Abstract:
An optical apparatus is provided that directs, diffuses, magnifies or otherwise alters light. The optical apparatus may include a lens that can be physically attached to a circuit board without glue, adhesive tape, or melting. The optical apparatus can be snapped onto the circuit board. The optical apparatus may then be glued or otherwise adhered to the circuit board after being snapped on.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/345,989, filed May 18, 2010, titled “OPTICAL LENS SNAP ATTACHMENT,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to optical apparatuses, systems, methods and other means for directing, diffusing, magnifying and/or otherwise altering light and, more particularly, a lens that is configured to be physically attached to a circuit board in proximity to one or more light emitting devices. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) are becoming an alternative to traditional light bulbs, because LEDs are relatively smaller and more efficient devices. LEDs are often made from semiconductor materials, which emit light in response to receiving electrical current. A LED is often mounted onto a circuit board that can include circuitry, memory and/or other components configured to drive each LED by controlling the flow of electricity supplied to each LED. 
         [0004]    Relative to traditional light bulbs, LEDs consume less power and often last longer. Moreover, relatively recent innovation has improved the brightness of light emitted by LEDs. LEDs can also be combined or otherwise configured to emit various colors of visible light as well as various wavelengths of nonvisible light (e.g., ultra-violet light, infrared light, etc.). As a result, LEDs are being used for a wide range of applications, including traffic lights, handheld flash lights, automobile lights, architectural lighting, display screens, and camera flashes, just to name a few. 
         [0005]    One or more LEDs can be integrated into something referred to herein as a “package”, which allows LEDs to be more easily handled. An LED package often includes an LED casing having two electrical contacts, typically anode and cathode wire leads, extending therefrom. The LED die, which includes the light emitting circuit, can be enclosed and protected by the LED casing. Some LED packages also include a metal slug, in which the LED die and/or other parts of the LED package can be mounted and used to help disperse heat. 
         [0006]    The LED casing can be formed into any shape (e.g., cylindrical, spherical, rectangular, triangular, etc.). Similarly, the LED casing can be any size, and usually range in size between 3 mm and 8 mm, with 5 mm being one of the most common. LED casings are usually at least partially translucent for at least one wavelength of light, and can also be any color or otherwise filter the light emitted from the LED die. 
         [0007]    However, rather than or in addition to modifying a standard LED casing, an external lens or other type of optical component is sometimes used to diffuse, magnify, direct or otherwise alter the light pattern emitted from the LED package. Although such optical components provide a number of benefits, and can be adapted to particular shapes and sizes of LED packages, it would be desirable for such optical components to be further improved. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0008]    Embodiments discussed herein are related to apparatuses, methods and other means for, among other things, snapping an optical lens onto a circuit board. For example, an optical apparatus may include the optical lens along with at least three support members. 
         [0009]    At least one of the support members can be a mounting post, which includes a tip located at a distal end. The tip, however, can be specifically adapted (e.g., rounded, ramped, pointed, conical or otherwise tapered, including a combination thereof) to guide the distal end of mounting post into a hole in the circuit board. The mounting post can also include a contact face or other structural component, which is configured to prevent a portion of the support member from protruding through the hole in the circuit board. The portion that is prevented from protruding through the hole can be located between the tip and the optical lens. For example, the portion can be cylindrical and have a diameter larger than that of the hole in the circuit board. 
         [0010]    At least one of the support members can also include a notch located between the tip and the optical lens. The notch can be configured to physically attach the optical apparatus to the circuit board. The notch can be formed in the outer portion of the mounting post, such that the notch faces away from an imaginary axis, wherein the imaginary axis runs orthogonal to the circuit board, parallel to the support members and through the center of the optical lens. Additionally, the notch can be configured to snap into the hole in the circuit board. 
         [0011]    The optical apparatus can further comprise a receptacle configured to receive a light emitting component, such as an entire LED package, only an LED die, or other type of light emitting device or combination thereof. In this regard, the receptacle can be, for example, a cavity within the main body of the optical apparatus. The cavity can include an interior surface that is shaped to at least substantially trace one or more contours of the light emitting component. In some embodiments, the receptacle can be configured to receive at least two light emitting components, such as two LED packages. 
         [0012]    The optical apparatus can also include a second support member that is configured to be an alignment post (as opposed to a mounting post). As referenced herein, an “alignment post” can be similar to a mounting post, but lacks a notch or other attaching component and instead be configured to contact a face of the circuit board to prevent a portion of the alignment post from protruding into and/or through the circuit board. The alignment post can also include an alignment tip configured to enter a second hole in the circuit board without attaching the support post to the circuit board. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, a plurality of support members can be included that function as a mounting post. For example, an optical apparatus may include two mounting posts, each having a notched attaching mechanism, and an alignment post having an alignment tip that does not physically attach the optical apparatus to the circuit board. As another example, one or more support members, can be included and be configured to support the optical apparatus without passing through a hole in the circuit board. In this regard, the support post(s) can include a tip that is configured to contact one face of the circuit board without entering and/or passing through a hole in the circuit board. 
         [0014]    One or more methods for affixing the optical apparatus to a circuit board may also be implemented. While some embodiments of the optical apparatus can be configured for manual attachment to a circuit board, the attachment process can be automated as well. For example, circuitry can be configured to automatically align a support member of the optical apparatus with a hole in the circuit board. A force can then be applied to the optical apparatus manually and/or by a machine. The force may be in a direction towards the circuit board and can be sufficient to cause the support member to bend inwardly while the force is being applied. As a result of the force being applied, the support member can snap onto the circuit board after, for example, a nub of the attaching mechanism clears the bottom face of the circuit board, or otherwise passes through a portion of the circuit board. In some embodiments, circuitry can be configured to simultaneously align a number of support members with corresponding holes in the circuit board. 
         [0015]    In addition to snapping the optical apparatus onto the circuit board, other types of attaching means can be used to further secure the optical apparatus to the circuit board. For example, an adhesive material can be applied to the support member and/or to the circuit board. As another example, a portion of the support member and/or circuit board can be melted and allowed to solidify to create a stronger bond between the support member and the circuit board. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0016]    Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
           [0017]      FIGS. 1 ,  2 A and  2 B show a light emitting system and a detailed view of a component thereof in accordance with some embodiments; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3A-3C  and  4 A- 4 D show another light emitting system and detailed views of internal and external components thereof in accordance with some embodiments; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  show an optical apparatus that can be included in a light emitting system and a detailed view of a component thereof in accordance with some embodiments; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  shows another optical apparatus in accordance with some embodiments; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  shows a process flow in accordance with some embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
         [0023]    LED optical apparatuses can be attached to a circuit board and/or the LED package by any means, including adhesive (e.g., double-sided tape), glue, screws, and/or melting. Each of these attaching means can be relatively time consuming and expensive, and often require industrial manufacturing systems to implement. For example, even a relatively modest project requiring the attachment of 500,000 optical components to circuit boards using at least a million small screws (two per optical component) would require the use of expensive machinery or hundreds of workers to complete in a relatively short period of time. 
         [0024]    Some embodiments of the present invention would allow each of the optical components to be snapped onto the circuit board, thereby reducing the time and cost often associated with attaching an optical element to a lighting component, such as an LED package. (As used herein, “snapped” or “snap” refers to physically attaching one component to another as a result of pressure being applied to one or both of the components, such that one or both of the components and/or one or more portions thereof temporarily contort while the pressure is being applied, thereby causing the components to subsequently lock into place by returning to a less or non-contorted physical state. Once locked into place, the two components may be considered removably locked or irremovably locked, wherein physically separating irremovably locked components would require damaging or destructing at least one of the components, and physically separating removably locked components would not incur any permanent damage to the components.) 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows light emitting system  100 , which includes optical apparatus  102 , LED package  104 , and circuit board  106 . LED package  104  is shown in  FIG. 1  as including casing  108  and metal slug  110 . LED casing  108  is shown as being cylindrical, but one skilled in the art would appreciate LED casing  108  can be any shape, irregular or regular (e.g., spherical, rectangular, triangular, etc.). Similarly, LED casing  108  can be any size, including having a diameter between 3 mm and 8 mm. LED casing  108  can be translucent in at least one wavelength of light, while being opaque in another (e.g., allowing passage of infrared light while blocking the passage of ultraviolet light). LED casing  108  can also be colored or otherwise configured to filter or alter some or all of the types of light emitted from the LED die (not shown in  FIG. 1 , but embedded within LED casing  108 ) in any other manner. LED casing  108  can be formed from plastic, glass, any other suitable material or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, LED casing  108  can be omitted from LED package  104 . 
         [0026]    Metal slug  110  can be configured to help disperse heat generated by the LED. Metal slug  110  can be comprised of any material or combination of materials. Metal slug  110  can be embedded or otherwise attached, physically and/or electrically, to circuit board  106 . In some embodiments, metal slug  110  can be isolated from the cathode and/or anode leads (not shown) incorporated in LED package  104  and used to power the LED die of LED package  104 . In some embodiments, metal slug  110  can be omitted from LED package  104 . 
         [0027]    Optical apparatus  102  can include lens  112  that can be, for example, any type of optical lens configured to direct, diffuse, magnify or otherwise alter light emitted from LED package  104 . Lens  112  can include dimples, bends, light reflective material, light absorbent material, any other structural feature and/or material that can influence how light passes through lens  112  and/or protects LED package  104 , or combination thereof. Similarly, the interior cavity or cavities of optical apparatus  102  can include one or more components, shapes, etc. that may impact how light emitted by LED package  104  emanates from optical apparatus  102 . In some embodiments, lens  112  can be independently removable from optical apparatus  102 . In other embodiments, lens  112  can only be removed by damaging optical apparatus  102  or by removing the entire optical apparatus  102  from circuit board  106 . 
         [0028]    Optical apparatus  102  is also shown as being configured to physically attach to circuit board  106 . In this regard, optical apparatus  102  is shown in  FIG. 1  as including support members  114 ,  116  and  118 . Each of support members  114 ,  116  and  118  are considered for purposes of this disclosure as “mounting posts.” (As used herein, a mounting post is a support member that is configured to be physically attached to a circuit board or LED package.) 
         [0029]    Each of support members  114 ,  116  and  118  can be attached to main body  120 . In some embodiments one or more of support members  114 ,  116 , and  118  can comprise the same or different materials as main body  120  and/or as each other. For example, support members may comprise aluminum and/or one or more other types of metal (due to the physical properties of the metal(s), such as flexibility and strength), whereas main body  120  can comprise one or more types of different materials, such as plastics and/or different metals. Alternatively, main body  120  and one or more of support members  114 ,  116 , and  118  can be formed from the same type or types of material and, in some cases, the same molding or piece of material. 
         [0030]    Each of support members  114 ,  116  and  118  is shown as including a mechanical attaching component, for example, notches  122 ,  124  and  126 , respectively, that allow support members  114 ,  116  and  118  to mount optical apparatus  102  to circuit board  106 . Notches  122 ,  124  and  126  would respectively enable each of optical apparatus  102 &#39;s three support members  114 ,  116  and  118  to be snapped onto and engaged by circuit board  106  by means of holes  128 ,  130  and  132  respectively. 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , holes  128 ,  130  and  132  could be arranged to receive support members  114 ,  116  and  118 , such that lens  112  can alter the light emitted from LED package  104  relative to the orientation of circuit board  106 . For example, lens  112  may be aligned with and centered above LED package  104  with support members  114 ,  116  and  118  positioned about LED package  104 . Circuit board  106  can be embedded in, for example, an airport&#39;s runway and lens  112  can be configured to direct a certain color of light in a certain direction, while blocking the light&#39;s emission in all other directions (with the direction(s) being relative to how the holes are arranged in the circuit board and/or the support members  114 ,  116 , and  118  on the main body  120 ). In this regard, pilots may only see the color of light emitted by light emitting system  100  when their airplanes approach from a particular direction. In addition to or instead of being configured such that lens  112  is oriented relative to the supporting members, an indentation, a printed indicator, other orientation component(s), or combination thereof can be included in optical apparatus  102 , LED package  104  and/or circuit board  106  to realize proper alignment for the intended orientation. 
         [0032]      FIG. 2A  shows system  100  with optical apparatus  102  physically attached to circuit board  106 .  FIG. 2A  also shows how LED package  104 , or at least a portion thereof, and a portion of metal slug  110  can be received by a cavity (some examples of which are discussed below) that is incorporated into main body  120  of optical apparatus  102 . 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , in response to a sufficient force being applied in the direction of arrow  202 , notches  122 ,  124  and  126  are configured to engage circuit board  106 , thereby physically attaching optical lens  102  to circuit board  106 . The amount of force required in the direction of arrow  202  may be dependent on, for example, the rigidness, thickness, shape, and other characteristics of support member  114  and/or circuit board  128 . As notch  122  passes through hole  128  (which may be configured to receive tapered tip  204  as shown in  FIG. 2B ), support member  114  may temporarily bend or otherwise contort, causing tapered tip  204  to move in the direction of arrow  206 . Tapered tip  204  refers to the portion of support member  114  that begins below notch  122  and at nub  208 , and extends to the distal end of support member  114 . In response to nub  208  passing through hole  128 , support member  114  may return to its original form or a less contorted form than when passing through hole  128 , causing tapered tip  204  to move in the direction of arrow  210 , thereby snapping support member  114  onto circuit board  106 . 
         [0034]    In some embodiments, depending on, e.g., the thickness of the circuit board relative to the size of notch  122 , tapered tip  204  may be moved (manually or otherwise) in the direction of arrow  210  to unlock support member  114  from circuit board  106 . If, while unlocked, a force is applied in a direction opposite to that of arrow  202 , support member  114  can be removed or otherwise detached from circuit board  106 . 
         [0035]    Notch  122  and tip  204  are shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A, and  2 B as being formed in the outer portion of the mounting post, such that notch  122  faces away from an imaginary axis that runs orthogonal to the circuit board, parallel to the support members and through the center of the optical lens. An example of an imaginary axis, imaginary axis  402 , is shown in  FIG. 4B . In this regard, arrow  206  points to the imaginary axis. By facing notch  122  away from the imaginary axis, notch  122  can be adapted to cause the mounting post to exert an outwardly force against interior wall  212  of hole  128 , wherein the outwardly force is relative to the imaginary axis (i.e., in the direction of arrow  210 ). 
         [0036]    This arrangement of notch  122  can help facilitate a relatively strong physical attachment between optical apparatus  102  and circuit board  106  without over stressing and/or causing damage to any portion of light emitting system  100 . Additionally, by configuring notch  122  such that it faces away from the imaginary axis (as opposed to towards the imaginary axis) valuable space on the circuit board can be saved as compared to other approaches that could be used to physically attach optical apparatus  102  to circuit board  106 . For example, space can be saved by locking each of the mounting posts to the circuit board using compression to exert an outwardly directed force (resulting in the posts having a slightly contorted shape) as compared to using hyper-extension to exert an inward force (towards the imaginary axis resulting in a slightly larger footprint on the circuit board). 
         [0037]    Tip  204  is shown in the drawings as being tapered to assist with snapping optical apparatus  102  onto circuit board  106 . In  FIG. 2B , for example, tip  204  comprises conical portion  214  closest to the distal end of support member  114 , and ramped portion  216  between conical portion  214  and nub  208 . The combination and arrangement of conical portion  214  and ramp portion  216  can help facilitate quick snapping onto circuit board  106 . In some embodiments, conical portion  214  and nub  208  can comprise different types of material. For example, conical portion  214  may be metal (e.g., a metal tip to protect the tip) while ramp portion  216  may comprise plastic and/or the same material as the rest of the mounting post. In other embodiments, both the conical portion  214  and ramp portion  216  can comprise the same material. 
         [0038]    Additionally, tip  204  also comprises a non-pointed tip, namely flat end  218 , at the distal end of support member  114 . In other embodiments (some examples of which are discussed herein), another type of non-pointed tip (e.g., rounded tip) or a pointed tip may be included at the distal end of tapered tip  204 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 3A-3C  show various views of light emitting system  300 , which is another example in accordance with some embodiments. In many respects, light emitting system  300  is substantially similar to or the same as lighting system  100  discussed above. However, lighting system  300  is shown as including optical apparatus  302 , which includes four support members, namely, mounting post  308 , mounting post  310 , alignment post  312  and alignment post  314  (as opposed to the three mounting post support members included in apparatus  102  discussed above). As exemplified, the optical apparatus can include different numbers of support members in various embodiments. Another difference between light emitting system  300  and light emitting system  100  is that circuit board  306  is configured with four holes, namely holes  316 ,  318 ,  320  and  322 , configured to receive each supporting member of optical apparatus  302 . 
         [0040]    But unlike the support members of light emitting system  100 , only mounting posts  308  and  310  include attaching components, namely attaching components  324  and  326 . Attaching components  324  and  326  can be configured to, e.g., snap onto or otherwise physically attach to circuit board  306 . Alignment posts  312  and  314  include alignment tips  328  and  330 , respectively. Alignment tips  312  and  314  are configured to pass through holes  318  and  320 , respectively, without physically attaching to circuit board  306 .  FIG. 3C  shows an example of how alignment tips  328  and  330  pass through circuit board  306 , while attaching components  324  and  326  attach optical apparatus  302  to circuit board  306 . In this regard, alignment tips  328  and  330  can be used to properly align and maintain the alignment of optical apparatus  302  relative to LED package  304  and/or circuit board  306 . Alignment tips  328  and  330  are also examples of rounded tips that may be included at the distal end of support members, regardless of whether the support member includes or lacks an attaching mechanism. 
         [0041]    Additionally, like optical apparatus  102  discussed above, each of the support members of optical apparatus  302  can include a portion that is larger than its corresponding hole in circuit board  306 . The portion of support member that contacts circuit board  306  is sometimes referred to herein as a “contact face” of the respective support member (which is discussed further in connection with, e.g.,  FIG. 4D ). The contact face of alignment posts  312  and  314  can contact the circuit board while attaching components  324  and  326  are snapped onto the circuit board. 
         [0042]      FIGS. 4A-4D  show additional views of optical apparatus  302 .  FIG. 4A  shows a top view of optical apparatus  302  and relative perspectives are presented in  FIGS. 4B and 4C . 
         [0043]      FIG. 4B  also shows imaginary axis  402  discussed above, which runs orthogonal to the circuit board, parallel to the support members and through the center of the optical lens. In the top view of optical apparatus  302  shown in  FIG. 4A , imaginary axis  402  is a point in the center of optical apparatus  302 . 
         [0044]      FIGS. 4B and 4C  show cavity  404  configured to receive an LED package. In some embodiments, cavity  404  can include partitions or other structural components and/or shapes to receive multiple LED packages and/or other types of light emitting components. In some embodiments, the interior surface(s) of cavity  406  can be shaped to at least substantially mimic contours of the one or more LED packages. 
         [0045]    A second cavity  406  can also be included below lens  408 . Portion  410  between cavities  404  and  406  can include any type of material, including translucent material, opaque material, material that filters one or more particular wavelengths of light, colored material, any other material, or a combination thereof. 
         [0046]    One skilled in the art would appreciate that cavity  404 , cavity  406  and/or any other component discussed herein can be any shape and/or size. Additionally, in some embodiments (not shown), cavities  404  and  406  can join within portion  410 , and/or form at least one hole which passes through portion  410  and lens  408 . In other embodiments (not shown), cavities  404  and  406  can join within portion  410  and form a single larger cavity that extends to lens  408 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 4D  shows a detailed insert of one of the attaching components of optical apparatus  302 . The space between contact face  412  and nub  414 , sometimes referred to herein as the “notch space,” can be configured to accommodate the thickness of circuit board  306  and/or anything else (including, e.g., layers or anything affixed to circuit board  306 ). In some embodiments, the notch space can be purposefully configured to be larger than the thickest circuit board to which optical element  302  is configured to attach. 
         [0048]      FIG. 5A  shows an example optical element, namely optical apparatus  502 , which includes four mounting posts that each include a tip  504  with a pointed end.  FIG. 5B  shows how the notch space below contact face  506  can be determined absent a well defined nub (such as nub  208  or nub  214  discussed above). A well defined nub may be omitted in some embodiments, such as those the same as or similar to that shown in  FIG. 5B .  FIG. 5B  shows tip  504  as being conical from distal end  508  to the beginning of notch  510 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 6  shows optical apparatus  602 , which is another example in accordance with some embodiments. Optical apparatus  602  includes four support members, including mounting post  604 , mounting post  606 , support post  608  and support post  610 . Mounting posts  604  and  606  include attaching mechanisms  612  and  614 , respectively. Support posts  608  and  610  lack any attaching mechanism or alignment mechanism and can be configured to contact or end above a circuit board or other component onto which optical apparatus  602  is mounted. For example, support posts  608  and  610  can include contact faces that contact and rest upon or exert pressure upon the top face of a circuit board while  604  and  606  are attached, e.g., snapped, to a circuit board, thereby stabilizing and/or otherwise supporting optical apparatus  602  should any downward forces be applied. Fewer holes in the circuit board may be beneficial in some embodiments by, for example, simplifying circuit board manufacturing and/or increasing circuit board strength and rigidity. 
         [0050]    According to some exemplary aspects of embodiments, a processor may operate under control of a computer program product and be used to control the manufacturing equipment that can be used to, for example, assemble light emitting systems and/or optical apparatuses in accordance with some embodiments. For example,  FIG. 7  shows process  700  that may be at least partially executed by a processor and/or other hardware that controls manufacturing equipment and/or other types of machines. The computer program product can include one or more application programs and/or other software used to control the operation of the manufacturing equipment. The computer program product can be implemented on a computer-readable storage medium, such as non-transitory, non-volatile storage medium. 
         [0051]    As will be appreciated, the computer program product may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus create means for implementing the functions described herein. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that may direct a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture, such as the optical apparatuses or lighting systems discussed above. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions described herein. 
         [0052]    For example, process  700  of  FIG. 7  shows a method for affixing a lens to a circuit board. Process  700  starts at  702 . Next, at  704 , one or more support members of the optical apparatus are aligned with one or more corresponding holes in the circuit board. The optical apparatus can be aligned visually or otherwise (e.g., based on preconfigured movements in predetermined directions and distances). 
         [0053]    At  706 , a force is applied to the lens in a direction towards the circuit board. Further to the above discussion, the amount of force applied can correspond with, for example, the material(s) of each support member, the dimensions of each support member, the dimensions of the circuit board, among other things. The amount of force applied is preferably sufficient to cause the support member(s) to temporarily bend inwardly (or outwardly) without causing permanent damage. 
         [0054]    As a result of the force being applied, at least one of the support members can snap onto the circuit board. For example, a notched attaching mechanism incorporated in the one or more support members can snap onto the circuit board, thereby physically attaching the optical apparatus to the circuit board. In some embodiments, applying the force to the optical apparatus can also causes a second support member to enter a second hole without snapping onto the circuit board. For example, the second support member can be an alignment post. 
         [0055]    At  710 , a determination is made as to whether an additional means for attaching should be implemented. Using multiple means of attaching can strengthen the bond created between the circuit board and the optical apparatus. For example, in response to determining at  710  that an adhesive tape or glue should be applied to the attaching component and/or alignment tip of the alignment post, the adhesive material can be applied at  712  to further secure the support member to the circuit board. As another example, in response to determining at  710  that melting a portion of the support member to the circuit board is required, the tip of the support member can be melted at  712  and allowed to solidify to further secure the support member to the circuit board. 
         [0056]    In response to determining that no other means for attaching should be implemented or subsequent to completing  712 , process  700  ends at  714 . 
         [0057]    Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.