LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE, IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS, AND MONITOR APPARATUS

• US 20090016390A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: MIYAMAE, Akira, SUMIYAMA, Fumika
• Granted Patent: US 8,047,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 372/29.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0252 Constructional arrangements for compensating for fluctuations caused by, e.g. temperature, or using cooling or temperature stabilization of parts of the device; Controlling the atmosphere inside a photometer; Purge systems, cleaning devices protection against electromagnetic interferences G01J2001/0276
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0414 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or plane beam-splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0488 with spectral filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/08 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for photometry standard sources, also using luminescent or radioactive material
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2013 Plural 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 33/12 using beam-splitting or beam-combining systems, e.g. dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0687 Stabilising the frequency of the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/141 using a wavelength selective device, e.g. a grating or etalon H01S5/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4025 Array arrangements, e.g. constituted by discrete laser diodes or laser bar H01S5/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength
• 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 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3161 using laser light sources using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129

Abstract

A light source device includes plural light-emitting elements that emit lights, a wavelength selection element that has plural light selection areas in which wavelength selection is performed for the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements, respectively, and selectively reflects a part of the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements, a state detecting unit that detects states of the plural light selection areas of the wavelength selection element, and a state changing unit that changes, according to the states of the plural light selection areas detected by the state detecting unit, the states of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element to make wavelengths of the lights selected in the plural light selection areas different from one another.

Claims

1. A light source device comprising:

plural light-emitting elements that emit lights;

a wavelength selection element that has plural light selection areas in which wavelength selection is performed for the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements, respectively, and selectively reflects a part of the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements;

a state detecting unit that detects states of the plural light selection areas of the wavelength selection element; and

a state changing unit that changes, according to the states of the plural light selection areas detected by the state detecting unit, the states of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element to make wavelengths of the lights selected in the plural light selection areas different from one another.

2. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein the state detecting unit and the state changing unit are provided for each of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element.

3. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein the states of the plural light selection areas are temporally changed by the state changing unit.

4. The light source device according to claim 1, further comprising a light-intensity detecting unit that detects intensities of the lights emitted from the plural light selection areas, wherein

intensities of the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements are adjusted on the basis of the intensities of the lights detected by the light-intensity detecting unit, respectively.

5. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein

the state detecting unit is a temperature detecting unit that detects the temperatures in the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element, and

the state changing unit is a temperature changing unit that makes, according to the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit, the temperatures in the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element different from one another.

6. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein

the state detecting unit is a distortion detecting unit that detects magnitudes of distortions of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element, and

the state changing unit is a distortion giving unit that makes, according to the magnitudes of the distortions detected by the distortion detecting unit, the magnitudes of the distortions of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element different from one another.

7. An image display apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 1;

a light modulating device that modulates light emitted from the light source device according to an image signal; and

a projecting device that projects an image formed by the light modulating device.

8. An image display apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 1; and

a scanning unit that scans light emitted from the light source device on a projection surface.

9. A monitor apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 1; and

an imaging unit that images a subject illuminated by the light source device.

10. A light source device comprising:

plural light-emitting elements that emit lights;

a wavelength conversion element that has plural light passing areas through which the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements pass, respectively, and converts wavelengths of at least a part of the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements into lights having a predetermined wavelength, respectively;

a wavelength selection element that has plural light selection areas in which the lights emitted from the plural light passing areas of the wavelength conversion element are selected, respectively, and selectively reflects a part of the lights emitted from the wavelength conversion element to the light-emitting element;

a conversion-side-state detecting unit that detects states of the plural light passing areas of the wavelength conversion element;

a conversion-side-state changing unit that changes, according to the states of the plural light passing areas detected by the conversion-side-state detecting unit, the state of the light passing areas of the wavelength conversion element to make wavelength of the lights converted in the plural light passing areas different from one another;

a selection-side-state detecting unit that detects states of the plural light selection areas of the wavelength selection element; and

a selection-side-state changing unit that changes, according to the states of the plural light selection areas detected by the selection-side-state detecting unit, the states of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element to make wavelengths of the lights selected by the plural light selection areas different from one another.

11. The light source device according to claim 10, wherein

the conversion-side-state detecting unit and the conversion-side-state changing unit are provided in each of the light passing areas of the wavelength conversion element,

the selection-side-state detecting unit and the selection-side-state changing unit are provided in each of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element, and

states of the respective areas are changed by the conversion-side-state changing unit and the selection-side-state changing unit such that converted wavelengths of the respective light passing areas of the wavelength conversion element and selected wavelengths of the respective light selection areas of the wavelength selection element change while substantially coinciding with each other.

12. The light source device according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the states of the plural light passing areas and the states of the plural light selection areas are temporally changed.

13. The light source device according to claim 10, further comprising a light-intensity detecting unit that detects intensities of the lights emitted from the plural light selection areas, respectively, wherein

intensities of the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements are adjusted on the basis of the intensities of the lights detected by the light-intensity detecting unit, respectively.

14. The light source device according to claim 10, wherein

the wavelength conversion element has a repeated structure of domains with polarizations inverted from one another along center axes of lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements,

the conversion-side-state detecting unit is a voltage detecting unit that detects voltages in the light passing areas of the wavelength conversion element, and

the conversion-side-state changing unit is a voltage applying unit that makes, according to the voltages detected by the voltage detecting unit, voltages applied to the light passing areas of the wavelength conversion element different from one another.

15. The light source device according to claim 10r wherein

the selection-side-state detecting unit is a temperature detecting unit that detects the temperatures in the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element, and

the selection-side-state changing unit is a temperature changing unit that makes temperatures in the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element different from one another according to the temperatures detected by the temperature detecting unit.

16. The light source device according to claim 10, wherein

the selection-side-state detecting unit is a distortion detecting unit that detects magnitudes of distortions of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element, and

the selection-side-state changing unit is a distortion giving unit that makes magnitudes of the distortions of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element different from one another according to the magnitudes of the distortions detected by the distortion detecting unit.

17. An image display apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 10;

a light modulating device that modulates light emitted from the light source device according to an image signal; and

a projecting device that projects an image formed by the light modulating device.

18. An image display apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 10; and

a scanning unit that scans light emitted from the light source device on a projection surface.

19. A monitor apparatus comprising:

the light source device according to claim 10; and

an imaging unit that images a subject illuminated by the light source device.