A driving apparatus according to an embodiment includes an arm, an operation target, and a brake unit. The arm has one end supported by a support mechanism, and includes an electric driving source. The operation target is attached to the other end of the arm, the other end being an end on the opposite side of the one end, and is enabled to be pivoted by the driving source about one rotational axis intersecting with a direction from the one end to the other end. The brake unit secures immobility of a target gear that is a gear disposed in the arm, and that is a gear being rotated as the operation target is pivoted, when the power supply to the driving source stops.

Light-based devices may be provided that emit light. The light-based devices may be incorporated into systems such as vehicles. The light-based devices may include light sources such as light-emitting diodes and lasers. Mirrors may be used to collimate light from the light sources. Light modulators may be used to pattern light from the light sources. The light sources may include light sources of different colors. Arrays of pixels may be used to provide dynamically varying patterns of emitted light. A light source may produce light that is diffracted by an array of diffractive elements on a window. Mechanical and electrical shutters may obscure light sources, mirrors, and light-emitting components mounted on windows.

A lighting device using a liquid crystal beam modulator produces good broadening of a light beam. The liquid crystal cell has a patterned electrode structure having a pattern of paired electrodes on a first one of a pair of cell substrates for providing a spatially modulated electric field extending into a liquid crystal material, and the cell is arranged with respect to a light source so that an incident beam will arrive through another of the pair of substrates and exit from the first one of the pair of substrates.

A light emitting device includes a light emitter, a holding portion that slidably holds the light emitter inside a slide rail for a vehicle, and a light transmissive cover that covers the light emitter. According to a configuration, the cover of the light emitting device prevents a decrease in a communication performance of a signal transmission and reception device in which information on an electronic device is transmitted using an LED, as compared with a related art in which the communication performance decreases due to influence of scattering or shielding a light of the LED, the influence being caused by a grease which is heavily applied inside a slide rail of a vehicle and adheres to the LED.

A light emitting device includes a light emitter, a holding portion that slidably holds the light emitter inside a slide rail for a vehicle, and a light transmissive cover that covers the light emitter. According to a configuration, the cover of the light emitting device prevents a decrease in a communication performance of a signal transmission and reception device in which information on an electronic device is transmitted using an LED, as compared with a related art in which the communication performance decreases due to influence of scattering or shielding a light of the LED, the influence being caused by a grease which is heavily applied inside a slide rail of a vehicle and adheres to the LED.

An optic for a light emitting diode array comprises an arrangement of optical structures for providing one or more down lighting distribution from the LED array; and a waveguide edge for providing one or more up-lighting distributions from the LED array. Luminaires are described comprising a light emitting diode (LED) array and the optic. Lighting systems are described comprising a plurality of the luminaires arranged over an area enclosed by walls.

A light emitting device includes a plurality of light emitting elements and a light controller. The light emitting elements are for emitting lights. The light controller is disposed on the light emitting elements for the lights passing through, which is switchable in a first state and a second state. The light controller collimates the lights in the first state and diffuses the lights in the second state.

A beam control apparatus consists of an electromagnetic field control component, which has a spherical cavity encircled by a transparent spherical shell, and a beam directing component, which is spherical in shape and located in the spherical cavity. The two components can rotate relative to each other. A clearance between the two components could be filled with lubricant. The beam directing component has a magnetic moment or an electric dipole moment. A controller controls a magnetic field or an electric field in the spherical cavity of the electromagnetic field control component to exert a torque on the beam directing component to control a direction of the beam directing component, thereby controlling a direction of an emergent beam. The present invention is a new terminal technology for free space optical communications, laser scanning, unmanned driving, laser beam driving and location identification.

Light-emitting component includes a light source and a dimming element arranged downstream of the light source in a radiation direction. The dimming element includes a dimming layer. The light source includes at least one emitter which is configured to emit light. A brightness of a light emitted by the light-emitting component is adjustable. The brightness is partially adjustable by way of a pulse width modulated and/or amplitude modulated operating signal for the emitter, and the brightness is partially adjustable by way of partial absorption and/or reflection of the light emitted by the emitter in the dimming element. A dimming capability of the dimming layer increases along an extension direction transverse to the radiation direction. The dimming layer is displaceable along the extension direction relative to the light source. A degree of absorption and/or reflection of light emitted by the emitter is variably adjustable.

Apparatus and methods for deployment of fixtures. The apparatus may include a system for controlling deployed fixtures. The system may receive user commands different devices in different formats. The fixtures may be independently addressable. The fixtures may be magnetically supported by a fixture support. A brace may join two or more fixture supports without reducing space available to support fixtures. The brace may join a fixture support to a fixture support accessory. An accessory may include a variable-angle junction. The fixture may include articulating joints for controlling the direction of a beam. The fixture may include a lens having an electrically controllable beam spread angle. The fixture may be stowable in the fixture support. The fixture may be slidable along a cord to adjust a height of the fixture. The fixture may include an extendable ring. The system may coordinate motions of the fixtures to follow a target. The fixture may include an elongated board. The elongated board may include a non-polar power socket.