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US 6,886,944 B2Granted
Projector brightness enhancement using rectilinear apertures
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorBrett Dahlgren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A projector includes an array of micromirror light modulators and a projector light source for generating an illumination light beam along an optical path. An elongated rectilinear illumination aperture is defined at a first location along the optical path, with one or more elongated regions having a long dimension parallel to the axis. An elongated rectilinear pupil aperture is defined at an output pupil with one or more elongate pupil regions having a long dimension parallel to the axis.
Claims26
A projector comprising:
- an array of micromirror light modulators, each light modulator comprising a mirror tiltable on an axis;
- an illumination source defining an elongated rectilinear illumination intensity distribution at a first location along an optical path, the intensity distribution comprising one or more elongated regions of high light intensity having a long dimension parallel to said axis;
- a projection lens structure disposed along the optical path at a second location downstream of said array of light modulators;
- an elongated rectilinear pupil aperture at an entrance pupil to said projection lens structure, said aperture comprising one or more elongate pupil slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis.
1 more element
A projector comprising:
- an array of micromirror light modulators, each light modulator comprising a mirror tiltable on an axis;
- an illumination source defining an elongated rectilinear illumination intensity distribution at a first location along an optical path, the intensity distribution comprising one or more elongated regions of high light intensity having a long dimension parallel to said axis;
- a projection lens structure disposed along the optical path at a second location downstream of said array of light modulators;
- an elongated rectilinear pupil aperture at an entrance pupil to said protection lens structure, said aperture comprising one or more elongate pupil slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis;
- and
- wherein said light source includes an integrating rod disposed on said optical path and having an output end disposed at a first object plane of the system.
3 more elements
A projector comprising:
- an array of micromirror light modulators, each light modulator comprising a mirror tiltable on an axis;
- an illumination source defining an elongated rectilinear illumination intensity distribution at a first location along an optical path, the intenaity distribution comprising one or more elongated regions of high light intensity having a long dimension parallel to said axis;
- a projection lens structure disposed along the optical path at a second location downstream of said array of light modulators;
- an elongated rectilinear pupil aperture at an entrance pupil to said projection lens structure, said aperture comprising one or more elongate pupil slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis, wherein said one or more elongated regions of said illumination aperture has a narrow dimension in a range of about 3 mm to about 7 mm.
1 more element
A projector comprising:
- an array of micromirror light modulators, each light modulator comprising a mirror tiltable on an axis;
- a projector light source for generating an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- means for defining an elongated rectilinear illumination aperture at a first location along the optical path, the aperture comprising one or more elongated slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis;
- a projection lens structure disposed along the optical path at a second location downstream of said array of light modulators;
- means for defining an elongated rectilinear pupil aperture at an entrance pupil to said projection lens structure, said aperture comprising one or more elongate pupil slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis.
2 more elements
A projector comprising:
- an array of micromirror light modulators, each light modulator comprising a mirror tiltable on an axis;
- a projector light source for generating an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- means for defining an elongated rectilinear illumination aperture at a first location along the optical path, the aperture comprising one or more elongated slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis;
- a projection lens structure disposed along the optical path at a second location downstream of said array of light modulators;
- means for defining an elongated rectilinear pupil aperture at an entrance pupil to said projection lens structure, said aperture comprising one or more elongate pupil slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis;
- wherein said light source includes an integrating rod disposed on said optical path and having an output end disposed at a first object plane of the system.
3 more elements
A projector comprising:
- an array of micromirror light modulators, each light modulator comprising a mirror tiltable on an axis;
- a projector light source for generating an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- means for defining an elongated rectilinear illumination aperture at a first location along the optical path, the aperture comprising one or more elongated slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis;
- a projection lens structure disposed along the optical path at a second location downstream of said array of light modulators;
- means for defining an elongated rectilinear pupil aperture at an entrance pupil to said projection lens structure, said aperture comprising one or more elongate pupil slit regions having a long dimension parallel to said axis, wherein said elongated silt regions of said illumination aperture have a narrow dimension in a range of about 3 mm to about 7 mm.
2 more elements
An optical path structure, comprising:
- a light source for directing an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- a lens system disposed on the optical path for projecting an image onto an output pupil;
- a spatial light modulator disposed in said optical path, said modulator having a plurality of pivotable reflective pixel elements, said pixel elements pivotable about a pivot axis and having an “on” position and an “off” position;
- an illumination aperture at an optical path object plane comprising one or more elongated illumination aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and a height generally equal to a height of the light beam at the object plane;
- and
- a pupil aperture disposed at the output pupil comprising one or more elongated pupil aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and generally corresponding in size to projected images of said one or more illumination aperture regions, so that with the pixel element in the “on” position, the illumination light passes through said one or more pupil aperture regions, and with the pixel element in the “off” position, the illumination light is blocked by opaque regions of said pupil aperture.
3 more elements
An optical path structure, comprising:
- a light source for directing an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- a lens system disposed on the optical path for projecting an image onto an output pupil;
- a spatial light modulator disposed in said optical path, said modulator having a plurality of pivotable reflective pixel elements, said pixel elements pivotable about a pivot axis and having an “on” position and an “off” position;
- an illumination aperture at an optical path object plane comprising one or more elongated illumination aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and a height generally equal to a height of the light beam at the object plane;
- and
- a pupil aperture disposed at the output pupil comprising one or more elongated pupil aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and generally corresponding in size to projected images of said one or more illumination aperture regions, so that with the pixel element in the “on” position, the illumination light passes through said one or more pupil aperture regions, and with pixel element in the “off” position, the illumination light is blocked by opaque regions of said pupil aperture;
- wherein said light source includes an integrating rod disposed on said optical path and having an output and disposed at another object plane of the system.
4 more elements
An optical path structure comprising:
- a light source for directing an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- a lens system disposed on the optical path for projecting an image onto an output pupil;
- a spatial light modulator disposed in said optical path, said modulator having a plurality of pivotable reflective pixel elements, said pixel elements pivotable about a pivot axis and having an “on” position and “off” position;
- an illumination aperture at an optical path object plane comprising one or more elongated illumination aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and a height generally equal to a height of the light beam at the object plane, wherein said illumination aperture comprises an opaque aperture plate disposed at said object plane, said aperture plate having said one or more elongated slit regions formed therein;
- and
- a pupil aperture disposed at the output pupil comprising one or more elongated pupil aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and generally corresponding in size to projected images of said one or more illumination aperture regions, so that with the pixel element in the “on” position, the illumination light passes through said one or more pupil aperture regions, and with the pixel element in the “off” position, the illumination light is blocked by opaque regions of said pupil aperture;
- wherein said lens system comprises a first lens disposed on said optical path between said object plane and said another object plane, and a second lens disposed on said optical path between said object plane and said spatial light modulator, said first lens imaging the light source onto the object plane, the first and second lens imaging said object plane onto a surface of the spatial light modulators, the second said object plane onto said output pupil.
4 more elements
An optical path structure, comprising:
- a light source for directing an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- a lens system disposed on the optical path for projecting an image onto an output pupil;
- a spatial light modulator disposed in said optical path, said modulator having a plurality of pivotable reflective pixel elements, said elements pivotable about a pivot axis and having an “on” position and an “off” position;
- an illumination aperture at an optical path object plane comprising one or more elongated illumination aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and a height generally equal to a height of the light beam at the object plane;
- and
- a pupil aperture disposed at the output pupil comprising one or more elongated pupil aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and generally corresponding in size to projected images of said one or more illumination aperture regions, so that with the pixel element in the “on” position, the illumination light passes through said one or more pupil aperture regions, and with the pixel element in the “off” position, the illumination light is blocked by opaque regions of said pupil aperture;
- wherein said one or more elongated slit regions of said illumination aperture have a narrow dimension in a range of about 3 mm to about 7 mm.
4 more elements
A projector system, comprising:
- a light source for generating an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- a lens system for projecting an image onto a projector pupil;
- a spatial light modulator disposed in said optical path, said modulator having a plurality of pivotable reflective pixel elements, said pixel elements pivotable about a pivot axis and having an “on” position and an “off” position;
- an illumination aperture means disposed in said light path at an object plane for defining an illumination aperture comprising one or more elongated illumination aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis;
- and
- a pupil aperture means disposed in the light path for defining a pupil aperture comprising one or more elongated pupil aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and generally corresponding in size to projected images of said one or more illumination aperture regions, so that with the pixel element in the “on” position, the illumination light passes through said one or more pupil aperture regions, and with the pixel element in the “off” position, the illumination light is blocked by opaque regions of said pupil aperture means.
3 more elements
A projector system, comprising:
- a light source for generating an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- a lens system for projecting an image onto a projector pupil;
- a spatial light modulator disposed in said optical path, said modulator having a plurality of pivotable reflective pixel elements, said pixel elements pivotable about a pivot axis and having an “on” position and an “on” position;
- an illumination aperture means disposed in said light path at an object plane for defining an illumination aperture comprising one or more elongated illumination aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis;
- and
- a pupil aperture means disposed in the light path for defining a pupil aperture comprising one or more elongated pupil aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and generally corresponding in size to projected images of said one or more illumination aperture regions, so that with the pixel element in the “on” position, the illumination light passes through said one or more pupil aperture regions, and with the pixel element in the “off” position, the illumination light is blocked by opaque regions of said pupil aperture means, wherein said one or more elongated regions of said illumination aperture have a narrow dimension a range of about 3 mm to about 7 mm.
3 more elements
A projector system, comprising:
- a light source for generating an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- a lens system for projecting an image onto a projector pupil;
- a spatial light modulator disposed in said optical path, said modulator having a plurality of pivotable reflective pixel elements, said pixel elements pivotable about a pivot axis and having an “on” position and an “off” position;
- an illumination aperture means disposed in said light path at an object plane for defining an illumination aperture comprising one or more elongated illumination aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis;
- and
- a pupil aperture means disposed in the light path for defining a pupil aperture comprising one or more elongated pupil aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and generally corresponding in size to projected images of said one or more illumination aperture regions, so that with the pixel element in the “on” position, the illumination light passes through said one or more pupil aperture regions, and with the pixel element in the “off” position, the illumination light is blocked by opaque regions of said pupil aperture means;
- wherein said light source includes an integrating rod disposed on said optical path and having an output and disposed at another object plane of the system.
4 more elements
A projector system, comprising:
- a light source for generating an illumination light beam along an optical path;
- a lens system for projecting an image onto a projector pupil;
- a spatial light modulator disposed in said optical path, said modulator having a plurality of pivotable reflective pixel elements, said pixel elements pivotable about a pivot axis and having an “on” position and an “off” position;
- an illumination aperture means disposed in said light path at an object plane for defining an illumination aperture comprising one or more elongated illumination aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis;
- and
- a pupil aperture means disposed in the light path for defining a pupil aperture comprising one or more elongated pupil aperture regions having parallel sides being parallel to the pivot axis and generally corresponding in size to projected images of said one or more illumination aperture regions, so that with the pixel element in the “on” position, the illumination light passes through said one or more pupil aperture regions, and with the pixel element in the “off” position, the illumination light is blocked by opaque regions of said pupil aperture means;
- wherein said lens system comprises a first lens disposed on said optical path between said object plane and said another object plane, and a second lens disposed on said optical path between said object plane and said spatial light modulator, said first lens imaging the light source onto the object plane, the first and second lens imaging said another object plane onto a surface of the spatial light modulators, said second lens imaging said object plane onto said output pupil.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.