Stereo projection using polarized solid state light sources

A stereoscopic digital image projector comprising:

• a) a plurality of light modulation assemblies, each comprising:
• a first solid-state light source energizable to provide illumination having a first polarization axis;
• a second solid-state light source energizable to provide illumination having a second polarization axis orthogonal to the first polarization axis;
• a rotating element disposed in the path of the polarized illumination from both first and second solid-state light sources and actuable to controllably and alternatively direct the light from the first and second solid-state light sources along an optical axis as two temporally alternating orthogonal polarized states of illumination;
• and
• a micro-electromechanical spatial light modulator in the path of the polarized illumination and energizable to modulate the polarized illumination to form a first modulated light from illumination of the first polarization axis and to form a second modulated light from illumination of the second polarization axis;
• b) a synchronizing means to temporally control the polarization rotation to match the appropriate image data on the spatial light modulator;
• and
• c) projection optics for directing the first and second modulated light toward a display surface.

A stereoscopic digital image projector comprising:

• a) a plurality of light modulation assemblies, each comprising:
• a first solid-state light source energizable to provide illumination having a first polarization axis;
• a second solid-state light source energizable to provide illumination having a second polarization axis orthogonal to the first polarization axis;
• a rotating element disposed in the path of the polarized illumination from both first and second solid-state light sources to alternately deliver polarized light from one solid state light source to the illumination section
• a retardation means to rotate the other orthogonally polarized solid-state light source such that its polarization state is matched to the polarization state delivered to the illumination section;
• a redirecting means for delivering this newly matched polarized light to combine at the illumination section;
• an optical integration means for mixing the light of the two solid state light sources without depolarization;
• and
• a micro-electromechanical spatial light modulator in the path of the polarized illumination and energizable to modulate the polarized illumination to form a first modulated light from illumination of the first polarization axis and to form a second modulated light from illumination of the second polarization axis;
• b) a synchronizing means to temporally control the polarization rotation to match the appropriate image data on the spatial light modulator;
• and
• c) projection optics for directing the first and second modulated light toward a display surface.

A stereoscopic digital image projector comprising:

• a) a plurality of light modulation assemblies, each comprising:
• a first solid-state light source energizable to provide illumination having a first polarization axis;
• a second solid-state light source energizable to provide illumination having a second polarization axis orthogonal to the first polarization axis;
• an alternating polarization conversion means to alternately rotate the first or second solid-state light source to the matching polarization state of the other source;
• a delivery means for delivering single polarization state light combined from both solid-state light sources as a single illumination source a preferred orientation to minimize polarization change on a spatial light modulator;
• and
• a spatial light modulator in the path of the polarized illumination and energizable to modulate the polarized illumination to form a first modulated light from illumination of the first polarization axis and to form a second modulated light from illumination of the second polarization axis;
• b) a synchronizing means to temporally control the polarization rotation to match the appropriate image data on the spatial light modulator;
• and
• c) projection optics for directing the first and second modulated light toward a display surface.

A stereoscopic digital image projector comprising:

• a) a plurality of light modulation assemblies, each comprising:
• at least one solid-state light source energizable to provide illumination having a first polarization axis;
• at least one narrow band polarization rotator disposed in the path of the polarized illumination from the solid-state light source(s) and to controllably rotate the polarization axis from the solid-state light source(s) to a second polarized axis in sequence with image data provided to each modulator;
• and
• a spatial light modulator in the path of the polarized illumination and energizable to modulate the polarized illumination to form a first modulated light from illumination of the first polarization axis and to form a second modulated light from illumination of the second polarization axis;
• and
• b) projection optics for directing the first and second modulated light toward a display surface.