Scanned beam display

• US 6,937,221 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Inventors: Tegreene, Clarence T., Lippert, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US09/898,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 345/98, 345/8, 345/7, 345/9, 359/629, 359/630, 359/631, 359/573, 359/569, 359/87, 348/744, 348/745, 348/750, 348/751, 348/756, 348/757, 250330-334
• US Class Current: 345/98
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification

Abstract

A display apparatus includes first and second IR or other light sources that produce light at respective first and second non-visible wavelengths. The light is modulated according to a desired image. The modulated light is then applied to a wavelength selective phosphor that converts each component of the light to a respective visible wavelength. In one embodiment, the image source is a scanned light beam display that scans an IR light beam onto a screen that carries the phosphor.

Claims

1. A display device that produces a visible image in response to an input image signal having a plurality of components, comprising:

a screen, including a base plate and a wavelength converting coating responsive to output light of a first visible wavelength range in response to light of a first input wavelength, and responsive to output light of a second visible wavelength range in response to light of a second input wavelength;

a first light emitter operative to emit a first modulated beam of light of the first input wavelength in response to a first component of the image signal;

a second light emitter operative to emit a second modulated beam of light of the second input wavelength in response to a second component of the image signal; and

a scanner assembly having an input aligned optically to receive the first and second modulated beams of light from the first and second light sources and an output aligned optically to direct the beams received at the input to the screen, the scanner assembly being responsive to a driving signal to scan the received beams onto the wavelength converting coating in a periodic pattern; and

wherein the wavelength converting coating includes a first infrared sensitive phosphor compound and the first input wavelength is an infrared wavelength.

2. The display of claim 1 wherein the first input wavelength is a non-visible wavelength.

3. The display of claim 2 wherein the second input wavelength is a non-visible wavelength.

4. The display of claim 1 wherein the scanner assembly includes a mirror mounted for pivotal movement about an axis of rotation.

5. The display of claim 1 wherein the scanner assembly includes a microelectromechanical scanner having a mirror positioned to deflect the light received at the input.

6. The display of claim 1 wherein the light source includes a second ultraviolet laser.

7. The display of claim 1 wherein the wavelength converting coating includes a second infrared sensitive phosphor compound responsive to the second input wavelength.

8. The display of claim 1 wherein first light source includes a first laser diode.

9. The display of claim 8 wherein first light source includes an external modulator.

10. The display of claim 8 wherein second light source includes a second laser diode.

11. The display of claim 1 further including a beam combiner interposed between the scanner assembly and the first and second light sources, the beam combiner having a first input aligned to the first light source, a second input aligned to the second light source, and a combiner output aligned to the scanner assembly, the combiner being responsive to produce a single combined beam from the first and second modulated beams of light.

12. The display of claim 1 wherein the second input wavelength is different than the first input wavelength.

13. A head mounted display, comprising:

an image signal source that produces an image signal corresponding to a desired image;

a screen having a wavelength converting coating, the coating being responsive to non-visible radiation to emit visible light wherein the wavelength converting coating is responsive to light in the first wavelength range to emit visible light of a first color and responsive to a light in the second wavelength range to emit visible light of a second color different from the first color;

a light source responsive to the image signal to emit non-visible radiation modulated according to the image signal, the light source including a first light emitter of a first wavelength and a second light emitter of a second wavelength;

a scanner positioned to receive the modulated light and operative to scan the received light onto the screen in a periodic pattern; and

wherein the wavelength converting coating, includes a plurality of phosphor combinations, each of the phosphor combinations being responsive to non-visible light of a respective wavelength to emit light of a respective visible wavelength.

14. The display of claim 13 wherein the light source includes a first infrared laser.

15. The display of claim 14 wherein the light source includes a second infrared laser.

16. The display of claim 13 wherein the light source includes a first ultraviolet laser.

17. The display of claim 13 wherein the scanner is a MEMs scanner.

18. The display of claim 13 wherein the scanner includes a resonant scanning portion.

19. The display of claim 13 wherein the periodic pattern is a substantially raster pattern.

20. A display device that produces a visible image in response to an input image signal having a plurality of components, comprising:

a screen, including a base plate and a wavelength converting coating responsive to output light of a first visible wavelength range in response to light of a first input wavelength, and responsive to output light of a second visible wavelength range in response to light of a second input wavelength;

a first light emitter operative to emit a first modulated beam of light of the first input wavelength in response to a first component of the image signal;

a second light emitter operative to emit a second modulated beam of light of the second input wavelength in response to a second component of the image signal; and

a scanner assembly having an input aligned optically to receive the first and second modulated beams of light from the first and second light sources and an output aligned optically to direct the beams received at the input to the screen, the scanner assembly being responsive to a driving signal to scan the received beams onto the wavelength converting coating in a periodic pattern;

wherein the wavelength converting coating includes a first ultraviolet sensitive phosphor compound and the first input wavelength is an ultraviolet wavelength.

21. The display of claim 20 wherein the wavelength converting coating includes a second ultraviolet sensitive phosphor compound responsive to the second input wavelength.

22. The display of claim 21 wherein the second input wavelength is different than the first input wavelength.

23. The display of claim 20 wherein first light source includes a first laser diode.

24. The display of claim 23 wherein second light source includes a second laser diode.