Patent ID: 7488088

Claim:
An illumination apparatus, said apparatus comprising at least one LED optical source having a predetermined spectral output that is emitted over a predetermined solid angle of 2π steradians; at least one phosphor layer having an entrance surface being configured and arranged to intercept the output from said at least one LED, partially absorb light within said predetermined spectral output of at least one of said LED, and convert it to light having another predetermined spectral output to provide said beam from said apparatus with a preferred spectral content; and at least one non-imaging concentrator for collecting substantially all of the light emitted by said at least one phosphor layer and re-emitting it as a spatially uniform beam having a diverging solid angle smaller than said predetermined solid angle of 2π sterdians, said non-imaging concentrator having an entrance aperture, an exit aperture, and a shape that continuously enlarges from said entrance to said exit aperture, said at least one phosphor layer being positioned at and fully across said entrance aperture so that said entrance aperture is substantially uniformly filled by said output of said at least one LED optical source, said output of said at least one LED optical source being directed by said non-imaging concentrator shape to emerge from said exit aperture as said spatially uniform beam of predetermined spectral output.