Optical modulator for laser speckle reduction
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsKevin D. Lofftus, Paul James Kane, James Henry Reynolds
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical modulator (12) for speckle suppression in a laser projection system includes a first planar transparent conductor (20); a second optionally transparent planar conductor (26); a diffusing element (22) disposed between the first and second conductor; and an alternating voltage applied across the first and second conductors creates in-plane movement or distortion in the diffusing element to reduce laser speckle.
Claims17
An optical modulator for speckle suppression in a laser projection system comprising:
- a first planar transparent conductor;
- a second planar conductor;
- a diffusing element disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor;
- and
- wherein an alternating voltage applied across the first and second conductors creates in-plane movement and distortion in the diffusing element to reduce laser speckle, the diffusing element comprises beads, and the beads are porous particles.
An optical modulator for speckle suppression in a laser projection system comprising:
- a first planar transparent conductor;
- a second planar conductor;
- and
- a diffusing element disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor;
- wherein an alternating voltage applied across the first and second conductors creates in-plane movement and distortion in the diffusing element to reduce laser speckle;
- and
- the optical modulator further comprises a separation layer between the first or second conductors and the diffusing element;
- wherein the separation layer comprises a compressible material that is compressed by an attractive force between the first and second conductors when the voltage is applied across the first and second conductors, and expands to its original thickness when no voltage is applied so as to provide for said in-plane movement.
An optical modulator for speckle suppression in a laser projection system comprising:
- a first planar transparent conductor;
- a second planar conductor;
- and
- a diffusing element disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor;
- wherein an alternating voltage applied across the first and second conductors creates in-plane movement and distortion in the diffusing element to reduce laser speckle;
- and
- the optical modulator further comprises a separation layer between the first or second conductors and the diffusing element, wherein the separation layer comprises a flexible support and the separation layer further comprises a diffuser disposed on at least one surface.
An optical modulator for speckle suppression in a laser projection system comprising:
- a first planar transparent conductor;
- a second transparent planar conductor;
- at least a third optionally transparent conductor;
- at least two diffusing elements, with at least the first diffusing element disposed before the second conductor and a second diffusing element disposed after the second conductor;
- and
- wherein a first alternating voltage applied across the first and second conductors creates movement in the first diffusing element, and a second alternating voltage applied across the second and third conductors creates movement in the second diffusing element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.