Highly efficient luminaire having optical transformer providing precalculated angular intensity distribution and method therefore

Abstract

A highly efficient luminaire. The luminaire includes a light source that emits light. The emitted light is redirected by a light transformer having a curved circular reflective interior surface, the reflective interior surface reflecting the light in a predetermined pattern. A substantial amount of light being may be reflected close to an axis coincident with a radial line defining a radius of the circular reflective interior surface. Additionally, a substantial amount of light may be reflected in a pattern with low divergency or parallel with an axis of the light transformer. The light is transmitted to the exterior of the luminaire by an optical window.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A light transformer comprising:
 a first outer wall comprising a total internal reflection surface, the first outer wall being configured to receive light, to redirect some of the received light and to redistribute some other portion of the received light;   a first optical window positioned at an end of the first outer wall;   a second outer wall comprising a total internal reflection surface, the second outer wall being configured to receive light, to redirect some of the received light and to redistribute some other portion of the received light;   a second optical window positioned at an end of the second outer wall; and   an aspheric lens located between the first and the second outer walls, the aspheric lens being configured to receive light and to redirect the received light.   
     
     
         2 . The light transformer of  claim 1 , wherein the light transformer redistributes the received light in a precalculated pattern, where some light rays of the received light cross paths with other light rays of the received light. 
     
     
         3 . The light transformer of  claim 2 , wherein the precalculated pattern is determined by a computer. 
     
     
         4 . The light transformer of  claim 1 , wherein the light transformer redistributes the received light in a precalculated pattern, where some light rays of the received light merge with other light rays of the received light. 
     
     
         5 . The light transformer of  claim 4 , wherein the precalculated pattern is determined by a computer. 
     
     
         6 . The light transformer of  claim 1 , wherein the light transformer redistributes the received light in a pattern that was arranged by a computer, where some light rays of the received light cross paths with other light rays of the received light. 
     
     
         7 . The light transformer of  claim 1 , wherein the light transformer redistributes the received light in a pattern that was arranged by a computer, where some light rays of the received light merge with other light rays of the received light. 
     
     
         8 . The light transformer of  claim 1 , wherein the light transformer redirects and redistributes the received light with an efficiency of equal or greater than 60%. 
     
     
         9 . The light transformer of  claim 1 , wherein the first outer wall and the second outer wall are non-parabolic. 
     
     
         10 . A light transformer comprising:
 an aspheric lens; and   at least two outer walls, where at least one of the walls is on a different side of the aspheric lens, each of the at least two outer walls has a total internal reflection surface that is configured to receive light and to redirect and redistribute the received light with an efficiency greater than or equal to 60 percent.   
     
     
         11 . The light transformer of  claim 10 , wherein the light transformer redistributes the received light in a precalculated pattern, where some light rays of the received light cross paths with other light rays of the received light. 
     
     
         12 . The light transformer of  claim 11 , wherein the precalculated pattern is determined by a computer. 
     
     
         13 . The light transformer of  claim 10 , wherein the light transformer redistributes the received light in a precalculated pattern, where some light rays of the received light merge with other light rays of the received light. 
     
     
         14 . The light transformer of  claim 13 , wherein the precalculated pattern is determined by a computer. 
     
     
         15 . The light transformer of  claim 10 , wherein the light transformer redistributes the received light in a pattern that was arranged by a computer, where some light rays of the received light cross paths with other light rays of the received light. 
     
     
         16 . The light transformer of  claim 10 , wherein the light transformer redistributes the received light in a pattern that was arranged by a computer, where some light rays of the received light merge with other light rays of the received light. 
     
     
         17 . The light transformer of  claim 10 , wherein the light transformer redirects and redistributes the received light with an efficiency of equal or greater than 60%. 
     
     
         18 . The light transformer of  claim 10 , wherein the first outer wall and the second outer wall are non-parabolic.