Display apparatus with a variable aperture stop means on each side of the modulator

• US 5,519,518 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Tsutomu, Taira, Kazuki, Nakamura, Hiroki, Watanabe, Yoshihiro, Harada, Nozomu, Saitoh, Yutaka, Murakami, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Anita Pellman
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TIEP HUU
• Application Number:
  US08/479,641
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 359/40, 359/41, 359/48, 359/49, 352/89, 352/141, 354/227.1, 354/228, 354/229, 354/230
• US Class Current: 349/57
• 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

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a light source, a modulating device for modulating light emitted from the light source, a modulating device driving unit for driving the modulating device, a first aperture stop unit arranged between the light source and the modulating device to limit a bundle of rays to be incident on the modulating device from the light source, the first aperture stop unit having an aperture with a variable size, a display screen onto which exit light from the modulating device is projected, a projection optical system for projecting the exit light from the modulating device onto the display screen, a second aperture stop unit arranged between the modulating device and the projection optical system to limit a bundle of rays to be incident on the projection optical system from the modulating device, the second aperture stop unit having an aperture with a variable size, a photosensor for detecting the display luminance on the display screen, and an aperture control unit for controlling the size of the aperture of at least one of the first and second aperture stop units on the basis of a display luminance signal from the photosensor.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source;

a modulating device for modulating light emitted from said light source;

first aperture stop means, arranged between said light source and said modulating device, for limiting a bundle of rays to be incident on said modulating device from said light source, said first aperture stop means having an aperture with a variable size;

a display screen onto which exit light from said modulating device is projected;

a projection optical system for projecting the exit light from said modulating device onto said display screen;

second aperture stop means, arranged between said modulating device and said projection optical system, for limiting a bundle of rays to be incident on said projection optical system from said modulating device, said second aperture stop means having an aperture with a variable size;

aperture control means for controlling the size of the aperture of at least one of said first and second aperture stop means; and

liquid crystal driving means for supplying to said modulating device a picture signal controlled on the basis of the size of the aperture, which is controlled by said aperture control means, of at least one of said first and second aperture stop means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a photosensor for detecting a display luminance on said display screen,

wherein said aperture control means controls the size of the aperture of at least one of said first and second aperture stop means on the basis of a display luminance signal from said photosensor.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said aperture control means controls the size of the aperture of at least one of said first and second aperture stop means on the basis of the display luminance signal and a contrast signal from said photosensor.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said photosensor detects a white level display luminance on said display screen on which a white image is displayed by a white image signal supplied from said liquid crystal driving means to said modulating device, and detects a black level display luminance on said display screen on which a black image is displayed by a black image signal supplied from said liquid crystal display means to said modulating device, and

said aperture control means controls the size of the aperture of at least one of said first and second aperture stop means on the basis of a contrast calculated from a ratio of the white level display luminance to the black level display luminance detected by said photosensor.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said aperture control means controls the size of the aperture of at least one of said first and second aperture stop means such that the contrast is maximized.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said photosensor detects an environmental luminance on said display screen resulting from light of an environment in which said display apparatus is placed, and

said aperture control means controls the size of the aperture of at least one of said first and second aperture stop means on the basis of an environmental luminance signal and the display luminance signal from said photosensor.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said aperture control means controls angle of collections of said first and second aperture stop means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said aperture control means controls the size of the aperture of at least one of said first and second aperture stop means such that the angle of collections of said first and second aperture stop means are substantially equal to each other.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a spheroidal mirror arranged near said light source and having a focal point at the position of said light source; and

a collimator optical system for guiding light reflected by said spheroidal mirror to said modulating device.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said modulating device is one selected from the group consisting of a dispersion type liquid crystal device, and a slant field effect liquid crystal diffraction grating.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said dispersion type modulating device is one of a polymer dispersion type modulating device and a fine-particle dispersion type modulating device.