprising: a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different light beams of the two-dimensional array of individual light beams to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two light beams of the two-dimensional array of individual light beams are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light beams being other than a magnified or minified version of the two-dimensional array of light beams; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light beams for redirecting each of the light beams of said two-dimensional pattern of light beams to a focal point.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
13 words
The lens system of claim 29 wherein the focal point is at infinity.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
43 words
The lens system of claim 29 wherein the first optical element comprises a two-dimensional array of first lens, each of said first lens oriented to receive and redirect at least one of the light beams of said two-dimensional array of individual light beams.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
54 words
The lens system of claim 31 wherein the first lenses of the two-dimensional array of first lenses abut one another and wherein each of the first lenses is sized so that it will be substantially fully illuminated by the light from at least one light beam of the two-dimensional array of individual light beams.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
58 words
The lens system of claim 29 wherein the second optical element comprises a two-dimensional array of second lenses located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light beams, each of said second lenses oriented to redirect at least one of the light beams of said two-dimensional pattern of light beams to a focal point.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
106 words
A lens system for use with a two-dimensional light beam, the system comprising: a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different positions of the two-dimensional light beam to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two portions of the two-dimensional light beam are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light being other than a magnified or minified version of the two-dimensional light beam; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light for redirecting each portion of the two dimensional pattern of light to a focal point.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
106 words
A lens system for use with a two-dimensional light beam, the system comprising: a first optical element for receiving and redirecting different positions of the two-dimensional light beam to different locations on an imaginary plane wherein at least two portions of the two-dimensional light beam are directed along two non-parallel paths so as to generate a two-dimensional pattern of light being other than a magnified or minified version of the two-dimensional light beam; and a second optical element located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light for redirecting each portion of the two dimensional pattern of light to a focal point.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
37 words
The lens system of claim 34 wherein the first optical element comprises a two-dimensional array of first lenses, each of said first lenses oriented to receive and redirect at least one portion of said two-dimensional light beam.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
50 words
The lens system of claim 35 wherein the first lenses of the two-dimensional array of first lenses abut one another and wherein each of the first lenses is sized so that it will be substantially fully illuminated by the light from at least one portion of the two-dimensional light beam.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
53 words
The lens system of claim 34 wherein the second optical element comprises a two-dimensional array of second lenses located at the imaginary plane and aligned with said two-dimensional pattern of light, each of said second lenses oriented to redirect at least one portion of said two-dimensional pattern of light to a focal point.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-07-25 | 1998-01-24 | 1998-07-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-07-25 | 2002-01-24 | 2002-07-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-07-25 | 2006-01-24 | 2006-07-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |