Active Mask Projector Providing Diffracted Light with Animation and Non-Random Patterns

• US 20110157483A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Reichow, Mark A., Joseph, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,894,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/740
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/22 Processes or apparatus for obtaining an optical image from holograms G03H1/26 - G03H1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2205 using downstream optical component
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2218 being perpendicular to optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/261 in optical contact
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2222/15 Ultra Violet [UV]
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/12 Amplitude mask, e.g. diaphragm, Louver filter
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/54 Filtering the holobject information
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/18 involving the use of optical projection means, e.g. projection of images on clouds projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3161 using laser light sources using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3197 using light modulating optical valves

Abstract

A projector for projecting diffracted light in a selectable pattern and/or animation on a display surface. The apparatus includes a light source providing one or more beams of coherent light from one or more lasers. The apparatus includes a diffraction assembly in the path of the light source to generate diffracted light by diffracting the laser light with one, two, or more diffraction grating patterns and, optionally, with a diffraction glass or other material. An active mask is provided with a raster that receives the diffracted light and that includes a plurality of optical shutter elements that are selectively operable to project a portion of the diffracted light from the active mask toward the display surface. In one example, the active mask includes a liquid crystal display panel to provide a grid of addressable programmable pixels that are turned on and off to project portions of the diffracted light.

Claims

1. An apparatus for projecting light in a pattern on a display surface, comprising:

a light source outputting light;

a diffraction assembly diffracting the output light to generate diffracted light; and

an active mask with a raster receiving the diffracted light from the diffraction assembly, the raster comprising a plurality of optical shutter elements selectively operable to project a portion of the diffracted light received by the raster for projection from the active mask.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical shutter elements comprise a grid of addressable pixels selectively operable to pass the portion of the diffracted light toward the display surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a controller providing control data defining sets of the addressable pixels to define a series of patterns in the raster for projecting the portion of the diffracted light, whereby a location and pattern for the projected light is defined by the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the location or the pattern for the projected light is modified over time by the control data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the active mask comprises a liquid crystal (LC) panel and wherein the shuttering elements comprise addressable pixels that are operable to be selectively opaque and transparent to project or to selective reflect or block the portion of the diffracted light.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a controller with providing a video to define the portion of the diffracted light and a driver for converting the video into a set of the addressable pixels to be transparent to the diffracted light received by the raster.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a laser, wherein the diffraction assembly comprises a first disk with at least two diffraction grating patterns and a second disk with at least two diffraction grating patterns, and wherein two of the diffraction grating patterns in the first and second disks are aligned to sequentially diffract the output light to generate the diffracted light.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diffraction assembly comprises a first disk with a diffraction grating pattern and a second disk with a differing diffraction grating pattern, wherein the output light from the light source is directed through the diffraction grating patterns of the first and second disks, and wherein the diffraction assembly comprises a motor linked to the second disk rotating the second disk to generate the diffracted light.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises at least one laser providing the output light, wherein the diffraction assembly comprises a first diffraction grating pattern, a second diffraction grating pattern, and a sheet of diffraction material, and wherein the output light is directed sequentially through the first diffraction grating pattern, the second diffraction grating pattern, and the diffraction material to generate the diffracted light provided to the raster.

10. A projector, comprising:

a source of coherent light; and

a diffraction assembly comprising a first diffraction grating pattern first diffracting the coherent light and a second diffraction grating pattern second diffracting the coherent light, wherein the second diffraction grating pattern differs from the first diffracting grating pattern.

11. The projector of claim 10, wherein the diffraction assembly further comprises a first rotatable disk including the first diffraction grating pattern and a second rotatable disk including the second diffraction grating pattern and wherein the diffraction assembly further includes at least one motor for selectively rotating the first and second disks to align the first and second diffraction grating patterns in a path of the coherent light.

12. The projector of claim 11, wherein the first and second rotatable disks each further comprise additional diffraction grating patterns differing from the first and second diffraction grating patterns.

13. The projector of claim 11, wherein the motor is operable to rotate the second disk in an ongoing manner to diffract the coherent light.

14. The projector of claim 10, wherein the diffraction assembly further comprises a sheet of diffraction material in the path of the coherent light to further diffract the coherent light after it passes through the second diffraction grating pattern.

15. The projector of claim 10, further comprising an active mask with a grid of addressable pixels selectively operable to block or pass through the coherent light passing through the diffraction assembly, whereby the projector is operable to project a pattern of diffracted light with a selectable shape, size, and location that may be modified over time by operation of the active mask.

16. A projection method, comprising:

providing an active mask with a raster including a grid of optical shutter elements in a path of light;

defining a projection pattern; and

based on the projection pattern, operating a first set of the optical shutter elements to block the light and a second set of the optical shutter elements to pass the light through the active mask.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the active mask comprises a LC panel and the optical shutter elements comprise a grid of addressable pixels and wherein the defining of the projection pattern comprises programming addresses of the pixels to define the first and second sets.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising operating at least one laser to provide the light in the path.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, with an initial diffraction grating pattern, first diffracting the light in the path into a plurality of beams and, with a secondary diffraction grating pattern differing from the initial diffraction grating pattern, second diffracting the plurality of beams.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second diffracting comprises moving the secondary diffraction grating pattern transverse to the path of the light.