# US 11,307,428 B2 · Optical system for image projectors

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- Number: US 11,307,428 B2
- Document ID: US11307428B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/102,888
- Filed: 2020-11-24
- Published: 2021-03-18
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-11
- Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
- Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
- Inventors: Martin J. Richards; Duane Scott Dewald; Nathan Wainwright; Barret Lippey
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307428B2

## CPC

- G02B 27/0961: {Lens arrays (lens arrays per se G02B3/0006)}
- G02B 5/02: Diffusing elements; Afocal elements
- G02B 27/0994: {Fibers, light pipes (optical fibers per se G02B6/02)}
- G02B 27/30: Collimators
- G03B 21/005: {Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto}
- G03B 21/2033: {LED or laser light sources}
- G03B 21/206: {Control of light source other than position or intensity}
- G03B 21/2066: {Reflectors in illumination beam (in projection beam G03B21/28)}
- G03B 21/208: {Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light}
- H04N 9/31: Projection devices for colour picture display {, e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]}
- H04N 9/3126: {for spatial light modulators in series}
- H04N 9/3152: {for shaping the light beam (beam shaping per se G02B27/09)}
- H04N 9/3161: {using laser light sources (using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129)}
- G02B 26/101: {with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners (colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129)}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A projector system comprising a laser light source, a collimating lens, a fly-eye lens, an integrating rod and a first modulator is disclosed. The light from a laser light source/fiber illuminates a collimator to substantially collimate the light and then is transmitted through a fly's-eye lens. The fly's-eye lens provides a desired angular/spatial light distribution for further processing to a first modulator of the projector system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A laser launch module in a projection system, comprising:
a collimating lens configured to collimate laser light;
an integrating rod having an input facet;
a focusing lens disposed between the collimating lens and the integrating rod and configured to focus the laser light onto the input facet of the integrating rod; and
an optical homogenizing element disposed between the collimating lens and the integrating rod, the optical homogenizing element being configured to receive the laser light from the collimating lens and impose thereon an angular distribution before focusing of the laser light by the focusing lens.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The laser launch module of claim 1, the optical homogenizing element being a lenslet array or a fused rod bundle, the optical homogenizing element being set at an optical distance from the integrating rod such that optical elements of the optical homogenizing element produce a defocused overlapping pattern on the input facet, the optical elements being (i) lenses when the optical homogenizing element is a lenslet array and (ii) rods when the optical homogenizing element is a fused rod bundle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The laser launch module of claim 1, the optical homogenizing element being configured such that the laser light received by the integrating rod has a substantially uniform illumination.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The laser launch module of claim 1, the optical homogenizing element being a fly's-eye lens.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The laser launch module of claim 1, the optical homogenizing element being configured such that the laser light received by the integrating rod is substantially devoid of structure from a laser light source generating the laser light.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The laser launch module of claim 1, the optical homogenizing element being configured to create a substantially rectangular spot on the input facet.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The laser launch module of claim 6, the rectangular spot substantially matching the input facet.

### Claim 8

A laser launch module in a projection system, comprising:
an integrating rod;
a collimating lens configured to collimate laser light to produce collimated laser light;
an optical homogenizing element configured to impose an angular distribution on the collimated laser light to form diverging laser light having the angular distribution; and
a focusing lens for focusing the diverging laser light, characterized by the angular distribution, to an input facet of the integrating rod.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The laser launch module of claim 8, the optical homogenizing element being selected from the group consisting of a lenslet array and a fused rod bundle, the optical homogenizing element being set at an optical distance from the integrating rod such that optical elements of the optical homogenizing element produce a defocused overlapping pattern on the input facet, the optical elements being (i) lenses when the optical homogenizing element is a lenslet array and (ii) rods when the optical homogenizing element is a fused rod bundle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The laser launch module of claim 8, the optical homogenizing element being configured such that the laser light received by the integrating rod has a substantially uniform illumination.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The laser launch module of claim 8, the optical homogenizing element being configured such that the focusing lens substantially uniformly illuminates the input facet.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The laser launch module of claim 8, the optical homogenizing element being a fly's-eye lens.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The laser launch module of claim 8, the optical homogenizing element being configured such that the laser light received by the integrating rod is substantially devoid of structure from a laser light source generating the laser light.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The laser launch module of claim 8, the optical homogenizing element being configured to create a substantially rectangular spot on the input facet.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The laser launch module of claim 14, the rectangular spot substantially matching the input facet.

### Claim 16

A laser launch method, comprising:
collimating laser light to form collimated laser light;
using an optical homogenizing element, diverging the collimated laser light to form diverging laser light having an angular distribution;
using a focusing lens, focusing the diverging light having the angular distribution to an input facet of an integrating rod; and
transmitting light, focused to the input facet by the focusing lens, through the integrating rod.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, the optical homogenizing element being selected from the group consisting of a lenslet array and a fused rod bundle, the optical homogenizing element being set at an optical distance from the integrating rod such that optical elements of the optical homogenizing element produce a defocused overlapping pattern on the input of the integrating rod, the optical elements being (a) lenses when the optical homogenizing element is a lenslet array and (b) rods when the optical homogenizing element is a fused rod bundle.