Method and apparatus for modulating a light beam
First Claim
1. A modulator for modulating an incident beam of light, comprising:
- a plurality of elongated elements, each including a light reflective planar surface, the elements being arranged parallel to each other and with the light reflective surfaces of the elements lying in one or more parallel planes;
means for supporting the elements in relation to one another; and
means for moving a first set of the elements in a direction normal to said planes and relative to a second set of the elements, and between a first modulator configuration wherein said first and second sets act to reflect the incident beam of light as a plane mirror, and a second modulator configuration wherein said first and second sets diffract the incident beam of light as it is reflected from the surfaces of the elements.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modulator for modulating an incident beam of light, the modulator comprising a plurality of equally spaced-apart elements, each of which includes a light-reflective planar surface. The elements are arranged parallel to each other with their light-reflective surfaces parallel to each other. The modulator includes means for supporting the elements in relation to one another and means for moving particular ones of the elements relative to others so that the moved elements transit between a first configuration wherein the modulator acts to reflect the incident beam of light as a plane mirror, and a second configuration wherein the modulator diffracts the light reflected therefrom. In operation the light-reflective surfaces of the elements remain parallel to each other in both the first and second configurations. The perpendicular spacing between the reflective surfaces of the respective elements is equal to m/4 × the wavelength of the incident beam of light, wherein m equals an even whole number or zero when the elements are in the first configuration and m equals an odd whole number when the elements are in the second configuration.
792 Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A modulator for modulating an incident beam of light, comprising:
-
a plurality of elongated elements, each including a light reflective planar surface, the elements being arranged parallel to each other and with the light reflective surfaces of the elements lying in one or more parallel planes; means for supporting the elements in relation to one another; and means for moving a first set of the elements in a direction normal to said planes and relative to a second set of the elements, and between a first modulator configuration wherein said first and second sets act to reflect the incident beam of light as a plane mirror, and a second modulator configuration wherein said first and second sets diffract the incident beam of light as it is reflected from the surfaces of the elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A modulator for modulating a beam of incident light, comprising;
-
means forming a first planar light reflective surface; a grating having means forming a plurality of second planar light reflective surfaces, the grating being arranged with its second reflective surfaces lying in a plane parallel to and spaced from the first planar reflective surface in a direction normal thereto; and means for moving the grating in a direction normal to said first planar reflective surface and into a position closer thereto while maintaining the second reflective surfaces of the grating substantially parallel to the first planar reflective surface; whereby, when the spacing between the respective first and second light reflective surfaces is equal to m/4 times a particular wavelength of the incident light and m=an even whole number or zero, the modulator acts to reflect the incident light as a plane mirror, and when m=an odd whole number the modulator diffracts the incident light as it reflects it, thereby providing modulation of the beam. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A modulator for modulating an incident beam of light, comprising:
-
a plurality of equally spaced apart elements, each including a light reflective planar surface, the elements being arranged parallel to each other and with the light reflective surfaces of the elements lying in a first plane; means for supporting the elements in relation to one another; and means for moving alternate ones of the elements relative to the other elements and between a first configuration wherein all elements lie in the first plane and the modulator acts to reflect the incident beam of light as a plane mirror, and a second configuration wherein alternate elements lie in a second plane parallel to the first plane and the modulator diffracts the incident beam of light as it is reflected from the planar surfaces of the elements. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A method of modulating a beam of light, comprising the steps of:
-
causing the beam to impinge upon a plurality of equally spaced apart elements, each including an elongated, light reflective planar surface, the elements being arranged parallel to each other and with the light reflective surfaces of the elements being parallel to each other; and moving some of the elements relative to others between a first configuration wherein the the incident beam of light is reflected as by a plane mirror, and a second configuration wherein the the incident beam of light is diffracted as it is reflected from the elements. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. In a light modulating device including an array of individual light modulators for modulating an incident beam of light to generate an image, each pixel of which has a chromatic and/or luminous characteristic corresponding to a physical characteristic of a corresponding modulator in the array, an improved modulator comprising:
-
a plurality of elongated elements, each including a light reflective planar surface, the elements being arranged parallel to each other and with the light reflective surfaces of the elements lying in one or more parallel planes; means for supporting the elements in relation to one another; and means for moving a first set of the elements in a direction normal to said planes and relative to a second set of the elements and between a first modulator configuration wherein said first and second sets act to reflect the incident beam of light as a plane mirror, and a second modulator configuration wherein said first and second sets diffract the incident beam of light as it is reflected from the surfaces of the elements.
-
-
38. In a light modulating device including an array of individual light modulators for modulating an incident beam of light to generate an image, each pixel of which has a chromatic and/or luminous characteristic corresponding to a physical characteristic of a corresponding modulator in the array, an improved modulator comprising:
-
means forming a first planar light reflective surface; a grating having means forming a plurality of second planar light reflective surfaces, the grating being arranged with its second reflective surfaces lying in a plane parallel to and spaced from the first planar reflective surface in a direction normal thereto; and means for moving the grating in a direction normal to said first planar reflective surface while maintaining the second reflective surfaces of the grating substantially parallel to the first planar reflective surface; whereby, when the spacing between the respective first and second light reflective surfaces is equal to m/4 times a particular wavelength of the incident light and m=an even whole number or zero, the modulator acts to reflect the particular wavelength of the incident light as a plane mirror, and when m=an odd whole number the modulator diffracts the particular wavelength of the beam of incident light as it reflects it, thereby providing modulation of the beam.
-
-
39. In a light modulating device including an array of individual light modulators for modulating an incident beam of light to generate an image, each pixel of which has a chromatic and/or luminous characteristic corresponding to a physical characteristic of a corresponding modulator in the array, an improved modulator comprising:
-
a plurality of equally spaced apart elements, each including a light reflective planar surface, the elements being arranged parallel to each other and with the light reflective surfaces of the elements lying in a first plane; means for supporting the elements in relation to one another; and means for moving alternate ones of the elements relative to the other elements and between a first configuration wherein all elements lie in the first plane and the modulator acts to reflect the incident beam of light as a plane mirror, and a second configuration wherein alternate elements lie in a second plane parallel to the first plane and the modulator diffracts the incident beam of light as it is reflected from the planar surfaces of the elements.
-
-
40. In a light modulating device including an array of individual light modulators for modulating an incident beam of light to generate an image, each pixel of which has a chromatic and/or luminous characteristic corresponding to a physical characteristic of a corresponding modulator in the array, an improved modulator including at least three modulation components each of which is comprised of:
-
a plurality of elongated elements, each including a light reflective planar surface, the elements being arranged parallel to each other and with the light reflective surfaces of the elements lying in one or more parallel planes; means for supporting the elements in relation to one another; and means for moving a first set of the elements in a direction normal to said planes and relative to a second set of the elements and between a first modulator configuration wherein said first and second sets act to reflect the incident beam of light as a plane mirror, and a second modulator configuration wherein said first and second sets diffract the incident beam of light as it is reflected from the surfaces of the several elements, each said modulation component being designed to diffract a different color into an optical system when illuminated with a beam of white light.
-
-
41. In a light modulating device including an array of individual light modulators for modulating an incident beam of light to generate an image, each pixel of which has a chromatic and/or luminous characteristic corresponding to a physical characteristic of a corresponding modulator in the array, an improved modulator including at least three modulation components each of which is comprised of:
-
means forming a first planar light reflective surface; a grating having means forming a plurality of second planar light reflective surfaces, the grating being arranged with its second reflective surfaces lying in a plane parallel to and spaced from the first planar reflective surface in a direction normal thereto; and means for moving the grating in a direction normal to said first planar reflective surface while maintaining the second reflective surfaces of the grating substantially parallel to the first planar reflective surface; whereby, when the spacing between the respective first and second light reflective surfaces is equal to m/4 times a particular wavelength of the incident light and m=an even whole number or zero, the modulator acts to reflect the particular wavelength of the incident light as a plane mirror, and when m=an odd whole number the modulator diffracts the particular wavelength of the beam of incident light as it reflects it, thereby providing modulation of the beam, each said modulation component being designed to diffract a different color into an optical system when illuminated with a beam of white light.
-
-
42. In a light modulating device including an array of individual light modulators for modulating an incident beam of light to generate an image, each pixel of which has a chromatic and/or luminous characteristic corresponding to a physical characteristic of a corresponding modulator in the array, an improved modulator including at least three modulation components each of which is comprised of:
-
a plurality of equally spaced apart elements, each including a light reflective planar surface, the elements being arranged parallel to each other and with the light reflective surfaces of the elements lying in a first plane; means for supporting the elements in relation to one another; and means for moving alternate ones of the elements relative to the other elements and between a first configuration wherein all elements lie in the first plane and the modulator acts to reflect the incident beam of light as a plane mirror, and a second configuration wherein alternate elements lie in a second plane parallel to the first plane and the modulator diffracts the incident beam of light as it is reflected from the planar surfaces of the elements, each said modulation component being designed to diffract a different color into an optical system when illuminated with a beam of white light.
-
Specification