Miniature image generator including optics arrangement

An assembly for producing a visual display, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a light reflecting type spatial light modulator including a light reflecting surface cooperating with a layer of liquid crystal material serving as a light modulating medium switchable between different states so as to act on particularly polarized light in ways which form an overall pattern of modulated light, and means including active matrix circuitry for switching said modulating medium between said different states in a controlled way so as to form said overall pattern;
• (b) illumination means for providing a particular source of unpolarized light;
• and
• (c) optics means including (i) means defining a light reflecting surface configured to direct reflected light into a predetermined area, (ii) a polarizer-analyzer beam splitting cube defining a first external face located in proximity to said illumination means, a second external face located in proximity to said spatial light modulator, a third external face located in proximity to the light reflecting surface, and a fourth external face, (iii) a prepolarizer positioned optically between said illumination source and the first external face of said cube, and (iv) a quarter-wave plate positioned optically between the light reflecting surface of said light reflecting surface and the third external face of said cube, said optics means cooperating with said illumination means and said spatial light modulator such that said spatial light modulator forms said overall pattern of light from light provided by said particular source of light and such that said means defining a light reflecting surface directs light provided by the particular source of light from said spatial light modulator into said predetermined area extending outwardly from the fourth face of said second member in a way which allows a magnified image of the overall pattern of light formed at and by said spatial light modulator to be viewed from within said predetermined area while at the same time producing a real image of said source of light within said predetermined area, said overall pattern of light serving as said visual display.

An assembly for producing a visual display, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a light reflecting type of spatial light modulator including a light reflecting surface cooperating with a light modulating medium switchable between different states so as to act on light in ways which form an overall pattern of reflected, modulated light, and means for switching said modulating medium between said different states in a controlled way so as to form said overall pattern;
• (b) illumination means for providing a particular source of light;
• and
• (c) optics means including (i) a first member defining a light reflecting surface configured to direct reflected light into a predetermined area, (ii) a second member defining a first external face located in proximity to said illumination means, a second external face located in proximity to said spatial light modulator, and a third external face, and (iii) a third member defining a first external face immediately adjacent the third face of said second member, a second external face located in proximity to the light reflecting surface of said first member, and a third external face, said optics means cooperating with said illumination means and said spatial light modulator such that said spatial light modulator forms said overall pattern of light from light provided by said particular source of light and such that the light reflecting surface of said first member directs light provided by the particular source of light from said spatial light modulator into said predetermined area extending outwardly from the third face of said third member in a way which allows a magnified image of the overall pattern of light formed at and by said spatial light modulator to be viewed from within said predetermined area, said overall pattern of light serving as said visual display.

An assembly for producing a visual display, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a light reflecting type spatial light modulator including a light reflecting surface cooperating with a light modulating medium switchable between different states so as to act on light in ways which form an overall pattern of reflected, modulated light, and means for switching said modulating medium between said different states in a controlled way so as to form said overall pattern;
• (b) illumination means for providing at least one particular source of light;
• and
• (c) optics means including (i) a first member defining a light reflecting surface configured to direct reflected light into a predetermined area, (ii) a second member including at least two adjacently positioned submembers at least one submember of which defines a first external face located in proximity to a corresponding one of said particular sources of light and all of the submembers of which together define a second external face located in proximity to said spatial light modulator and a third external face, and (iii) a third member defining a first external face immediately adjacent the third face of the submembers of said second member, a second external face located in proximity to the light reflecting surface of said first member, and a third external face, said optics means cooperating with said illumination means and said spatial light modulator such that said spatial light modulator forms said overall pattern of light from light provided by said particular sources of light and such that the light reflecting surface of said first member directs light provided by the particular sources of light from said spatial light modulator into said predetermined area extending outwardly from the third face of said third member in a way which allows a magnified image of the overall pattern of light formed at and by said spatial light modulator to be viewed from within said predetermined area, said overall pattern of light serving as said visual display.

An assembly for producing a visual display, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a spatial light modulator including a light modulating medium switchable between different states so as to act on light in ways which form an overall pattern of modulated light, and means for switching said modulating medium between said different states in a controlled way so as to form said overall pattern;
• (b) illumination means for providing a particular source of light;
• and
• (c) optics means including at least two polarizer-analyzer beam splitting cubes positioned immediately adjacent one another and immediately adjacent said illumination means and said spatial light modulator in a predetermined manner, said optics means cooperating with said illumination means and said spatial light modulator such that said spatial light modulator forms said overall pattern of light from light provided by said particular source of light and such that the optics means directs light provided by the particular source of light from said spatial light modulator into a predetermined area extending outwardly from one of the cubes in a way which allows a magnified image of the overall pattern of light formed at and by said spatial light modulator to be viewed from within said predetermined area, said overall pattern of light serving as said visual display.

An assembly for producing a visual display, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a reflective type spatial light modulator including a light reflecting surface cooperating with a light modulating medium switchable between different states so as to act on light in ways which form an overall pattern of reflected, modulated light, and means for switching said modulating medium between said different states in a controlled way so as to form said overall pattern;
• (b) a light arrangement including removably replaceable illumination means for providing a particular source of light;
• and
• (c) optics means including means defining a light reflecting surface configured to direct reflected light into a predetermined area and a polarizer-analyzer beam splitting cube having one face thereof attached to said light arrangement in a way which allows said illumination means to be removed and replaced, a second face thereof attached to said spatial light modulator, a third face thereof attached to said means defining said light reflecting surface in a way which allows said light reflecting surface to be adjustably moved to a limited extent towards and away from said third face, and a fourth face, said optics means cooperating with said light arrangement and said spatial light modulator such that said spatial light modulator forms said overall pattern of light from light provided by said particular source of light and such that said light reflecting surface directs light provided by the particular source of light from said spatial light modulator into said predetermined area extending outwardly from the fourth face of said cube in a way which allows a magnified image of the overall pattern of light formed at and by said spatial light modulator to be viewed, from within said predetermined area, said overall pattern of light serving as said visual display.

An assembly for producing a visual display, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a spatial light modulator including a light modulating medium switchable between different states so as to act on light in ways which form an overall pattern of modulated light, and means for switching said modulating medium between said different states in a controlled way so as to form said overall pattern;
• (b) illumination means for providing a particular source of light;
• and
• (c) optics means including a first member defining a light reflecting surface configured to direct reflected light into a predetermined area and a second member defining a first external face located in proximity to said spatial light modulator, a second external face located in proximity to the light reflecting surface of said first member, and a third external face, said optics means cooperating with said illumination means and said spatial light modulator such that said spatial light modulator forms said overall pattern of light from light provided by said particular source of light and such that the light reflecting surface of said first member directs light provided by the particular source of light from said spatial light modulator into said predetermined area extending outwardly from the third face of said second member in a way which allows a magnified image of the overall pattern of light formed at and by said spatial light modulator to be viewed from within said predetermined area, said overall pattern of light serving as said visual display.

An assembly for producing a visual display, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a reflective type spatial light modulator including a light reflecting surface cooperating with a light modulating medium switchable between different states so as to act on light in ways which form an overall pattern of reflected, modulated light, and means for switching said modulating medium between said different states in a controlled way so as to form said overall pattern;
• (b) a light arrangement including removably replaceable illumination means for providing a particular source of light;
• and
• (c) optics means including means defining a light reflecting surface configured to direct reflected light into a predetermined area and a polarizer-analyzer beam splitting cube having one face thereof attached to said light arrangement in a way which allows said illumination means to be removed and replaced, a second face thereof attached to said spatial light modulator in a way which allows said spatial light modulator to be adjustably moved to a limited extent towards and away from said second face, a third face thereof attached to said means defining said light reflecting surface, and a fourth face, said optics means cooperating with said light arrangement and said spatial light modulator such that said spatial light modulator forms said overall pattern of light from light provided by said particular source of light and such that said light reflecting surface directs light provided by the particular source of light from said spatial light modulator into said predetermined area extending outwardly from the fourth face of said cube in a way which allows a magnified image of the overall pattern of light formed at and by said spatial light modulator to be viewed, from within said predetermined area, said overall pattern of light serving as said visual display.