Projection device
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsRaymond Gordon Fielding, Martin Kavanagh, Graham Harry Moss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A projection device includes one or more deformable mirror arrays (803) arranged to spatially modulate incident light. A totally internally reflecting surface (809) is arranged to direct light to and from the deformable mirror array (803). The device may include one or more dichroic layers (805) arranged such that the light incident on each dichroic layer (805) is substantially normal incidence to the layer.
Claims30
A projection device comprising a light source, a plurality of reflective spatial light modulators, and a prism system arranged in the light path between the light source and the spatial light modulators, the prism system including at least one totally internally reflecting surface arranged to direct light from the light source onto a dichroic surface at substantially normal incidence to the dichroic surface, and to direct light reflected from the dichroic surface onto at least one of the spatial light modulators.
A projection device comprising at least one reflective spatial light modulator, a light source and a prism system for directing light from the light source onto the spatial light modulator, wherein the prism system includes at least one total internally reflective surface arranged such that spatially modulated light reflected from the spatial light modulator in a first direction is reflected by the total internally reflective surface towards the display, and light reflected from the spatial light modulator along a second direction is directed by the totally internally reflective surface towards a beam dump.
A projection device according to any one of the preceding claims, arranged such that spatially modulated light does not traverse any totally internally reflective surface.
A projection device according to any one of the preceding claims in which at least one of the or each totally internally reflective surfaces is formed between two prism members of different refractive indices.
A projection device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which at least one of the or each totally internally reflective surfaces comprises the surface between a solid material and a liquid.
A projection device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the reflective spatial light modulators are deformable mirror devices.
A projection device according to any one of the preceding claims including means for removing unwanted wavelengths within the incident light from the spatially modulated light.
A projection device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9 of the accompanying figures.
A projection system including a projection device according to any one of the preceding claims and a display screen.
A prism assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of FIGS. 4 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
A projection device comprising a light source, at least one deflectable mirror array effective to spatially modulate light from the light source and a prism system arranged in the light path between the light source and the deflectable mirror array, the prism system including at least one totally internally reflecting surface for light incident on the surface at greater than a critical angle, the surface being effective to transmit light incident on the surface at less than said critical angle, the surface being at a boundary between two members of different refractive indices within the prism system, the totally internally reflective surface being arranged to transmit light from the light source to the deflectable mirror array, and to reflect spatially modulated light from the deflectable mirror array such that no spatially modulated light traverses the boundary.
A projection device comprising a light source, at least one spatial light modulator effective to spatially modulate light from the light source and a prism system arranged in the light path between the light source and the spatial light modulator, the prism system including at least one totally internally reflecting surface for light incident on the surface at greater than a critical angle, the surface being effective to transmit light incident on the surface at less than said critical angle, the surface being at a boundary between two members of different refractive indices within the prism system, the totally internally reflective surface being arranged to transmit a single light beam from the light source to the spatial light modulator, and to reflect spatially modulated light from the spatial light modulator such that no spatially modulated light traverses the boundary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.