Projector with total cross total internal reflection (TIR) prisms

• US 20060209420A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Anurag, Lerner, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/634
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1026 for use with reflective spatial light modulators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/149 using crossed beamsplitting surfaces, e.g. cross-dichroic cubes or X-cubes
• 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

Abstract

A projector has at least first and second micro-displays and at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms respectively optically coupled to the at least first and second micro-displays. Each of the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms has first and second total internal reflection interfaces. A combiner is optically coupled to the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms.

Claims

1. A projector comprising:

at least first and second micro-displays;

at least first and second cross total internal reflection (TIR) prisms respectively optically coupled to the at least first and second micro-displays, each of the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms having first and second total internal reflection interfaces; and

a combiner optically coupled to the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms;

wherein each of the at least first and second cross TIR prisms are respectively configured for receiving light at a first direction and configured to reflect the received light from the respective first TIR interface to the respective first and second micro-displays, and

wherein each of the at least first and second micro-displays and at least first and second cross TIR prisms are configured to direct ON light through the respective first and second TIR interfaces to the combiner, and to direct OFF light from the respective second TIR interfaces at a second direction substantially the same as the first direction to a beam dump.

2. The projector of claim 1, wherein each of the at least first and second micro-displays are respectively configured for receiving different colors of light.

3. The projector of claim 1 further comprises a projection lens optically coupled to the combiner.

4. The projector of claim 1, wherein the combiner is a dichroic x-cube prism.

5. The projector of claim 1, wherein each of the at least first and second micro-displays comprises a plurality of tiltable micro-mirrors.

6. The projector of claim 1 further comprises a turning mirror located between at least one of the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms and the combiner.

7. A projector comprising:

at least first and second micro-displays having at least one mirror configured to have an ON state and an OFF state for reflecting light;

at least one beam dump;

at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms respectively optically coupled to the at least first and second micro-displays and the at least one beam dump, each of the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms having first and second total internal reflection interfaces wherein light reflected from the at least first and second micro-displays in the OFF state is directed to the at least one beam dump;

a combiner optically coupled to the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms;

a turning mirror located between at least one of the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms and the combiner; and

a first lens disposed between the turning mirror and the at least one of the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms, and a second lens disposed between the turning mirror and the combiner.

8. A projector comprising:

at least first and second micro-displays having at least one mirror configured to have an ON state and an OFF state for reflecting light;

at least one beam dump;

at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms respectively optically coupled to the at least first and second micro-displays and the at least one beam dump, each of the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms having first and second total internal reflection interfaces;

wherein light reflected from the at least first and second micro-displays in the OFF state is directed to the at least one beam dump and

a combiner optically coupled to the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms; and

one or more lenses disposed between at least one of the at least first and second cross total internal reflection prisms and the combiner.

9. A projector comprising:

a plurality of micro-displays each configured to receive a different colored light;

a plurality of cross total internal reflection (TIR) prisms optically coupled one-to-one to the micro-displays, each of the cross total internal reflection prisms having first and second total internal reflection interfaces;

a tricolor x-cube prism optically coupled to each of the cross total internal reflection prisms; and

a beam dump;

wherein each of the plurality of cross TIR prisms are respectively configured for receiving the different colored light at a first direction and configured to reflect the received different colored light from the respective first TIR interface to the respective micro-display, and

wherein each of the plurality of micro-displays and the plurality of cross TIR prisms are configured to direct ON light through the respective first and second TIR interfaces to the tricolor x-cube prism, and to direct OFF light from the respective second TIR interfaces at a second direction substantially the same as the first direction to the beam dump.

10. The projector of claim 9 further comprises a projection lens optically coupled to the tricolor x-cube prism.

11. The projector of claim 9, wherein each of the micro-displays comprises a plurality of tiltable micro-mirrors.

12. The projector of claim 9 further comprises a turning mirror located between at least one of the cross total internal reflection prisms and the tricolor x-cube prism.

13. A projector comprising:

a plurality of micro-displays each configured to receive a different colored light and to reflect light in an OFF state and an ON state;

at least one beam dump;

a plurality of cross total internal reflection prisms optically coupled one-to-one to the micro-displays and the at least one beam dump, each of the cross total internal reflection prisms having first and second total internal reflection interfaces wherein light reflected from the plurality of micro-displays in the OFF state is directed to the at least one beam dump; and

a tricolor x-cube prism optically coupled to each of the cross total internal reflection prisms;

a turning mirror located between at least one of the cross total internal reflection prisms and the tricolor x-cube prism; and

a first lens disposed between the turning mirror and the at least one of the cross total internal reflection prisms and a second lens disposed between the turning mirror and the tricolor x-cube prism.

14. A projector comprising:

a plurality micro-displays having at least one mirror configured to have an ON state and an OFF state for reflecting light, each micro-display configured to receive a different colored light;

at least one beam dump;

a plurality of cross total internal reflection prisms optically coupled one-to-one to the micro-displays and at least one beam dump, each of the cross total internal reflection prisms having first and second total internal reflection interfaces wherein light reflected from the plurality of micro-displays in the OFF state is directed to the at least one beam dump; and

a tricolor x-cube prism optically coupled to each of the cross total internal reflection prisms; and

one or more lenses disposed between at least one of the cross total internal reflection prisms and the tricolor x-cube prism.

15. (canceled)

16. A method of operating a projector, comprising:

reflecting light of a first color received from a first direction off a first cross total internal reflection prism and onto a first micro-display;

reflecting light of a second color received from the first direction off a second cross total internal reflection prism and onto a second micro-display;

reflecting a first portion of the light of the first color off the first micro-display to a combiner, and reflecting a second portion of the light of the first color to the first cross total internal reflection prism and off to a second direction substantially the same as the first direction; and

reflecting a first portion of the light of the second color off the second micro-display to the combiner, and reflection a second portion of the light of the second color to the second cross total internal reflection prism and off to the second direction.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprises combining the respective first portions of light of the first color and the light of the second color at the combiner.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the combiner is a dichroic x-cube prism.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein reflecting the first portion of light of the first color off the first micro-display to the combiner and reflecting the first portion of light of the second color off the second micro-display to the combiner corresponds to an ON state of the first and second micro-displays.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprises:

reflecting light received in the first direction of a third color off a third cross total internal reflection prism and onto a third micro-display; and

reflecting a first portion of the light of the third color off the third micro-display to the combiner; and

reflecting a second portion of the light of the third color to the third cross total internal reflection prism and off to the second direction.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprises combining the first portion of light of the first color, the first portion of light of the second color, and the first portion of light of the third color at the combiner.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein reflecting the respective first portions of light of the first and second colors off the first and second micro-displays to the combiner comprises reflecting the respective first portions of light of the first and second colors respectively through the first and second cross total internal reflection prisms and to the combiner.

20. A method of operating a projector, comprising:

reflecting light of a first color off a first cross total internal reflection prism and onto a first micro-display to create an ON state and OFF state;

reflecting light of a second color off a second cross total internal reflection prism and onto a second micro-display to create an ON state and OFF state;

reflecting the light in the ON state of the first color off the first micro-display to a combiner and in the OFF state from the first cross internal reflection prism to a first beam dump;

reflecting the light in the ON state of the second color off the second micro-display to the combiner and in the OFF state from the second cross internal reflection Prism to a second beam dump; and

wherein reflecting the light of the first color off the first micro-display to the combiner comprises;

reflecting the light of the first color from the first micro-display to a first lens;

refracting the light of the first color through the first lens;

sending the light of the first color refracted by the first lens to a second lens;

refracting the light of the first color refracted by the first lens through the second lens; and

sending the light of the first color refracted by the first and second lenses to the combiner.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein reflecting the light of the first color off the first micro-display to the combiner further comprises:

sending the light of the first color refracted by the first lens to a mirror before sending it to the second lens; and

reflecting and turning the light of the first color refracted by the first lens to the second lens using the mirror.

25. A method of operating a projector, comprising:

reflecting light of a first color received from a first direction off a first total internal reflection interface of a first cross total internal reflection prism and onto a first micro-display;

reflecting light of a second color received from the first direction off a first total internal reflection interface of a second cross total internal reflection prism and onto a second micro-display;

reflecting the light of the first color off the first micro-display to a combiner when the first micro display is in an ON state;

reflecting the light of the second color off the second micro-display to the combiner when the second micro display is in an ON state;

reflecting the light of the first color off the first micro-display to a second total internal reflection interface of the first cross total internal reflection prism and reflecting the light of the first color off the second total internal reflection interface of the first cross total internal reflection prism in a second direction substantially the same as the first direction to a first beam dump when the first micro display is in an OFF state; and

reflecting the light of the second color off the second micro-display to a second total internal reflection interface of the second cross total internal reflection prism and reflecting the light of the second color off the second total internal reflection interface of the second cross total internal reflection prism in the second direction to a second beam dump when the second micro display is in an OFF state.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprises:

reflecting light of a third color received from the first direction off a first total internal reflection interface of a third cross total internal reflection prism and onto a third micro-display;

reflecting the light of the third color off the third micro-display to the combiner when the third micro display is in an ON state; and

reflecting the light of the third color off the third micro-display to a second total internal reflection interface of the third cross total internal reflection prism and reflecting the light of the third color off the second total internal reflection interface of the third cross total internal reflection prism in the second direction to a third beam dump when the third micro display is in an OFF state.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprises combining the light of the is first color, the light of the second color, and the light of the third color at the combiner.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein reflecting the light of the first, second, and third colors off the first, second, and third micro-displays to the combiner comprises reflecting the light of the first, second, and third colors respectively through the first second, and third cross total internal reflection prisms and to the combiner.