Patent ID: 6937377

Claim:
An illumination system, comprising: a first light source; a second light source configured to emit light when the first light source is not emitting light; a polarizing element that accepts light from the first and second light sources and emits, along a light path, light from the first light source with a first polarization orientation, and wherein the polarizing element emits, along the light path, light from the second light source with a second polarization orientation; a homogenizing element that receives and homogenizes polarized light from the polarizing element, wherein the homogenizing element is a light pipe positioned to substantially preserve the first and second polarization orientations, and further wherein the light pipe has a first set of interior surfaces and a second set of interior surfaces, the light pipe being positioned such that the first set of interior surfaces are orthogonal to the first polarization orientation and the second set of interior surfaces are orthogonal to the second polarization orientation; and a polarization rotator that receives light from the homogenizing element and selectively rotates one of the first and second polarization orientations to ensure light emitted therefrom maintains a constant polarization orientation.