JP7387005B2 - Lighting system and method - Google Patents

Description

Cross-reference of related applications

This application claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2020-130926 (filed on July 31, 2020), and the entire disclosure of the application is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to lighting technology.

A solid-state light source that emits light of a predetermined wavelength; a phosphor section in which a plurality of phosphor regions that emit fluorescence by excitation light from the solid-state light source are arranged; 2. Description of the Related Art A lighting device including a reflection mechanism as a control means for controlling relative position movement is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-142000

A lighting system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, an illumination system includes a light source that outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum, and an optical system through which the first light passes, the first light passing through the optical system. A light source unit that emits light is provided. Further, the illumination system is configured such that the first light emitted from the light source section is irradiated with a wavelength that emits second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in accordance with the irradiation of the first light. The illumination unit includes a conversion unit and emits illumination light including the second light. The wavelength conversion unit has an irradiated surface that is irradiated with the first light, and the spot diameter of the first light on the irradiated surface is equal to the beam waist of the first light that has passed through the optical system. larger than the diameter.

Further, in one embodiment, the illumination system includes a light source that outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum, and an optical system through which the first light passes, the first light passing through the optical system. A light source unit that emits light is provided. Further, the illumination system is configured such that the first light emitted from the light source section is irradiated with a wavelength that emits second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in accordance with the irradiation of the first light. The illumination unit includes a conversion unit and emits illumination light including the second light. The wavelength conversion section has an irradiated surface that is irradiated with the first light, and the optical system includes a diffusion section that diffuses the first light, and the optical system includes a diffusion section that diffuses the first light, and a spot of the first light on the irradiated surface. The diameter is greater than or equal to the diameter of the beam waist of the first light that has passed through the optical system.

In one embodiment, the illumination method includes a first step in which a light source outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum, a second step in which the first light passes through an optical system, and a second step in which the first light passes through an optical system. An illumination unit having an irradiated surface that is irradiated with the first light that has passed through it, the spot diameter of the first light on the irradiated surface is smaller than the diameter of the beam waist of the first light that has passed through the optical system. a third step of irradiating the first light to the illumination section, and a wavelength conversion section that converts the wavelength in accordance with the irradiation of the first light in the illumination section; The first light irradiated to the wavelength conversion unit emits second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum, and a fourth step of emitting illumination light including the second light. Be prepared.

Further, in one embodiment, the illumination method includes a first step in which the light source outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum, and an optical system in which the first light includes a diffusion section that diffuses the first light. a second step of passing through the optical system; a third step of irradiating the illumination section with the first light; and a third step of irradiating the illumination section with the first light; The first light irradiated to the wavelength conversion part emits a second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum, and the second light is and a fourth step of emitting illumination light including the illumination light.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting section. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting section. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting section. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting section. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting section. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wavelength conversion section. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wavelength conversion section. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wavelength conversion section. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of composition of a light source device. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of arrangement of a light source device and a lighting section. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of arrangement of a light source device and a lighting section. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of arrangement of a light source device and a lighting section. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a beam shape of excitation light. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a beam shape of excitation light. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a beam shape of excitation light. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a beam shape of excitation light. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between a spot of excitation light and an irradiation target surface of a phosphor portion. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of composition of a light source device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation of a light source device. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of composition of a light source device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation of a light source device. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of composition of a light source device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation of a light source device. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a fluorescent marker. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation of a light source device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation of a light source device. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting system. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting system. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting system.

<Lighting system overview>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a lighting system 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the lighting system 1 includes a light source device 2 and a lighting section 3. The light source device 2 includes a light source section 20 that emits first light 200 having a first wavelength spectrum into space. The first light 200 is emitted into the space where the illumination unit 3 is arranged.

The first light 200 emitted from the light source section 20 is irradiated onto the illumination section 3 . The illumination unit 3 has a wavelength conversion unit 30 on its surface, which is irradiated with the first light 200. The wavelength converter 30 emits second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in response to irradiation with the first light 200. For example, a phosphor portion including a large number of phosphors functions as the wavelength conversion section 30. The illumination unit 3 emits illumination light 300 including the second light into space. Thereby, the target area is illuminated with illumination light 300. The lighting system 1 may be used indoors or outdoors.

As the first light 200, for example, a laser beam is employed. Laser light can be said to be a type of coherent light. When the first light 200 is irradiated onto the phosphor portion as the wavelength conversion section 30, the phosphor included in the phosphor portion is irradiated with the first light 200. The phosphor irradiated with the first light 200 is excited and emits fluorescence. Fluorescence emitted by a large number of phosphors included in the phosphor portion becomes second light, and illumination light 300 including the second light is emitted into space. Hereinafter, the first light 200 may be referred to as excitation light 200.

The wavelength conversion section 30 of the illumination section 3 has an irradiated surface 130 that is irradiated with the excitation light 200. At least a portion of the surface of the wavelength conversion unit 30 constitutes the irradiated surface 130. It can be said that the irradiated surface 130 is a region on the surface of the wavelength conversion section 30 that is hit by the excitation light 200. For example, the light source device 2 scans the excitation light 200 on the irradiated surface 130 and irradiates the entire irradiated surface 130 with the excitation light 200. As a result, fluorescence is emitted from the phosphor portion serving as the wavelength conversion unit 30 in accordance with the scanning of the excitation light 200. The light source device 2 scans the excitation light 200 on the irradiated surface 130 so that the entire irradiated surface 130 appears to be illuminated at the same time to a person. In the example of FIG. 1, the excitation light 200 is scanned along the left-right direction on the irradiated surface 130, but the method of scanning the excitation light 200 is not limited to this. For example, the excitation light 200 may be scanned in the vertical direction on the irradiated surface 130. Hereinafter, the wavelength conversion section 30 may be referred to as the phosphor section 30.

<Example of configuration of lighting section>
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of the configuration of the illumination section 3. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the illumination section 3 includes, for example, a base material (also referred to as a base material) 31 and a wavelength conversion section 30 on the base material 31. The base material 31 has a sheet-like or plate-like shape, for example, and has a main surface 31a and a main surface 31b on the opposite side. The wavelength conversion unit 30 is directly irradiated with the excitation light 200, and is also irradiated with the excitation light 200 reflected by the base material 31.

The wavelength conversion section 30, that is, the phosphor portion 30 includes a large number of phosphors. The phosphor portion 30 includes a base material (also referred to as a matrix or matrix) and a large number of phosphor particles dispersed in the base material. The phosphor portion 30 is formed on the main surface 31b by, for example, being applied onto the main surface 31b of the base material 31. The phosphor portion 30 has a sheet-like or plate-like shape, for example, and has a main surface 30a and a main surface 30b on the opposite side. The sheet-like or plate-like phosphor portion 30 can also be called a phosphor layer 30. The main surface 30b of the phosphor portion 30 is in contact with the main surface 31b of the base material 31. The main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 is a region that is directly hit by the excitation light 200, and includes an irradiated surface 130 that is irradiated with the excitation light 200.

The phosphor portion 30 is formed on the main surface 31b of the base material 31 by applying, for example, a phosphor paint in which a large number of phosphor particles are dispersed onto the main surface 31b. The phosphor paint may be, for example, an oil-based ink containing a phosphor instead of a colorant such as a pigment, or a solid ink containing a phosphor instead of a colorant such as a pigment. Further, the phosphor paint may be a solvent-based ink containing a phosphor instead of a coloring agent such as a pigment, or may be other types of materials. The method for applying the fluorescent paint to the base material 31 may be a spray coating method or a screen printing method. Further, the method for applying the fluorescent paint to the base material 31 may be an inkjet method or another method. The matrix of the phosphor portion 30 is made of, for example, a resin contained in a phosphor paint.

The phosphor included in the phosphor portion 30 can emit fluorescence in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200. The wavelength showing the maximum peak in the wavelength spectrum of the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor (also referred to as peak wavelength) may be larger or smaller than the peak wavelength of the first wavelength spectrum of the excitation light 200.

The large number of phosphors included in the phosphor portion 30 includes, for example, one or more types of phosphors. In this example, the phosphor portion 30 includes multiple types of phosphors having mutually different peak wavelengths. The phosphor portion 30 may include two types of phosphors having mutually different peak wavelengths, or may include three or more types of phosphors having mutually different peak wavelengths.

In this example, the phosphor portion 30 includes, for example, a phosphor that emits red (R) fluorescence in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 (also referred to as a red phosphor), and a phosphor that emits red (R) fluorescence in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200; ) (also referred to as a green phosphor) and a phosphor that emits blue (B) fluorescence in response to excitation light irradiation (also referred to as a blue phosphor). The phosphor portion 30 includes, for example, a large number of red phosphors, a large number of green phosphors, and a large number of blue phosphors.

As the red phosphor, for example, a phosphor whose wavelength spectrum of fluorescence emitted in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 has a peak wavelength in a range of about 620 nm to 750 nm is used. Examples of the material of the red phosphor include CaAlSiN ₃ :Eu, Y ₃ O ₃ S: Eu, Y ₃ O ₃ : Eu, SrCaClAlSiN ₃ : Eu ²⁺ , CaAlSiN ₃ :Eu, or CaAlSi(ON) ₃ :Eu. Applicable. Here, the ratio of elements in parentheses can be set arbitrarily within the range of the molecular formula.

As the green phosphor, for example, a phosphor whose wavelength spectrum of fluorescence emitted in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 has a peak wavelength in a range of about 495 nm to 570 nm is used. Examples of the green phosphor material include β-SiAlON:Eu, SrSi ₃ (O, Cl) ₃ N ₃ :Eu, (Sr, Ba, Mg) ₂ SiO ₄ :Eu ²⁺ , ZnS:Cu, Al, or Zn. ₃ SiO ₄ :Mn, etc. are applied.

As the blue phosphor, for example, a phosphor whose wavelength spectrum of fluorescence emitted in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 has a peak wavelength in a range of about 450 nm to 495 nm is used. Examples of the blue phosphor material include (BaSr)MgAl ₁₀ O ₁₇ :Eu, BaMgAl ₁₀ O ₁₇ :Eu, (Sr, Ca, Ba) ₁₀ (PO ₄ ) ₆ Cl ₂ :Eu, or (Sr, Ba). ₁₀ (PO ₄ ) ₆ C ₁₃ :Eu, etc. are applied.

When the phosphor portion 30 includes multiple types of phosphors, the fluorescence emitted by the multiple types of phosphors constitutes the second light emitted by the phosphor portion 30. Illumination light 300 containing fluorescence emitted from a plurality of types of phosphors included in the phosphor portion 30 is emitted from the illumination unit 3 into space. In this example, illumination light 300 including fluorescence emitted from the red phosphor, green phosphor, and blue phosphor included in the phosphor portion 30 is emitted from the illumination unit 3 into space. As a result, the illumination unit 3 emits, for example, pseudo white light as the illumination light 300. When the phosphor portion 30 contains three or more types of phosphors, the illumination light 300 can be, for example, light with high color rendering properties. Note that the illumination light 300 may be light of other colors.

When the phosphor portion 30 includes multiple types of phosphors, the wavelength spectrum of the second light has multiple wavelength peaks that are different from each other. For example, when the phosphor portion 30 includes three or more types of phosphors, the wavelength spectrum of the second light has three or more different wavelength peaks. In this example, the wavelength spectrum of the second light includes a wavelength peak of fluorescence emitted by a red phosphor, a wavelength peak of fluorescence emitted by a green phosphor, and a wavelength peak of fluorescence emitted by a blue phosphor.

Note that the phosphor portion 30 may contain phosphors other than red phosphor, green phosphor, and blue phosphor. The phosphor portion 30 may include, for example, a phosphor that emits blue-green fluorescence in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 (also referred to as a blue-green phosphor). Further, the phosphor portion 30 may include, for example, a phosphor that emits yellow fluorescence in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 (also referred to as a yellow phosphor). The phosphor portion 30 may include at least one type of phosphor including a red phosphor, a green phosphor, a blue phosphor, a blue-green phosphor, and a yellow phosphor.

As the blue-green phosphor, for example, a phosphor whose wavelength spectrum of fluorescence emitted in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 has a peak wavelength of about 495 nm is used. For example, Sr ₄ Al ₁₄ O ₃₅ :Eu is used as the material for the blue-green phosphor. As the yellow phosphor, for example, a phosphor whose wavelength spectrum of fluorescence emitted in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 has a peak wavelength in a range of about 570 nm to 590 nm is used. For example, SrSi ₃ (O, Cl) ₃ N ₃ :Eu is used as the material for the yellow phosphor.

The base material 31 is made of, for example, a material through which the second light emitted by the phosphor portion 30 is transmitted. The base material 31 may be made of cloth, paper, other materials, or multiple types of materials, for example. The matrix of the phosphor portion 30 is made of, for example, a material through which the excitation light 200 and the second light are transmitted. The base material 31 may be made of a material through which the excitation light 200 passes.

The illumination unit 3 has an output surface 131 on its surface from which the illumination light 300 is output. In this example, the emission surface 131 has a plurality of emission surfaces 131a and 131b from which the illumination light 300 is emitted in mutually different directions. In the example of FIG. 2, the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 functions as the emission surface 131a on the light source device 2 side, and the main surface 31a of the base material 31 functions as the emission surface 131b on the opposite side to the emission surface 131a. do. The fluorescence emitted by the phosphor portion 30 in response to the irradiation with the excitation light 200 is emitted from the main surface 30a (in other words, the output surface 131a) of the phosphor portion 30. Further, the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor portion 30 in response to the irradiation with the excitation light 200 is transmitted through the base material 31 and is emitted from the main surface 31a (in other words, the output surface 131b) of the base material 31. The main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 constitutes the irradiated surface 130 and also constitutes the output surface 131a.

In this way, in this example, the illumination section 3 has a plurality of emission surfaces 131a and 131b on its surface. As shown in FIG. 2, the illumination unit 3 has a sheet-like or plate-like shape, for example, and one main surface forms an output surface 131a and the other main surface forms an output surface 131b. There is. Output surfaces 131a and 131b are opposed to each other. For example, when the main surface of the illumination section 3 on the side that is irradiated with the excitation light 200 is called the front side, and the main surface of the illumination section 3 on the opposite side to the front side is called the back side, the illumination section 3 is called the front side. Illumination light 300 can be emitted from each of the side and back sides.

The base material 31 to which the fluorescent paint is applied may be a member exclusively for the lighting system 1, or may be used for other purposes. In the latter case, the base material 31 may be, for example, a projector screen. Further, a member currently being used for another purpose may also be used as the base material 31. For example, existing wallpaper, wall boards, ceiling boards, ceiling membranes, curtains, curtains, or floor boards may be used as the base material 31. In this case, the lighting section 3 is manufactured by applying, for example, a fluorescent paint to wallpaper or the like used as the base material 31.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the illumination section 3. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 3, the phosphor portion 30 serving as the wavelength conversion section is composed of a first phosphor portion 35 and a second phosphor portion 36. Each of the first phosphor portion 35 and the second phosphor portion 36 has the same configuration as the phosphor portion 30 shown in FIG. 2, for example. The first phosphor portion 35 has a main surface 35a and a main surface 35b opposite thereto. The second phosphor portion 36 has a main surface 36a and a main surface 36b opposite thereto. The first phosphor portion 35 is produced, for example, by applying a phosphor paint to the main surface 31b of the base material 31. The second phosphor portion 36 is produced, for example, by applying a phosphor paint to the main surface 31a of the base material 31. The main surface 35b of the first phosphor portion 35 is in contact with the main surface 31b of the base material 31, and the main surface 36b of the second phosphor portion 36 is in contact with the main surface 31a of the base material 31. The first phosphor portion 35 and the second phosphor portion 36 face each other with the base material 31 interposed therebetween.

In the example of FIG. 3, the excitation light 200 is irradiated onto the main surface 35a of the first phosphor portion 35, and is also transmitted through the base material 31 and irradiated onto the second phosphor portion 36. Fluorescence emitted by the first phosphor portion 35 in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 is emitted from the main surface 35a of the first phosphor portion 35. Furthermore, the fluorescence emitted by the first phosphor portion 35 passes through the base material 31 and the second phosphor portion 36 and is emitted from the main surface 36a of the second phosphor portion 36. Fluorescence emitted by the second phosphor portion 36 in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 is emitted from the main surface 36 a of the second phosphor portion 36 . Further, the fluorescence emitted by the second phosphor portion 36 passes through the base material 31 and the first phosphor portion 35 and is emitted from the main surface 35a of the first phosphor portion 35. In the example of FIG. 3, the main surface 35a of the first phosphor portion 35 constitutes the emission surface 131a on the light source device 2 side, and the principal surface 36a of the second phosphor portion 36 constitutes the emission surface 131b.

As in the example of FIG. 3, when the wavelength conversion unit 30 is composed of a plurality of phosphor parts located apart from each other, the irradiated surface 130 of the wavelength conversion unit 30 is composed of a plurality of phosphor parts among the plurality of phosphor parts. This is the area where the excitation light 200 is irradiated in the phosphor portion that is first hit by the excitation light 200 emitted from the light source section 20 . In the example of FIG. 3, the excitation light 200 first hits the first phosphor portion 35 of the first phosphor portion 35 and the second phosphor portion 36, so that the excitation light 200 in the first phosphor portion 35 is The main surface 35 a to be irradiated constitutes the irradiated surface 130 of the wavelength conversion section 30 . In the example of FIG. 3, the main surface 30a of the wavelength conversion unit 30 including the irradiated surface 130 is configured by the main surface 35a of the first phosphor portion 35.

As in the example of FIG. 3, when phosphor portions are provided on both sides of the base material 31, the luminous efficiency of the wavelength conversion section 30 can be improved. Note that the first phosphor portion 35 may include a type of phosphor that the second phosphor portion 36 does not include. For example, if the second phosphor portion 36 includes a red phosphor, a green phosphor, and a blue phosphor, the first phosphor portion 35 may include a yellow phosphor. Further, the second phosphor portion 36 may include a type of phosphor that the first phosphor portion 35 does not include.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the illumination section 3. The illumination section 3 in FIG. 4 is the same as the illumination section 3 in FIG. In FIG. 4, the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 and the main surface 31a of the base material 31 are in contact with each other.

In the example of FIG. 4, the excitation light 200 passes through the base material 31 and is irradiated onto the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30. Fluorescence emitted by the phosphor portion 30 in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 is emitted from the main surface 30b of the phosphor portion 30. Further, the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor portion 30 in response to the irradiation with the excitation light 200 passes through the base material 31 and is emitted from the main surface 31b of the base material 31. In the example of FIG. 4, the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 constitutes the irradiated surface 130. Further, the main surface 31b of the base material 31 constitutes the emission surface 131a on the light source device 2 side, and the principal surface 30b of the phosphor portion 30 constitutes the emission surface 131b.

In the above example, the phosphor part 30 is produced by applying a phosphor paint to the base material 31, but the phosphor part 30, which has been formed in advance in the form of a sheet or plate, is adhered to the base material 31, etc. It may be fixed at

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the illumination section 3. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 5, the illumination section 3 is composed of only a phosphor section 30. The phosphor portion 30 is composed of, for example, a sheet-like or plate-like base material (also referred to as a base material or matrix) and a large number of phosphor particles dispersed in the base material. The matrix is made of, for example, a material through which the excitation light 200 and the second light are transmitted. The matrix may be made of resin such as acrylic resin, glass, or other materials, for example.

In the example of FIG. 5, the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor portion 30 in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200 is emitted from each of the main surfaces 30a and 30b of the phosphor portion 30. In the example of FIG. 5, the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 (in other words, the front surface of the illumination unit 3) constitutes the emission surface 131a on the light source device 2 side, and the main surface 30b of the phosphor portion 30 (in other words, The back surface of the illumination section 3 constitutes the output surface 131b.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the illumination section 3. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 6, the illumination section 3 is composed of only a phosphor section 30. The phosphor portion 30 is composed of a plurality of stacked phosphor layers 38. Each phosphor layer 38 is composed of, for example, a sheet-like or plate-like matrix and a large number of phosphor particles dispersed in the matrix. For example, the types of phosphors included in the plurality of phosphor layers 38 are different from each other. The plurality of phosphor layers 38 are, for example, a phosphor layer 38 in which a large number of red phosphors are dispersed, a phosphor layer 38 in which a large number of green phosphors are dispersed, and a phosphor layer 38 in which a large number of blue phosphors are dispersed. It is composed of a body layer 38.

In the example of FIG. 6, the outer main surfaces of the outer two phosphor layers 38 of the plurality of stacked phosphor layers 38 constitute main surfaces 30a and 30b of the phosphor portion 30, respectively. In the example of FIG. 6, similarly to the example of FIG. 5, the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 constitutes the emission surface 131a on the light source device 2 side, and the principal surface 30b of the phosphor portion 30 constitutes the emission surface 131b. .

Note that in the phosphor portion 30 shown in FIG. 6, three phosphor layers 38 are laminated, but two phosphor layers 38 may be laminated, or four or more phosphor layers 38 may be laminated. may be done. Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of phosphor layers 38 may contain multiple types of phosphors.

In each of the above examples, the entire area of the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 may constitute the irradiated surface 130. Further, only a part of the main surface 30a may constitute the irradiated surface 130. In this case, the excitation light 200 scans only a part of the main surface 30a.

The irradiated surface 130 may include a plane, a curved surface, or a plane and a curved surface. The irradiated surface 130 including a curved surface may include a free-form surface. Further, the output surface 131 may include a plane, a curved surface, or a plane and a curved surface. The output surface 131 including a curved surface may include a free-form surface.

For example, consider a case in which the illumination section 3 is constructed by applying fluorescent paint to a base material 31 comprised of a ceiling film. In this case, since the main surfaces 31a and 31b of the base material 31 are free-form surfaces, the irradiated surface 130 can be a free-form surface, as shown in FIG. Moreover, the output surfaces 131a and 131b can also be made into free-form surfaces. Further, even in the case where the illumination section 3 is constructed by applying a phosphor paint to the base material 31 constructed of a curtain or curtain, the irradiated surface 130 and the output surfaces 131a and 131b can be formed into free-form surfaces.

For example, when the shape of the main surface 31b of the base material 31 to which the fluorescent paint is applied changes or expands or contracts, such as when the base material 31 is composed of a ceiling film, curtain, or screen, The phosphor paint may be made of a material that can follow the main surface 31b, which is the coating surface. In this case, the phosphor paint may be made of a highly elastic material whose main component is, for example, acrylic resin or urethane resin.

In the above example, the shape of the illumination part 3 was sheet-like or plate-like, but the shape of the illumination part 3 is not limited to this. The shape of the illumination unit 3 may be, for example, a sphere, a polyhedron, a cone, or a cylinder. In this case, the illumination section 3 may be configured by applying a fluorescent paint to at least a portion of the surface of the base material, which forms a sphere, polyhedron, cone, or cylinder, for example. When the base material is made of a material that allows the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor to pass through, the entire surface of the sphere, polyhedron, cone, or cylinder that constitutes the illumination section 3 can be illuminated, for example. Furthermore, the illumination unit 3 may be configured of a matrix in the form of a sphere, polyhedron, cone, or cylinder, and a large number of phosphors dispersed in the matrix. In this case as well, the entire surface of the sphere, polyhedron, cone, or cylinder constituting the illumination section 3 can be illuminated. When the illumination light 300 is emitted from the entire surface of a polyhedron, cone, or cylinder constituting the illumination section 3, the emitting surface 131 is composed of a plurality of emitting surfaces from which the illuminating light 300 is emitted in different directions. Ru. For example, when the shape of the illumination unit 3 is a polyhedron, each of the plurality of planes forming the surface of the polyhedron becomes an output surface. Moreover, when the shape of the illumination part 3 is a cylinder, each of the circular top surface, circular bottom surface, and side surface (curved surface) which constitute the surface of the cylinder becomes an emission surface. The illumination unit 3 may have a shape that is a combination of at least two of a sphere, a polyhedron, a cone, or a cylinder.

Further, the irradiated surface 130 may be composed of a plurality of irradiated surfaces facing in different directions. In other words, the irradiated surface 130 may be composed of a plurality of irradiated surfaces whose normal directions face different directions. For example, consider a case where the illumination section 3 has a pyramidal shape. In this case, when the excitation light 200 is irradiated onto the illumination unit 3 from the apex side of the pyramid, and each of the plurality of planes forming the side surface of the pyramid is irradiated with the excitation light 200, each of the plurality of planes is This becomes the irradiated surface that is irradiated with the excitation light 200. In this case, the irradiated surface 130 is composed of a plurality of irradiated surfaces facing in different directions.

As described above, in this example, the illumination light 300 is emitted from the illumination section 3 by irradiating the first light 200 from the light source section 20 to the wavelength conversion section 30 of the illumination section 3 . Thereby, the lighting system 1 can be constructed with a simple configuration.

Further, by enlarging the output surface 131 from which the illumination light 300 is emitted, the illumination section 3 having a wide light emitting surface can be easily realized. By having the illumination section 3 having a wide light emitting surface (in other words, the light emitting surface 131), for example, the possibility of glare occurring can be reduced. Further, since the illumination unit 3 has a wide light emitting surface, for example, shadows are less likely to be formed, and a shadowless light can be realized. Further, since the illumination section 3 has a wide light emitting surface, the phosphor section 30 can be made large, for example. In this case, since heat generation in the phosphor portion 30 can be suppressed, for example, a heat radiating means for radiating heat generated in the phosphor portion 30 may be eliminated, or an inexpensive heat radiating means that does not have very high heat dissipation performance may be used. be able to.

Furthermore, in this example, since the illumination light 300 is generated using the wavelength conversion unit 30, the area irradiated with the illumination light 300 is different from the case where a laser beam is directly used as illumination light. Speckle noise can be suppressed from occurring.

Further, when the emission surface 131 has a plurality of emission surfaces from which the illumination light 300 is emitted in different directions, a wide range can be illuminated with the illumination light 300. In addition, when the illumination light 300 is emitted from each of the front side (output surface 131a) and the back side (output surface 131b) of the illumination unit 3 as in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 6 described above, for example, Direct illumination may be realized using the illumination light 300 emitted from the side surface, and indirect illumination may be realized using the illumination light 300 emitted from the back side. Alternatively, indirect illumination may be realized using the illumination light 300 emitted from the front side, and direct illumination may be realized using the illumination light 300 emitted from the back side.

Furthermore, as in the examples shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 above, when the phosphor portion 30 is manufactured by applying a phosphor paint to the base material 31, the illumination portion 3 can be easily installed in various locations indoors or outdoors. can be realized. For example, the lighting unit 3 can be easily realized indoors by applying phosphor paint to wallpaper inside a building or applying phosphor paint to a ceiling film inside a building. In addition, the lighting section 3 can be easily realized outdoors by applying fluorescent paint to the exterior walls of buildings, or by applying fluorescent paint to structures such as outdoor utility poles, walls, the ground, bronze statues, or playground equipment. can do.

Moreover, when the first light 200 is scanned on the irradiated surface 130 as in this example, a wide range of the wavelength conversion unit 30 can be irradiated with the first light 200. Therefore, the illumination section 3 having a wide light emitting surface can be easily realized.

In addition, when the phosphor portion 30 includes multiple types of phosphors having different peak wavelengths, for example, by changing the mixing ratio of the multiple types of phosphors, the illumination system 1 having the same configuration can be used. By doing so, illumination light 300 of various colors can be realized.

Further, when the second wavelength spectrum of the second light emitted by the wavelength converter 30 has three or more mutually different wavelength peaks, it is possible to realize the illumination light 300 with high color rendering properties, for example.

Furthermore, in this example, since the illumination light 300 is realized using fluorescence emitted by the phosphor portion 30, the weight of the illumination unit 3 can be reduced, for example. Therefore, for example, when installing the lighting section 3 at a high place, it is possible to easily implement measures to prevent the lighting section 3 from falling.

Furthermore, in this example, the second light emitted by the wavelength converter 30 is emitted into the illumination space without being transmitted through the fiber, so it is possible to obtain the illumination light 300 with less loss.

In addition, when the phosphor portion 30 is formed on the base material 31 as in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 4, the transmittance of the base material 31 to the second light and the reflectance of the base material 31 to the excitation light 200 are By changing at least one of the elements, various types of illumination can be realized using the illumination system 1 having the same configuration.

For example, in the illumination section 3 of FIG. 2, the amount of illumination light 300 emitted from the back side of the illumination section 3 can be reduced by lowering the transmittance of the base material 31 to the second light. Thereby, using the lighting system 1, it is possible to realize a bright place and a dark place within the same lighting space.

In the illumination section 3 of FIG. 2, for example, by increasing the reflectance of the base material 31 to the excitation light 200, the amount of the excitation light 200 reflected by the base material 31 and irradiated onto the phosphor portion 30 can be increased. can do. Thereby, the amount of illumination light 300 can be increased, and bright illumination can be achieved.

Note that the wavelength conversion unit 30 may include a plurality of phosphor portions 39 arranged along the irradiated surface 130. 7 to 9 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a wavelength conversion section 30 including a plurality of phosphor portions 39. In the example of FIG. 7, the wavelength conversion unit 30 includes two phosphor portions 39 lined up along the irradiated surface 130. In the example of FIG. 8, the wavelength conversion unit 30 includes six phosphor portions 39 arranged in a row along the irradiated surface 130. In the example of FIG. 9, the wavelength conversion unit 30 includes 64 phosphor portions 39 arranged in a matrix along the irradiated surface 130.

Each phosphor portion 39 is, for example, sheet-like or plate-like, and has two main surfaces facing each other. In the wavelength conversion unit 30, one main surface of the plurality of phosphor portions 39 constitutes the irradiated surface 130. Each phosphor portion 39 has a matrix and a number of phosphors distributed in the matrix. Each phosphor portion 39 includes at least one type of phosphor. Note that the shape of the phosphor portion 39 may be other than sheet-like or plate-like.

The plurality of phosphor portions 39 may include a plurality of phosphor portions 39 having completely the same type of phosphor. In this case, the mixing ratio of the phosphors may be different between the plurality of phosphor portions 39 having completely the same type of phosphor. For example, in the example of FIG. 8, consider a case where each of the plurality of phosphor portions 39 includes a red phosphor, a green phosphor, and a blue phosphor. In this case, the mixing ratio of red phosphor, green phosphor, and blue phosphor may be different among the plurality of phosphor portions 39. Thereby, for example, illumination light 300 having a gradation can be realized. By changing the mixing ratio of the phosphors in at least one phosphor portion 39, various types of illumination can be realized using the same configuration of the illumination system 1.

Further, the plurality of phosphor portions 39 may include at least one phosphor portion 39 containing a type of phosphor that is not included in the other phosphor portions 39. For example, in the example of FIG. 7, one phosphor portion 39 includes a red phosphor, a green phosphor, and a blue phosphor, and the other phosphor portion 39 includes a red phosphor, a green phosphor, and a blue phosphor. , a blue-violet phosphor and a yellow phosphor. By changing the type of phosphor included in at least one phosphor portion 39, various types of illumination can be realized using the illumination system 1 having the same configuration. Note that the arrangement of the plurality of phosphor portions 39 is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 7 to 9.

<Configuration example of light source device>
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the light source device 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the light source device 2 includes, for example, a light source section 20, a drive circuit 21, a drive circuit 22, a control circuit 23, a power supply circuit 24, and an exterior case 25. The light source section 20 , drive circuit 21 , drive circuit 22 , control circuit 23 , and power supply circuit 24 are housed in an exterior case 25 .

The light source unit 20 includes, for example, a light source 120 that generates and outputs excitation light 200, and an optical system 121 through which the excitation light 200 output from the light source 120 passes. The excitation light 200 after passing through the optical system 121 is irradiated onto the irradiated surface 130. The optical system 121 includes, for example, a lens 122 and a scanner 123.

The light source 120 is, for example, a laser diode (LD). Laser diodes are also called semiconductor lasers. As the excitation light 200 output by the light source 120, for example, a short wavelength laser beam having a wavelength of 460 nm or less is employed. The excitation light 200 may be a short wavelength laser beam of 440 nm or less. In this case, the light source 120 may be, for example, a gallium nitride (GaN)-based semiconductor laser that outputs a 405 nm violet laser beam. When a short wavelength laser beam of 440 nm or less is employed as the excitation light 200, the excitation light 200 becomes difficult to be visually recognized. Therefore, the excitation light 200 is less likely to affect the illumination space. The excitation light 200 may be an ultraviolet laser beam, a violet laser beam, or a blue laser beam. Note that the light source 120 may be a light emitting element other than a laser diode.

Lens 122 is, for example, a collimating lens. The lens 122 collimates the excitation light 200 output from the light source 120 and outputs the excitation light 200 as collimated light. The scanner 123 is a member that scans the irradiated surface 130 with the excitation light 200 that has passed through the lens 122. The scanner 123 has a mirror 123a that reflects the excitation light 200. The excitation light 200 reflected by the mirror 123a exits the exterior case 25 and is irradiated onto the irradiated surface 130 located at a location away from the light source device 2.

The scanner 123 can change the direction in which the excitation light 200 is reflected by changing the angle of the mirror 123a (specifically, the angle of the reflection surface of the mirror 123a that reflects the excitation light 200). The scanner 123 can scan the irradiated surface 130 with the excitation light 200 by changing the angle of the mirror 123a (in other words, by changing the direction of reflection of the excitation light 200). The scanner 123 can change the emission direction of the excitation light 200 emitted from the optical system 121 by changing the angle of the mirror 123a.

The scanner 123 may be, for example, a device that can two-dimensionally change the reflection direction (in other words, the reflection angle) of the excitation light 200. The scanner 123 may be, for example, a MEMS scanner, a galvano scanner, a resonant scanner, or another type of scanner. MEMS is an abbreviation for Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. When a MEMS scanner is employed as the scanner 123, the power consumption of the light source device 2 can be reduced. On the other hand, when a galvano scanner is employed as the scanner 123, it is possible to realize the scanner 123 with a large mirror 123a. Therefore, the power of the excitation light 200 can be increased. Therefore, it becomes possible to obtain bright illumination light 300. Furthermore, since the scanning range of the excitation light 200 by the scanner 123 can be expanded, the light emitting surface of the illumination section 3 can be increased.

In this example, since the excitation light 200 has a single wavelength peak, the excitation light 200 is less susceptible to the wavelength dependence of chromatic aberration and loss of the optical system 121. Therefore, the design of the lighting system 1 becomes easy.

The drive circuit 21 can drive the light source 120 by supplying power to the light source 120 . The drive circuit 22 can drive the scanner 123 by supplying power to the scanner 123.

The control circuit 23 can control each of the drive circuits 21 and 22 individually. The control circuit 23 can control the light source 120 through the drive circuit 21. Further, the control circuit 23 can control the scanner 123 through the drive circuit 22.

Control circuit 23 includes at least one processor to provide control and processing capabilities to perform various functions, as described in further detail below.

According to various embodiments, at least one processor is implemented as a single integrated circuit (IC) or as a plurality of communicatively connected integrated circuits (ICs) and/or discrete circuits. You can. The at least one processor can be implemented according to various known techniques.

In one embodiment, a processor includes one or more circuits or units configured to perform one or more data calculation procedures or processes, for example, by executing instructions stored in an associated memory. In other embodiments, the processor may be firmware (eg, a discrete logic component) that performs one or more data calculation procedures or processes.

According to various embodiments, the processor is one or more processors, controllers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processing equipment, programmable logic devices, field programmable gate arrays, or any of the foregoing. It may include any combination of devices or configurations, or other known combinations of devices and configurations, to perform the functions described below.

At least one processor included in the control circuit 23 may include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In this case, various functions of the control circuit 23 are realized by the CPU executing programs in the control circuit 23. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the control circuit 23 may be realized by a hardware circuit that does not require software to realize the functions.

The control circuit 23 can control, for example, the output power of the excitation light 200 of the light source 120 through the drive circuit 21. For example, the control circuit 23 can also set the output power of the pumping light 200 to zero. That is, the control circuit 23 can also prevent the light source 120 from outputting the excitation light 200. Further, the control circuit 23 can control, for example, the angle of the mirror 123a of the scanner 123 through the drive circuit 22. By controlling the angle of the mirror 123a, the direction in which the excitation light 200 is emitted from the optical system 121 toward the outside of the exterior case 25 is controlled.

In this example, the control circuit 23, the drive circuit 21, the drive circuit 22, and the scanner 123 constitute a control section 28 that can control the emission direction and output power of the excitation light 200 emitted from the optical system 121. There is. The control unit 28 can control the emission direction of the excitation light 200 from the optical system 121 toward the outside of the exterior case 25 and scan the excitation light 200 on the irradiated surface 130 . Further, the control unit 28 can control the scanning speed of the excitation light 200, for example. The control circuit 23 changes the speed at which the mirror 123a of the scanner 123 moves through the drive circuit 22, thereby changing the scanning speed of the excitation light 200. By controlling the output power of the excitation light 200, the amount of the excitation light 200 emitted to the outside of the exterior case 25 is controlled.

The power supply circuit 24 can supply power to the drive circuit 21 , the drive circuit 22 , and the control circuit 23 . The power supply circuit 24 generates various power supplies based on an external power supply supplied from outside the light source device 2, for example. The external power source may be an AC power source or a DC power source. Further, the power supply circuit 24 may include a battery. In this case, the power supply circuit 24 may generate various power sources based on the power output from the battery. The battery may be a rechargeable secondary battery or a non-rechargeable primary battery.

In this way, in this example, the control unit 28 can control the output power of the pumping light 200. In other words, the control unit 28 can control the amount of excitation light 200. The control unit 28 may control the output power of the excitation light 200 spatially or temporally.

For example, the control unit 28 can change the brightness of the illumination light 300 over time by controlling the output power of the excitation light 200 over time. In this case, the control unit 28 controls the output power of the excitation light 200 according to the passage of time so that the brightness of the light emitting surface of the illumination unit 3 intentionally becomes uneven before and after the time. good.

Further, for example, consider a case where the straight-line distance between each point in the irradiated surface 130 and the light source device 2 is not constant. In this case, the control unit 28 controls the output power of the excitation light 200 according to each irradiation position of the excitation light 200 on the irradiation surface 130 during scanning with the excitation light 200, thereby controlling the output power of the excitation light 200 in the irradiation surface 130. The irradiation power of the excitation light 200 at each point can be made uniform. Thereby, even if the straight-line distance between each point in the irradiated surface 130 and the light source device 2 is not constant, the brightness on the light emitting surface of the illumination section 3 can be made uniform. When such control is performed, for example, the straight-line distance between each point on the irradiated surface 130 and the light source device 2 is measured in advance, and each measured straight-line distance is stored in the control circuit 23. . The control circuit 23 controls the output power of the excitation light 200 based on the linear distance between each point on the irradiated surface 130 and the light source device 2.

Furthermore, when scanning the excitation light 200, the control unit 28 controls the output power of the excitation light 200 according to each irradiation position of the excitation light 200 on the irradiated surface 130, thereby controlling the output power of the excitation light 200 within the light emitting surface of the illumination unit 3. It is also possible to intentionally cause unevenness in brightness.

Furthermore, when scanning the excitation light 200, the control unit 28 controls the output power of the excitation light 200 according to each irradiation position of the excitation light 200 on the irradiated surface 130, thereby controlling the output power of the excitation light 200 on the light emitting surface of the illumination unit 3. For example, at least one of characters, symbols, and figures may be displayed.

Further, when scanning the excitation light 200, the control unit 28 controls the output power of the excitation light 200 according to each irradiation position of the excitation light 200 on the irradiated surface 130, and controls the output power of the excitation light 200. Illumination light 300 that looks like sunlight filtering through foliage may be realized by controlling the illumination light 300 according to the passage of time.

The control unit 28 may change the irradiation range (in other words, the scanning range) of the excitation light 200 on the illumination unit 3, for example, by controlling the emission direction of the excitation light 200. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, the control unit 28 irradiates only the upper half of the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 with the excitation light 200 during a certain time period by controlling the emission direction of the excitation light 200, In another time period, the excitation light 200 may be irradiated only to the lower half of the main surface 30a. The control unit 28 can irradiate only the phosphor portion 30 with the excitation light 200 by controlling the emission direction of the excitation light 200. This prevents the excitation light 200 from being irradiated onto parts other than the phosphor part 30.

The control unit 28 may control the scanning speed of the excitation light 200 temporally or spatially. For example, the control unit 28 may increase the scanning speed of the excitation light 200 during a certain time period, and may decrease the scanning speed of the excitation light 200 during another time period. Further, the control unit 28 may increase the scanning speed of the excitation light 200 in a certain region of the irradiated surface 130 and decrease the scanning speed of the excitation light 200 in another region of the irradiated surface 130, for example. When such control is performed, for example, the straight-line distance between each point on the irradiated surface 130 and the light source device 2 is measured in advance, and each measured straight-line distance is stored in the control circuit 23 in advance. Ru. The control circuit 23 then controls the scanning speed based on the linear distance between each point on the irradiated surface 130 and the light source device 2.

Light source 120 and lens 122 may be connected to each other with an optical fiber. In this case, the light source 120 and the lens 122 do not need to be arranged opposite each other, so the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the light source 120 and the lens 122 is improved. Therefore, for example, the light source 120 can be placed in a location where maintenance is easy.

Further, an optical fiber may not be provided between the light source 120 and the lens 122. In this case, the light source device 2 can be downsized. This improves the degree of freedom in arranging the light source device 2. When the light source device 2 is small, it does not get in the way even if it is placed in a low place, so the light source device 2 may be placed in a low place. When the light source device 2 is arranged in a low place, the installation work of the light source device 2 becomes easy. Moreover, maintenance of the light source device 2 becomes easy.

Further, the light source device 2 may be made portable. Thereby, the location of the light source device 2 can be easily changed. Further, the illumination unit 3 may be made portable. Thereby, the location of the illumination unit 3 can be easily changed. Further, both the light source device 2 and the illumination unit 3 may be made portable. Thereby, the location where the lighting system 1 is constructed can be easily changed. For example, the light source device 2 and the lighting unit 3 can be delivered to a gymnasium to construct the lighting system 1 inside the gymnasium, or the light source device 2 and the lighting unit 3 can be delivered to a park and the lighting system 1 can be built inside the park. You can also build .

11 to 13 are schematic diagrams showing examples of arrangement of the light source device 2 and the illumination unit 3. In the examples shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the lighting system 1 is built indoors, and the lighting unit 3 is provided near the ceiling. In the example of FIG. 11, the light source device 2 is placed on the floor 400. In the example of FIG. 11, the illumination light 300 emitted from the emission surface 131a of the illumination unit 3 is used for direct illumination, and the illumination light 300 emitted from the emission surface 131b is used for indirect illumination. Note that the light source device 2 may be placed below the floor 400.

In the example of FIG. 12, the light source device 2 is placed on the indoor side of the ceiling 410. In the example of FIG. 12, the illumination light 300 emitted from the emission surface 131b is used for direct illumination, and the illumination light 300 emitted from the emission surface 131a is used for indirect illumination. Note that the light source device 2 may be placed on the back side of the ceiling 410.

In the example of FIG. 13, the light source device 2 is placed on the indoor side of the wall 420. In the example of FIG. 13, the illumination light 300 emitted from the emission surface 131b is used for direct illumination, and the illumination light 300 emitted from the emission surface 131a is used for indirect illumination. Note that the light source device 2 may be placed on the back side of the wall 420.

As in the example of FIGS. 12 and 13, when the lighting unit 3 is viewed from the floor 400, if the light source device 2 is arranged on the back side of the lighting unit 3, the light source device 2 is visually visible to a person on the floor 400. It becomes less likely to get in the way. Further, by disposing the lighting section 3 on the underside of the floor 400, on the back side of the ceiling 410, or on the back side of the wall 420, the light source device 2 becomes no longer a visual hindrance for people on the floor 400.

In addition, when a part of the excitation light 200 irradiated to the illumination part 3 is reflected by the base material 31 etc., it is determined based on the reflected light of the excitation light 200 at the illumination part 3 and the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor part 30. In this way, illumination light 300 having a predetermined color may be realized. For example, consider a case where the color of the excitation light 200 is blue and the phosphor portion 30 includes only red phosphor and green phosphor as phosphors. In this case, pseudo white light is obtained as the illumination light 300 based on the blue reflected light of the excitation light 200 at the illumination section 3 and the red fluorescence and green fluorescence emitted by the phosphor section 30. .

<About the spot diameter of the excitation light on the irradiated surface>
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the beam shape of the excitation light 200. As shown in FIG. 14, the spot diameter SD of the excitation light 200 on the irradiated surface 130 is, for example, larger than the diameter BD of the beam waist BW of the excitation light 200 that has passed through the optical system 121 (also referred to as beam waist diameter BD). is also getting bigger. In the example of FIG. 14, the beam waist BW is located between the optical system 121 and the illuminated surface 130 of the illumination unit 3. In other words, the beam waist BW is located on the optical system 121 side with respect to the irradiated surface 130.

The position of the beam waist BW changes depending on the distance between the exit end of the excitation light 200 of the light source 120 and the lens 122. For example, when the output end of the light source 120 is located at one focal point of the lens 122, the beam waist BW is located at the other focal point of the lens 122. When the light source 120 is moved away from the lens 122 from one focus of the lens 122, the position of the beam waist BW moves away from the lens 122 from the other focus of the lens 122. Then, when the light source 120 is moved further away from the lens 122, the position of the beam waist BW is moved closer to the lens 122.

The beam waist diameter BD is determined by the wavelength of the excitation light 200, the diameter of the excitation light 200 at the output end of the light source 120, the distance between the output end of the light source 120 and the optical system 121, and the optical characteristics of the optical system 121. It changes depending on. In this example, the optical system 121 includes a lens 122 and a scanner 123. Although the optical characteristics of the lens 122 affect the beam waist diameter BD, the optical characteristics of the scanner 123 have almost no effect on the beam waist diameter BD. No impact.

For example, assume that the wavelength of the excitation light 200 is 400 nm, the diameter of the excitation light 200 at the output end of the light source 120 is 3 μm, the focal length of the lens 122 is 50 mm, and the distance from the lens to the irradiated surface 130 is 10 m. Further, for example, assume that the distance between the emission end of the light source 120 and the lens 122 is adjusted so that the position of the beam waist BW is 5 m ahead of the lens 122. In such a case, the beam waist diameter BD is 0.3 mm, and the spot diameter SD is 8.5 mm, which is larger than the beam waist diameter BD.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the beam shape of the excitation light 200. In the example of FIG. 14 described above, the beam waist BW occurs before the excitation light 200 reaches the irradiated surface 130. Thereby, the actual position of the beam waist BW exists between the optical system 121 and the irradiated surface 130. In contrast, in the example of FIG. 15, the excitation light 200 reaches the irradiated surface 130 before the beam waist BW occurs. Thereby, the virtual position of the beam waist BW exists on the side opposite to the optical system 121 with respect to the irradiated surface 130. In the example of FIG. 15, the position of the beam waist BW and the optical system 121 are shown in the case where the illumination unit 3 is not present and the excitation light 200 emitted from the optical system 121 does not hit anything before the beam waist BW is generated. It can be said that the irradiated surface 130 is located between them. Even if the virtual position of the beam waist BW exists on the opposite side of the optical system 121 with respect to the irradiated surface 130 as in the example of FIG. 15, in this example, the spot diameter SD is the beam waist diameter. It is larger than BD. The actual position is the position where the beam waist actually exists, whereas the virtual position is the position where the beam waist BW is located in virtual space when the irradiated surface 130 is not present.

The spot diameter SD may be 25 times or more the beam waist diameter BD. Further, the spot diameter SD may be 1.1 times or more and 2000 times or less the beam waist diameter BD.

Thus, in this example, the spot diameter SD is larger than the beam waist diameter BD. On the other hand, in a projector, for example, the projection surface of the screen is placed at the waist of the light beam in order to obtain a high-definition image by irradiating the projection surface of the screen with light of as small a diameter as possible. . As a result, the spot diameter of the light on the projection plane matches the beam waist diameter. Similar to a projector, when the spot diameter SD of the excitation light 200 on the irradiated surface 130 matches the beam waist diameter BD, the spot diameter SD becomes smaller and the thermal load applied to the wavelength converter 30 increases. This may, for example, shorten the lifespan of the illumination unit 3.

In this example, since the spot diameter SD is larger than the beam waist diameter BD, the thermal load applied to the wavelength conversion section 30 is reduced. Thereby, for example, the life of the lighting section 3 can be extended.

Further, when the spot diameter SD is larger than the beam waist diameter BD, a wide range can be irradiated with the excitation light 200 by one irradiation of the excitation light 200 onto the irradiated surface 130. This makes it easier to generate uniform illumination light 300, for example, when scanning excitation light 200 on irradiated surface 130 to cause phosphor portion 30 to emit light.

Note that if the spot diameter SD differs from each other at multiple positions on the irradiated surface 130 and there are multiple sizes of the spot diameter SD, one of the multiple sizes may be larger than the beam waist diameter BD. It can be large. Further, each of the plurality of sizes may be larger than the beam waist diameter BD.

Further, a beam waist different from the beam waist BW outside the optical system 121 may be generated within the optical system 121. For example, when the optical system 121 includes a plurality of lenses including the lens 122, a beam waist different from the beam waist BW may occur within the optical system 121.

Furthermore, as in the example of FIG. 14, when the actual position of the beam waist BW exists between the optical system 121 and the irradiated surface 130, the beam waist BW is located inside the exterior case 25 of the light source device 2. Alternatively, the beam waist BW may exist outside the exterior case 25.

Further, the optical system 121 may include a diffusion section 124 that diffuses the excitation light 200, as shown in FIG. 16. The diffusing portion 124 may be, for example, a diffusing lens having an uneven surface, or may be another member. In the example of FIG. 16, the actual position of the beam waist BW of the excitation light 200 that has passed through the optical system 121 having the diffuser 124 is located between the optical system 121 and the irradiated surface 130. As shown in FIG. 15, the virtual position of the beam waist BW of the excitation light 200 that has passed through the optical system 121 having the diffuser 124 may be located on the opposite side of the optical system 121 with respect to the irradiated surface 130.

The beam waist diameter BD of the excitation light 200 that has passed through the optical system 121 is larger when the optical system 121 includes the diffusing section 124 than when the optical system 121 does not include the diffusing section 124. When the optical system 121 includes the diffusing section 124, the spot diameter SD may be the same as the beam waist diameter BD, as shown in FIG. 17. The same here refers to a range in which the spot diameter SD is 10% larger than the beam waist diameter BD. For example, when the wavelength of the excitation light 200 is 400 nm, the diameter of the excitation light 200 at the output end of the light source 120 is 3 μm, the focal length of the lens 122 is 50 mm, and the distance from the lens to the irradiated surface 130 is 10 m, the beam waist When the position of BW is the position of the irradiated surface, the range of 0.8 m before and after the irradiated surface 130 becomes the error range. Even in this case, since the spot diameter SD can be increased, the thermal load applied to the wavelength conversion section 30 can be reduced. In the example of FIG. 17, the irradiated surface 130 is placed at the beam waist BW. The diffusion section 124 may be provided inside the outer case 25 or may be provided at the output end of the excitation light 200 of the outer case 25. The diffusion section 124 may be provided after the scanner 123, as shown in FIG. 16, or may be provided before the scanner 123. In the latter case, the diffusing section 124 may be located between the lens 122 and the scanner 123, for example.

As shown in FIG. 9 and the like described above, when the wavelength conversion unit 30 includes a plurality of phosphor portions 39 arranged along the irradiated surface 130, for example, a first portion and a second portion, the irradiated surface 130 The spot area of the excitation light 200 may be larger than the area of the surface 39a (also referred to as irradiation target surface 39a) of each phosphor portion 39 that is irradiated with the excitation light 200. Note that the spot area refers to the area inside the spot diameter SD on the irradiated surface 130. At this time, the spot diameter SD is 1/e ² of the peak intensity at the center of the beam intensity distribution (Gaussian distribution) shape on the irradiated surface 130 (the area where approximately 86.5% of the light power is concentrated). ). When the phosphor portion 39 includes a pair of principal surfaces facing each other, the surface of the phosphor portion 39 that is irradiated with the excitation light 200 is the one of the pair of principal surfaces that is first hit by the excitation light 200. This is the main surface.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between the spot 200a of the excitation light 200 on the irradiation target surface 130 and the irradiation target surface 39a of the phosphor portion 39. In the example of FIG. 18, the area of the spot 200a of the excitation light 200 is larger than the area of the irradiation target surface 39a of each phosphor portion 39.

In this way, when the spot area of the excitation light 200 is larger than the area of the irradiation target surface 39a of the phosphor portion 39, for example, the excitation light 200 may be irradiated to a plurality of phosphor portions 39 in order. When the excitation light 200 is scanned, the plurality of spots 200a can be made to overlap each other. This makes it easier to obtain uniform illumination light 300, for example. Furthermore, when the excitation light 200 is scanned and the excitation light 200 is sequentially emitted so that the spot 200a straddles the plurality of phosphor parts 39, the excitation light 200 is emitted between the plurality of phosphor parts 39. It becomes possible to finely adjust the irradiation ratio. Thereby, for example, when adjusting the irradiation ratio of the excitation light 200 between the plurality of phosphor parts 39 to adjust the color of the illumination light 300, the color temperature of the illumination light 300 can be changed over a wide range.

<How to set the scanning range of excitation light using a light source device>
The scanning range of the excitation light 200 with respect to the illumination unit 3 may be determined using the light source device 2. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the light source device 2 in this case. The scanning range of the excitation light 200 can be said to be the irradiation range of the excitation light 200, and can also be said to be the range that becomes the irradiated surface 130.

The light source device 2 (also referred to as light source device 2A) shown in FIG. 19 includes a communication unit 210 that can communicate with an external device 500 used by a user. External device 500 may be, for example, a personal computer, a mobile phone such as a smartphone, a tablet device, or another device.

The communication unit 210 may perform wired communication or wireless communication with the external device 500. The communication unit 210 may communicate with the external device 500 through a network including the Internet. It can be said that the communication unit 210 is a communication circuit. The communication method used by the communication unit 210 may include, for example, a communication method based on Bluetooth (registered trademark), a communication method based on WiFi, or a communication method based on USB (Universal Serial Bus). ) may be included, or communication methods based on other standards may be included.

The light source device 2A has a setting mode that determines the scanning range of the excitation light 200 with respect to the illumination unit 3 as an operation mode. The light source device 2A scans the excitation light 200 on the scanning range determined in the setting mode, and causes the illumination unit 3 to emit the illumination light 300 as described above. Hereinafter, simply the emission direction means the emission direction of the excitation light 200.

For example, the user can operate the external device 500 to cause the external device 500 to transmit start instruction information that instructs the start of the setting mode of the light source device 2A. When the communication unit 210 receives the start instruction information, the light source device 2A sets the operation mode to the setting mode. Further, the user can operate the external device 500 to cause the external device 500 to transmit termination instruction information that instructs the external device 500 to terminate the setting mode of the light source device 2A. When the communication unit 210 receives the termination instruction information, the light source device 2A terminates the setting mode.

The light source device 2A in the setting mode sets the emission direction according to a user's instruction. The user can operate the external device 500 to cause the external device 500 to transmit direction change instruction information instructing which direction and how much to change the emission direction. In the light source device 2A in the setting mode, the control unit 28 changes the emission direction according to direction change instruction information received by the communication unit 210. Thereby, the user can cause the light source device 2A to change the emission direction through the external device 500. Further, the user can operate the external device 500 to cause the external device 500 to transmit storage instruction information that instructs the external device 500 to store the current emission direction of the excitation light 200. When the communication unit 210 receives the storage instruction information, the control circuit 23 stores the current emission direction of the excitation light 200 as the reference emission direction.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the light source device 2A. As shown in FIG. 20, when the communication unit 210 receives the start instruction information in step s1, the light source device 2A sets the operation mode to the setting mode and starts the setting mode in step s2. Then, in step s3, the control unit 28 causes the light source 120 to emit the excitation light 200.

After step s3, when the communication unit 210 receives information from the external device 500 in step s4, the control circuit 23 determines the type of information received by the communication unit 210 in step s5. When the information received by the communication unit 210 is direction change instruction information, in step s6, the control unit 28 changes the emission direction according to the received direction change instruction information. When the information received by the communication unit 210 is storage instruction information, in step s7, the control unit 28 stores the current emission direction of the excitation light 200 as the reference emission direction. When step s4 is executed after step s6, step s5 is executed, and thereafter, the light source device 2A operates in the same manner. Furthermore, when step s4 is executed after step s7, step s5 is executed, and thereafter, the light source device 2A operates in the same manner. If the information received by the communication unit 210 in step s4 is termination instruction information, the control circuit 23 determines the scanning range in step s8. Then, in step s9, the light source device 2A ends the setting mode.

After causing the external device 500 to transmit start instruction information, the user places the spot of the excitation light 200 on the outline of the area to be scanned (also referred to as the setting target area) on the surface of the phosphor portion 30 of the illumination unit 3. A first process is performed to cause the light source device 2A to change the emission direction through the external device 500 so that the light source 2A is located at the same position. In response to this first process, steps s4, s5, and s6 are repeatedly executed in the light source device 2A. When the spot of the excitation light 200 is located on the outline of the setting target area, the user operates the external device 500 to perform a second process of causing the external device 500 to transmit the storage instruction information. In response to this second process, steps s4, s5, and s7 are sequentially executed in the light source device 2A. The user performs the first process and the second process on each of the plurality of points on the outline of the setting target area. As a result, the control circuit 23 stores a plurality of reference emission directions corresponding to a plurality of points on the contour of the setting target area, respectively. The reference emission direction corresponding to a certain point on the outline of the setting target area means the emission direction in which the spot of the excitation light 200 is located at the certain point.

After the user performs the first process and the second process for each of the plurality of points on the outline of the setting target area, the user performs the third process to cause the external device 500 to transmit termination instruction information. According to this third process, steps s4, s5, s8, and s9 are executed in order in the light source device 2A. In step s8, the control circuit 23 estimates the outline of the setting target area based on a plurality of reference emission directions respectively corresponding to a plurality of points on the outline of the setting target area. Then, the control circuit 23 sets the area within the estimated outline as the scanning range of the excitation light 200. This determines the scanning range of the excitation light 200. Once the scanning range is determined, step s9 is executed and the setting mode ends. When the setting mode ends, in the light source device 2A, the control unit 28 causes the illumination unit 3 to emit illumination light 300 by scanning the excitation light 200 over the scanning range determined in the setting mode.

In this way, since the scanning range is determined using the light source device 2, the scanning range can be determined at the location where the illumination system 1 is actually installed. Therefore, only the necessary range can be set as the irradiated surface 130 that is irradiated with the excitation light 200. Thereby, the possibility that the excitation light 200 hits an unnecessary location can be reduced.

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the light source device 2. As shown in FIG. The light source device 2 (also referred to as light source device 2B) shown in FIG. 21 can automatically determine the scanning range of the excitation light 200 without any instruction from the user. As shown in FIG. 21, the light source device 2B includes a camera 211 capable of photographing the illumination unit 3. The camera 211 is capable of photographing the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30. The camera 211 is exposed from the outer case 25. The control circuit 23 can control the camera 211, for example.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the light source device 2B. The user causes the external device 500 to transmit start instruction information, similar to the above example. As shown in FIG. 22, steps s1 and s2 described above are executed, and the operation mode of the light source device 2B is set to the setting mode. After step s2, in step s13, the control circuit 23 activates the camera 211 and causes the camera 211 to start photographing. Next, in step s12, the control circuit 23 determines the scanning range based on the captured image obtained by the camera 211. Specifically, the control circuit 23 specifies the outline (in other words, the edge) of the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 by performing image processing on the photographed image. Then, the control circuit 23 sets the area within the specified outline as the scanning range of the excitation light 200. Once the scanning range is determined, the setting mode ends in step s13.

In this way, in the light source device 2B, the scanning range is determined based on the photographed image obtained by the camera 211 that photographs the surface of the phosphor portion 30. Thereby, the scanning range can be appropriately set. Therefore, for example, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the excitation light 200 will hit an unnecessary location.

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of the light source device 2. As shown in FIG. The light source device 2 (also referred to as light source device 2C) shown in FIG. 23 can automatically determine the scanning range of the excitation light 200 without any instruction from the user, similarly to the light source device 2B.

As shown in FIG. 23, the light source device 2C includes a photodetector 212. The photodetector 212 can detect, for example, the return light of the excitation light 200 from the phosphor portion 30. The control circuit 23 can control the photodetector 212, for example. The user causes the external device 500 to transmit start instruction information, similar to the above example.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the light source device 2C. As shown in FIG. 24, when steps s1 and s2 described above are executed, the operation mode of the light source device 2C is set to the setting mode. After step s2, the control circuit 23 activates the photodetector 212 in step s21.

After step s21, in step s22, the control unit 28 controls the light source 120 and causes the light source 120 to start emitting the excitation light 200. At this time, the excitation light 200 is emitted toward the first position of the maximum scanning range of the excitation light 200. After step s22, in step s23, the control circuit 23 determines, based on the output of the photodetector 212, whether the photodetector 212 has detected the returned light. If YES is determined in step s23, the control circuit 23 stores the current emission direction as the reference emission direction in step s24. After step s24, step s25 is executed. It can be said that the reference emission direction is the emission direction when the excitation light 200 hits the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30. If the determination in step s23 is NO, step s27 is executed.

In step s25, the control circuit 23 determines whether the excitation light 200 has been scanned to the end of the maximum scanning range. If the determination in step s25 is NO, the control unit 28 changes the emission direction in step s26. Specifically, the control unit 28 moves the emission direction by a predetermined amount along the scanning direction. After step s26, step s23 is executed again, and thereafter, the light source device 2C operates in the same manner.

By repeatedly executing step s26, the excitation light 200 is scanned from the beginning to the end of the maximum scanning range. Then, while the excitation light 200 is scanned from the beginning to the end of the maximum scanning range, the control circuit 23 stores a plurality of reference emission directions corresponding to a plurality of locations on the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30, respectively. The reference emission direction corresponding to a certain location on the main surface 30a means an emission direction in which the spot of the excitation light 200 is located at the certain location.

If the determination in step s25 is YES, step s27 is executed. In step s27, the control circuit 23 estimates the outline of the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30 based on a plurality of reference emission directions corresponding to a plurality of locations on the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30, respectively. Then, the control circuit 23 sets the area within the estimated contour as the scanning range. Once the scanning range is determined, the setting mode ends in step s28.

In this way, in the light source device 2C, the scanning range is determined based on the detection result of the photodetector 212 that detects the return light of the excitation light 200 from the phosphor portion 30. Thereby, the scanning range can be appropriately set. Therefore, for example, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the excitation light 200 will hit an unnecessary location.

Note that a plurality of phosphor markers 360 for the light source device 2 to determine the scanning range may be provided on the outline of the setting target area to be the scanning range on the surface of the phosphor portion 30. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of how a plurality of phosphor markers 360 are provided on the outline of a setting target area 350 included in the main surface 30a. Note that the fluorescent marker 360 may be larger than the beam waist diameter BD and may be approximately the same as the spot diameter SD.

The fluorescent marker 360 emits fluorescence in response to irradiation with the excitation light 200. The phosphor marker 360 includes, for example, a matrix and a plurality of phosphors dispersed in the matrix. The plurality of phosphors include at least one type of phosphor. The plurality of phosphors may include at least one of a red phosphor, a green phosphor, a blue phosphor, a blue-green phosphor, and a yellow phosphor.

A portion of phosphor portion 30 may be used as phosphor marker 360. In this case, the color of the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor marker 360 is different from the color of the fluorescence emitted by a portion of the phosphor portion 30 other than the phosphor marker 360. Furthermore, the phosphor marker 360 may be provided separately from the phosphor portion 30. For example, the phosphor marker 360 may be provided on the main surface 30a of the phosphor portion 30. In this case, the color of the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor marker 360 is different from the color of the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor portion 30.

When a plurality of phosphor markers 360 are provided in the phosphor portion 30, the light source device 2 determines the scanning range based on the light emission of the plurality of phosphor markers 360, for example. FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the light source device 2B having the camera 211 when the above-described light source device 2B determines the scanning range based on the light emission of the plurality of phosphor markers 360.

As shown in FIG. 26, steps s1, s2, and s11 are executed sequentially. Next, in step s41, the control unit 28 repeatedly executes a process of scanning the excitation light 200 over the maximum scanning range. When the excitation light 200 is scanned over the maximum scanning range, the phosphor portion 30 and the plurality of phosphor markers 360 are irradiated with the excitation light 200.

Next, in step s42, the control circuit 23 determines the scanning range based on the light emission of the plurality of fluorescent markers 360. Specifically, the control circuit 23 determines the scanning range based on an image taken by the camera 211 in which the light emitted from the plurality of fluorescent markers 360 is captured. In step s42, the control circuit 23 first estimates the outline of the setting target area 350 based on the photographed image in which the light emission of the plurality of phosphor markers 360 is captured. Then, the control circuit 23 sets the area within the estimated contour as the scanning range. Once the scanning range is determined, the setting mode ends in step s43.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the light source device 2C, which has the photodetector 212 and determines the scanning range based on the light emission of the plurality of phosphor markers 360. However, in the example of FIG. 27, unlike the example of FIG. 24, the photodetector 212 is capable of detecting the light emission of the fluorescent marker 360 (also referred to as marker light emission).

As shown in FIG. 27, steps s1, s2, s21 and s22 are executed sequentially. When the emission of the excitation light 200 starts in step s22, the excitation light 200 is emitted toward the first position of the maximum scanning range of the excitation light 200.

After step s22, in step s51, the control circuit 23 determines, based on the output of the photodetector 212, whether the photodetector 212 has detected marker light emission. If the determination in step s51 is YES, step s24 is executed and the current emission direction is stored in the control circuit 23 as the reference emission direction. It can be said that the reference emission direction in this example is the emission direction when the excitation light 200 hits the fluorescent marker 360. Therefore, the reference emission direction becomes information according to the position of the fluorescent marker 360.

After step s24, step s25 is executed. If the determination in step s51 is NO, step s25 is executed. If it is determined in step s25 that the excitation light 200 has been scanned to the end of the maximum scanning range, step s52 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined in step s25 that the excitation light 200 has not been scanned to the end of the maximum scanning range, step s26 described above is executed and the emission direction is moved by a predetermined amount along the scanning direction. . After step s26, step s51 is executed again, and thereafter, the light source device 2C operates in the same manner.

In the example of FIG. 27 as well, by repeatedly executing step s26, the excitation light 200 is scanned from the beginning to the end of the maximum scanning range. Then, while the excitation light 200 is being scanned from the beginning to the end of the maximum scanning range, the control circuit 23 stores a plurality of reference emission directions corresponding to the plurality of phosphor markers 360, respectively. The reference emission direction corresponding to the fluorescent marker 360 is an emission direction in which the spot of the excitation light 200 hits the fluorescent marker 360.

If the determination in step s25 is YES, step s52 is executed. In step s52, the control circuit 23 estimates the outline of the setting target region 350 based on a plurality of reference emission directions corresponding to the plurality of phosphor markers 360, respectively. Then, the control circuit 23 sets the area within the estimated contour as the scanning range. Once the scanning range is determined, the setting mode ends in step s53.

As in the examples of FIGS. 26 and 27, when the scanning range is determined based on the light emission of a plurality of fluorescent markers 360, the scanning range can be automatically and appropriately set. This reduces the user load when determining the scanning range. Furthermore, for example, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the excitation light 200 hits an unnecessary location.

Further, by changing the arrangement of the plurality of fluorescent markers 360, the scanning range can be easily changed. In the example of FIG. 25, a plurality of phosphor markers 360 are arranged along the outline of a rectangle, but for example, by arranging a plurality of phosphor markers 360 along the outline of a circle, a circular scanning range can be set automatically. Further, by arranging a plurality of phosphor markers 360 along the outline of the triangle, the scanning range of the triangle can be automatically set.

In the example of FIG. 25, the outer shape of the fluorescent marker 360 is circular, but the shape of the fluorescent marker 360 is not limited to this. The outer shape of the phosphor marker 360 may be a square, a diamond, a star, or another shape. As the fluorescent marker 360, a small corner cube or a recursive optical element such as a glass bead may be used. The recursive optical element has a function of reflecting light from a light source in the direction of the light source. When a recursive optical element is used as the fluorescent marker 360, the outline of the setting target region 350 is estimated by the excitation light 200 reflected in the direction of the light source device 2 by the recursive optical element.

Note that when the light source device 2 automatically determines the scanning range as in the example shown in FIG. 21 and the like, the light source device 2 does not need to include the communication unit 210. In this case, the light source device 2 may be provided with an operation switch exposed from the exterior case 25 in order to switch the operation mode of the light source device 2 to the setting mode, for example.

<Other examples of lighting systems>
In the above example, one light source device 2 emits excitation light 200 to the illumination section 3, but as shown in FIG. may be irradiated. In this case, for example, since the output power of the excitation light 200 of each light source device 2 can be reduced, the durability required for the optical system 121 of each light source device 2 can be suppressed. The plurality of light source devices 2 may irradiate the excitation light 200 onto the same location on the illumination section 3, or may irradiate the excitation light 200 onto different locations on the illumination section 3, respectively. In the example of FIG. 28, two light source devices 2 irradiate excitation light 200 to the illumination section 3, but even if three or more light source devices 2 irradiate excitation light 200 to the illumination section 3, good.

Further, as shown in FIG. 29, the illumination system 1 may include, for example, a first device 610 including a light source 120, and a plurality of second devices 620 that irradiate the illumination unit 3 with excitation light 200. . The first device 610 includes, for example, a light source 120, a drive circuit 21 that drives it, a control circuit 23, and an exterior case 611. The first device 610 also includes a power supply circuit that supplies power to the drive circuit 21 and the control circuit 23. The exterior case 611 houses the light source 120, the drive circuit 21, the control circuit 23, and the power supply circuit.

Each second device 620 includes, for example, an optical system 121, a drive circuit 22 that drives the scanner 123 of the optical system 121, and an exterior case 621. Each second device 620 also includes a power supply circuit that supplies power to the drive circuit 22 . The exterior case 621 accommodates the optical system 121 and the drive circuit 22 power supply circuit.

The first device 610 and each of the plurality of second devices 620 are connected by, for example, an optical fiber coupler 630. The excitation light 200 output from the light source 120 of the first device 610 is input to the optical system 121 of each second device 620 through the optical fiber coupler 630. Each second device 620 irradiates the illumination unit 3 with the excitation light 200 that has passed through the optical system 121 . Further, the control circuit 23 individually controls each of the drive circuits 22 of the plurality of second devices 620 by individually outputting a control signal 230 to each of the drive circuits 22 of the plurality of second devices 620. be able to. The control signal 230 output by the control circuit 23 is input to the drive circuit 22 of each second device 620 through the optical fiber coupler 630. The control circuit 23 can individually control each of the scanners 123 of the optical systems 121 of the plurality of second devices 620. In the example of FIG. 29, the light source section 20 is configured by the light source 120 of the first device 610 and the optical system 121 of the second device 620.

In the example of FIG. 29, for example, since the first device 610 and the second device 620 can be arranged apart from each other, for example, the second device 620 is arranged according to the position of the lighting section 3, and the first device 620 610 may be placed without worrying about the position of the illumination unit 3. For example, the first device 610 may be placed in a location where maintenance is easy.

Note that in the example of FIG. 29, two second devices 620 are connected to the first device 610, but three or more second devices 620 may be connected. Further, in the example of FIG. 29, the plurality of second devices 620 irradiates the excitation light 200 to one illumination unit 3, but as shown in FIG. 30, the plurality of second devices 620 The excitation light 200 may be irradiated to each of the illumination units 3.

Although the illumination system 1 has been described in detail as described above, the above description is an example in all aspects, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the various examples described above can be applied in combination as long as they do not contradict each other. And it is understood that countless examples not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

1 illumination system 3 illumination section 20 light source section 28 control section 30 wavelength conversion section (phosphor section)
35 First phosphor part 36 Second phosphor part 39 Fluorescent part 120 Light source 124 Diffusion part 130 Irradiated surface 121 Optical system 200 Excitation light 300 Illumination light 360 Fluorescent marker

Claims (19)

a light source section that includes a light source that outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum and an optical system through which the first light passes, and that emits the first light that has passed through the optical system;
a wavelength conversion unit that is irradiated with the first light emitted from the light source unit and that emits second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in response to the irradiation of the first light; and an illumination unit that emits illumination light including the second light,
The wavelength conversion unit has an irradiated surface that is irradiated with the first light,
A spot diameter of the first light on the irradiated surface is larger than a beam waist diameter of the first light that has passed through the optical system,
An illumination system , wherein a virtual position of the beam waist exists on a side opposite to the optical system side with respect to the irradiated surface . a light source section that includes a light source that outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum and an optical system through which the first light passes, and that emits the first light that has passed through the optical system;
a wavelength conversion unit that is irradiated with the first light emitted from the light source unit and that emits second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in response to the irradiation of the first light; and an illumination unit that emits illumination light including the second light,
The wavelength conversion unit has an irradiated surface that is irradiated with the first light,
The optical system includes a diffusion section that diffuses the first light,
The spot diameter of the first light on the irradiated surface is greater than or equal to the diameter of the beam waist of the first light that has passed through the optical system,
An illumination system , wherein a virtual position of the beam waist exists on a side opposite to the optical system side with respect to the irradiated surface . a light source section that includes a light source that outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum and an optical system through which the first light passes, and that emits the first light that has passed through the optical system;
a wavelength conversion unit that is irradiated with the first light emitted from the light source unit and that emits second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in response to the irradiation of the first light; an illumination unit that emits illumination light including the second light;
a control unit that controls at least one of the emission direction and output power of the first light emitted from the optical system;
Equipped with
The wavelength conversion unit has an irradiated surface that is irradiated with the first light,
A spot diameter of the first light on the irradiated surface is larger than a beam waist diameter of the first light that has passed through the optical system,
An illumination system, wherein the control unit scans the first light on the irradiated surface by controlling the emission direction. a light source section that includes a light source that outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum and an optical system through which the first light passes, and that emits the first light that has passed through the optical system;
a wavelength conversion unit that is irradiated with the first light emitted from the light source unit and that emits second light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in response to the irradiation of the first light; an illumination unit that emits illumination light including the second light;
a control unit that controls at least one of the emission direction and output power of the first light emitted from the optical system;
Equipped with
The wavelength conversion unit has an irradiated surface that is irradiated with the first light,
The optical system includes a diffusion section that diffuses the first light,
The spot diameter of the first light on the irradiated surface is greater than or equal to the diameter of the beam waist of the first light that has passed through the optical system,
An illumination system, wherein the control unit scans the first light on the irradiated surface by controlling the emission direction. The lighting system according to claim 3 or 4 ,
The illumination system, wherein the control unit controls a scanning speed of the first light. The lighting system according to any one of claims 3 to 5 ,
The control unit determines a scanning range of the first light, and scans the first light on the determined scanning range. 7. The lighting system according to claim 6 ,
A plurality of phosphor markers that emit fluorescence in response to irradiation with the first light are located on the surface of the wavelength conversion unit,
The control unit is an illumination system that determines the scanning range based on fluorescence emitted by the plurality of phosphor markers. The lighting system according to any one of claims 3 to 7 ,
An illumination system, wherein the actual position of the beam waist exists between the optical system and the illuminated surface. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
The wavelength conversion section has a phosphor portion including the irradiated surface,
The lighting system, wherein the phosphor portion includes a plurality of types of phosphors having different peak wavelengths. 10. The lighting system according to claim 9 ,
The phosphor portion includes a first portion and a second portion that are irradiated with the first light,
Each of the first portion and the second portion includes at least two types of phosphors of the plurality of types of phosphors,
The lighting system, wherein the mixing ratio of the at least two types of phosphors is different between the first part and the second part. 10. The lighting system according to claim 9 ,
The phosphor portion includes a first portion and a second portion that are irradiated with the first light,
The first portion includes at least one type of phosphor of the plurality of types of phosphors,
The second portion includes at least one type of phosphor among the plurality of types of phosphors,
The lighting system wherein the first portion includes a type of phosphor not included in the second portion. The lighting system according to claim 10 or 11 ,
the first portion and the second portion are adjacent to each other;
In the illumination system, a spot area of the first light on the irradiated surface is larger than an area of a surface irradiated with the first light in each of the first portion and the second portion. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 12 ,
The illumination unit has an exit surface from which the illumination light is emitted,
The illumination system, wherein the exit surface includes a free-form surface. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 13 ,
The illumination unit has an exit surface from which the illumination light is emitted,
The exit surface includes a first exit surface and a second exit surface,
An illumination system, wherein a first direction in which the illumination light is emitted from the first emission surface and a second direction in which the illumination light is emitted from the second emission surface are different from each other. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 14 ,
The illumination system, wherein the second wavelength spectrum has three or more mutually different wavelength peaks. a first step in which the light source outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum;
a second step in which the first light passes through an optical system;
An illumination unit having an irradiated surface onto which the first light that has passed through the optical system is irradiated, the spot diameter of the first light on the irradiated surface is such that the beam of the first light that has passed through the optical system is a third step of irradiating the first light onto the illumination unit while arranging the illumination unit so as to have a diameter larger than the waist diameter;
The illumination section includes a wavelength conversion section that converts the wavelength according to the irradiation of the first light, and the first light irradiated to the wavelength conversion section has a second wavelength different from the first wavelength spectrum. a fourth step of emitting second light having a spectrum and emitting illumination light including the second light ,
In the third step, the illumination method includes scanning the first light on the irradiated surface by controlling the direction of the first light emitted from the optical system. a first step in which the light source outputs first light having a first wavelength spectrum;
a second step in which the first light passes through an optical system including a diffusion section that diffuses the first light;
An illumination unit having an irradiated surface onto which the first light that has passed through the optical system is irradiated, the spot diameter of the first light on the irradiated surface is such that the beam of the first light that has passed through the optical system is a third step of irradiating the first light onto the illumination unit while arranging the illumination unit so as to have a diameter larger than the waist diameter;
The illumination section includes a wavelength conversion section that converts the wavelength according to the irradiation of the first light, and the first light irradiated to the wavelength conversion section has a second wavelength different from the first wavelength spectrum. a fourth step of emitting second light having a spectrum and emitting illumination light including the second light ,
In the third step, the illumination method includes scanning the first light on the irradiated surface by controlling the direction of the first light emitted from the optical system. The lighting method according to claim 16 or 17 ,
Further comprising a fifth step of determining a scanning range of the first light,
In the third step, the first light is scanned over the determined scanning range. 19. The lighting method according to claim 18 ,
A plurality of phosphor markers that emit fluorescence when irradiated with the first light are located on the irradiated surface,
In the illumination method, in the fifth step, the scanning range is determined based on fluorescence emitted by the plurality of fluorescent markers.

Images