Display device using optical modulator equipped with lens system having improved numerical aperture

• US 7,227,594 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Yang, Haeng Seok, Victor, Yurlov
• Primary Examiner(s): Lester; Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US11/433,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20060262404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 359/223, 359/224, 359290-292, 359/295, 359/298, 353/31, 348/203, 348/744, 348/755, 348/756, 348/759, 348/760, 348770-772, 348/774
• US Class Current: 348/774
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0808 by means of one or more diffracting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3132 using one-dimensional electronic spatial light modulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3167 for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a display device using an optical modulator equipped with a lens system having an improved numerical aperture. The display device includes numerical aperture reducer for reducing a numeral aperture by causing +1st order diffracted light and corresponding −1st order diffracted light of a diffracted light, which have passed through a relay lens system, to approach each other.

Claims

1. A display device using an optical modulator equipped with a lens system having an improved numerical aperture, comprising:

an illumination lens system for radiating light emitted from a light source;

a diffractive optical modulator for generating diffracted light having a plurality of diffraction orders by modulating light incident from the illumination lens;

a numerical aperture reducer for reducing a numeral aperture by causing positive order diffracted light and corresponding −

1st order diffracted light of the diffracted light, which is generated by the diffractive optical modulator, to approach each other; and

a projection system for condensing the diffracted light onto an object and performing scanning when the diffracted light having the reduced numerical aperture is emitted from the numerical aperture reducer.

2. The display device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a relay lens system for selecting diffracted light having desired orders from among the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders generated by the diffractive optical modulator, and passing the selected diffracted light therethrough.

3. The display device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the relay lens system comprises:

a Fourier lens for increasing angles between a plurality of beams of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders, which is incident from the diffractive optical modulator, according to diffraction order; and

a Fourier filter for selecting diffracted light having desired orders from among the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders passed through the Fourier lens, and passing the selected diffracted light therethrough.

4. The display device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the relay lens system comprises an objective lens for converting the diffracted light, which is passed through the filter system, into parallel light.

5. The display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the numerical aperture reducer comprises:

a pair of first reflecting mirrors for changing light paths of the positive order diffracted light and −

1st order diffracted light, which are emitted from the diffractive optical modulator, toward a median axis of the light paths; and

a pair of second reflecting mirrors for directing the +1st order diffracted light and −

1st order diffracted light, which are reflected by and incident from the pair of first reflecting mirrors, along a single light path and then causing the +1 st order diffracted light and −

1st order diffracted light to enter the projection system.

6. The display device as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a pair of third reflecting mirrors for causing the +1st and −

1st order diffracted light of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders, which is emitted? from the diffractive optical modulator, to be incident on the respective first reflecting mirrors.

7. The display device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the pair of third reflecting mirrors is a single mirror that comprises a center hole for passing diffracted light having predetermined orders therethrough, and two side reflecting surfaces for respectively reflecting the +1st order diffracted light and the −

1st order diffracted light to the first reflecting mirrors.

8. The display device as set forth in claim 5, further comprising:

a blocking shutter for blocking diffracted light having predetermined diffraction orders that belongs to the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders that is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator; and

a Fourier lens for increasing angles between a plurality of beams of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders that is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator, and causing the +1st order diffracted light and −

1st order diffracted light of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders to be respectively incident on the first reflecting mirrors.

9. The display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the light incident from the illumination lens system is polarized light; and

the numerical aperture reducer comprises;

a pair of reflecting mirrors for changing light paths of the +1st order diffracted light and −

1st order diffracted light, which are incident from the diffractive optical modulator, toward a median axis of the light paths,

a polarizing plate for changing polarization of diffracted light having any one diffraction order that belongs to the +1st diffracted light and −

1st order diffracted light of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders that is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator, and

an X-cube for directing polarized diffracted light, which is reflected by and is incident from the pair of reflecting mirrors, and non-polarized diffracted light along a single light path, and causing the polarized diffracted light and the non-polarized diffracted light to enter the projection system.

10. The display device as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a pair of second reflecting mirrors for causing the +1st and −

1st order diffracted light of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders, which is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator, to be respectively incident on the first reflecting mirrors.

11. The display device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the pair of second reflecting mirrors is a single mirror that comprises a center hole for passing diffracted light having predetermined orders therethrough, and two side reflecting surfaces for respectively reflecting the +1st order diffracted light and the −

1st order diffracted light to the first reflecting mirrors.

12. The display device as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

a blocking shutter for blocking diffracted light having predetermined diffraction orders that belongs to the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders that is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator; and

a Fourier lens for increasing angles between a plurality of beams of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders that is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator, and causing the +1st and −

1st order diffracted light of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders to be incident on the respective first reflecting mirrors.

13. The display device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the numerical aperture reducer comprises a pair of prisms for changing light paths of the +1st and −

1st order diffracted light, which is incident from the diffractive optical modulator, toward a median axis of the light paths.

14. The display device as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a pair of reflecting mirrors for causing the +1st order diffracted light and −

1st order diffracted light of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders, which is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator, to be incident on the respective prisms.

15. The display device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the pair of reflecting mirrors is a single reflecting mirror that comprises a center hole for passing diffracted light having predetermined orders therethrough, and two side reflecting surfaces for respectively reflecting the +1st order diffracted light and the −

1st order diffracted light to the respective prisms.

16. The display device as set forth in claim 15, further comprising:

a blocking shutter for blocking diffracted light having predetermined diffraction orders that belongs to the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders that is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator; and

a Fourier lens for increasing angles between a plurality of beams of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders that is emitted from the diffractive optical modulator, and causing the +1st and −

1st order diffracted light of the diffracted light having the plurality of diffraction orders to be incident on the respective prisms.