Color laser display employing excitation solid laser unit, fiber laser unit, or semi conductor laser unit

• US 20010022566A1
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Published: 09/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okazaki, Yoji
• Granted Patent: US 6,764,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/84
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/02 by tracing or scanning a light beam on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06729 Peculiar transverse fibre profile
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/094007 Cladding pumping, i.e. pump light propagating in a clad surrounding the active core
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/09408 Pump redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0941 of a laser diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1613 praseodymium
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02415 by using a thermo-electric cooler [TEC], e.g. Peltier element
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02438 Characterized by cooling of elements other than the laser chip, e.g. an optical element being part of an external cavity or a collimating lens
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/041 Optical pumping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/141 using a wavelength selective device, e.g. a grating or etalon H01S5/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18369 based on dielectric materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2036 Broad area lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 blue laser based on GaN or GaP
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34326 with a well layer based on InGa(Al)P, e.g. red laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4093 Red, green and blue [RGB] generated directly by laser action or by a combination of laser action with nonlinear frequency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a color laser display that comprises a red laser light source for emitting red laser light, a green laser light source for emitting green laser light, and a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light. An excitation solid laser unit (which has a solid-state laser crystal doped with Pr³⁺ and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the solid-state laser crystal), a fiber laser unit (which has a fiber with a Pr³⁺-doped core and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the fiber), or a semiconductor laser unit (which has a semiconductor laser element, employing a GaN semiconductor, and a surface-emitting semiconductor element), is employed as at least one of the red laser light source, the green laser light source, or the blue laser light source.

Claims

1. A color laser display comprising:

a red laser light source for emitting red laser light;

a green laser light source for emitting green laser light;

a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light;

modulation means for modulating said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light, based on a red image signal, a green image signal, and a blue image signal;

a screen for displaying red, green, and blue when irradiated with said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light; and

projection means for projecting said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light onto said screen so that an image, carrying said red, green, and blue image signals, is displayed on said screen;

wherein an excitation solid laser unit, having a solid-state laser crystal doped with Pr³⁺ and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting said solid-state laser crystal, is employed as at least one of said red laser light source, said green laser light source, or said blue laser light source.

2. A color laser display according to

claim 1

, wherein said excitation solid laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 600 to 660 nm by a transition of ³P₀->

³F₂ or ³P₀->

³H₆ and is employed as said red laser light source.

3. A color laser display according to

claim 1

, wherein said excitation solid laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 515 to 555 nm by a transition of ³P₁->

³H₅ and is employed as said green laser light source.

4. A color laser display according to

claim 2

, wherein said excitation solid laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 515 to 555 nm by a transition of ³P₁->

³H₅ and is employed as said green laser light source.

5. A color laser display according to

claim 1

, wherein said excitation solid laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 465 to 495 nm by a transition of ³P₀->

³H₄ and is employed as said blue laser light source.

6. A color laser display according to

claim 2

, wherein said excitation solid laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 465 to 495 nm by a transition of ³P₀->

³H₄ and is employed as said blue laser light source.

7. A color laser display according to

claim 3

, wherein said excitation solid laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 465 to 495 nm by a transition of ³P₀->

³H₄ and is employed as said blue laser light source.

8. A color laser display comprising:

a red laser light source for emitting red laser light;

a green laser light source for emitting green laser light;

a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light;

modulation means for modulating said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light, based on a red image signal, a green image signal, and a blue image signal;

a screen for displaying red, green, and blue when irradiated with said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light; and

projection means for projecting said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light onto said screen so that an image, carrying said red, green, and blue image signals, is displayed on said screen;

wherein a fiber laser unit, having a fiber with a Pr³⁺-doped core and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting said fiber, is employed as at least one of said red laser light source, said green laser light source, or said blue laser light source.

9. A color laser display according to

claim 8

, wherein said fiber laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 600 to 660 nm by a transition of ³P₀->

³F₂ or ³P₀->

³H₆ and is employed as said red laser light source.

11. A color laser display according to

claim 9

, wherein said fiber laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 515 to 555 nm by a transition of ³P₁->

³H₅ and is employed as said green laser light source.

12. A color laser display according to

claim 8

, wherein said fiber laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 465 to 495 nm by a transition of ³P₀->

³H₄ and is employed as said blue laser light source.

13. A color laser display according to

claim 9

, wherein said fiber laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 465 to 495 nm by a transition of ³P₀->

³H₄ and is employed as said blue laser light source.

10. Acolorlaserdisplayaccordingtoclaim8, wherein said fiber laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 515 to 555 nm by a transition of ³P₁->

³H₅ and is employed as said green laser light source.

14. A color laser display according to

claim 10

, wherein said fiber laser unit emits laser light of wavelength 465 to 495 nm by a transition of ³P₀->

³H₄ and is employed as said blue laser light source.

15. A color laser display comprising:

a red laser light source for emitting red laser light;

a green laser light source for emitting green laser light;

a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light;

modulation means for modulating said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light, based on a red image signal, a green image signal, and a blue image signal;

a screen for displaying red, green, and blue when irradiated with said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light; and

projection means for projecting said red laser light, said green laser light, and said blue laser light onto said screen so that an image, carrying said red, green, and blue image signals, is displayed on said screen;

wherein a semiconductor laser unit is employed as at least one of said red laser light source, said green laser light source, or said blue laser light source, and said semiconductor laser unit includes an excitation light source constructed of a semiconductor laser element employing a GaN semiconductor in its active layer, and also includes a surface-emitting semiconductor element for emitting laser light when excited with said excitation light source.

16. A color laser display according to

claim 15

, wherein said surface-emitting semiconductor element of said semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of InGaAlP or InGaP, said semiconductor laser unit being employed as said red laser light source.

17. A color laser display according to

claim 15

, wherein said surface-emitting semiconductor element of said semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of InGaN, said semiconductor laser unit being employed as said green laser light source and/or said blue laser light source.

18. A color laser display according to

claim 16

, wherein said surface-emitting semiconductor element of said semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of InGaN, said semiconductor laser unit being employed as said green laser light source and/or said blue laser light source.

19. A color laser display according to

claim 15

, wherein said surface-emitting semiconductor element of said semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of GaN, GaNAs, or InGaNAs.

20. A color laser display according to

claim 15

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of InGaN, GaNAs, or InGaNAs.

21. A color laser display according to

claim 16

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of InGaN, GaNAs, or InGaNAs.

22. A color laser display according to

claim 17

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of InGaN, GaNAs, or InGaNAs.

23. A color laser display according to

claim 19

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of InGaN, GaNAs, or InGaNAs.

24. A color laser display according to

claim 15

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has a stripe width of 5 μ

m or more.

25. A color laser display according to

claim 16

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has a stripe width of 5 μ

m or more.

26. A color laser display according to

claim 17

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has a stripe width of 5 μ

m or more.

27. A color laser display according to

claim 19

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has a stripe width of 5 μ

m or more.

28. A color laser display according to

claim 20

, wherein said semiconductor laser element of said semiconductor laser unit has a stripe width of 5 μ

m or more.