High power incoherent light source with laser array

• US 20020126479A1
• Filed: 03/07/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ball Semiconductor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ball Semiconductor, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhai, Jinhui, Mei, Wenhui, Chan, Kin Foong
• Application Number:
  US09/683,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126479A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/244
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/42 Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4206 Optical features G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/425 Optical features semiconductor laser arrays H01S5/40; hybrid LED arrays H01L25/0753; monolithic LED arrays H01L27/153
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70025 by lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70041 by pulsed sources, e.g. multiplexing, pulse duration, interval control or intensity control
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7005 by multiple sources, e.g. light-emitting diodes [LED] or light source arrays addressable array sources specially adapted to produce patterns without a mask G03F7/70391
• 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

A high power light source is provided. The light source includes one or more diodes that may produce relatively coherent light of a desired intensity. The diodes may be pulsed to provide light as desired. The light projected by the diodes passes through a combiner, which combines the light from the different diodes and passes the combined light to an incoherence apparatus. The incoherence apparatus may include a rotating surface relief phase device such as an optical hologram, a computer generated hologram, or a diffractive optical element with random phase modulation. The incoherence apparatus may include a rotating fiber conduit comprising a plurality of multifiber cores. The incoherence apparatus renders the combined light incoherent and passes it to an illuminator apparatus that focuses the incoherent combined light onto an image plane.

Claims

1. A light source comprising:

a diode array for producing one or more individual laser lights, the diode array including at least one diode;

a combiner for combining the one or more laser lights;

an incoherence apparatus for rendering the combined laser light incoherent; and

an illuminator apparatus for focusing the incoherent combined light onto an image plane.

2. The light source of claim 1 further comprising a pulse source for pulsing the diodes of the diode array at a high frequency.

3. The light source of claim 1 wherein the diode array is a single laser diode.

4. The light source of claim 1 wherein the combiner includes an optical system comprising a fly'"'"'s eye array and a condenser.

5. The light source of claim 1 wherein the combiner includes a fiber conduit.

6. The light source of claim 1 wherein the incoherence apparatus includes a rotating surface relief phase device.

7. The light source of claim 6 wherein the rotating surface relief phase device is selected from the group consisting of an optical hologram, a computer generated hologram, and a diffractive optical element with random phase modulation.

8. The light source of claim 1 wherein the incoherence apparatus includes a rotating fiber conduit comprising a plurality of multifiber cores.

9. The light source of claim 1 wherein the incoherence apparatus includes a liquid crystal device with random phase modulation.

10. A projection system comprising:

a light source including a diode array for producing one or more individual laser lights;

a combiner for combining the one or more laser lights;

a incoherence apparatus for rendering the combined laser light incoherent;

an illuminator apparatus for focusing the incoherent combined light onto an image plane;

a digital pixel panel for providing a sequence of digital mask images; and

a pulse source for pulsing the diodes of the diode array at a relatively high frequency in synchronism with the sequence of digital mask images.

11. The projection system of claim 10 wherein the digital pixel panel is a deformable mirror device.

12. The projection system of claim 10 wherein the digital pixel panel is a liquid crystal display.

13. The projection system of claim 10 wherein the pulse source further comprises an individual pixel pulsing system for selectively pulsing one or more individual pixels of the digital pixel panel to accommodate an overall contrast of the projection system.

14. The projection system of claim 10 wherein the pulse source further comprises a control board to synchronize a laser diode pulse with a frame rate of the pixel panel to increase the contrast and resolution of an exposed pattern.

16. The display system of claim 15 wherein the combiner includes at least a first mirror and a second mirror, and wherein each of the first and second mirrors are associated with one of the three diode light sources.

17. The display system of claim 15 further including a raster scanning mechanism operable to direct the combined light towards the image plane.

18. The display system of claim 17 wherein the raster scanning mechanism includes two axial rotating mirror assemblies.

19. The display system of claim 15 wherein the diode light sources are laser diodes.

15. A display system comprising:

three diode light sources for producing three different colored lights;

a combiner for combining the three different colored lights and directing the combined light towards an image plane;

a controller for pulsing the three diode light sources to produce a colored image at the image plane.

20. A method for projecting incoherent light, the method comprising:

projecting light from at least one light source;

combining the light from the at least one light source;

rendering the combined light incoherent; and

focusing the incoherent combined light onto an image plane.

21. The method of claim 20 further including pulsing the light source at a high frequency.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein rendering the combined light incoherent includes rotating at least a portion of an incoherence device.

23. The method of claim 20 further including transferring the light through a fiber conduit.

24. The method of claim 20 further including reflecting at least a portion of the projected light from a mirror.