Illumination unit, projecting engine and method for generating illumination light

• US 20050099698A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Teijido, Juan Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,035,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/649
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20

Abstract

It is proposed to provide in an illumination unit (10) a light combining section (15) being adapted for receiving and combining first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12) or a derivative thereof and a light collecting, integrating and redirecting section (20) being adapted for receiving, collecting, integrating and redirecting first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12) or a derivative thereof, wherein said light combining section (15) and said light collecting, integrating and redirecting section (20) are at least partly arranged in a spatially mingled manner with respect to each other. Thereby from said first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12) collected, integrated and redirected combined primary illumination light (CL1) can be obtained and emitted as secondary illumination light (L2) having controlled spectral properties and an essentially uniformized spatial intensity distribution.

Claims

1. Illumination unit, in particular for a projection engine or the like,

comprising:

at least a first light source device (11) and a second light source device (12) being adapted for generating and for emitting first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12), respectively, having at least in part essentially complementary or supplementary spectral and/or polarization components with respect to each other,

a light combining area (15), section (15), portion (15) or device (15) being adapted for receiving and combining or superposing said first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12) or parts or derivates thereof and being adapted for combining said first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12) or parts or derivates, and

a light collecting, integrating and redirecting area (20), section (20), portion (20) or unit (20) being adapted for receiving, collecting, integrating and redirecting said said first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12) or parts or derivates thereof,

wherein said light combining area (15), section (15), portion (15) or device (15) and said light collecting, integrating and redirecting area (20), section (20), portion (20) or unit (20) or a parts thereof are formed and/or arranged in a spatially mingled, mixed up, integrated, and/or overlapping manner with respect to each other,

thereby being adapted for cooperating and for obtaining from said first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12) and for emitting collected, integrated and redirected combined primary illumination light (CL1) as secondary illumination light (L2) having controlled spectral properties and an essentially uniformized spatial intensity distribution.

2. Illumination unit according to claim 1,

wherein said light collecting, integrating and redirecting area (20), section (20), portion (20) or unit (20) comprises at least one integrator rod (51), solid rod (51), hollow rod, light pipe (51) or the like as a light integrating device (50) in particular made of an optical transparent material, e.g., of plastic, glass, or the like.

3. Illumination unit according to claim 1,

wherein said light collecting, integrating and redirecting area (20), section (20), portion (20) or unit (20) comprises at least one hollow tube device as a light integrating device (50), in particular having reflecting or mirrored inner walls or side walls.

4. Illumination unit according to claim 1,

wherein said light collecting, integrating and redirecting area (20), section (20), portion (20) or unit (20) comprises at least one fly-eye lens system (15-1, 15-2, 52) as a light-integrating device (50).

5. Illumination unit according to claim 2,

wherein said light integrating device (50) has a square-shaped, rectangular, hexagonal or equilateral triangular cross-section.

6. Illumination unit according to claim 1,

wherein said first light source device (11) and/or said second light source device (12) is or comprises a single or a plurality of discharge lamps (32), in particular high pressure discharge lamps.

7. Illumination unit according to claim 1,

wherein said first light source device (11) and/or said second light source device (12) is or comprises a single or a plurality of solid state light source device (30).

8. Illumination unit according claim 7,

wherein said solid state light source device (30) is or comprises a single or a plurality of solid state light sources (31, 33).

9. Illumination unit according to claim 8,

wherein said sold state light source is or comprises an array (33) of solid state light sources (31).

10. Illumination unit according to claim 7,

wherein said solid state light source (31, 33) is or comprises a single or a plurality of light emitting diodes (31), and/or

wherein said solid state light source (31, 33) is or comprises a single or a plurality of laser diodes.

11. Illumination unit according to claim 7,

wherein said solid state light source (31, 33) is or comprises a single or a plurality of edge-emitting light emitting diodes.

12. Illumination unit according claim 7,

wherein said solid state light source (31, 33) is or comprises a single or a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting laser devices.

13. Illumination unit according to claim 7,

wherein said solid state light source (31, 33) is or comprises a single or a plurality of resonant cavity light emitting diodes.

14. Illumination unit according to claim 1,

wherein said light combining area (15), section (15), portion (15) or device (15) comprises spectral selective reflection element (15-3), in particular a dichroic mirror (15-3) or the like, or an arrangement of a plurality of spectral selective reflection elements (15-3).

15. Illumination unit according to claim 14,

wherein said spectral selective reflection element (15-3), in particular said dichroic mirror (15-3) or the like, or said arrangement of said plurality of spectral selective reflection elements (15-3) is arranged within said integrator rod (51), solid rod (51), hollow rod, light pipe (51) or the like as said light integrating device (50) and/or

wherein said spectral selective reflection element (15-3), in particular said dichroic mirror (15-3) or the like, or said arrangement of said plurality of spectral selective reflection elements (15-3) is arranged within and/or surrounded by said fly-eye lens system (15-1, 15-2, 52).

16. Projection engine,

wherein an illumination unit (10) according to claim 1 is provided.

17. Method for generating and providing illumination light,

in particular for a projection engine, comprising the steps of:

generating and providing first and second primary illumination light (L11, L12) having at least in part essentially complementary or supplementary spectral components with respect to each other, and

combining said first and second primary illumination lights (L11, L12) or parts or derivates thereof, and

collecting, integrating and redirecting said first and second primary illumination lights (L11, L12) or parts or derivates thereof,

wherein the processes of combining said first and second primary illumination lights (L11, L12) or parts or derivates thereof and of collecting, integrating and redirecting said first and second primary illumination lights (L11, L12) or parts or derivates thereof are performed in a spatially and/or tempo-rally mingled, mixed up, integrated, and/or overlapping manner with respect to each other,

thereby obtaining and outputting collected, integrated and redirected combined primary illumination light (CL1) as secondary illumination light (L2) having controlled spectral properties and an essentially uniformized intensity distribution.