LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE AND PROJECTION DEVICE

• US 20150241614A1
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Ide, Masafumi, Fukaya, Shinpei, Yoda, Kaoru
• Granted Patent: US 9,297,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/50 the image being built up from image elements distributed over a 3D volume, e.g. voxels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0005 the light guides being of the fibre type G02B6/0003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/08 with fibre bundle in form of plate
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3822 with beveled fibre ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/40 having fibre bundle mating means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres

Abstract

Provided is a light source device having optical fiber arrays arranged so that different sets of RGB laser lights are focused at different depth positions, while enhancing the efficiency of light utilization. The light source device includes a plurality of optical devices each of which generate red, green, or blue laser light, a plurality of first, second, and third optical fibers through each of which the red, green, or blue laser light from a corresponding one of the plurality of optical devices is guided, and a fiber bundle combiner which forms a fiber bundle by fixedly holding together end portions of the plurality of first, second, and third optical fibers in such a manner that a plurality of optical fiber sets, each comprising three optical fibers one from the first optical fibers, one from the second optical fibers, and one from the third optical fibers, are stacked in layers.

Claims

1. A light source device comprising:

a plurality of first optical devices which generate red laser light;

a plurality of first optical fibers through each of which the red laser light from a corresponding one of the plurality of first optical devices is guided;

a plurality of second optical devices which generate green laser light;

a plurality of second optical fibers through each of which the green laser light from a corresponding one of the plurality of second optical devices is guided;

a plurality of third optical devices which generate blue laser light;

a plurality of third optical fibers through each of which the blue laser light from a corresponding one of the plurality of third optical devices is guided; and

a fiber bundle combiner which forms a fiber bundle by fixedly holding together end portions of the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers in such a manner that a plurality of optical fiber sets, each comprising three optical fibers one from the plurality of first optical fibers, one from the plurality of second optical fibers, and one from the plurality of third optical fibers, are stacked in layers,

wherein the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers emit laser lights from exit end faces thereof so that the laser lights from different ones of the plurality of optical fiber sets are focused at different depth positions, and

a GI fiber whose length is different for each of the optical fiber sets is fused to the end portion of each of the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers.

5. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein the fiber bundle combiner fixedly holds together the optical fibers so that the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers form a hexagonal closest packed lattice in a cross section taken perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the fiber bundle, and

the plurality of optical fiber sets stacked in layers are each arranged in a direction tilted by 60 degrees with respect to a direction in which the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers are respectively arranged.

6. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein the fiber bundle combiner fixedly holds together the optical fibers so that the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers form a tetragonal lattice in a cross section taken perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the fiber bundle, and

the plurality of optical fiber sets stacked in layers are each arranged in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers are respectively arranged.

7. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein exit optical axes of the first optical fiber, second optical fiber, and third optical fiber in each of the optical fiber sets are oriented in the same order and in parallel to each other within the same plane.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

8. A projection device comprising:

a light source unit which emits a plurality of sets of red, green, and blue laser lights; and

a projecting unit which deflects and scans each of the plurality of sets of the laser lights in a two-dimensional manner and thereby projects images formed by the plurality of sets of the laser lights onto different depth positions, wherein

the light source unit comprises;

a plurality of first optical devices which emit red laser light;

a plurality of first optical fibers through each of which the red laser light from a corresponding one of the plurality of first optical devices is guided;

a plurality of second optical devices which emit green laser light;

a plurality of second optical fibers through each of which the green laser light from a corresponding one of the plurality of second optical devices is guided;

a plurality of third optical devices which emit blue laser light;

a plurality of third optical fibers through each of which the blue laser light from a corresponding one of the plurality of third optical devices is guided; and

a fiber bundle combiner which forms a fiber bundle by fixedly holding together end portions of the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers in such a manner that a plurality of optical fiber sets, each comprising three optical fibers one from the plurality of first optical fibers, one from the plurality of second optical fibers, and one from the plurality of third optical fibers, are stacked in layers, wherein

each of the optical fiber sets emits one of the plurality of sets of the laser lights,

the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers emit laser lights from exit end faces thereof so that the laser lights from different ones of the plurality of optical fiber sets are focused at different depth positions, and

a GI fiber whose length is different for each of the optical fiber sets is fused to the end portion of each of the plurality of first optical fibers, the plurality of second optical fibers, and the plurality of third optical fibers.