Optical engine and an image projector having the optical engine

An optical engine comprising:

• an illuminator module for generating a light which is guided toward a direction of a light axis;
• a light condenser for receiving and converging the light from the illuminator module;
• and
• a reversed total internal reflection (RTIR) for receiving and refracting the light from the light condenser;
• wherein the reversed total internal reflection (RTIR) comprises:
• a first prism which is located near the light condenser;
• and
• a second prism, which is located far the light condenser;
• wherein the first prism is a wedge prism which presents itself in on the cross-sectional surface of the light as a pyramidal shape, the second prism presents itself on the cross-sectional surface of the traveling light as a right triangle, the first prism leans against the surface drawn from an edge of the right triangle along the cross-sectional surface formed by the second prism;
• wherein the refraction angle and direction of the light are controlled through turning the relative position of the first prism and the second prism.

An optical engine comprising:

• a light source for generating a light which is guided toward a direction of a light axis;
• a taper rod having a first end being adjacent to the light source, wherein the cross-sectional surface of the taper rod becomes bigger gradually in the direction departing away from the light source, the light from the light source is guided toward the direction of the light axis by the taper rod;
• at least one light condenser for receiving and converging the light from the light source;
• a prism module for receiving and refracting the light from the light condenser;
• a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) for receiving the light from the prism module to form an image, and refracting the image to the prism module;
• and
• a projection lens set, for focusing the image and forming on an external projection surface.

An image projector comprising:

• an optical engine for generating an image;
• a printed circuit board (PCB) module, connected to the optical engine, for controlling the operation of the optical engine;
• a heat sink module for dissipating the heat of the optical engine and the PCB module;
• a operation interface module, connected to the PCB module, for controlling the operation of the image projector;
• and
• a casing for assembling the optical engine, the PCB module, the heat sink module, and the operation interface module;
• wherein the optical engine comprises:
• a light source for generating a light which is guided toward a direction of a light axis;
• a taper rod having a first end being adjacent to the light source, the taper rod comprising a plurality of narrow and long surfaces along the extended direction of the light axis, wherein a perpendicular cross-sectional surface of the taper rod and the light axis forms a polygon, each narrow and long surface has two corresponding long edges that generally extend along the direction of the light axis, and two corresponding short edges that are generally perpendicular to the light axis, and the length of the narrow and long surfaces nearer to a short edge of the light source is shorter compared with the short edge of the light source such that the cross-sectional surface of the taper rod becomes bigger gradually in the direction departing away from the light source;
• and
• a reflecting means which is implemented to the narrow and long surfaces to reflect the light from the light source and guides it toward the direction of the light axis.

An image projector comprising:

• an optical engine for generating an image;
• a printed circuit board (PCB) module, connected to the optical engine, for controlling the operation of the optical engine;
• a heat sink module for dissipating the heat of the optical engine and the PCB module;
• a operation interface module, connected to the PCB module, for controlling the operation of the image projector;
• and
• a casing for assembling the optical engine, the PCB module, the heat sink module, and the operation interface module;
• wherein the optical engine comprises:
• an illuminator module for generating a light which is guided toward a direction of a light axis;
• a light condenser for receiving and converging the light from the light source;
• and
• a reversed total internal reflection (RTIR) for receiving and refracting the light from the light condenser, the RTIR comprising:
• a first prism which is located near the light condenser;
• and
• a second prism, which is located near the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) and the projection lens set;
• wherein the first prism is a wedge prism which presents itself in on the cross-sectional surface of the light as a pyramidal shape, the second prism presents itself on the cross-sectional surface of the traveling light as a right triangle, the first prism leans against the surface drawn from an edge of the right triangle along the cross-sectional surface formed by the second prism.
• wherein the refraction angle and direction of the light are controlled through turning the relative position of the first prism and the second prism.

An image projector comprising:

• an optical engine for generating an image;
• a printed circuit board (PCB) module, connected to the optical engine, for controlling the operation of the optical engine;
• a heat sink module for dissipating the heat of the optical engine and the PCB module;
• a operation interface module, connected to the PCB module, for controlling the operation of the image projector;
• and
• a casing for assembling the optical engine, the PCB module, the heat sink module, and the operation interface module;
• wherein the optical engine comprises:
• a light source for generating a light which is guided toward a direction of a light axis;
• a taper rod having a first end being adjacent to the light source, wherein the cross-sectional surface of the taper rod becomes bigger gradually in the direction departing away from the light source, the light from the light source is guided toward the direction of the light axis by the taper rod;
• at least one light condenser for receiving and converging the light from the light source;
• a prism module for receiving and refracting the light from the light condenser;
• a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) for receiving the light from the prism module to form an image, and refracting the image to the prism module;
• and
• a projection lens set, for focusing the image and forming on an external projection surface.