MULTICOLOR ILLUMINATION DEVICE USING MOVING PLATE WITH WAVELENGTH CONVERSION MATERIALS

• US 20090034284A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Appotronics Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: YLX Corp.
• Inventors: Li, Yi, Xu, Li
• Granted Patent: US 7,547,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/554
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/005 using light guides light guides specially adapted for lighting devices G02B6/0001
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/007 using rotating transparent or colored disks, e.g. gobo wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/02 changing colors F21S10/002 - F21S10/007, F21S10/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/04 the fastening being onto or by the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0025 Combination of two or more reflectors for a single light source array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources F21V7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/30 Semiconductor lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/204 using secondary light emission, e.g. luminescence or fluorescence using different colours G03B33/00; if related to video signals H04N9/3197
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2053 Intensity control of illuminating light controlled by video signal processing H04N5/74 or H04N9/31
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/206 Control of light source other than position or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2066 Reflectors in illumination beam in projection beam G03B21/28
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/06 by additive-colour projection apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/08 Sequential recording or projection G03B33/02, G03B33/04, G03B33/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3161 using laser light sources using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light

Abstract

A multicolor illumination device using an excitation light source and a multi-segmented moving plate with wavelength conversion materials (e.g. phosphors) is disclosed. The exciting light source is a light emitting diode or a laser diode emitting in the UV and/or blue region. The wavelength conversion materials absorb the excitation light and emit longer wavelength light. Each segment of the moving plate contains a different wavelength conversion material or no wavelength conversion material. The plate is supported to move so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times. The plate may be a wheel or rectangular in shape and rotates or oscillates linearly. When the plate moves, light of different colors is generated sequentially in time by the different wavelength conversion materials in different segments of the plate. The multicolor illumination device may be used in a projector system having a microdisplay imager for image display.

Claims

1. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:

a light source for generating an excitation light;

a plate including two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light,

wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material,

wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light, and wherein the plate and the excitation light are moveable relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times; and

a dichroic element disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic element transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials.

2. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a solid-state light source.

3. The illumination device of claim 2, wherein the light source is a laser diode or a light emitting diode.

4. The illumination device of claim 2, wherein the light source includes multiple laser diodes, multiple light emitting diodes, or both laser diodes and light emitting diodes.

5. The illumination device of claim 4, further comprising:

an optic fiber coupler or an optic fiber bundle for combining light generated by the laser diodes or light emitting diodes or both.

6. The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising:

focusing optics disposed between the light source and the plate.

7. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the plate is made of an optical transparent material.

8. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the plate has a round shape and is divided by radial lines into the two or more segments, and wherein the plate is supported to rotate about an axis.

9. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the plate includes two or more wavelength conversion materials.

10. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the wavelength conversion materials include phosphors or quantum dots.

11. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the wavelength conversion materials are doped into a material that forms the plate.

12. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the wavelength conversion materials are formed on a surface of the plate.

13. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the wavelength conversion materials are attached to a surface of the plate.

14. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the plate defines a groove and the wavelength conversion materials are located in the groove.

16. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the dichroic filter is a band-pass coating on the plate facing the light source.

17. The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising:

an angle-selective reflecting layer located adjacent the wavelength conversion material on a side opposite to the light source, the angle-selective reflecting layer substantially transmitting light having an incident angle smaller than a predefined angle and substantially reflecting light having an incident angle larger than the predefined angle.

18. The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflector cup with an exit aperture disposed adjacent the wavelength conversion material, the exit aperture having an area smaller than an emission area of the wavelength conversion material.

19. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the segments of the plate are arranged linearly and the plate oscillates linearly.

20. The illumination device of claim 19, wherein the plate includes repeating sets of multiple wavelength conversion materials.

21. The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflective polarizer disposed adjacent the wavelength conversion material, the reflective polarizer transmitting light in one polarization state and reflecting light in another polarization state.

22. The illumination device of claim 21, further comprising:

a waveplate located between the reflective polarizer and the wavelength conversion layer.

23. The illumination device of claim 22, wherein the waveplate is a quarter-wave waveplate.

24. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the light source includes a plurality of sources emitting at different wavelengths.

25. The illumination device of claim 24, wherein a first and a second source are located on one side of the plate, the device further comprising:

a dichroic plate located between the sources and the wavelength conversion material to combine excitation light from the first and second sources, the dichroic plate transmitting the excitation light from the first source in one wavelength range and reflecting the excitation light from the second source in other wavelength range.

26. The illumination device of claim 24, wherein a first and a second source are located on both side of the plate, the device further comprising:

a dichroic plate located between the second source and the wavelength conversion materials, the dichroic plate transmitting excitation light from the second source in one wavelength range and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion material.

27. The illumination device if claim 1, wherein the light source is driven by a pulse width modulated signal.

15. (canceled)

28. A method for generating multicolor light, comprising:

generating an excitation light using a light source;

directing the excitation light onto a segment of a plate, the plate having two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material, the plate further including a dichroic filter disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic filter transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials; and

moving the plate and the excitation light relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times to generate emitted light of different colors.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the light source is a laser diode or a light emitting diode.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the wavelength conversion materials include phosphors or quantum dots.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the plate further comprises

an angle-selective reflecting layer located adjacent the wavelength conversion material on a side opposite to the light source, the angle-selective reflecting layer substantially transmitting light having an incident angle smaller than a predefined angle and substantially reflecting light having an incident angle larger than the predefined angle.

32. A method for generating multicolor light, comprising:

generating an excitation light using a light source;

directing the excitation light onto a segment of a plate, the plate having two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material;

moving the plate and the excitation light relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times to generate emitted light of different colors;

projecting the light of different colors emitted from the wavelength conversion materials toward a display screen using a microdisplay imager;

modulating the light source;

controlling the relative movement of the plate and the light source, the microdisplay imager, and the modulation of the light source in a synchronized manner to generate an image on the display screen.

33. A method for generating a colored light, comprising:

generating an excitation light using a light source;

directing the excitation light onto a segment of a plate, the plate having two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material;

moving the plate and the excitation light relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times to generate emitted light of different colors;

modulating the light source; and

controlling the relative movement of the plate and the excitation light and the modulation of the light source in a synchronized manner to generate a colored light.

34. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:

one or more light sources each for generating an excitation light;

one or more optic fibers for transmitting the excitation light generated by the one or more light sources;

a plate including two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light,

wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material,

wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light outputted by the optical fibers, and wherein the plate and the optical fibers are moveable relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times.