US 7,002,752 B2Granted

Three-panel color management systems and methods

AssigneeColorLink, Inc.

InventorsJianmin Chen, Michael G. Robinson, Gary D. Sharp, Jonathan R. Birge

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Abstract

The present application describes color management architecture for a three-panel projection system that utilizes color selective polarization filters (CSPF) and polarizing beam splitting elements. An exemplary embodiment describes a color management architecture with a dichroic input beam splitter and three polarizing beam splitters. An output polarizing beam splitter is used as an analyzer. The color management system architecture can isolate any color channel from those remaining whose separation and combination are then carried out by a single beamsplitting element. The disclosed embodiments also provide an improvement in the ANSI contrast. In some embodiments, an achromatic quarter-wave plate is used in combination with a color filter to block the light reflected from projection optics.

Claims52

Dependent claims

A color management architecture for managing red, blue, and green primary colors from a substantially white input light, the architecture having an aggregate structure comprising:

an input dichroic beam splitting element configured to split the input light into a first portion light and a second portion light, wherein the first portion light contains a first non-green primary color from the input light and wherein the second portion light contains a second non-green primary color from the input light and a green primary color from the input light, and wherein the first portion light has a path substantially perpendicular to a path of the second portion light;
a first polarizing beam splitter adjacent to the input dichroic beam splitting element and configured to receive the first portion light from the input dichroic beam splitting element;
a first reflective panel adjacent to the first polarizing beam splitter and configured to modulate and reflect the first portion light;
a second polarizing beam splitter adjacent to the input dichroic beam splitting element and configured to receive the second portion light from the input dichroic beam splitting element and to split the second portion light into a third portion light containing the second non-green primary color and a fourth portion light containing the green primary color, wherein the third portion light has a path substantially perpendicular to a path of the fourth portion light;
a second reflective panel adjacent to the second polarizing beam splitter and opposite the input dichroic beam splitting element, and configured to modulate and reflect the third portion light;
a third reflective panel adjacent to the second polarizing beam splitter and located on a side of the aggregate structure not including the first or second reflective panels, wherein the third reflective panel is configured to modulate and reflect the fourth portion light;
and
a third polarizing beam splitter adjacent to the first and second polarizing beam splitters and configured to combine the modulated and reflected lights of the first, third, and fourth portions to form an output light, wherein the third polarizing beam splitter provides an output for the output light on a side of the aggregate structure not having the first, second, or third reflective panels.

5 more elements

A method of projecting light through an aggregate structure for color management of red, blue, and green primary colors from a substantially white input light, the method comprising:

splitting a substantially white input light into a first portion light and a second portion light with a dichroic beam splitter, wherein the first portion light contains a first non-green primary color from the input light and wherein the second portion light contains a second non-green primary color from the input light and a green primary color from the input light, and wherein the first portion light has a path substantially perpendicular to a path of the second portion light;
directing the first portion of light to a first panel with a first polarizing beam splitter located adjacent to the dichroic beam splitter, the first panel located adjacent to the first polarizing beam splitter for modulating and reflecting the first portion of light;
splitting the second portion of light into a third portion light containing the second non-green primary color and a fourth portion light containing the green primary color with a second polarizing beam splitter located adjacent to the dichroic beam splitter, wherein the third portion light has a path substantially perpendicular to a path of the fourth portion light;
directing the third portion of light to a second panel with the second polarizing beam splitter, the second panel located adjacent to the second polarizing beam splitter and opposite the dichroic beam splitter for modulating and reflecting the third portion of light;
directing the fourth portion of light to a third panel with the second polarizing beam splitter, wherein the third panel is located adjacent to the second polarizing beam splitter and located on a side of the aggregate structure not including the first or second panels, the third panel modulating and reflecting the fourth portion of light;
combining the modulated and reflected third and fourth portions of light with the second polarizing beam splitter to form a fifth portion of light;
combining the modulated and reflected first portion of light with the fifth portion of light using a third polarizing beam splitter to form an output light, the third polarizing beam splitter located adjacent to the first and second polarizing beam splitters;
and
outputting the output light from the third polarizing beam splitter on a side of the aggregate structure not having the first, second, or third panels.

6 more elements

A color management architecture for managing red, blue, and green primary colors from a substantially white input light, the architecture comprising:

an input dichroic beam splitting element configured to split the input light into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion contains a first non-green primary color from the input light and wherein the second portion contains a second non-green primary color from the input light and a green primary color from the input light;
a first polarizing beam splitter configured to receive the first portion light containing the first non-green primary color from the input dichroic beam splitting element;
a first reflective panel adjacent to the first polarizing beam splitter and configured to modulate and reflect the first portion light;
p1 a second polarizing beam splitter configured to receive the second portion light and to split the second portion light into a third portion light containing the second non-green primary color and a fourth portion light containing the green primary color;
-p1 a second reflective panel adjacent to the second polarizing beam splitter and configured to modulate and reflect the third portion light;
a third reflective panel adjacent to the second polarizing beam splitter and configured to modulate and reflect the fourth portion light;
a third polarizing beam splitter adjacent to the first and second polarizing beam splitters and configured to combine the modulated and reflected lights of the first, third, and fourth portions to form an output light;
and
at least one skew ray compensator optically positioned and configured to compensate the lights of at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth portions.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/713,548Filed 14 Nov 2003 · continuation in part
Priority: 30 Nov 2001
Published: US 2004/0136067 A115 Jul 2004
Granted: 21 Feb 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G02B 27/288
For polarising: filters employing polarising elements, e.g. Lyot or Solc filters
G02B
Optical elements, systems or apparatus

Family

Application10/000,227Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Nov 2001
Application10/294,426Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Nov 2002
US 2004/0136067 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Jul 2004
US 6,816,309 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2003/0107809 A1Published application
US 2003/0227680 A1Published application
US 6,961,179 B2Related patent
US 7,002,752 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.