Rear-projection mirror arrangement

• US 6,388,810 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Monson, Robert James, Smith, Michael Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US09/457,153
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 353/69, 353/70, 353/77, 353/78, 353/50, 353/51, 359/443, 359/449, 359/460
• US Class Current: 359/443
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

A compact projector system utilizing a rear projection console with at least one projector and a set of mirrors with each mirror being positionally placed with respect to the rear of the display screen and operating together by bouncing an image carrying light beam which originates from a projector from one mirror to the next within the console and across itself before the image-carrying light impinges upon the rear of the display screen to produce a relatively large, contiguous image thereupon with the at least one projector and set of mirrors being confined in a relatively small console area.

Claims

1. A projector system comprising:

a rear display screen having a back side and a front side with a front viewing surface, said rear display screen having a viewing axis;

a projector for emitting a light beam carrying an image therein, a first mirror, said first mirror positioned laterally of said viewing axis and at an oblique angle to said display screen so that the light beam from said projector is reflected away from the display screen;

a second mirror, said second mirror having a curved surface, said second mirror positioined behind said rear display screen so that the light beam from said projector projects between the display screen and the second mirror before being reflected from said first mirror to said second mirror, said second mirror positioned behind said display screen so that said light beam from said projector is reflected from said second mirror through the light beam between the display screen and the second mirror before impinging on the rear display screen so that the image is viewable from the front side of said display screen.

2. The projector system of claim 1 wherein said first mirror is fixedly mounted within the projector system.

3. The projector system of claim 1 wherein said second mirror is positionably mounted within said projector system to allow a user to adjust the position of said image on said display screen.

4. The projector system of claim 1 wherein said projector is fixedly mounted within the projector system.

5. The projector system of claim 1 wherein said second mirror is in a concave shape to reduce the size of the image appearing on said viewing surface.

6. The projector system of claim 1 wherein said second mirror is in a convex shape to broaden the size of said image appearing on said display screen.

7. A combinatorial compact projector system comprising:

a rear display screen having a back side and a front side with a front viewing surface, said rear display screen having a viewing axis;

a plurality of projectors, each of said plurality of projectors for emitting light beams carrying images therein;

a plurality of first mirrors, said plurality of first mirrors positioned laterally of said viewing axis and at an oblique angle to said display screen so that the light beams from each of said plurality of projectors are reflected away from the display screen;

a plurality of second mirrors, said plurality of second mirrors positioned behind said rear display screen so that the light beams from each of said projectors projects between a one of the plurality of second mirrors and the rear display screen before being reflected from one of said plurality of first mirrors to said plurality of second mirrors, said plurality of second mirrors positioned behind said display screen so that each of said light beams are reflected through themselves and past said plurality of first mirrors before impinging on the rear display screen so that the images are viewable from the front side of said display screen, said images contained within blending together seamlessly on said display screen to form a single contiguous image thereon.

8. A method of projecting an image onto a rear display set comprising the steps of:

directing a first image rearward of a rear display screen and at a first mirror positioned rearward of the rear display screen to reflect the image away from the rear display screen;

directing a second image rearward of a rear display screen and at a second mirror positioned rearward of the rear display screen to reflect the image away from the rear display screen;

directing each of the images across itself before directing the images on the rear display screen; and

positioning a second mirror rearward of the display screen so that before the image is reflected away from the rear display screen the image is directed between the second mirror and the display screen before the image is directed toward the rear of the display screen to provide a image viewable on a front side of the rear display screen.

9. The method of claim 8 including fixedly mounting of an imager, the rear display screen and the first mirror to prevent relative movement of the images on the rear display screen.