Color picture projection system with a wavelength-selective reflector for filtering out undesired light from a monochrome picture display source

• US 4,679,069 A
• Filed: 07/13/1984
• Issued: 07/07/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: North American Philips Corp. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), NAP Consumer Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lubchenko, Eugene, Andrea, Johan, Bradley, Ralph H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/630,629
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 358/60, 358/61, 358/62, 358/63, 358/231, 358/232, 358/233, 358/234, 358/235, 358/236, 358/237, 358/238, 358/239, 358/64, 352/57, 352/59, 352/60, 352/66, 352/67, 353/7, 353/30, 353/33, 353/34, 353/37
• US Class Current: 348/779
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/31 Projection devices for colour picture display , e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]

Abstract

In a color picture projection system three monochrome pictures are superimposed to form a color display on a projection screen by means of a chromatic projection lens system in each of three channels. Each channel has a reflector to fold the light path. Since at least one monochrome picture (e.g. the blue picture) includes radiation within a desired band of wavelengths corresponding to its associated color and radiation outside of this desired band, the reflector in this channel is wavelength-selective and reflects only the radiation within the desired band towards the projection screen. The undesired radiation is transmitted through the reflector so that it does not reach the projection screen. Achromatic lenses are therefore not required.

Claims

1. A color picture projection system comprising:

means for displaying a color picture consitituted by a first, a second and a third monochrome picture superimposed upon one another;

first, second and third monochrome picture display means for generating, respectively, a first, a second and a third monochrome picture comprising, respectively, a first, a second and a third band of desired wavelengths;

a first, a second and a third projection lens system arranged between said color picture displaying means and, respectively, said first, second and third monochrome picture display means, for projecting, respectively, said first, second and third monochrome pictures along, respectively, a first, a second and a third light path towards said color picture displaying means; and

first and second optical means arranged between said color picture displaying means and said first and second monochrome picture display means, respectively, for, respectively, folding said first light path and said second light path, said first optical means comprising wavelength-selective reflector means external to said second and third light paths for reflecting only wavelengths within said first band of desired wavelengths towards said color picture displaying means.

2. A color picture projection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wavelength-selective reflector means is a dichroic mirror.

3. A color picture projection system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said dichroic mirror has a front surface for reflecting light and a back surface;

further comprising a light absorbing layer on said back surface.

4. A color picture projection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wavelength-selective reflector means comprises a dichroic mirror having a glass substrate and a plurality of layers deposited on said glass substrate, said plurality of layers comprising layers made of TiO₂ and layers made of SiO₂.

5. A color picture projection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first, second and third monochrome pictures are, respectively, a blue, a green and a red picture.

6. A color picture projection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first, second and third monochrome pictures are, respectively, a green, a blue and a red picture.

7. A color picture projection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second optical means comprises wavelength-selective reflector means external to said first and third light paths for reflecting only wavelengths within said second band of desired wavelengths towards said color picture displaying means.

8. A color picture projection system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first, second and third monochrome pictures are, respectively, a blue, a green and a red picture.

9. A color picture projection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first projection lens system comprises a first and a second lens group;

and wherein said wavelength-selective reflector means is arranged between said first and second lens groups for reflecting only said wavelengths within said first band of desired wavelengths from said first to said second lens group.

10. A color picture projection system having a red optical channel, a green optical channel, and a blue optical channel, a projection screen common to all of said channels, said red, green and blue channels comprising, respectively, red, green and blue monochrome picture display means generating, respectively, a red picture, a green picture and a blue picture, each of said channels further comprising a projection lens system for projecting respective ones of said red, green and blue pictures onto said projection screen, superimposition of said red, green and blue pictures on said projection screen constituting said color picture, said red, green and blue optical channels each further comprising a reflector arranged between the respective projection lens system and said projection screen for folding the respective optical channel,

and wherein said reflector in said blue channel is a wavelength-selective reflector reflecting only wavelengths to be transmitted in said blue channel.

11. A color picture projection system having a red optical channel, a green optical channel and a blue optical channel, a projection screen common to all of said channels, said red, green and blue channels comprising, respectively, red, green and blue monochrome picture display means generating, respectively, a red picture, a green picture and a blue picture, each of said channels further comprising a projection lens system for projecting respective ones of said red, green and blue pictures onto said projection screen, superimpositon of said red, green and blue pictures on said projection screen constituting said color picture, said red, green and blue optical channels each further comprising a reflector arranged between the respective projection lens system and said projection screen for folding the respective optical channel,

and wherein said reflector in said green channel is a wavelength-selective reflector reflecting only wavelengths to be transmitted in said green channel.