Optical device and projection system comprising the same

• US 20070126994A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Ju-seong
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/94
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/208 Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/06 by additive-colour projection apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3117 by using a sequential colour filter producing two or more colours simultaneously, e.g. by creating scrolling colour bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3152 for shaping the light beam beam shaping per se G02B27/09

Abstract

An optical device comprises a light source unit comprising a plurality of light sources, a light mixing unit that is formed on the light source unit and comprises a light guiding part guiding light emitted from each light source, and a light mixing part mixing the guided light. A supporter supports the light mixing unit to be spaced from the light source unit. A small-sized optical device is provided having an enhanced light efficiency and a projection system having the same.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

a light source unit comprising a plurality of light sources;

a light mixing unit comprising a light guiding part for guiding light emitted from each light source and a light mixing part for mixing the guided light; and

a supporter for supporting the light mixing unit to be spaced from the light source unit.

2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding part forms a single body with the light mixing part.

3. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding part comprises a plurality of incident surfaces corresponding to each light source.

4. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding part comprises an incident surface in which an aperture is formed.

5. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding part has a tapered shape.

6. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding part is shaped like one of a circular truncated cone shape and a polygonal truncated cone.

7. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein a concave part having one of a circular cone shape and a polygonal cone shape is formed on an incident surface of the light guiding part.

8. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light mixing part comprises one of a pillar shape, a polygonal pillar shape, a circular truncated cone shape and a polygonal truncated cone shape.

9. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light mixing part comprises an air layer.

10. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light mixing part further comprises a mirror from which light is reflected.

11. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light mixing part comprises at least one of polymetamethylacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC).

12. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light source unit comprises a red light source, a blue light source and a green light source.

13. The optical device according to claim 12, wherein the light sources are arranged in a substantially circular or polygonal shape.

14. The optical device according to claim 13, wherein the light sources are arranged in a rectangular shape and the number of the green light sources is as many as double that of the blue or red light sources.

15. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light source comprises one of a light emitting diode (LED) and a laser diode (LD).

16. The optical device according to claim 5, wherein the light guiding part tapers outwardly away from the light source unit.

17. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising an optical lens for collecting light emitted from the light mixing unit.

18. The optical device according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of convexes are formed on an emitting surface of the light mixing unit and an incident surface of the optical lens.

19. An optical device, comprising:

a light source unit comprising a plurality of light sources;

a light mixing part shaped like one of a circular truncated cone and a polygonal truncated cone and formed with a concave part having one of a circular cone shape and a polygonal cone shape being formed on an incident surface of the light mixing part; and

a supporter for supporting the light mixing part to be spaced from the light source unit.

20. An optical device, comprising:

a light tunnel part shaped like a tube and comprising an incident surface and an emitting surface; and

a light source unit comprising a plurality of light sources formed in contact with the incident surface.

21. The optical device according to claim 20, wherein an inner wall surface of the light tunnel part comprises a mirror.

22. The optical device according to claim 20, wherein the light sources are arranged in a substantially circular or polygonal shape.

23. An illuminating system for a projection system, comprising:

a light source;

a display device receiving light from the illuminating system and implementing an image;

a projection lens system enlarging and projecting the implemented image by the display device;

a screen displaying the projected image; and

an optical device comprising

a light source unit comprising a plurality of light sources;

a light mixing unit comprising a light guide part for guiding light emitted from each light source and a light mixing part for mixing the guided light; and

a supporter for supporting the light mixing unit to be spaced from the light source unit.

24. The illuminating system according to claim 23, wherein the display device comprises one of a DMD, an LCOS device and an LCD device.

25. The illuminating system according to claim 23, further comprising a light direction controller for guiding light entering into the illuminating system to the display device and transferring an image implemented by the display device to the projection lens system.

26. The illuminating system according to claim 25, wherein the display device is a DMD, and the light direction controller comprises at least one of a total reflective prism, an objective lens and a mirror.

27. The illuminating system according to claim 25, wherein the display device comprises one of an LCD device and an LCOS device, and the light direction controller comprises a light polarization divider.

28. The illuminating system according to claim 25, wherein the light direction controller further comprises a collimator disposed in front of the display device.

29. An optical device, comprising:

a supporter;

a light source unit having a plurality of light sources, the light source unit being connected to the supporter; and

a light mixing unit having a light guiding part for guiding light emitted from each light source and a light mixing part for mixing the guided light, the light mixing unit being connected to the supporter such that the light mixing unit is spaced from the light source unit.

30. An optical device, comprising:

a first optical lens comprising

a light source unit comprising a plurality of light sources;

a light mixing unit comprising a light guiding part for guiding light emitted from each light source and a light mixing part for mixing the guided light; and

a supporter for supporting the light mixing unit to be spaced from the light source unit; and

a second optical lens for collecting light emitted from the first optical lens and including a plurality of convexes in an incident surface thereof.

31. The optical device according to claim 30, wherein a plurality of convexes are formed on an emitting surface of the light mixing unit.

32. The optical device according to claim 31, wherein the plurality of convexes of the light mixing unit are provided to substantially correspond to the plurality of light sources of the light source unit.

33. The optical device according to claim 30, wherein the light source unit comprises a red light source, a blue light source and a green light source and the light source unit is arranged in a 3×

3 matrix, and the red, blue and green light sources are provided in the same quantity.

34. The optical device according to claim 33, wherein one of the red, blue and green light sources is arranged in a substantially diagonal line of the 3×

3 matrix, and the light sources having different colors to one another are arranged in one column or row.

35. An illuminating system for a projection system, comprising:

including

a light source;

a display device receiving light from the light source and implementing an image;

a projection lens system enlarging and projecting the implemented image by the display device;

a screen displaying the projected image thereon; and

an optical device including

a light source unit comprising a plurality of light sources;

a light mixing unit comprising a light guiding part for guiding light emitted from each light source and a light mixing part for mixing the guided light; and

a supporter for supporting the light mixing unit to be spaced from the light source unit.