Clean-up polarizer and gamma control for display system

• US 20060092380A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Grunnet-Jepsen, Anders, Salsman, Kenneth E.
• Application Number:
  US10/981,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092380A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/20
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133548 Wire-grid polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2073 Polarisers in the lamp house peculiar to electronic spatial light modulators H04N9/3197
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3167 for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3182 Colour adjustment, e.g. white balance, shading or gamut white balance per se H04N9/73; control of amplitude of colour signals H04N9/68; colour control circuits for displays in general G09G5/02, G09G3/2003, G09G3/3607

Abstract

In some embodiments, an optical engine for a display system utilizes a wire grid clean-up polarizer for polarization cleanup. In some embodiments, a liquid crystal component, separate from the spatial light modulator, is utilized for gamma control. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an optical component disposed along an optical path; and

a clean-up polarizer disposed along the optical path with the optical component,

wherein the clean-up polarizer comprises a wire grid clean-up polarizer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical component comprises a prism and wherein the wire grid clean-up polarizer is disposed on a face of the prism.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical component comprises a projection lens and wherein the wire grid clean-up polarizer is positioned proximate to an entrance aperture of the projection lens.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a spatial light modulator disposed along the optical path and configured to modulate light; and

a liquid crystal component, separate from the spatial light modulator, disposed along the optical path and configured to provide gamma control for the modulated light.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the liquid crystal component comprises:

a first layer of glass disposed on the wire grid clean-up polarizer;

a second layer of glass positioned opposite of the first layer of glass; and

liquid crystal material disposed in between the first and second layers of glass.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

first and second coatings of indium titanium oxide (ITO) respectively disposed on the first and second layers of glass;

a gamma ramp generator circuit; and

first and second electrical connections respectively connected between the first and second ITO coatings and the gamma ramp generator circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gamma ramp generator circuit provides a non-linear electrical signal to the liquid crystal component in accordance with a desired gamma curve for the spatial light modulator.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the gamma curve is programmable.

9. A method, comprising:

generating a substantially polarized, modulated light signal; and

cleaning up the polarization of the light signal with a wire grid polarizer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

integrating the wire grid polarizer with another optical element.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the optical element comprises a prism.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

utilizing a spatial light modulator to modulate the light signal; and

adjusting the gray scale of the modulated light signal with a liquid crystal component, separate from the spatial light modulator.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

integrating the wire grid polarizer with the liquid crystal component.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

connecting the liquid crystal component to a gamma ramp generator circuit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a non-linear signal from the gamma ramp generator circuit to the liquid crystal component in accordance with a desired gamma curve for the spatial light modulator.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

programming the gamma ramp generator circuit with the desired gamma curve.

17. A system, comprising:

a spatial light modulator disposed along an optical path and configured to modulate light; and

a clean-up polarizer disposed along the optical path with the spatial light modulator,

wherein the clean-up polarizer comprises a wire grid clean-up polarizer.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a light engine configured to provide light along the optical path.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a display screen configured to display an image of the modulated light from the spatial light modulator.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a prism, wherein the wire grid clean-up polarizer is disposed on a face of the prism.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a projection lens, wherein the wire grid clean-up polarizer is positioned proximate to an entrance aperture of the projection lens.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a gamma control component, separate from the spatial light modulator, disposed along the optical path and configured to provide gamma control for the modulated light.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the gamma control component comprises:

a first layer of glass disposed on the wire grid clean-up polarizer;

a second layer of glass positioned opposite of the first layer of glass;

liquid crystal material disposed in between the first and second layers of glass; and

first and second coatings of indium titanium oxide (ITO) respectively disposed on the first and second layers of glass.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a gamma ramp generator circuit connected to the gamma control component.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the gamma ramp generator circuit provides a non-linear electrical signal to the gamma control component in accordance with a programmable gamma curve.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a single pixel liquid crystal cell; and

a gamma ramp generator circuit coupled to the single pixel liquid crystal cell.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the single pixel liquid crystal cell comprises:

a first layer of glass;

a second layer of glass positioned opposite of the first layer of glass;

liquid crystal material disposed in between the first and second layers of glass;

first and second coatings of indium titanium oxide (ITO) respectively disposed on the first and second layers of glass; and

first and second electrical connections respectively connected between the first and second ITO coatings and the gamma ramp generator circuit.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the gamma ramp generator circuit provides a non-linear electrical signal to the liquid crystal component in accordance with a desired gamma curve.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

a spatial light modulator separate from the single pixel liquid crystal cell and disposed along an optical path with the single pixel liquid crystal cell.

29. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the gamma curve is programmable.