COMPOSITE LIGHT DIVISION DEVICE AND IMAGE APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20090323194A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lin, Hui-Hsiung, Lee, Chi-Hung, Pao, Yu-Nan
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/639
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1006 for splitting or combining different wavelengths G02B27/1086, G02B27/141 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1053 having a single light modulator for all colour channels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1086 operating by diffraction only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133621 providing coloured light G02F1/133617, G02F1/133533 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133623 Inclined coloured light beams
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/30 grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/24 beam steering

Abstract

A composite light dividing device is provided. The composite light dividing device receives a light beam mixed by lights of at least two wavebands. The composite light dividing device includes a refracting/diffracting unit, and a refracting unit. The refracting/diffracting unit is adapted for receiving the light beam and condensing the light beam into a condensed light beam, and dividing the condensed light beam at a deflection direction to obtain the lights of the wavebands. The refracting unit is adapted for deflecting the divided lights of the wavebands for outputting them from a specific direction. The composite light dividing device for example can be used in an image apparatus, and the divided lights of the wavebands can serve as primary color lights of the pixel colors.

Claims

1. A composite light dividing device, receiving a light beam mixed by lights of a plurality of wavebands, the composite light dividing device comprising:

a refracting/diffracting unit, having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the refracting/diffracting unit comprising;

a plurality of micro-lenses configured on the first surface for condensing the received light beam into a condensed light beam; and

a periodical grating structure configured on the second surface, for dividing the condensed light beam at a deflection direction; and

a refracting unit comprising a refracting structure, for deflecting the divided lights of the different wavebands to output at a specific direction.

2. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the light beam comprises lights of red, green, and blue wavebands.

3. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the refracting structure of the refracting unit is an one-dimensional or a two-dimensional refracting structure.

4. The composite light dividing device according to claim 3, wherein the refracting structure of the refracting unit is a grating structure having a period within a range of 0.1 to 10λ

.

5. The composite light dividing device according to claim 3, wherein the refracting structure of the refracting unit is a prism structure having a period within a range of 5 to 2000λ

.

6. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the refracting structure further comprises a refraction sub-structure in each region corresponding to each of the waveband lights.

7. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the refracting/diffracting unit is made of a polarization material.

8. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the refracting unit is made of a polarization material.

9. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, further comprising a polarization layer disposed in front of the refracting/diffracting unit, so that the light beam enters the polarization layer before entering the refracting/diffracting unit.

10. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, further comprising a polarization layer disposed between the refracting/diffracting unit and the refracting unit, so that the divided lights of the wavebands enters the polarization layer before entering the refracting unit.

11. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein a period and a structure of the periodic grating structure of the refracting/diffracting unit are different from that the refracting structure of the refracting unit, or at least one of the period and the structure of the periodic grating structure of the refracting/diffracting unit is equivalent to that the refracting structure of the refracting unit.

12. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the micro-lenses of the refracting/diffracting unit are micro diffraction lenses having a same shape, and the micro diffraction lenses are condensing micro diffraction lenses.

13. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the micro-lenses of the refracting/diffracting unit are periodically arranged convex lenses having a positive curvature and a period within a range of 5 to 2000λ

.

14. The composite light dividing device according to claim 13, wherein the micro-lenses of the refracting/diffracting unit are one-dimensional cylindrical lenses or two-dimensional lenses.

15. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the periodic grating structure of the refracting/diffracting unit is a polygonal structure or a wedge structure.

16. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the periodic grating structure of the refracting/diffracting unit is an one-dimensional grating structure or a two-dimensional grating structure having a period within a range of 0.1 to 10λ

.

17. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the refracting structure of the refracting unit is configured at an incident end of the refracting unit from where the divided lights of the wavebands enter the refracting unit, or at an output end of the refracting unit from where the divided lights of the wavebands are outputted from the refracting unit.

18. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein an output direction of the divided lights of the wavebands configures an angle with an incident direction of the light beam, the angle ranging from 0°

to 60°

.

19. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein a distance from the second surface of the refracting/diffracting unit to the refracting unit is within a range of 0.1 mm to 30 mm.

20. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein the light beam incident to the composite light dividing device is a polarizing light beam, or a non-polarizing light beam.

21. The composite light dividing device according to claim 1, wherein air or a transparent material layer is provided between the refracting/diffracting unit and the refracting unit.