Transmitting-reflecting projection screen, and projection system comprising the same

• US 20060181769A1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Masachika, Umeya, Masanori, Yamauchi, Tsuyoshi, Kumasawa, Tomoko
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/449
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/604 Polarised screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/62 Translucent screens

Abstract

The present invention provides a see-through transmitting-reflecting projection screen excellent in transparency, capable of sharply displaying, on its both sides, identical or different images even under bright environmental light.

A transmitting-reflecting projection screen 10 comprises a reflection-type screen 11 and a transmission-type screen 12. The reflection-type screen 11 reflects a specific polarized component of imaging light projected. The reflection-type screen 11 does not reflect a polarized component, different from the specific polarized component, of the imaging light, and this polarized component passes through the reflection-type screen 11 and the transmission-type screen 12.

Claims

1. A transmitting-reflecting projection screen for displaying images on its both sides by reflecting and transmitting imaging light projected, comprising:

a reflection-type screen that reflects a specific polarized component of imaging light projected, and

a transmission-type screen that transmits a polarized component of the imaging light having passed through the reflection-type screen without being reflected, the polarized component being different from the specific polarized component.

2. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 1, wherein the reflection-type screen comprises a polarized-light selective reflection layer that selectively reflects said specific polarized component.

3. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 2, wherein the polarized-light selective reflection layer has a cholesteric liquid crystalline structure.

4. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 2, wherein the polarized-light selective reflection layer has the function of diffusing light.

5. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 2, wherein the reflection-type screen further comprises a front-side diffraction layer that diffracts the light reflected from the polarized-light selective reflection layer to control the direction in which the light emerges from the projection screen.

6. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 5, wherein the front-side diffraction layer is formed with a transmission-type volume hologram.

7. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 5, wherein the front-side diffraction layer has the function of diffusing light.

8. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 2, wherein the reflection-type screen further comprises a retardation layer that brings a phase shift to light incident on the polarized-light selective reflection layer.

9. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 1, wherein the transmission-type screen comprises a rear-side diffraction layer that diffracts the light having passed through the reflection-type screen without being reflected.

10. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 9, wherein the rear-side diffraction layer is formed with a transmission-type volume hologram.

11. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 9, wherein the rear-side diffraction layer has the function of diffusing light.

12. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 1, wherein the specific polarized component to be reflected on the reflection-type screen is either right- or left-handed circularly polarized light.

13. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 1, wherein the specific polarized component to be reflected on the reflection-type screen is one of two types of linearly polarized light.

14. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 1, further comprising an absorption polarizer between the reflection-type screen and the transmission-type screen, the absorption polarizer absorbing said specific polarized component to be reflected on the reflection-type screen reflects.

15. The transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 14, wherein the absorption polarizer is a circular polarizer containing a linearly polarizing layer and a retardation layer, and the circular polarizer is placed so that the retardation layer is positioned on the reflection-type screen side.

16. A projection system, comprising:

the transmitting-reflecting projection screen according to claim 1, and

an image projection unit that projects imaging light on the transmitting-reflecting projection screen from the reflection-type screen side,

wherein the imaging light projected from the image projection unit contains at least either imaging light for reflection including the specific polarized component to be reflected on the reflection-type screen, or imaging light for transmission including polarized component different from said specific polarized component.

17. The projection system according to claim 16, wherein the imaging light for reflection and the imaging light for transmission are light beams that carry identical images.

18. The projection system according to claim 16, wherein the imaging light for reflection and the imaging light for transmission are light beams that carry different images.

19. The projection system according to claim 16, wherein the image projection unit alternately projects the imaging light for reflection and the imaging light for transmission in time-division mode.