US 2004/0165151 A1Published application

Method of manufacturing illumination optical unit, apparatus for manufacturing illumination optical unit, illumination optical unit manufactured by the manufacturing method, and projector

AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation

InventorsMasashi Kitabayashi, Naoyuki Miyajima, Masaki Maruyama

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Abstract

A first positioning step S1 positions and fixes a light focusing element and a polarization converting element. A beam introducing step S5 introduces beams to a beam splitting element, the light focusing element and the polarization converting element. An optical image forming step S6 detects an optical image through the above elements. An illumination-area comparing step S9 performs an image processing on the detected optical image to compare an illumination area formed by the optical image with a designed illumination area. A beam-splitting-element position-adjusting step S11 adjusts the position of the beam splitting element. An optimal-state determining step S10 determines the optimal state of the illumination area of the optical image with respect to the designed illumination area on the basis of the comparison result. The position of the beam splitting element is adjusted in a beam splitting element position-adjusting step S11 when the beam splitting element is not located in the optimal position. A second positioning step S12 positions and fixes the beam splitting element to the light focusing element and the polarization converting element.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing an illumination optical unit comprising a beam splitting element for splitting a beam emitted from a light source into a plurality of partial beams, a light focusing element for focusing the partial beams, and a polarization converting element for making the polarization directions of the partial beams uniform, the method comprising:

a first positioning step of adjusting a relative position on a predetermined optical path of the light focusing element and the polarization converting element on the basis of the shapes thereof, and fixing the position of the light focusing element and the polarization converting element;
a beam introducing step of introducing a beam on the light focusing element and the polarization converting element of which position is adjusted during the first positioning step and the beam splitting element disposed on the predetermined optical path;
an optical image forming step of transmitting the beam introduced by the beam introducing step into the light focusing element, the polarization converting element and the beam splitting element to form an optical image on a projection screen;
an optical image detecting step of detecting the optical image formed in the optical image forming step;
an illumination-area comparing step of calculating a comparison result of an illumination area of the optical image detected in the optical image detecting step with a designed illumination area;
an optimal-state determining step of determining whether the illumination area of the optical image is in the optimal state with respect to the designed illumination area or not on the basis of the comparison result from the illumination-area comparing step;
a beam-splitting-element position-adjusting step of adjusting the relative position of the beam splitting element with respect to the light focusing element and the polarization converting element on the basis of the comparison result calculated in the illumination area comparing step when the illumination area of the optical image is determined not in the optimal position in the optimal-state determining step;
and
a second positioning step of fixing the position of the beam splitting element when the illumination area of the optical image is determined to be in the determined optimal state in the optimal-state determining step.

6 more elements

An apparatus for manufacturing an illumination optical unit comprising a beam splitting element for splitting a beam emitted from a light source into a plurality of partial beams, a light focusing element for focusing the partial beams and a polarization converting element for making polarization directions of the partial beams uniform, the apparatus comprising:

an element holding member for holding the light focusing element and the polarization converting element which are positioned and fixed by adjusting their relative position on the basis of the shapes thereof on a predetermined optical path;
a beam-splitting-element holding member for holding the beam splitting element disposed on the predetermined optical path;
a light source for introducing beams to the beam splitting element, the light focusing element, and the polarization converting element;
a projection screen onto which an optical image of the beams is projected through the beam splitting element, the light focusing element and the polarization converting element;
a position adjusting unit for adjusting the relative position of the beam splitting element with respect to the light focusing element and the polarization converting element;
a positioning and fixing unit for fixing the position of the beam splitting element;
an image pick-up element for picking-up an optical image formed on the projection screen;
an image fetcher for fetching the optical image picked-up by the image pick-up element as an image;
and
an image processor for processing the image fetched by the image fetcher,
wherein the image processor comprises:
an illumination area comparing means for calculating a comparison result of an illumination area of the optical image with a designed illumination area based on the image fetched by the image fetcher;
and
an optimal state determining means for determining whether the beam splitting element is located at the optimal position on the basis of the comparison result from the illumination area comparing means.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.