Light emitting panel assemblies include a light emitting panel member having a uniform or variable pattern of light extracting deformities of well defined shapes in or on one or more surface areas of the light emitting panel member. The size and shape as well as the depth and angular orientation and position or location of the light extracting deformities may vary along the length and/or width of a panel surface area to obtain a desired light output distribution from the panel surface area. Also, at least some of the deformities may have planar surfaces in parallel spaced relation to a panel surface area. A focused light source may be insert molded or cast within a light transition area of the light emitting panel member to focus the light on an input surface of the light transition area with predetermined ray angles to fit a particular application. Molded supports may be provided on the panel member for supporting other parts or components in spaced relation therefrom. In another embodiment of the invention, an array of light sources may be mounted on a printed circuit board for directing light through a diffuser or lens mounted in spaced relation to the light sources for use in phototherapy treatment or the like.

Light emitting panel assemblies

There exists a beautiful duality between the equations that describe the paraxial diffraction of beams confined in space and the dispersion of narrow-band pulses in dielectrics. We will see that this duality leads naturally to the conclusion that a quadratic phase modulation in time is the analog of a thin lens in space. Therefore, by a suitable combination of dispersion and quadratic phase modulation (now a "time lens"), we can synthesize the time-domain analog of an imaging system. Such a temporal-imaging system can magnify time waveforms in the same manner as conventional spatial-imaging systems magnify scenes. We analyze this space-time duality and derive expressions for the focal length and f-number of a time lens. In addition, the principles of temporal imaging are developed and we derive time-domain analogs for the imaging condition, magnification ratio, and impulse response of a temporal-imaging system. >

Space-time duality and the theory of temporal imaging

A dermatologic treatment apparatus is disclosed which includes one or more housings with at least one housing configured for manipulation in a dermatologic treatment procedure, a light source, and an electrical circuit. The circuit energizes the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path includes an aperture through which eye-safe light pulses are propagated having properties sufficient for providing efficacious treatment. An optical diffuser is disposed along the light path to reduce the integrated radiance to an eye-safe level. The apparatus produces an output fluence not less than 4 J/cm2.

Eye-safe dermatologic treatment apparatus and method

A dermatologic treatment apparatus is disclosed that is cordless and sufficiently compact as to be hand-held. A self-contained housing is configured for gripping by a person's hand for cordless manipulation in a dermatologic treatment procedure. A light source and electrical circuit are contained within the housing. The circuit includes one or more batteries and an electronic control circuit for energizing the light source to produce output light pulses. A light path is within the housing including an aperture through which the output light pulses are propagated out of the housing having properties sufficient for providing efficacious treatment.

Self-contained, diode-laser-based dermatologic treatment apparatus

There is provided a spread illuminating apparatus to suppress leakage of light. Light emitted from a light source, reaching a first inclined surface of grooves of a light reflection pattern and exiting out there is caught by a second inclined surface thereof at an area positioned above the first inclined surface since the distance between an upper edge of the second inclined surface and the level of a bottom thereof is set greater than the distance between an upper edge of the first inclined surface and the level of the bottom thereof. Thus, light, which will leak in case of a conventional art, can reenter a transparent substrate at the second inclined surface so as to improve illumination efficiency.

Spread illuminating apparatus

The transfer of information in fibers with a large dispersion of the first order is accomplished by a temporal analog of the self-imaging effect. The simulation of signal propagation in a single-mode fiber is considered by using the analogous Fresnel diffraction experiment.

Temporal self-imaging effect in single-mode fibers

Systems and methods for providing an LCD with a collimated backlight and a non-Lambertian diffuser are described. An LCD system includes: an illumination source for producing light; a collimating waveguide optically connected to the illumination source, the collimating waveguide including a top surface, an incident end and a plurality of substantially parallel optical elements for redirecting light from the incident end to, and through, the top surface, each of the plurality of substantially parallel optical elements including a first facet that is nonparallel to the top surface and a second facet that is nonparallel to the top surface; a reflector optically connected to the light source and optically connected to the collimating waveguide, the reflector (1) at least partially surrounding the illumination source, and (2) reflecting light from said illumination source to said incident end by direct reflection; a liquid crystal display optically connected to the collimating waveguide; and a non-Lambertian diffuser optically connected to the liquid crystal display for directing light from said liquid crystal display. The light from the reflector is directly incident upon the incident end. The systems and methods provide advantages in that the light from the LCD is bright and homogenous.

Liquid crystal display system with internally reflecting waveguide for backlighting and non-Lambertian diffusing

A high-speed light modulator employing surface plasmon wave coupling comprises a metal-dielectric interface positioned adjacent to and externally of a waveguide carrying totally internally reflected light waves. A high frequency voltage applied to the interface causes the dielectric, in the preferred case an ultra-fast electro-optic polymer, to resonate, generating a surface plasmon wave at the interface. The plasmon wave couples with the evanescent wave portion of the light waves in the waveguide. The output intensity of the light waves varies inversely with the strength of coupling between the light wave and surface plasmon wave modes. The modulator eliminates bulk and alignment problems associated with state of the art modulators and can be employed in integrated optic circuits.

High modulation rate optical plasmon waveguide modulator

An authentication system using a correlator that correlates an input with a reference wherein at least one of the input and reference comprises a phase volume mask having structures, preferably points, that are each less than about six microns in size and can have an aspect ratio (AR) greater than 1:1 so as to produce a phase encoded random pattern having millions of combinations in a mask that is as small as one square millimeter. The random pattern can be convolved with a second pattern, such as a biometric pattern, to produce a phase convolved mask. The correlator preferably is a nonlinear joint transform correlator that can use “chirp” encoding to permit the input to be located in a different plane than the reference. The correlator optically Fourier transforms images of the reference and input that are thereafter nonlinearly transformed and inverse Fourier transformed by a processor to determine the presence or absence of a correlation spike indicative of authenticity. A spatial light modulator (SLM) can be used as an input or reference and preferably is a liquid crystal panel having pixels or elements whose phase or grey scale intensity can be selectively controlled by a processor. The SLM can be used to display a biometric pattern, preferably scanned in real time from a person, that is correlated against an input or reference that can comprise a label on a card, a tag, or another object.

Authentication system and method

Systems and methods for providing an LCD backlight are described. An LCD backlight system includes: a beam bending and viewing film including a first side including a surface diffuser and a second side including a plurality of substantially parallel optical elements, each of the plurality of substantially parallel optical elements including a first facet that includes a refractive surface and a second facet that includes a total internal reflection surface. The systems and methods provide advantages in that light from the LCD backlight is bright and homogenous.

Joanna L. Jannson

Papers

Temporal self-imaging effect in single-mode fibers

Liquid crystal display system with internally reflecting waveguide for backlighting and non-Lambertian diffusing

High modulation rate optical plasmon waveguide modulator

Authentication system and method

Backlight apparatus for illuminating a display with controlled light output characteristics