Apparatus and Method of Using LED Light Sources to Generate a Unitized Beam

Abstract

An apparatus includes: a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED) of similar or differing wavelengths; a reflector for collecting energy from two or more LEDs into an approximately composite beam; and a housing for distributing this energy into a common aperture. A heat sink and electronic control for the individual LEDs is included. The LEDs have different color outputs and are selectively controlled to determine the color of light from the apparatus. In one embodiment there are at least two LEDs, at least two reflector cavities, a common combining cavity or zone, a mounting each of the LEDs within the reflector cavities and a housing. The LEDs are mounted on the heat sink and selectively driven to modulate the intensity of selected ones of the LEDs according the nature of the frequency bands in the driving signal, e.g. mixed color outputs according to the control of a musical signal.

1 .- 34 . (canceled) 
   
   
       35 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one light emitting diode (LED);   a reflector for collecting light radiated from the at least one LED and forming a corresponding beam directed along a corresponding optical axis of the reflector, where the reflector comprises an open cavity and is characterized by a high aspect ratio of length to width of the cavity of such a magnitude that subsequently providing a reflecting internal surface for the reflector when assembled is impractical, where the reflector is comprised of at least two separate longitudinally split portions to allow ease of access to the internal surface to allow for providing a reflective surface thereon.   
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 35  having a common aperture with an axis normal to a plane in which the aperture lies and usable with an optical fiber having a predetermined acceptance angle further comprising:
 a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED) of similar or differing wavelengths;   a corresponding plurality of separate reflectors for collecting light radiated from the plurality of LEDs and forming a corresponding plurality of beams directed along a corresponding optical axis of each of the reflectors, each separate reflector defining a separate first space from other ones of the plurality of reflectors, each one of the plurality of LEDs being disposed in the separately defined first space of each corresponding one of the plurality of separate reflectors so that substantially all of the light emitted by the LED is included within the corresponding reflector; and   a single combining chamber defining a separate and single second space from the plurality of reflectors and for combining the light of the plurality of beams into a composite beam across the common aperture with most of the light in the composite beam lying within the predetermined acceptance angle of the optical fiber measured from the axis of the common aperture, where the plurality of reflectors and the separate combining chamber have substantially continuous reflective surfaces smoothly extending from the plurality of LEDs to the common aperture.   
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 36  where the LED has a nearly hemispheric radiation pattern and where each of the plurality of reflector cavities is optimized for collection of light from the nearly hemispheric radiation pattern of the corresponding LED, and is arranged and configured to provide a corresponding beam that is substantially within the predetermined acceptance angle at the common aperture. 
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 36  where the combining chamber is a nearly cylindrical nonfaceted reflective cavity which smoothly directs light into a composite beam at the common aperture, where the plurality of LEDs comprise three LEDs, where the plurality of reflectors comprise three corresponding reflective cavities symmetrically inclined about the axis of the common aperture and where the nearly cylindrical reflective cavity of the combining chamber has a length which allows the energy of each reflector cavity to reach the common aperture with substantially all of the energy of the corresponding beam from the reflector cavity of each LED within the predetermined acceptance angle.