Patent · US Active

VCSELs and VCSEL arrays designed for improved performance as illumination sources and sensors

US11641091B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
13References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 17, 2020
Grant dateMay 2, 2023
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 17, 2040

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N23/56
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A segmented VCSEL array having a plurality of individually addressable segments, each segment comprising one or more VCSELs. In some cases, at least two of the plurality of individually addressable segments may be driven in combination. The plurality of individually addressable segments, in some embodiments, may be centered around the same central point. An optical element may be used in conjunction with the segmented VCSEL array, and in some cases may be aligned to the central point. The optical element may be configured such that light passing therethrough may be directed according to which of the plurality of individually addressable segments is activated. In some embodiments, the optical element is a grating or diffractive optical element. The grating or diffractive optical element could be patterned with optical segments that each correspond to at least one the plurality of individually addressable segments.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.