Back to results
US 8,132,917 B2Granted
Projection type display device with a phase modulating unit
AssigneeAsahi Glass Company, Limited
InventorsMitsuo Osawa, Atsushi Kawamori
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A projection type display device includes: a light emitting unit that includes at least one light source for emitting a coherent light. An image light generating unit modulates the light emitted by the light emitting unit to generate an image light. A projecting unit projects the image light. A phase modulating unit is arranged either between the light emitting unit and the image light generating unit or between the image light generating unit and the projecting unit and has an area where at least one of a retardation value and an azimuth direction of a slow axis is distributed respectively in different directions or values in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis.
Claims15
A projection type display device, comprising:
- a light emitting unit comprising a light source for emitting a coherent light;
- an image light generating unit that modulates the coherent light emitted by the light emitting unit and generates an image light;
- a projecting unit that projects the image light;
- and
- a phase modulating unit positioned between the light emitting unit and the image light generating unit or between the image light generating unit and the projecting unit, the phase modulating unit comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a birefringent material layer comprising a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode,
- wherein the liquid crystal layer has liquid crystal molecules and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is configured to generate a gradient electric field such that at least one of a retardation value and an azimuth direction of a slow axis with respect to an optical axis of an incident light is distributed in different directions or values in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis in accordance with the gradient electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode.
3 more elements
An optical phase modulator, comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode facing the first electrode;
- and
- a birefringent material layer comprising a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, the liquid crystal layer comprising liquid crystal molecules and having an array structure in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of an incident light such that a phase of the incident light is modulated by elements of the array structure;
- and
- an optical shaping device that divides the incident light into a plurality of light fluxes respectively corresponding to the elements and superposes the divided light fluxes on one light flux,
- wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is configured to generate a gradient electric field between the first electrode and the second electrode such that at least one of a retardation value and an azimuth direction of a slow axis with respect to the optical axis varies in the liquid crystal layer with respect to the plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the incident light in accordance with the gradient electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode.
4 more elements
A projection type display device, comprising:
- a light emitting unit comprising a light source for emitting a coherent light;
- an image light generating unit that modulates the light emitted by the light emitting unit to generate an image light;
- a projecting unit that projects the image light;
- and
- an optical phase modulator comprising a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode and a birefringent material layer comprising a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, the liquid crystal layer comprising liquid crystal molecules and having an array structure in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of an incident light such that a phase of the incident light is modulated by elements of the array structure,
- wherein the optical phase modulator further comprises an optical shaping device that divides the incident light into a plurality of light fluxes respectively corresponding to the elements and superposes the divided light fluxes on one light flux, at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is configured to generate a gradient electric field between the first electrode and the second electrode such that at least one of a retardation value and an azimuth direction of a slow axis with respect to the optical axis varies in the liquid crystal layer with respect to the plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the incident light in accordance with the gradient electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the optical phase modulator is positioned between the light emitting unit and the image light generating unit or between the image light generating unit and the projecting unit.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.