Enhanced resolution projector

• US 7,052,142 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Anurag
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahoney, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/836,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20050243290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 353/46, 353 50- 51, 353/99
• US Class Current: 353/46
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/20 Lamp housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3117 by using a sequential colour filter producing two or more colours simultaneously, e.g. by creating scrolling colour bands

Abstract

A light projecting device including an image resolution enhancing mechanism that spatially offsets at least one pixel between an original pixel position and an offset pixel position. The image resolution enhancing mechanism includes a dual mirror mechanism to provide the spatial offset.

Claims

1. A light projecting device, comprising:

an image resolution enhancing mechanism that spatially offsets at least one pixel between an original pixel position and an offset pixel position in a temporally repetitive fashion, wherein the image resolution enhancing mechanism includes a dual mirror mechanism to provide the spatial offset in a spatially repetitive fashion; and

wherein the dual mirror mechanism includes a first mirror and a second mirror, and wherein the first mirror is displaced with respect to the second mirror to alter a mirror offset position between the first mirror and the second mirror in which the dual mirror mechanism includes a linear slide.

2. The light projecting device of claim 1, wherein the spatial offset of the pixel results from adjusting the distance between the first mirror and the second mirror.

3. The light projecting device of claim 1, wherein the spatial offset of the pixel includes a sequence of spatial offsets.

4. The light projecting device of claim 3, wherein the spatial offset is translational across a projection screen.

5. A light projecting device, comprising:

an image resolution enhancing mechanism that spatially offsets at least one pixel between an original pixel position and an offset pixel position in a temporally repetitive fashion, wherein the image resolution enhancing mechanism includes a dual mirror mechanism to provide the spatial offset in a spatially repetitive fashion;

wherein the dual mirror mechanism includes a first mirror and a second mirror, and wherein the first mirror is displaced with respect to the second mirror to alter a mirror offset position between the first mirror and the second mirror wherein the spatial offset of the pixel results from adjusting the angle between the first mirror and the second mirror; and

a coupling mechanism that derives a tilt magnitude of the first mirror as a function of the distance between the first mirror and a projection screen.

6. The light projecting device of claim 5, wherein the spatial offset is angular across the projection screen.

7. The light projecting device of claim 5, further comprising a mirror displacement device that angles the first mirror with respect to the second mirror.

8. A light projecting device, comprising:

an image resolution enhancing mechanism that spatially offsets at least one pixel between an original pixel position and an offset pixel position in a temporally repetitive fashion, wherein the image resolution enhancing mechanism includes a dual mirror mechanism to provide the spatial offset in a spatially repetitive fashion; and

wherein the dual mirror mechanism includes a first mirror and a second mirror, and wherein the first mirror is displaced with respect to the second mirror to alter a mirror offset position between the first mirror and the second mirror in which the dual mirror mechanism acts along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to both a reflective surface of the first mirror and a reflective surface of the second mirror.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a wobulation means including a first mirror and a second mirror for spatially offsetting at least one pixel from an original pixel position by some fraction of the pixel across a projection screen to a spatial offset position, wherein the spatial offset is performed cyclically with a spatial return in which the pixel is returned from the spatial offset position to the spatial return position; and

an actuator means for displacing the first mirror with respect to the second mirror, in which the mirror actuator is remote from the optical path and includes a linear slide.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the spatial offset of the at least one pixel is a translation motion in a direction parallel to the projection screen.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a wobulation means including a first mirror and a second mirror for spatially offsetting at least one pixel from an original pixel position by some fraction of the pixel across a projection screen to a spatial offset position, wherein the spatial offset is performed cyclically with a spatial return in which the pixel is returned from the spatial offset position to the spatial return position;

an actuator means for displacing the first mirror with respect to the second mirror, in which the mirror actuator is remote from the optical path and wherein the spatial offset of the at least one pixel is angled motion within a plane parallel to the is projection screen; and

a compensating coupling mechanism that adjusts for the distance between the wobulation means and the projection screen.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the spatial offset of the at least one pixel includes a cyclical spatial offset wherein the pixel is angled in a plane that is parallel to the plane of the projection screen.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the actuator means angles the first mirror with respect to the second mirror.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a wobulation means including a first mirror and a second mirror for spatially offsetting at least one pixel from an original pixel position by some fraction of the pixel across a projection screen to a spatial offset position, wherein the spatial offset is performed cyclically with a spatial return in which the pixel is returned from the spatial offset position to the spatial return position;

is an actuator means for displacing the first mirror with respect to the second mirror, in which the mirror actuator is remote from the optical path and acts along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to both a reflective surface of the first mirror and a reflective surface of the second mirror.

15. A light projecting device, comprising:

an optical modulator that modulates light onto a display screen;

an image resolution enhancing mechanism that spatially offsets at least one pixel between an original pixel position and an offset pixel position in a temporally repetitive fashion, wherein the image resolution enhancing mechanism includes a dual mirror mechanism to provide the spatial offset of the at least one pixel across the display screen in a spatially repetitive fashion; and

a coupling mechanism that derives a tilt magnitude of the first mirror as a function of the distance between the first mirror and the display screen;

wherein the dual mirror mechanism includes a first mirror and a second mirror, and wherein the first mirror is rotated with respect to the second mirror to alter the spatial offset of the pixel across the display screen.