# US 9,039,189 B2 · Projection apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,189 B2 - Document ID: US9039189B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/179,578 - Filed: 2011-07-11 - Published: 2012-04-19 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2010-10-14 - Assignees: Young Optics Inc. - Applicants: Jui-Ping Chang; S-Wei Chen - Inventors: Jui-Ping Chang; S-Wei Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039189B2 ## CPC - G03B 21/14: Details - G03B 21/208: {Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light} - G03B 21/28: Reflectors in projection beam {(in illumination beam G03B21/2066)} - H04N 9/3152: {for shaping the light beam (beam shaping per se G02B27/09)} - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A projection apparatus includes a light source, a light valve, a light uniforming device, and a lens module. The light source provides an illumination beam. The light valve on a transmission path of the illumination beam converts the illumination beam into an image beam. The light valve has an active surface with a rectangular shape. The light uniforming device is between the light source and the light value. The lens module is between the light uniforming device and the light value. A refractive power of the lens module along a first direction is different from a refractive power of the lens module along a second direction. An f-number of the illumination beam along a direction parallel to a long side of the active surface of the light valve is greater than an f-number thereof along a direction parallel to a short side of the active surface of the light valve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A projection apparatus, comprising: a light source, capable of providing an illumination beam; a light valve, disposed on a transmission path of the illumination beam for converting the illumination beam into an image beam, wherein the light valve has an active surface, and the active surface is substantially rectangular-shaped; a light uniforming device, disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam, and located between the light source and the light valve, wherein the light uniforming device comprises at least one lens array, and the lens array has a plurality of rectangular lenses arranged in an array, and a ratio between a length of a first side of each of the rectangular lenses and a length of a second side of each of the rectangular lenses is greater than a ratio between a length of a short side of the active surface of the light valve and a length of a long side of the active surface of the light valve, and the first side of each of the rectangular lenses is corresponding to the short side of the active surface of the light valve, and the second side of each of the rectangular lenses is corresponding to the long side of the active surface of the light valve; and a lens module, disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam, and located between the light uniforming device and the light valve, wherein a refractive power of the lens module along a first direction is not equal to a refractive power of the lens module along a second direction, and thereby an f-number of the illumination beam along a direction parallel to a long side of the active surface of the light valve is greater than an f-number of the illumination beam along a direction parallel to a short side of the active surface of the light valve, wherein the ratio between the length of the first side of each of the rectangular lenses and the length of the second side of each of the rectangular lenses is substantially 1, and the first side and the second side are adjacent to each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens module, and the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens module. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lens module comprises a lens, and a curvature of at least one surface of the lens along the first direction is not equal to a curvature of the at least one surface of the lens along the second direction, and the illumination beam passes through the surface of the lens. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a projection lens disposed on a transmission path of the image beam. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a total internal reflection prism, disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam and located between the light source and the light valve, wherein the total internal reflection prism is also disposed on the transmission path of the image beam, and is located between the light valve and the projection lens. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a field lens disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam and located between the light uniforming device and the light valve, wherein the field lens is further disposed on the transmission path of the image beam, and is located between the light valve and the projection lens. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reflection unit disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam and located between the light uniforming device and the light valve, for reflecting the illumination beam to the light valve. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode. ### Claim 11 A projection apparatus, comprising: a light source, capable of providing an illumination beam; a light valve, disposed on a transmission path of the illumination beam for converting the illumination beam into an image beam, wherein the light valve has an active surface, and the active surface is substantially rectangular-shaped; a lens array device, disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam, and located between the light source and the light valve, wherein the lens array device comprises a plurality of rectangular lenses arranged in an array; and a lens module, disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam, and located between the lens array device and the light valve, wherein a refractive power of the lens module along a first direction is not equal to a refractive power of the lens module along a second direction, and thereby an f-number of the illumination beam along a direction parallel to a long side of the active surface of the light valve is greater than an f-number of the illumination beam along a direction parallel to a short side of the active surface of the light valve, wherein the lens module comprises a first lens and a second lens disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam and spaced apart by a distance, wherein a curvature of a surface of the first lens along the first direction is not equal to a curvature of the surface of the first lens along the second direction, a curvature of another surface of the first lens along the first direction is not equal to a curvature of the another surface of the first lens along the second direction, wherein a curvature of a surface of the second lens along the first direction is not equal to a curvature of the surface of the second lens along the second direction, a curvature of another surface of the second lens along the first direction is not equal to a curvature of the another surface of the second lens along the second direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein a ratio between a length of a short side of each of the rectangular lenses and a length of a long side of each of the rectangular lenses is greater than a ratio between a length of the short side of the active surface of the light valve and a length of the long side of the active surface of the light valve, and the short side of each of the rectangular lenses is corresponding to the short side of the active surface of the light valve, and the long side of each of the rectangular lenses is corresponding to the long side of the active surface of the light valve.