LIGHT SOURCE SYSTEM, LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING LIGHT SOURCE

• US 20090207613A1
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Jun, FURUKAWA, Norimasa
• Application Number:
  US12/388,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207613A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/257
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133607 the light controlling member including light directing or refracting elements, e.g. prisms or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0285 using tables for spatial correction of display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/064 by time modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers

Abstract

Light intensity may be locally increased in light intensity distribution without increasing number of light sources or drive current. A light source system includes a light source, and a diffusion unit varying diffusibility in incident light so that light intensity in a light intensity distribution in a plane, resulted from light emitted from the light source, is locally enhanced.

Claims

1. A light source system comprising:

a light source, and

a diffusion unit varying diffusibility in incident light so that light intensity in a light intensity distribution in a plane, resulted from light emitted from the light source, is locally enhanced.

2. The light source system according to claim 1, wherein

the diffusion unit is configured of a plurality of sheet-like optical members stacked, and

at least one of the plurality of optical members is configured as a diffusibility variable element which varies the diffusibility in incident light.

3. The light source system according to claim 2, wherein the diffusibility variable element is configured through use of a liquid crystal element which switches between an incident light scattering mode and an incident light transmission mode.

4. The light source system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of light sources arranged in a two-dimensional manner to configure a light source section, wherein

the light source section includes a plurality of partial light emission regions corresponding to the plurality of light sources, respectively, light emission in each of the partial light emission regions being controlled independently, and

the diffusion unit is configured to include a plurality of partial diffusion regions corresponding to the plurality of partial light emission regions, respectively, diffusibility in each of the partial diffusion regions being controlled independently, and light intensity in a light intensity distribution in a plane, resulted from light emitted from the light source section, is locally enhanced, by partial diffusion region, through varying the diffusibility in corresponding partial diffusion region.

5. The light source system according to claim 4, further comprising a display section modulating light emitted from the light source according to an inputted video signal.

6. The light source system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a storage unit storing first light intensity distribution data and second light intensity distribution data, the first light intensity distribution data representing change in light intensity distribution corresponding to change in luminance of light sources in part of the plurality of partial light emission regions in the light source section, the second light intensity distribution data representing change in light intensity distribution corresponding to change in diffusibility in part of the plurality of partial diffusion regions in the diffusion unit,

a synthesis unit synthesizing the first and the second light intensity distribution data stored in the storage unit according to the inputted video signal, thereby obtaining synthesized data, and

a correction unit correcting luminance in the input video signal based on the synthesized data, thereby generating a picture to be displayed on the display section.

7. The light source system according to claim 6, wherein

the first light intensity distribution data represents change in light intensity distribution corresponding to change in luminance of the light sources in part of the plurality of partial light emission regions in the light source section, under condition that all of the partial diffusion regions of the diffusion unit are maintained into a uniform diffusibility state, and

the second light intensity distribution data represents change in light intensity distribution corresponding to change in diffusibility in part of the plurality of partial diffusion regions in the diffusion unit, under condition that all of the partial light-emission regions of the light source section are maintained into a uniform light emission state.

8. The light source system according to claim 5, using first to third drive frequencies, the first drive frequency being a frame rewriting drive frequency for picture display in the display unit, the second drive frequency being a drive frequency of the light sources for controlling light emission in the light source section, the third drive frequency being a drive frequency for changing diffusibility in the diffusion unit,

wherein the first to third drive frequencies are different from one another, and are set into such frequencies that a visual beat is suppressed.

9. A light source device comprising:

a light source, and

a diffusion unit varying diffusibility in incident light so that light intensity in a light intensity distribution in a plane, resulted from light emitted from the light source, is locally enhanced.

10. A light source control method comprising:

varying diffusibility in incident light from a light source through use of a diffusion unit,

thereby locally enhancing light intensity in a light intensity distribution in a plane, the light intensity distribution being resulted form light emitted from the light source.