Patent ID: 8147099

Claim:
An apparatus for receiving light from one or more light sources, each comprising a substantially point-like light source, and emitting the light over an extended surface area, comprising: a first surface of an optical controller arranged to refract light received from at least one light source; a second surface of the optical controller arranged to reflect the light received from the first surface of the optical controller, said first surface and said second surface arranged with respect to each other to enable total internal reflection of the light received from said at least one light source; and a plurality of reflection elements distributed within the volume of the optical controller arranged to alter the path of the light traversing the optical controller so as to direct light out of the optical controller; wherein said first surface further comprises a plurality of refraction elements arranged to refract light, received from the at least one light source, at an angle with respect to said second surface so as to enable total internal reflection; wherein said plurality of refraction elements further comprises a plurality of first refraction elements arranged to receive light travelling normal to the first surface of the optical controller and refract the light as it passes into the optical controller, and a plurality of second refraction elements arranged to receive light that is not emitted in a direction normal to the first surface of the optical controller and refract the light as it passes into the optical controller; wherein said second surface of the optical controller further comprises at least one conical depression feature arranged to reflect light refracted by the plurality of first refraction elements back into the optical controller.