Spatial light modulator based phase contrast image projection system
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsTsen-Hwang Lin, James M. Florence, Michael Leddy, Mark Boysel
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Abstract
A phase-contrast DMD based image system 36 for projecting an amplitude and phase modulated image. A flexure beam DMD array 34 is used to allow analog phase modulation of reflected light 38. The phase modulation is converted to amplitude modulation by the phase-contrast imaging optics including a phase plate 42. The resulting amplitude modulated wave is flicker-free and does not need to be synchronized to optical image sensors.
Claims20
A method of amplitude modulation of visible and non-visible light comprising:
- providing a coherent incident beam of light having a selected frequency;
- deflecting at least one selected element of an array of deflectable micro-mirror elements;
- reflecting said incident beam of light from said deflected micro-mirror element to form a reflected beam of light, wherein the path of said reflected light is lengthened by said deflecting step, thereby altering the phase of said reflected light;
- focusing said reflected beam to separate the zeroth-order components from the other components;
- and
- altering the relative phase of said reflected beam to cause interference between said zeroth-order component and said other components.
An image display system comprising:
- a source of coherent light to project incident light along a light path;
- a micro-mirror device array having addressable mirror elements located in said light path for reflecting said incident light so as to shift the phase of said reflected light;
- a lens for focusing said reflected light, said focusing to separate said reflected light into a zeroth-order component and higher-order components;
- and
- a phase plate for altering the relative phase of said focused reflected light thereby causing interference between said zeroth-order component and said higher order components to produce amplitude modulated light.
An image display system comprising:
- an array having addressable modulator elements positioned to phase-modulate an incident beam of coherent light;
- means for separating said phase-modulated beam into a zeroth-order component and higher-order components;
- means for altering the relative phases of said components;
- and
- means for recombining said phase altered components so as to cause interference between said zeroth-order component and said higher order components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.