Optical device and display apparatus

• US 6,186,629 B1
• Filed: 12/18/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwamura, Atsushi, Kawai, Toru, Kanamori, Tatsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US09/216,547
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 353/30, 353/31
• US Class Current: 353/31
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2073 Polarisers in the lamp house peculiar to electronic spatial light modulators H04N9/3197
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/208 Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/12 using beam-splitting or beam-combining systems, e.g. dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3105 for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3152 for shaping the light beam beam shaping per se G02B27/09
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3167 for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28

Abstract

An illumination optical device has the following elements. A first optical block includes a first lens array having a plurality of cell lenses each being approximately similar in shape to a light modulation device. A second optical block includes a second lens array having a plurality of cell lenses corresponding to the respective cell lenses of the first lens array of the first optical block and each being approximately similar in shape to the light modulation device, and a first converging component for converging beams that have passed through the second lens array toward the light modulation device. A second converging component is disposed in the vicinity of the light modulation device and serves to image beams that are output from the second optical block at a predetermined position. The cell lenses of the first lens array have different aspherical surfaces.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source adapted to emit a light beam,

an illumination optical device adapted to act upon the emitted light beam;

a light modulation device to which the light beam emitted from the light source is applied via the illumination optical device, the light modulation device modulating the applied light beam; and

a projection lens for projecting the modulated light beam,

the illumination optical device comprising;

a first optical block including a first lens array having a plurality of cell lenses each being substantially similar in shape to the light modulation device but having substantially different aspherical surfaces in order to correct for spherical and chromatic aberrations;

a second optical block including a second lens array having a plurality of cell lenses corresponding to respective cell lenses of the first lens array of the first optical block, and a first converging component for converging beams that have passed through the second lens array toward the light modulation device; and

a second converging component disposed in the vicinity of the light modulation device, for imaging beams that are output from the second optical block at a predetermined position.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the cell lenses of the first lens array of the first optical block is composed of at least two kinds of different aspherical surfaces designed to correct for spherical and chromatic aberrations.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the cell lenses of the second lens array of the second optical block is composed of at least two kinds of different aspherical surfaces designed to correct for spherical and chromatic aberrations.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the second optical block the first converging component is formed integral with the second lens array.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the second optical block the first converging component is formed integral with each of the cell lenses of the second lens array.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the second optical block the second lens array and the first converging component are spaced from each other.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination optical device further comprises a polarization conversion element between the light source and the first optical block.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination optical device further comprises a polarization conversion element between the first optical block and the second optical block.

9. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source adapted to emit a light beam;

an illumination optical device adapted to act upon the emitted light beam;

a light modulation device to which the light beam emitted from the light source is applied via the illumination optical device, the light modulation device modulating the applied light beam; and

a projection lens for projecting the modulated light beam,

the illumination optical device comprising;

a first optical block including a first lens array having a plurality of cell lenses each being substantially similar in shape to the light modulation device;

a second optical block including a second lens array having a plurality of cell lenses corresponding to respective cell lenses of the first lens array of the first optical block, and a first converging component for converging beams that have passed through the second lens array toward the light modulation device, the cell lenses of the second optical block having substantially different aspherical surfaces in order to correct for spherical and chromatic aberrations; and

a second converging component disposed in the vicinity of the light modulation device, for imaging beams that are output from the second optical block at a predetermined position.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each of the cell lenses of the second lens array of the second optical block is composed of at least two kinds of different aspherical surfaces designed to correct for spherical and chromatic aberrations.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each of the cell lenses of the first lens array of the first optical block is composed of at least two kinds of different aspherical surfaces designed to correct for spherical and chromatic aberrations.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the second optical block the first converging component is formed integral with the second lens array.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the second optical block the first converging component is formed integral with each of the cell lenses of the second lens array.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the second optical block the second lens array and the first converging component are spaced from each other.

15. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the illumination optical device further comprises a polarization conversion element between the light source and the first optical block.

16. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the illumination optical device further comprises a polarization conversion element between the first optical block and the second optical block.

17. An optical block of an optical device, comprising:

a polarization component transmission/reflection member for transmitting a first polarization component of light and reflecting a second polarization component of light;

a polarization component reflection member for reflecting the second polarization component that has been reflected by the polarization component transmission/reflection member;

a polarization component conversion member for converting the second polarization component that has been reflected by the polarization component reflection member into a polarization component having a polarization direction similar to that of said first polarization component;

a plurality of first prisms for causing the polarization component conversion member to output the converted second polarization component; and

a plurality of second prisms disposed adjacent to the respective first prisms, for outputting the first polarization component;

a first lens array disposed at a light incident side of the optical block and being formed of a collection of a plurality of lenses each corresponding to one of the plurality of first prisms; and

a second lens array disposed at a light exit side of the optical block and being formed of a collection of a plurality of lenses each corresponding to one of the plurality of second prisms, the lenses of the second lens array that correspond to the first prisms having a different focal length than the lenses of the second lens array that correspond to the second prisms.

18. The optical device according to claim 17, wherein in the optical block the first prisms and the second prisms are arranged alternately with the polarization component transmission/reflection member and the polarization component reflection member interposed between each pair of first prisms and each pair of second prisms.

19. The optical device according to claim 17, wherein in the optical block the polarization component transmission/reflection member is a polarization beam splitter and the polarization component reflection member is a mirror surface.

20. A display apparatus comprising:

a light source adapted to emit a light beam;

an optical device adapted to act upon the emitted light beam;

a light modulation device to which the light beam emitted from the light source is applied via the optical device, the light modulation device modulating the applied light beam; and

a projection lens for projecting the light beam modulated by the light modulation device,

an optical block of the illumination optical device comprising;

a polarization component transmission/reflection member for transmitting a first polarization component of light and reflecting a second polarization component of light;

a polarization component reflection member for reflecting the second polarization component that has been reflected by the polarization component transmission/reflection member;

a polarization component conversion member for converting the second polarization component that has been reflected by the polarization component reflection member into a polarization component having a polarization direction similar to that of said first polarization component;

a plurality of first prisms for causing the polarization component conversion member to output the converted second polarization component; and

a plurality of second prisms disposed adjacent to the respective first prisms, for outputting the first polarization component;

a first lens array disposed of a light incident side of the optical block and being formed of a collection of a plurality of lenses each corresponding to one of the plurality of first prisms; and

a second lens array disposed at a light exit side of the optical block and being formed of a collection of a plurality of lenses each corresponding to one of the plurality of second prisms, the lenses of the second lens array that correspond to the first prisms having a different focal length than the lenses of the second lens array that correspond to the second prisms.

21. The display apparatus according to claim 20, wherein in the optical block the polarization component transmission/reflection member is a polarizing beam splitter and the polarization component reflection member is a mirror surface.