System and Method for Utilizing a Scanning Beam to Display an Image

• US 20090033875A1
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Hewlett, Gregory James, Farris, Jeffrey Scott, King, Philip Scott, Ikeda, Roger Mitsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/31
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto

Abstract

A method includes generating a plurality of beams that each illuminate a separate portion of a spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator has a first dimension of a first length and a second dimension of a second length. Each of the beams spans a portion of the first length of the first dimension and a portion of the second length of the second dimension. The method also includes scrolling the plurality of beams along the second dimension of the spatial light modulator while maintaining at least a first gap between each of the plurality of beams.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a scanning beam to display an image, comprising:

generating a first beam that illuminates a first portion of an active area of a spatial light modulator, the spatial light modulator having a first dimension of a first length and a second dimension of a second length, the first beam spanning a portion of the first length of the first dimension and a portion of the second length of the second dimension;

generating a second beam that illuminates a second portion of the active area of the spatial light modulator, the second beam spanning a portion of the first length of the first dimension and a portion of the second length of the second dimension;

generating a third beam that illuminates a third portion of the active area of the spatial light modulator, the third beam spanning a portion of the first length of the first dimension and a portion of the second length of the second dimension;

scrolling the first, second and third beams along the second dimension of the spatial light modulator while maintaining at least a first gap between each of the first, second and third beams;

upon the first beam scrolling off a first overscan area of the spatial light modulator that is outside of the active area, continuing to scroll the first beam onto a second overscan area of the spatial light modulator that is outside of the active area such that as the portion of the first beam within the first overscan area decreases the portion of the first beam within the second overscan area increases;

upon the second beam scrolling off a first overscan area of the spatial light modulator that is outside of the active area, continuing to scroll the second beam onto a second overscan area of the spatial light modulator that is outside of the active area such that as the portion of the second beam within the first overscan area decreases the portion of the second beam within the second overscan area increases; and

upon the third beam scrolling off a first overscan area of the spatial light modulator that is outside of the active area, continuing to scroll the third beam onto a second overscan area of the spatial light modulator that is outside of the active area such that as the portion of the third beam within the first overscan area decreases the portion of the third beam within the second overscan area increases.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining at least the first gap between the first, second and third beams comprises maintaining at least one reset group between the first, second and third beams, the size of the reset group based on a first characteristic of the spatial light modulator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating a first beam that illuminates a first portion of the active area of a spatial light modulator comprises generating a first beam that continuously illuminates a first portion of the spatial light modulator;

generating a second beam that illuminates a second portion of the active area of the spatial light modulator comprises generating a second beam that continuously illuminates a second portion of the spatial light modulator; and

generating a third beam that illuminates a third portion of the active area of the spatial light modulator comprises generating a third beam that continuously illuminates a third portion of the spatial light modulator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising modulating the intensity of the first, second, and third beams.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising spatially modulating the first, second and third beams by the spatial light modulator to display an image comprising a portion of the first, second and third beams.

6. A method for utilizing a scanning beam to display an image, comprising:

generating a plurality of beams that each illuminate a separate portion of a spatial light modulator, the spatial light modulator having a first dimension of a first length and a second dimension of a second length, each beam spanning a portion of the first length of the first dimension and a portion of the second length of the second dimension; and

scrolling the plurality of beams along the second dimension of the spatial light modulator while maintaining at least a first gap between each of the plurality of beams.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

a first beam of the plurality of beams is a red laser beam;

a second beam of the plurality of beams is a green laser beam; and

a third beam of the plurality of beams is a blue laser beam.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein maintaining at least a first gap between each of the plurality of beams comprises maintaining at least one reset group between each of the plurality of beams, the size of the reset group based on a first characteristic of the spatial light modulator.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein generating a plurality of beams that each illuminate a separate portion of a spatial light modulator comprises generating a plurality of beams that each continuously illuminate a separate portion of the spatial light modulator.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the spatial light modulator includes at least three areas wherein a first edge of a first area is the second length away from a second edge of a second area; and

scrolling the first, second and third beams along the second dimension of the spatial light modulator comprises, upon one of the plurality of beams scrolling off the first edge, continuing the beam onto the second edge, such that as the portion of the beam within the first area decreases the portion of that beam within the second area increases.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising modulating the intensity of at least one of the plurality of beams.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising spatially modulating the plurality of beams by the spatial light modulator to display an image comprising a portion of at least one of the plurality of beams.

13. A display system, comprising:

a spatial light modulator having a first dimension of a first length and a second dimension of a second length;

a plurality of light sources, each light source operable to generate a light beam of a different color that illuminates a portion of the first length of the spatial light modulator and a different portion of the second length of the spatial light modulator; and

a drive module operable to cause the plurality of light beams to scan along the second dimension of the spatial light modulator while maintaining at least a first gap between each of the plurality of light beams.

14. The display system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises:

a red light source operable to generate a red light beam;

a green light source operable to generate a green light beam; and

a blue light source operable to generate a blue light beam.

15. The display system of claim 13, wherein the first gap between each of the plurality of light beams comprises at least one reset group.

16. The display system of claim 13, wherein the first gap between each of the plurality of light beams comprises a first gap of varying size between each of the plurality of light beams.

17. The display system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of light sources, each light source operable to generate a light beam of a different color that illuminates a portion of the first length of the spatial light modulator and a different portion of the second length of the spatial light modulator comprises a plurality of light sources, each light source operable to generate a light beam of a different color that continuously illuminates a portion of the first length of the spatial light modulator and a different portion of the second length of the spatial light modulator.

18. The display system of claim 13, wherein:

the spatial light modulator comprises at least;

a first overscan area at a first end of the spatial light modulator;

a second overscan area at a second end of the spatial light modulator; and

an active area between the first and second overscan areas; and

the drive module operable to cause the plurality of light beams to scan along the second dimension of the spatial light modulator comprises a drive module operable to, upon the drive module causing a first beam of the plurality of light beams to scan off the first end of the spatial light modulator, continue to scan the first light beam from the second end of the spatial light modulator such that as the portion of the first light beam in the first overscan area decreases the portion of the first light beam in the second overscan area increases.

19. The display system of claim 13, wherein the spatial light modulator is selected from the group consisting of:

a digital micro-mirror device;

a deformable micro-mirror device;

a liquid crystal device;

a liquid crystal on silicon device;

an interferometic modulator;

an analog MEMS device; and

an acoustooptic cell.

20. The display system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of light sources, each light source operable to generate a light beam of a different color comprises a plurality of light sources, each light source operable to generate a light beam of a different color and to modulate the intensity of the light beam.