DIFFUSER CONFIGURATION FOR AN IMAGE PROJECTOR
First Claim
1. An optical device for projecting an image on a viewing screen, the optical device comprising:
- a spatial light modulator (SLM) having a plurality of pixels adapted to modulate a received illumination light beam with a spatial pattern to form said image; and
an optical diffuser located along an optical path between a laser and the SLM and adapted to transmit light generated by the laser to produce said illumination light beam at the SLM so that, at each pixel of the plurality, the illumination light beam has light rays corresponding to a range of incident angles, wherein;
the optical device is adapted to move the illumination light beam across the SLM; and
at each pixel of the plurality, said motion of the illumination light beam changes relative optical phases of the light rays having different incident angles.
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to one embodiment, an image projector has a spatial light modulator (SLM) adapted to modulate illumination from a laser with a spatial pattern such that the modulated illumination projects an image on a viewing screen. The image projector further has an optical diffuser located on an optical path between the laser and the SLM. The laser is adapted to illuminate the SLM through the optical diffuser to create an illuminated area at the SLM. The optical diffuser is adapted to introduce an angular spread into the light transmitted therethrough. The image projector is adapted to move the illuminated area with respect to the SLM to mitigate speckle in the projected image.
136 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical device for projecting an image on a viewing screen, the optical device comprising:
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a spatial light modulator (SLM) having a plurality of pixels adapted to modulate a received illumination light beam with a spatial pattern to form said image; and an optical diffuser located along an optical path between a laser and the SLM and adapted to transmit light generated by the laser to produce said illumination light beam at the SLM so that, at each pixel of the plurality, the illumination light beam has light rays corresponding to a range of incident angles, wherein; the optical device is adapted to move the illumination light beam across the SLM; and at each pixel of the plurality, said motion of the illumination light beam changes relative optical phases of the light rays having different incident angles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An optical device for projecting an image on a viewing screen, the optical device comprising:
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a spatial light modulator (SLM) adapted to modulate a coherent illumination beam with a spatial pattern; and an optical diffuser located along an optical path that said coherent illumination beam follows prior to being intercepted by the SLM, wherein; the optical diffuser is adapted to introduce one angular spread into light transmitted therethrough along a first direction and a different angular spread into said transmitted light along a different second direction; and the optical diffuser is adapted to move with respect to a surface of the SLM.
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16. A method of projecting an image on a viewing screen, the method comprising:
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with a laser, illuminating a portion of a surface of a spatial light modulator (SLM) by passing a light beam through an optical diffuser, wherein the optical diffuser is adapted to angularly spread the light beam incident thereon so that, at each pixel of the plurality, the illuminating light beam has light rays corresponding to a range of incident angles; modulating said illuminating light beam with a spatial pattern displayed by a plurality of pixels of the SLM to form said image; and moving the illuminating light beam across the SLM, wherein, at each pixel of the plurality, said motion changes relative optical phases of the light rays having different incident angles. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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17. The invention of claim 17, wherein the step of moving comprises moving a lens located on an optical path between the laser and the SLM to produce said motion of the illuminating light beam.
Specification