DUAL TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION POLARIZING BEAMSPLITTER
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A dual total internal reflection (TIR) prism, comprising:
- an input prism having an entrance surface, a first gap surface, and a first exit surface;
a wedge prism having an output surface and a second gap surface, the second gap surface separated from the first gap surface by a gap;
an output prism having an input surface and a second exit surface; and
a reflective polarizer disposed between the output surface and the input surface,wherein the input prism, the wedge prism, the reflective polarizer and the output prism are configured to pass a first polarization direction of an incident optical beam from the entrance surface to the second exit surface, and to pass a second polarization direction of the incident optical beam from the entrance surface to the first exit surface.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dual TIR prism has an input prism, a wedge prism, an output prism, and a reflective polarizer. The dual TIR prism is configured to receive an optical beam at an entrance surface, to pass the first polarization direction of the received optical beam from a second exit surface, and to output the second polarization direction of the received optical beam from a first exit surface of the input prism.
25 Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A dual total internal reflection (TIR) prism, comprising:
-
an input prism having an entrance surface, a first gap surface, and a first exit surface; a wedge prism having an output surface and a second gap surface, the second gap surface separated from the first gap surface by a gap; an output prism having an input surface and a second exit surface; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the output surface and the input surface, wherein the input prism, the wedge prism, the reflective polarizer and the output prism are configured to pass a first polarization direction of an incident optical beam from the entrance surface to the second exit surface, and to pass a second polarization direction of the incident optical beam from the entrance surface to the first exit surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 8, 9)
-
-
3-4. -4. (canceled)
-
6-7. -7. (canceled)
-
10. A method of splitting polarized light, comprising:
-
transmitting a first polarization direction of an optical beam from an entrance surface of an input prism, through a wedge prism, a reflective polarizer, and an output prism; transmitting a second polarization direction of the optical beam from the entrance surface of the input prism, and through the wedge prism, to intersect the reflective polarizer; reflecting the second polarization direction of the optical beam from the reflective polarizer; transmitting the second polarization direction of the optical beam through a gap between the wedge prism and the input prism; and outputting the second polarization direction of the optical beam through one of a first exit surface and the entrance surface of the input prism. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
-
13. A projection system, comprising:
-
a dual TIR prism, comprising; an input prism having an entrance surface, a first gap surface, and a first exit surface; a wedge prism having an output surface and a second gap surface, the second gap surface separated from the first gap surface by a gap; an output prism having an input surface and a second exit surface; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the output surface and the input surface, wherein the input prism, the wedge prism, the reflective polarizer and the output prism are configured to pass a first polarization direction of an incident optical beam from the entrance surface to the second exit surface, and to pass a second polarization direction of the incident optical beam from the entrance surface to the first exit surface; and a light source disposed to transmit the incident optical beam to the entrance surface. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A projection system, comprising:
-
a first, a second, and a third dual TIR prism, each comprising; an input prism having an entrance surface, a first gap surface, and a first exit surface; a wedge prism having an output surface and a second gap surface, the second gap surface separated from the first gap surface by a gap; an output prism having an input surface and a second exit surface; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the output surface and the input surface, wherein the input prism, the wedge prism, the reflective polarizer and the output prism are configured to pass a first polarization direction of an incident optical beam from the entrance surface to the second exit surface, and to pass a second polarization direction of the incident optical beam from the entrance surface to the first exit surface; a first, a second, and a third light source disposed to emit a first, a second, and a third incident optical beam to the entrance surface of the first, the second, and the third dual TIR prism, respectively; and a first, a second, and a third liquid crystal panel disposed to intercept the first, the second, and the third incident optical beam, respectively, and to transmit pixelated portions having the first polarization direction to a color combiner positioned to receive and combine the transmitted pixelated portions of the first, second and third colors and to direct the combined pixelated portions to a projection lens.
-
-
19-26. -26. (canceled)
-
27. A method to project light from an optical system comprising a dual TIR prism, the method comprising:
-
directing light from at least one light source to at least one dual TIR prism; transmitting a first polarization direction of light from the at least one dual TIR prism to a projection lens; and outputting a second polarization direction of light from a first exit surface of the at least one dual TIR prism. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
-
-
30. (canceled)
-
31. A dual TIR prism, comprising:
-
an input prism having an entrance surface, a first gap surface, and a first exit surface, an angle being formed between the entrance surface and the first gap surface; a glass plate having an output surface and a second gap surface, the second gap surface separated from and substantially parallel to the first gap surface, wherein a gap is formed between the first and second gap surfaces; an output prism having an input surface and a second exit surface, the second exit surface substantially parallel to the entrance surface; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the output surface and the input surface, wherein the input prism, the glass plate, the reflective polarizer and the output prism are configured to receive an optical beam at the entrance surface, to pass a first polarization direction of the received optical beam from the second exit surface to a transmissive liquid crystal device, and to output a second polarization direction of the received optical beam from the first exit surface of the input prism. - View Dependent Claims (32)
-
-
33. (canceled)
Specification