Laser illuminated image projection system and method of using same
AssigneeProxima Corporation
InventorsDavid W. Kappel, David E. Hargis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The laser illuminated image projection system includes a microlaser array coupled with a beam shaper to produce an exceptionally bright projection light beam. In one embodiment, the beam shaper includes a binary phase plate to modify the shape and intensity profile of the projection light beam. In another embodiment, the beam shaper includes a microlens array arrangement. In yet another embodiment, the beam shaper includes a diffuser arrangement. A light valve modifies the projection light beam to generate an output light beam indicative of an image. A projection lens arrangement focuses the output light beam onto a remote surface to reproduce the image thereon.
Claims45
An image producing system, comprising:
- a spatial light modulator means for generating an image to be projected onto a remote viewing surface;
- a beam shaping means for directing uniformly distributed high intensity light onto said modulator means in registration therewith for illumination purposes;
- and
- said beam shaping means including means for sampling coherent light to and from a group of diverging light beams to expand onto an overlapping pattern and for imaging the pattern onto said modulator means;
- and laser means for generating high intensity coherent light.
A method of producing a bright image utilizing a plurality of different colored lasers, comprising:
- generating a plurality of different colored laser lights;
- controlling each one of the laser lights individually and sequentially to cause them to be energized at a substantially peak ON output luminosity for a short ON period of time, thereby providing a high average output luminosity at a low average energy cost;
- controlling each one of the laser lights individually and sequentially to cause them to be deactivated at a near ON output luminosity for a short OFF period of time to enable the laser lights to switch between OFF and ON in an efficient manner;
- forming a bright image from the laser lights;
- sampling coherent light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern;
- and imaging the pattern onto said modulator means.
A system for producing a bright image comprising:
- a plurality of lasers for generating a plurality of different colored laser lights;
- means for controlling each one of the lasers individually and sequentially to cause them to be energized at a substantially peak ON output luminosity for a short ON period of time, thereby providing a high average output luminosity at a low average energy cost;
- means for controlling each on of the lasers individually and sequentially to cause them to be deactivated at a near ON output luminosity for a short OFF period of time to enable the lasers to switch between OFF and ON in an efficient manner;
- means for forming a bright image from the laser lights;
- means for sampling the laser light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern and for imaging the pattern onto said means for forming a bright image.
A method of projecting an image, comprising:
- generating pulses of coherent projection light along an input optical path with a light source means including at least one laser device selectively switchable between an on state and an off state, wherein said coherent projection light is generated at a maximum luminosity level when said laser device is switched to said on state;
- modulating said coherent projection light with a spatial light modulator means disposed in said input optical path to produce output light representative of the image along an output optical path for facilitating the projection of the image onto a remote surface, wherein substantially all of said output light produced by said spatial light modulator means is projected onto said remote surface;
- controlling the luminosity of said output light produced by said spatial light modulator means with a light valve to facilitate reproducing the image with varying shades on said remote surface;
- sampling coherent light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern;
- and imaging the pattern onto said modulator means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.