Patent ID: 7315671

Claim:
An illumination system comprising an optical waveguide being optically transparent and having an exit surface and a plurality of end faces, opposite to at least one of the plurality of end faces, a light source is situated, whose light is to be coupled in to the optical waveguide at said at least one end face, the optical waveguide having polarizing means integrated therein for polarizing the light emitted by the light source, wherein the polarizing means comprises a light guide, which is made of an optically transparent material and is adapted to receive said light coupled in to the optical waveguide at said at least one end face, and a plurality of optical fibers that are made of an optically transparent material and have birefringent properties, the fibers forming a layer on the light guide at the exit surface, the fibers being adapted to polarize the light received by the light guide for outcoupling polarized light via the exit surface.