Multiple stage modulation projector display systems having efficient light utilization
AssigneeDolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
InventorMartin J. Richards
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Abstract
Dual or multi-modulation display systems comprising a first modulator and a second modulator are disclosed. The first modulator may comprise a plurality of analog mirrors (e.g. MEMS array) and the second modulator may comprise a plurality of mirrors (e.g., DMD array). The display system may further comprise a controller that sends control signals to the first and second modulator. The display system may render highlight features within a projected image by affecting a time multiplexing scheme. In one embodiment, the first modulator may be switched on a sub-frame basis such that a desired proportion of the available light may be focused or directed onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature on a sub-frame rendering basis.
Claims20
A multi-modulation projector display system, the display system comprising:
- a light source configured to project light;
- a first modulator configured to be illuminated by the light source, the first modulator comprising a first plurality of mirrors configured to modulate light from the light source;
- a second modulator configured to be illuminated by light from the first modulator, the second modulator comprising a second plurality of mirrors configured to modulate light from the first modulator;
- and
- a controller comprising a processor and a memory, the controller configured to:
- receive image data, the image data comprising at least one highlight feature and an image to be rendered, the highlight feature representing a subset of the area of the image to be rendered;
- provide control signals to the first modulator such that a subset of the first plurality of mirrors of the first modulator allocates a desired proportion of the light from the light source during a desired sub-frame period of light onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature;
- and
- provide control signals to the second modulator such that the subset of the area of the image represented by the highlight feature is modulated by a subset of the second plurality of mirrors to form the highlight feature,
- wherein an area of the subset of the second plurality of mirrors is less than an area of the subset of the first plurality of mirrors, and
- wherein the highlight feature is rendered during the desired sub-frame period using a time-multiplexing scheme.
A processor-implemented method for rendering highlight features within a video data stream, the video data stream being projected by a multi-modulation projection display system, the display system comprising a light source, a first modulator, a second modulator, and a processor, the first modulator comprising a first plurality of mirrors, the second modulator comprising a second plurality of mirrors, the processor controlling the first modulator and the second modulator, the method comprising:
- receiving image data, the image data comprising at least one highlight feature and an image to be rendered, the highlight feature representing a subset of the area of the image to be rendered;
- providing control signals to the first modulator such that a subset of the first plurality of mirrors of the first modulator allocates a desired proportion of the light from the light source during a desired sub-frame period of light onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature;
- and
- providing control signals to the second modulator such that the subset of the area of the image represented by the highlight feature is modulated by a subset of the second plurality of mirrors to form the highlight feature,
- wherein an area of the subset of the second plurality of mirrors is less than an area of the subset of the first plurality of mirrors, and
- wherein the highlight feature is rendered during the desired sub-frame period using a time-multiplexing scheme.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a control circuit of a projector display system comprising a light source, a first modulator including a first plurality of mirrors, and a second modulator including a second plurality of mirrors, cause the projector display system to perform operations comprising:
- receiving image data, the image data comprising at least one highlight feature and an image to be rendered, the highlight feature representing a subset of the area of the image to be rendered;
- providing control signals to the first modulator such that a subset of the first plurality of mirrors of the first modulator allocates a desired proportion of the light from the light source during a desired sub-frame period of light onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature;
- and
- providing control signals to the second modulator such that the subset of the area of the image represented by the highlight feature is modulated by a subset of the second plurality of mirrors to form the highlight feature,
- wherein an area of the subset of the second plurality of mirrors is less than an area of the subset of the first plurality of mirrors, and
- wherein the highlight feature is rendered during the desired sub-frame period using a time-multiplexing scheme.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.