Image display device

• US 20060038961A1
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Pentico, Clark, Newell, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,347,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3105 for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3167 for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28

Abstract

A color management system for use with projection displays includes, for example, two or more analyzers positioned to receive light beams as they are emitted from the panels of a color management system. The analyzers are positioned to receive the light beams directly from the image assimilators before the light has passed through another optical element such as a light combiner. The analyzers are configured for producing filtered light outputs with improved contrast relative to the incoming light beams. By positioning the analyzers to receive the light beams directly from the image assimilators, i.e., prior to passage through other optical elements, the analyzers are able to remove substantially all of the noise before it has become indistinguishable, on the basis of polarization, from the light that comprises the desirable image. Accordingly, this embodiment produces images having dramatically improved levels of contrast relative to prior art systems.

Claims

1. An image display device, comprising:

a first panel positioned to receive a first light beam and configured to modify the first light beam to produce a first modified light beam;

a first beamsplitter configured to reflect the first modified light beam;

a first filter configured to receive the first modified light beam and configured to filter the first modified light beam to produce a first filtered light beam;

a second panel positioned to receive a second light beam and configured to modify the second light beam to produce a second modified light beam;

a second beamsplitter configured to reflect the second modified light beam;

a second filter configured to receive the second modified light beam and configured to filter the second modified light beam to produce a second filtered light beam;

a third panel positioned to receive a third light beam and configured to modify the third light beam to produce a third modified light beam;

a third beamsplitter configured to reflect the third modified light beam; and

a third filter configured to receive the third modified light beam and configured to filter the third modified light beam to produce a third filtered light beam.

2. The image display device of claim 1, further comprising a first optical retarder positioned adjacent to the first panel and configured to substantially compensate for a first optical retardence produced by the first panel.

3. The image display device of claim 1, further comprising a second optical retarder positioned adjacent to the second panel and configured to substantially compensate for a second optical retardence produced by the second panel.

4. The image display device of claim 1, further comprising a third optical retarder positioned adjacent to the third panel and configured to substantially compensate for a third optical retardence produced by the third panel.

5. The image display device of claim 1, further comprising a light combiner positioned to receive the first, second, and third filtered light beams to produce a combined light beam.

6. The image display device of claim 5, wherein the light combiner is selected from a group consisting of a cube beamsplitter, a dichroic beamsplitter, a plate beamsplitter, a polarizing beamsplitter, and an x-prism.

7. The image display device of claim 6, wherein the x-prism has one or more dichroic filters.

8. The image display device of claim 1, wherein the first and second light beams are linearly polarized light beams.

9. The image display device of claim 1, further comprising a light separator positioned to receive a light beam and configured to separate the light beam into the first and second light beams.

10. The image display device of claim 9, wherein the light separator is selected from a group consisting of a dichroic beamsplitter, a dichroic mirror, a dichroic prism, a plate beamsplitter, a polarizing beamsplitter, a wire grid polarizer, and an optical retarder.

11. The image display device of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third panels is a reflective light modulator.

12. The image display device of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third beamsplitters is selected from a group consisting of a dichroic beamsplitter, a dichroic mirror, a dichroic prism, a plate beamsplitter, a polarizing beamsplitter, a wire grid polarizer, and an optical retarder.

13. The image display device of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third filters is selected from a group consisting of a polarizer, an optical retarder, and a spectrally selective retarder.

14. The image display device of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third panels impart spatial information onto the first, second, and third light beams, respectively, to produce the first, second, and third modified light beams.

15. An image display device, comprising:

a first microdisplay for superimposing spatial information on a first light beam to produce a modified first light beam;

a first plate beamsplitter for receiving the modified first light beam and for reflecting the modified first light beam;

a second microdisplay for superimposing spatial information on a second light beam to produce a modified second light beam; and

a second plate beamsplitter for receiving the modified second light beam and for reflecting the modified second light beam.

16. The image display device of claim 15, further comprising a light separator for separating a light beam into the first and second light beams.

17. The image display device of claim 16, wherein the light separator is selected from a group consisting of a dichroic beamsplitter, a dichroic mirror, a dichroic prism, a plate beamsplitter, a polarizing beamsplitter, a wire grid polarizer, and an optical retarder.

18. The image display device of claim 15, further comprising a first polarizer for filtering the modified first light beam to produce a filtered first light beam.

19. The image display device of claim 15, further comprising a second polarizer for filtering the modified second light beam to produce a filtered second light beam.

20. The image display device of claim 15, further comprising a first optical retarder positioned adjacent to the first microdisplay and configured to substantially compensate for a first optical retardence produced by the first microdisplay.

21. The image display device of claim 15, further comprising a second optical retarder positioned adjacent to the second microdisplay and configured to substantially compensate for a second optical retardence produced by the second microdisplay.

22. The image display device of claim 15, further comprising a third optical retarder positioned adjacent to the third microdisplay and configured to substantially compensate for a third optical retardence produced by the third microdisplay.

23. The image display device of claim 15, further comprising:

a third microdisplay for superimposing spatial information on a third light beam to produce a modified third light beam; and

a third plate beamsplitter for receiving the modified third light beam and for reflecting the modified third light beam.

24. The image display device of claim 23, further comprising a third polarizer for filtering the modified third light beam to produce a filtered third light beam.

25. The image display device of claim 15, wherein the first, second, and third microdisplays impart spatial information onto the first, second, and third light beams, respectively, to produce the modified first, second, and third light beams.

26. An image display device, comprising:

a first microdisplay positioned to receive a first light beam and configured to modify the first light beam to produce a modified first light beam;

a first wire grid polarizer configured to reflect the modified first light beam;

a first polarizer configured to receive the modified first light beam and configured to filter the modified first light beam to produce a filtered first light beam;

a second microdisplay positioned to receive a second light beam and configured to modify the second light beam to produce a modified second light beam;

a second wire grid polarizer configured to reflect the modified second light beam;

a second polarizer configured to receive the modified second light beam and configured to filter the modified second light beam to produce a filtered second light beam;

a third microdisplay positioned to receive a third light beam and configured to modify the third light beam to produce a modified third light beam;

a third wire grid polarizer configured to reflect the modified third light beam; and

a third polarizer configured to receive the modified third light beam and configured to filter the modified third light beam to produce a filtered third light beam.

27. The image display device of claim 26, further comprising a first optical retarder positioned adjacent to the first microdisplay and configured to substantially compensate for a first optical retardence produced by the first microdisplay.

28. The image display device of claim 26, further comprising a second optical retarder positioned adjacent to the second microdisplay and configured to substantially compensate for a second optical retardence produced by the second microdisplay.

29. The image display device of claim 26, further comprising a third optical retarder positioned adjacent to the third microdisplay and configured to substantially compensate for a third optical retardence produced by the third microdisplay.

30. An image display device, comprising:

a first panel positioned to receive a first light beam and configured to modify the first light beam to emit a first modified light beam;

a first beamsplitter configured to reflect the first modified light beam;

a second panel positioned to receive a second light beam and configured to modify the second light beam to emit a second modified light beam;

a second beamsplitter configured to reflect the second modified light beam;

a third panel positioned to receive a third light beam and configured to modify the third light beam to emit a third modified light beam;

a third beamsplitter configured to reflect the third modified light beam;

a light combiner positioned to receive the first, second, and third modified light beams and configured to emit a combined light beam; and

a fourth panel positioned to receive the combined light beam and configured to emit a combined modified light beam.

31. The image display device of claim 30, further comprising a polarizing cube beamsplitter configured to receive the combined light beam and configured to direct the combined light beam toward the fourth panel.

32. The image display device of claim 31, further comprising a filter positioned between the fourth panel and the polarizing cube beamsplitter and configured to compensate for optical retardence introduced by the fourth panel and depolarization introduced by the polarizing cube beamsplitter.

33. The image display device of claim 32, wherein the filter is a half-wave retarder or a quarter-wave retarder.

34. The image display device of claim 30, wherein the combined modified light beam has an improved grayscale and contrast relative to the combined light beam.

35. The image display device of claim 30, further comprising a polarization rotator positioned to receive the combined light beam from the light combiner and configured to rotate the polarization orientation of one or more of the colors of the combined light beam.

36. The image display device of claim 30, further comprising an imaging relay lens positioned to receive the combined light beam and configured to image pixel-by-pixel the first, second and third panels onto the fourth panel.

37. The image display device of claim 30, further comprising a first optical retarder positioned adjacent to the first panel and configured to substantially compensate for a first optical retardence produced by the first panel.

38. The image display device of claim 30, further comprising a second optical retarder positioned adjacent to the second panel and configured to substantially compensate for a second optical retardence produced by the second panel.

39. The image display device of claim 30, further comprising a third optical retarder positioned adjacent to the third panel and configured to substantially compensate for a third optical retardence produced by the third panel.

40. The image display device of claim 30, wherein each of the first, second, and third beamsplitters is selected from a group consisting of a dichroic beamsplitter, a dichroic mirror, a dichroic prism, a plate beamsplitter, a polarizing beamsplitter, a wire grid polarizer, and an optical retarder.