Optical panel for LED light source
An optics panel for use in a light emitting diode (LED) lighting is disclosed. A plurality of LEDs is disposed on a substrate and directed outward therefrom. A substantially transparent substrate is disposed over the plurality of LEDs and configured to direct light from each of the plurality of LEDs of the lighting assembly onto a surface having a predetermined bounded area. Light from each of the LEDs is directed by the transparent substrate across the entire area of the surface so that each LED illuminates substantially the entire surface with a substantially equal level of illumination per LED.
1. An optics panel for use in a light emitting diode (LED) lighting assembly comprising:
a plurality of LEDs disposed on a substrate and directed outward therefrom; and
a substantially transparent substrate comprising a plurality of optical elements disposed over the plurality of LEDs and configured to direct light from each of the plurality of LEDs of the lighting assembly onto a display surface external to the optics panel, the display surface having a predetermined bounded area, wherein each of the plurality of optical elements comprises a first lens element and a second lens element disposed over the first lens element, wherein the light from each of the LEDs is directed through the first lens element and the second lens element across the entire area of the display surface so that each LED evenly illuminates substantially the entire display surface with a substantially equal level of illumination from each of the LEDs.
2. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined area comprises an area having a height and a width.
3. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the illumination for each LED has a particular illumination profile.
4. The panel of claim 3 , wherein the illumination is provided at a desired uniformity ratio of average illumination to minimum illumination.
5. The panel of claim 4 , wherein the uniformity ratio is 3:1.
6. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the lighting assembly is operable to illuminate the surface from an edge thereof.
7. The panel of claim 1 , wherein areas beyond edges of the display surface receive substantially no illumination from each of the LEDs.
8. The panel of claim 1 , further comprising a third lens element disposed over the first lens element, the third lens element being optically different from the second lens element.
9. The panel of claim 8 , further comprising a fourth lens element disposed over the first lens element, the fourth lens element being optically different from the second lens element.
10. An optics panel for use in a light emitting diode (LED) lighting assembly for illuminating a billboard that has a display surface extending between outer edges of the billboard, the optics panel comprising:
a plurality of LEDs directed toward the display surface; and
a plurality of lenses, wherein each lens is disposed over only one associated LED and is configured to direct light from that LED toward the display surface, such that the light from each lens is directed across the entire display surface of the billboard, wherein the light intensity from each lens is substantially uniform across the entire display surface.
11. The panel of claim 10 , wherein the optics panel is configured to be attached to a heat sink comprising a power supply enclosure disposed on the heat sink, and wherein the power supply enclosure is configured to comprise a power supply capable of supplying power to the plurality of LEDs.
12. The panel of claim 10 , wherein areas beyond edges of the display surface receive substantially no illumination from each of the LEDs.
13. The panel of claim 10 , further comprising a substantially transparent substrate, wherein the plurality of lenses protrude outward from a major surface of the substantially transparent substrate, the substantially transparent substrate disposed over the plurality of LEDs.
14. The panel of claim 10 , wherein the light from each lens is directed across the entire display surface of the billboard so that, for each LED, a ratio of the average illumination from that LED across the entire display surface to the minimum illumination from that LED at any point on the display surface is 3:1.
15. An optics panel for use in a light emitting diode (LED) lighting assembly comprising:
a plurality of LEDs disposed on a substrate and directed outward therefrom; and
an acrylic material substrate comprising a plurality of optical elements comprising the acrylic material, the plurality of optical elements protruding out of a major surface of the acrylic material substrate, the plurality of optical elements disposed over the plurality of LEDs and configured to direct light from each of the plurality of LEDs of the lighting assembly onto a display surface external to the optics panel, wherein the light from each of the LEDs is directed by the acrylic material substrate across the entire area of the display surface so that each LED evenly illuminates substantially the entire display surface with a substantially equal level of illumination from each of the LEDs.
16. The panel of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of optical elements comprises a first lens element and a second lens element disposed over the first lens element.
17. The panel of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of optical elements further comprises a third lens element disposed over the first lens element, the third lens element being optically different from the second lens element.
18. The panel of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of optical elements further comprises a fourth lens element disposed over the first lens element, the fourth lens element being optically different from the second lens element.
19. The panel of claim 15 , wherein areas beyond edges of the display surface receive substantially no illumination from each of the LEDs.
20. The panel of claim 15 , wherein a ratio of the average illumination from each of the LEDs across the entire display surface to the minimum illumination at any point on the display surface from each of the LEDs is 3:1.
21. An optics panel for a light emitting diode (LED) lighting assembly comprising:
a plurality of LEDs disposed on a substrate and directed outward therefrom;
an acrylic material substrate comprising a plurality of optical elements comprising the acrylic material, the plurality of optical elements protruding out of a major surface of the acrylic material substrate, the plurality of optical elements disposed over the plurality of LEDs and configured to direct light from each of the plurality of LEDs of the lighting assembly onto a display surface external to the optics panel, the display surface having a predetermined bounded area, wherein the light from each of the LEDs is directed by the acrylic material substrate across the entire area of the display surface so that each LED evenly illuminates substantially the entire display surface with a substantially equal level of illumination from each of the LEDs;
a heat sink disposed under the substrate, wherein the substrate comprising the plurality of LEDs is disposed between the acrylic material substrate and the heat sink; and
a power supply enclosure disposed on the heat sink, the power supply enclosure configured to comprise a power supply capable of supplying power to the plurality of LEDs.
22. The panel of claim 21 , wherein each of the plurality of optical elements comprises a first lens element and a second lens element disposed over the first lens element.
23. The panel of claim 22 , wherein each of the plurality of optical elements further comprises a third lens element disposed over the first lens element, the third lens element being optically different from the second lens element.
24. The panel of claim 21 , wherein each of the plurality of optical elements further comprises a fourth lens element disposed over the first lens element, the fourth lens element being optically different from the second lens element.
25. The panel of claim 21 , wherein areas beyond edges of the display surface receive substantially no illumination from each of the LEDs.
26. The panel of claim 21 , wherein a ratio of the average illumination from each of the LEDs across the entire display surface to the minimum illumination at any point on the display surface from each of the LEDs is 3:1.
27. A method of illuminating a billboard that has a display surface extending between outer edges of the billboard using a light emitting diode (LED) lighting assembly, the LED lighting assembly comprising a plurality of LEDs and a plurality of lenses, wherein each lens is disposed over only one associated LED, the method comprising:
directing a plurality of LEDs toward the display surface; and
illuminating the display by directing light from each LED toward the display surface, such that the light from each lens is directed across the entire display surface of the billboard, wherein the light intensity from each lens is substantially uniform across the entire display surface.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein substantially no illumination is directed towards areas beyond edges of the display surface from each of the LEDs.
29. The method of claim 27 , wherein illuminating the display by directing light from each LED toward the display surface comprises maintaining a ratio of the average illumination from each LED across the entire display surface to the minimum illumination from that LED at any point on the display surface to 3:1.
30. The method of claim 27 , further comprising extracting the heat generated during the operation of the plurality of LEDs using a heat sink attached to a substrate comprising the plurality of LEDs, the heat sink comprising a plurality of fins overlapping with the plurality of LEDs.
31. An apparatus comprising:
a billboard having a display surface extending between outer edges of the billboard;
a plurality of LEDs directed toward the display surface; and
a plurality of optical elements, each optical element disposed over only one associated LED and configured to direct light from that LED toward the display surface, such that the light from each LED is directed across the entire display surface of the billboard so that, for each LED, a ratio of the average illumination from that LED across the entire display surface to the minimum illumination from that LED at any point on the display surface is 3:1.
32. The apparatus of claim 31 , further comprising:
a circuit board comprising the plurality of LEDs; and
a heat sink attached to the circuit board, the heat sink comprising a plurality of fins extending along the plurality of LEDs, wherein the plurality of fins overlap with the plurality of LEDs.
33. The apparatus of claim 32 , further comprising a power supply enclosure attached to the heat sink, wherein the heat sink is disposed between the power supply enclosure and the circuit board.