Two-Mirror Scanning System

• US 20100245957A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Dean R., Davis, Wyatt O., Hudman, Joshua M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/201.100
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3173 wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability

Abstract

A scanning beam projection system includes a two-mirror scanning system. One mirror scans in one direction, and a second mirror scans in a second direction. A fast scan mirror receives a modulated light beam from a fold mirror and directs the modulated light beam to a slow can mirror. The fold mirror may be formed on an output optic or may be formed on a common substrate with the slow scan mirror.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a first scan mirror coupled to, and nominally parallel to, the substrate and operable to have a variable angular displacement in a first dimension;

a fold mirror positioned on, and parallel to, the substrate; and

a second scan mirror positioned to receive light reflected from the fold mirror and to reflect light to the first scan mirror, the second scan mirror operable to have an angular displacement in a second dimension substantially 90 degrees from the first dimension.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a silicon substrate and the fold mirror comprises a reflective surface on the silicon substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first scan mirror comprises a micro-electromechanical machine (MEMS) scanning platform.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second fold mirror to reflect an input light beam to the fold mirror positioned on the substrate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an output optic.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the second fold mirror is affixed to the output optic.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first scan mirror has a noncircular shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first scan mirror has a nonrectangular shape.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a first fold mirror to reflect an input light beam;

a second fold mirror to reflect light received from the first fold mirror;

a fast scan mirror positioned to receive light from the second fold mirror and provide a light beam scanned in a first dimension; and

a slow scan mirror positioned to receive the light beam from the fast scan mirror and to provide a light beam scanned in a second dimension, wherein the slow scan mirror and the second fold mirror are coupled to a common substrate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the slow scan mirror comprises a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device formed out of the common substrate.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second fold mirror comprises a reflective portion of the common substrate.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the slow scan mirror further comprises a reflective element bonded to the MEMS device.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the input light beam is substantially parallel to the fast scan mirror when at rest.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an output optic.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first fold mirror is affixed to the output optic.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the slow scan mirror has a noncircular shape.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the slow scan mirror has a nonrectangular shape.

18. A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprising:

a substrate;

a scanning platform coupled to the substrate, the scanning platform operable to have a variable angular displacement with respect to the substrate; and

a fixed mirror on the substrate.

19. The MEMS device of claim 18 further comprising a reflective device coupled to the scanning platform.

20. The MEMS device of claim 19 wherein the reflective device comprises a reflective coating applied to the scanning platform.

21. The MEMS device of claim 19 wherein the reflective device comprises a mirror coupled to the scanning platform.

22. The MEMS device of claim 18 wherein the fixed mirror on the substrate comprises a reflective coating applied to the substrate.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a fold mirror to reflect an input light beam;

a first scan mirror positioned to receive light from the fold mirror and provide a light beam scanned in a first dimension;

a second scan mirror positioned to receive the light beam from the first scan mirror and to provide a light beam scanned in a second dimension; and

an output optic positioned to intersect the light beam from the second scan mirror, wherein the fold mirror is positioned on the output optic.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the output optic comprises a wedge.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the first scan mirror is operable to scan faster than the second scan mirror.

26. A mobile projection device comprising:

a laser light source to produce modulated laser light;

a first fold mirror to reflect the modulated laser light;

a second fold mirror to reflect light received from the first fold mirror;

a first scan mirror positioned to receive light from the second fold mirror; and

a second scan mirror positioned to receive the light beam from the first scan mirror, wherein the second scan mirror and the second fold mirror are coupled to a common substrate.

27. The mobile projection device of claim 26 wherein the second scan mirror comprises a MEMS device formed out of the common substrate.

28. The mobile projection device of claim 27 wherein the second fold mirror comprises a reflective portion of the common substrate.