Projector for portable electronic apparatus

• US 7,101,051 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qisda Corporation
• Original Assignee: BenQ Corporation (Qisda Corporation)
• Inventors: Lin, Ying-Fang, Shih, Wei-Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEVER, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US10/809,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 353/94, 353/98, 353/99, 353/33, 353/122, 353/85, 348755-757, 348/771
• US Class Current: 353/99
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7458 the modulator being an array of deformable mirrors, e.g. digital micromirror device [DMD]
• 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 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161

Abstract

A projector. The projector comprises a projection light source, a first digital micro-mirror device, and a second digital micro-mirror device. The projection light source emits a projection beam toward the first digital micro-mirror device. The first digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam to the second digital micro-mirror device. A first micro-mirror on the first digital micro-mirror device is rotated in a horizontal direction to adjust the horizontal position of the projection beam. The second digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the first digital micro-mirror device to a projection plate. Second micro-mirrors on the second digital micro-mirror device are rotated in a vertical direction to adjust the vertical position of the projection beam.

Claims

1. A projector for projecting an image to a projection plate, comprising:

a first digital micro-mirror device, with a first micro-mirror disposed thereon;

a second digital micro-mirror device, comprising a plurality of second micro-mirrors disposed thereon; and

a projection light source, emitting a projection beam toward the first digital micro-mirror device;

wherein the first digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the projection light source to the second digital micro-mirror device, the first micro-mirror is rotatable with respect to a vertical axis to adjust a horizontal position where the projection beam is projected on the second digital micro-mirror device, the second digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the first digital micro-mirror device to the projection plate, and the second micro-mirrors are rotatable with respect to a horizontal axis to adjust a vertical position where the projection beam is projected on the projection plate,

wherein the projection light source comprises a first color light source, a second color light source, a third color light source and a prism assembly, the first color light source emits a first color beam, the second color light source emits a second color beam, the third color light source emits a third color beam, and the prism assembly combines the first, second, and third color beam into the projection beam,

wherein the first color light source, the second color light source, and the third color light source are disposed on the second digital micro-mirror device.

2. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first digital micro-mirror device further comprises a first chip, with the first micro-mirror disposed thereon.

3. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation range of the first micro-mirror is 10°

.

4. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second digital micro-mirror device further comprises a second chip, with the second micro-mirrors disposed thereon.

5. The projector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second micro-mirrors are arranged on the second chip along a horizontal axis.

6. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation range of the second micro-mirror is 10°

.

7. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projection light source is a laser.

8. The projector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power of the laser is less than 0.5 w.

9. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the prism assembly is disposed on the second digital micro-mirror device.

10. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projection light source further comprises a first reflector and a second reflector, with the first reflector directing the first color beam to the prism assembly.

11. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first color beam is a red beam, the second color beam is a green beam, and the third color beam is a blue beam.

12. The projector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a controller, connecting with the projection light source, the first digital micro-mirror device and the second digital micro-mirror device to control the switch of the projection light source and orientations of the first digital micro-mirror device and the second digital micro-mirror device.

13. The projector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the controller controls the orientations of the first and second digital micro-mirror devices to illuminate a plurality of discrete points on the projection plate with the projection beam to produce a complete image after fast scanning the projection plate.

14. The projector as claimed in claim 13, wherein the controller disables the projection light source for dark pixels in the complete image.

15. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projection light source is disposed on the second digital micro-mirror device.

16. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first micro-mirror device, the second micro-mirror device and the projection light source are packaged into a single IC device by IC package process.

17. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first digital micro-mirror device further comprises an opening, through which the projection beam reflected from the second digital micro-mirror device is projected on the projection plate.

18. The projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projector is applied in a portable electronic apparatus.

19. A projector for projecting an image to a projection plate, comprising:

a first digital micro-mirror device, with a first micro-mirror disposed thereon;

a second digital micro-mirror device, comprising a plurality of second micro-mirrors disposed thereon; and

a projection light source, emitting a projection beam toward the first digital micro-mirror device;

wherein the first digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the projection light source to the second digital micro-mirror device, the first micro-mirror is rotatable with respect to a vertical axis to adjust a horizontal position where the projection beam is projected on the second digital micro-mirror device, the second digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the first digital micro-mirror device to the projection plate, and the second micro-mirrors are rotatable with respect to a horizontal axis to adjust a vertical position where the projection beam is projected on the projection plate,

wherein the projection light source is disposed on the second digital micro-mirror device.

20. A projector for projecting an image to a projection plate, comprising:

a first digital micro-mirror device, with a first micro-mirror disposed thereon;

a second digital micro-mirror device, comprising a plurality of second micro-mirrors disposed thereon; and

a projection light source, emitting a projection beam toward the first digital micro-mirror device;

wherein the first digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the projection light source to the second digital micro-mirror device, the first micro-mirror is rotatable with respect to a vertical axis to adjust a horizontal position where the projection beam is projected on the second digital micro-mirror device, the second digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the first digital micro-mirror device to the projection plate, and the second micro-mirrors are rotatable with respect to a horizontal axis to adjust a vertical position where the projection beam is projected on the projection plate,

wherein the first micro-mirror device, the second micro-mirror device and the projection light source are packaged into a single IC device by IC package process.

21. A projector for projecting an image to a projection plate, comprising:

a first digital micro-mirror device, with a first micro-mirror disposed thereon;

a second digital micro-mirror device, comprising a plurality of second micro-mirrors disposed thereon; and

a projection light source, emitting a projection beam toward the first digital micro-mirror device;

wherein the first digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the projection light source to the second digital micro-mirror device, the first micro-mirror is rotatable with respect to a vertical axis to adjust a horizontal position where the projection beam is projected on the second digital micro-mirror device, the second digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the first digital micro-mirror device to the projection plate, and the second micro-mirrors are rotatable with respect to a horizontal axis to adjust a vertical position where the projection beam is projected on the projection plate,

wherein the first digital micro-mirror device further comprises an opening, through which the projection beam reflected from the second digital micro-mirror device is projected on the projection plate.