Image display apparatus
First Claim
1. An image display apparatus comprising:
- a radiation source;
a generator for generating an image by modulating a polarized beam; and
directing means for directing a beam from said radiation source to said generator;
wherein said directing means comprises a conversion optical system for converting the beam from said radiation source into said polarized beam,wherein said conversion optical system includes a polarizing beam splitter for splitting the beam from said radiation source into a first beam and a second beam of mutually orthogonal polarization directions and an arrangement of a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror for changing the direction of polarization of said first beam to generate a third beam of a polarization direction the same as that of said second beam and for directing said third beam to said polarizing beam splitter,wherein said first beam is formed by reflecting one portion of the beam from said radiation source with a beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter and said second beam is formed by transmitting an another portion of the beam from said radiation source through the beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter, andwherein said conversion optical system generates said third beam without redirecting said first beam to said radiation source and directs said second and third beams to said generator.
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Abstract
An image display apparatus has a radiation source, generator for generating an image by modulating a polarized light beam and directing device for directing a light beam from the radiation source toward the generator. The directing device has a conversion optical system for converting the beam from the radiation source into the polarized light beam. The conversion optical system has a polarizing beam splitter for splitting the beam from the radiation source into a first and second beams. In the conversion optical system, a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror are arranged so that the plane of polarization of the first beam is rotated to generate a third beam with the plane of polarization same as that of the second beam. The third beam is directed toward the generator through the polarizing beam splitter while the second beam is also directed toward the generator.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An image display apparatus comprising:
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a radiation source; a generator for generating an image by modulating a polarized beam; and directing means for directing a beam from said radiation source to said generator; wherein said directing means comprises a conversion optical system for converting the beam from said radiation source into said polarized beam, wherein said conversion optical system includes a polarizing beam splitter for splitting the beam from said radiation source into a first beam and a second beam of mutually orthogonal polarization directions and an arrangement of a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror for changing the direction of polarization of said first beam to generate a third beam of a polarization direction the same as that of said second beam and for directing said third beam to said polarizing beam splitter, wherein said first beam is formed by reflecting one portion of the beam from said radiation source with a beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter and said second beam is formed by transmitting an another portion of the beam from said radiation source through the beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter, and wherein said conversion optical system generates said third beam without redirecting said first beam to said radiation source and directs said second and third beams to said generator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An image display apparatus comprising:
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a radiation source; a generator for generating an image by modulating a polarized beam; and directing means for directing a beam from said radiation source to said generator; wherein said directing means comprises a collimator for substantially collimating the beam from said radiation source and a conversion optical system for converting the collimated beam into said polarized beam, and wherein said conversion optical system includes a polarizing beam splitter provided with a splitting surface, inclined to the optical axis of said collimator, for splitting said collimated beam by transmitting the P-polarized beam thereof and reflecting the S-polarized beam thereof; and
arrangement of a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror for changing the polarization direction of said S-polarized beam to cause the polarization direction thereof to be coincident with the polarization direction of said P-polarized beam and directing said S-polarized beam to a predetermined direction through said polarizing beam splitter without redirecting said S-polarized beam to said radiation source; and
an auxiliary mirror for reflectively deflecting said P-polarized beam to said predetermined direction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An image display apparatus comprising:
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a radiation source; a generator for generating an image by modulating a polarized beam; and directing means for directing a beam from said radiation source to said generator; wherein said directing means comprises a collimator for substantially collimating the beam from said radiation source and a conversion optical system for converting the thus collimated beam into said polarized beam, and wherein said conversion optical system includes a polarizing beam splitter provided with a splitting surface, inclined to the optical axis of said collimator, for splitting said collimated beam by transmitting the P-polarized beam thereof and reflecting the S-polarized beam thereof into a predetermined direction;
a second polarizing beam splitter provided with a splitting surface inclined to the optical axis of said collimator; and
an arrangement of a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror for receiving said P-polarized beam through said second beam splitter, changing the polarization direction of said P-polarized beam to cause the polarization direction thereof to be coincident with the polarization direction of said S-polarized beam so as to form a second S-polarized beam, and causing said second polarizing beam splitter to reflect said second S-polarized beam toward said predetermined direction without redirecting said P-polarized beam to said radiation source. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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22. An image display apparatus comprising:
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a radiation source; a generator for generating an image by modulating a polarized beam; and directing means for directing the beam from said radiation source to said generator; wherein said directing means comprises a collimator for substantially collimating the beam from said radiation source and a conversion optical system for converting the thus collimated beam into said polarized beam; and wherein said conversion optical system includes a polarizing beam splitter provided with a splitting surface, inclined to the optical axis of said collimator, for splitting said collimated beam by transmitting the P-polarized beam thereof to a predetermined direction and reflecting the S-polarized beam thereof, an arrangement of a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror for changing the polarization direction of said S-polarized beam to cause the polarization direction of said S-polarized beam to be coincident with the polarization direction of said P-polarized beam so as to form a second P-polarized beam and directing said second P-polarized beam to said polarizing beam splitter, without redirecting said S-polarized beam to said radiation source, and an auxiliary mirror for reflecting said second P-polarized beam passed through said polarizing beam splitter, toward said predetermined direction. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A projector comprising:
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a radiation source; a modulator for reflecting a polarized beam incident thereon and for generating a reflection beam indicative of an image by modulating the polarization state of said polarized beam incident thereon according to a video signal; a converter including a polarizing beam splitter for splitting a beam from said radiation source into P- and S-polarized components, said converter generating said polarized beam by making the polarization directions of said polarized components parallel with each other, wherein said polarizing beam splitter is arranged in a path for said reflection beam so as to function as an analyzer; and a projection optical system for receiving said reflection beam through said polarizing beam splitter and for projecting said image with said beam. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A light modulating system, comprising:
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a radiation source; a modulator for reflecting a polarized beam incident thereon and modulating a polarization state of said polarized beam to generate a reflected beam; and a converter including a polarizing beam splitter for splitting a beam from said radiation source into P- and S-polarized components, said converter generating said polarized beam by making the polarization directions of said polarized components parallel with each other wherein said polarizing beam splitter is arranged in a path for said reflection beam so as to function as an analyzer.
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28. An image display apparatus comprising:
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a radiation source; a liquid crystal panel for generating an image by modulating a polarized beam having a predetermined polarization direction; directing means for directing a beam from said radiation source to said generator; wherein said directing means comprises a conversion optical system for converting the beam from said radiation source into said polarized beam; and said conversion optical system includes a polarizing beam splitter for splitting the beam from said radiation source into a first beam and a second beam of mutually orthogonal polarization directions; and
an arrangement of a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror for changing the polarization direction of said first beam to generate a third beam of a polarization direction the same as that of said second beam and for directing said third beam to said polarizing beam splitter,wherein said first beam is formed by reflecting one portion of the beam from said radiation source with a beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter and said second beam is formed by transmitting an another portion of the beam from said radiation source through the beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter, and wherein said conversion optical system generates said third beam without redirecting said first beam to said radiation source and directs said second and third beams to said generator.
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29. An image display apparatus comprising:
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a radiation source; a liquid crystal panel for generating an image by modulating a polarized beam having a polarization direction the same as a direction of liquid crystal molecules oriented at an incident side of said liquid crystal panel; and directing means for directing a beam from said radiation source to said generator, wherein said directing means comprises a conversion optical system for converting the beam from said radiation source into said polarized beam, said conversion optical system includes a polarizing beam splitter for splitting the beam from said radiation source into a first beam and a second beam of mutually orthogonal polarization directions; and
an arrangement of a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror for changing the polarization direction of said first beam to generate a third beam of a polarization direction the same as that of said second beam and for directing said third beam to said polarizing beam splitter,wherein said first beam is formed by reflecting one portion of the beam from said radiation source with a beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter and said second beam is formed by transmitting an another portion of the beam from said radiation source through the beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter, and wherein said conversion optical system generates said third beam without redirecting said first beam to said radiation source and directs said second and third beams to said generator.
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30. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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a radiation source; a generator for generating an image by modulating a polarized beam; and directing means directing a beam from said radiation source to said generator; wherein said directing means comprises a conversion optical system for converting the beam from said radiation source into said polarized beam, wherein said conversion optical system includes a polarizing beam splitter for splitting the beam from said radiation source into a first beam and a second beam of mutually orthogonal polarization direction; and
an arrangement of a 1/4 wavelength plate and a mirror for changing the polarization direction of said first beam to generate a third beam of a polarization direction the same as that of said second beam and for directing said third beam to said polarizing beam splitter,wherein said first beam is formed by reflecting one portion of the beam from said radiation source with a beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter and said second beam is formed by transmitting an another portion of the beam from said radiation source through the beam splitting surface of said polarizing beam splitter, and wherein said conversion optical system generates said third beam without redirecting said first beam to said radiation source and directs said second and third beams to said generator.
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Specification