Digital cinema projector

A digital cinema projector for projecting color images onto a display surface comprising:

• (a) a light source which produces a beam of light;
• (b) beam shaping optics for homogenizing and focusing said beam of light to provide a homogenized focused light beam;
• (c) color splitting optics for separating said homogenized focused light beam into a plurality of color beams;
• (d) a plurality of modulation optical systems for modulating each of said color beams to provide image-bearing color beams, each of said modulation optical systems comprising:
• (1) a prepolarization optic for prepolarizing one of said color beams;
• (2) a wire grid polarization beamsplitter which reflects one of said prepolarized color beams having a predetermined polarization state and transmits remaining portions of said prepolarized color beams having an orthogonal polarization state and wherein subwavelength wires on said wire grid polarization beamsplitter face a reflective spatial light modulator;
• (3) said reflective spatial light modulator having a plurality of individual elements which alter said predetermined polarization state of said transmitted prepolarized color beam to provide said image-bearing separated color beam, and which transmits said image-bearing color beam through said wire grid polarization beamsplitter;
• (4) a polarization analyzer which transmits said image-bearing color beam and attenuates unwanted polarization components of said image-bearing color beam;
• (e) a recombination prism which combines each of said image-bearing color beams from each of said modulation optical systems to provide a full-color image-bearing beam;
• and
• (f) a projection lens system for projecting said full-color image-bearing beam onto said display surface.

A method for electronic projection of sequential color image frames onto a display surface for digital cinema comprising:

• (a) providing a light source;
• (b) focusing and homogenizing light from said light source;
• (c) splitting said homogenized focused light beam into a red beam, a green beam, and a blue beam;
• (d) modulating each of said red beam, green beam, and blue beam to provide an image-bearing red beam, an image-bearing green beam, and an image-bearing blue beam by:
• (1) prepolarizing each of said red beam, green beam, and blue beam;
• (2) disposing wire grid polarization beamsplitters in front of each of said prepolarized red beam, green beam, and blue beam wherein said wire grid polarization beamsplitters transmit a portion of said prepolarized red beam, green beam, and blue beam having a preferred polarization state and wherein subwavelength wires on said wire grid polarization beamsplitter face a reflective spatial light modulator;
• (3) modulating each of said transmitted red beam, green beam, and blue beam to provide an image-bearing red beam, an image-bearing green beam, and an image-bearing blue beam;
• (4) reflecting each of said image-bearing red beam, image-bearing green beam, and image-bearing blue beam off of said wire grid polarization beamsplitter;
• (5) analyzing each of said image-bearing red beam, image-bearing green beam, and image-bearing blue beam using a polarization analyzer to attenuate unwanted polarization components;
• (e) recombining each said image-bearing red beam, image-bearing green beam, and image-bearing blue beam to provide a full-color image-bearing beam;
• and
• (f) projecting said full-color image-bearing beam onto said display surface.

A method for electronic projection of sequential color image frames onto a display surface for digital cinema comprising:

• (a) providing a light source;
• (b) focusing and homogenizing light from said light source;
• (c) splitting said homogenized focused light beam into a red beam, a green beam, and a blue beam;
• (d) modulating each of said red beam, green beam, and blue beam;
• (1) prepolarizing each of said red beam, green beam, and blue beam to provide a prepolarized red beam, a prepolarized green beam, and a prepolarized blue beam;
• (2) disposing wire grid polarization beamsplitters to reflect a portion of said prepolarized red beam, prepolarized green beam, and prepolarized blue beam having a preferred polarization state and wherein subwavelength wires on said wire grid polarization beamsplitter face a reflective spatial light modulator;
• (3) modulating each of said preferred prepolarized red beam, green beam, and blue beam using a spatial light modulator to provide an image-bearing red beam, an image-bearing green beam, and an image-bearing blue beam;
• (4) transmitting each image-bearing red beam, image-bearing green beam, and image-bearing blue beam through said wire grid polarization beamsplitters;
• (5) analyzing said image-bearing red beam, green beam, and blue beam using a polarization analyzer to attenuate unwanted polarization components;
• (e) recombining each said image-bearing red beam, green beam, and blue beam to provide a full-color image-bearing beam;
• and
• (f) projecting said full-color image-bearing beam onto said display surface with a projection lens system.

A digital cinema projector for projecting color images onto a display surface comprising:

• (a) a light source which produces a beam of light;
• (b) an optical system which separates said beam of light into separate color beams of light, and which provides beam shaping and focusing for each of said color beams of light;
• (c) modulation optical systems for each of said color beams of light, said modulation system comprising:
• (1) polarization optics including at least two wire grid polarization devices, where at least one of said wire grid polarization devices is a wire grid polarization beamsplitter, and
• (2) a reflective spatial light modulator which alters a polarization state of said color beams of light in a controlled manner with image data;
• (d) a recombination prism for combining said separated color beams bearing image data into a full color image-bearing beam;
• (e) a projection lens system for projecting said full-color image-bearing beam onto said display surface;
• and
• (f) wherein said digital cinema projector provides full color image-bearing beam illumination of said display surface.

An electronic projection apparatus for projection of color images onto a display surface, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a light source which produces a beam of light;
• (b) an optical system which separates said beam of light into separate color beams of light, and which provides beam shaping and focusing of said color beams of light;
• (c) a modulation optical system for each of said color beams of light, said modulation system comprising:
• (1) polarization optics including at least two wire grid polarization devices, where at least one of said wire grid polarization devices is a wire grid polarization beamsplitter and wherein subwavelength wires on said wire grid polarization beamsplitter face a reflective spatial light modulator;
• and
• (2) said reflective spatial light modulator which alters a polarization state of said color beams of light in a controlled manner with image data;
• (d) a recombination prism for combining said separated color beams bearing image data into a full color image bearing beam;
• and
• (e) a projection lens system for projecting said full-color image-bearing beam onto said display surface.

A digital cinema projector for projection of color images onto a display surface comprising:

• (a) a light source which produces a beam of light;
• (b) beam shaping optics for homogenizing and focusing said beam of light to provide a homogenized focused light beam;
• (c) color splitting optics for separating said homogenized focused light beam into a plurality of color beams;
• (d) a first modulation optical system for modulating a first color beam to provide an image-bearing first color beam, said first modulation optical system comprising:
• (1) a prepolarizer for prepolarizing said first color beam;
• (2) a wire grid polarization beamsplitter which transmits a first predetermined polarization state of said prepolarized first color beam and reflects remaining portions of said prepolarized first color beam having a second polarization state orthogonal to said first predetermined polarization state and wherein subwavelength wires on said wire grid polarization beamsplitter face a reflective spatial light modulator;
• (3) said reflective spatial light modulator having a plurality of individual elements which alter said predetermined polarization state of said transmitted prepolarized first color beam to provide said image-bearing first color beam, which reflects said image-bearing first color beam off of said wire grid polarization beamsplitter;
• (4) a polarization analyzer which transmits said image-bearing first color beam and attenuates unwanted polarization components of said image-bearing first color beam;
• (e) a recombination prism which combines said image-bearing first color beam from said first modulation optical system with other image-bearing color beams to provide a full-color image-bearing beam;
• (f) a projection lens system for projecting said full-color image-bearing beam onto said display surface;
• and
• (g) wherein said wire grid polarization beamsplitter is in a telecentric space.

An electronic projection apparatus for projection of color images onto a display surface comprising:

• (a) a light source which produces a beam of light;
• (b) beam shaping optics for homogenizing and focusing said beam of light to provide a homogenized focused light beam;
• (c) color splitting optics for separating said homogenized focused light beam into a plurality of color beams;
• (d) a first modulation optical system for modulating a first color beam to provide an image-bearing first color beam, said first modulation optical system comprising:
• (1) a prepolarizer for prepolarizing said first color beam;
• (2) a wire grid polarization beamsplitter which transmits a first predetermined polarization state of said prepolarized first color beam and reflects remaining portions of said prepolarized first color beam having a second polarization state orthogonal to said first predetermined polarization state;
• (3) a reflective spatial light modulator having a plurality of individual elements which alter said predetermined polarization state of said transmitted prepolarized first color beam to provide said image-bearing first color beam, which reflects said image-bearing first color beam off of said wire grid polarization beamsplitter;
• (4) a polarization analyzer which transmits said image-bearing first color beam and attenuates unwanted polarization components of said image-bearing first color beam;
• (e) a recombination prism which combines said image-bearing first color beam from said first modulation optical system with other image-bearing color beams to provide a full-color image-bearing beam;
• and
• (f) a projection lens system for projecting said full-color image-bearing beam onto said display surface.

A modulation optical system for providing high contrast modulation of an incident light beam, comprising:

• (a) a prepolarizer for prepolarizing said beam of light to provide a polarized beam of light;
• (b) a wire grid polarization beamsplitter for receiving said polarized beam of light, for transmitting said polarized beam of light having a first polarization, and for reflecting said polarized beam of light having a second polarization orthogonal to said first polarization, wherein subwavelength wires on said wire grid polarization beamsplitter face a reflective spatial light modulator;
• (c) wherein said reflective spatial light modulator selectively modulates said polarized beam of light having a first polarization to encode data thereon to form a modulated beam, and for reflecting said modulated beam back to said wire grid polarization beamsplitter;
• and
• (d) a polarization analyzer which receives said modulated light, and which further removes any residual unmodulated light from said modulated light.

A modulation optical system for providing high contrast modulation of an incident light beam comprising:

• (a) a prepolarizer for pre-polarizing said beam of light to provide a polarized beam of light;
• (b) a wire grid polarization beamsplitter for receiving said polarized beam of light, for transmitting said polarized beam of light having a first polarization, and for reflecting said polarized beam of light having a second polarization orthogonal to said first polarization, wherein subwavelength wires on said wire grid polarization beamsplitter face a reflective spatial light modulator;
• (c) wherein said reflective spatial light modulator receives said polarized beam of light, having either a first polarization or a second polarization, and selectively modulates said polarized beam of light to encode data thereon, providing both modulated light and unmodulated light which differ in polarization;
• (d) wherein said reflective spatial light modulator reflects back both said modulated light and said unmodulated light to said wire grid polarization beamsplitter;
• (e) wherein said wire grid polarization beamsplitter separates said modulated light from said unmodulated light;
• and
• (f) a polarization analyzer receives said modulated light, and which further removes any residual unmodulated light from said modulated light.