Sequential color filter

• US 7,230,656 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Penn, Steven M., Davis, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael; Paulos
• Application Number:
  US10/011,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 348/743, 348/742, 348/771, 353/84, 353/31, 353/20, 353/34, 353/37, 359/887, 359/891
• US Class Current: 348/743
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/008 in the form of devices for effecting sequential colour changes, e.g. colour wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/008 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 Field-sequential colour display
• 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 sequential color filter and display system. The sequential color filter comprising: a set of at least three color filters (102). The color filters can be arranged in a cylindrical configuration and may have a cooling fan (506) attached. The set of color filters typically comprises a red filter, a green filter, and a blue filter, and can comprise a red filter, a green filter, a blue filter, and a clear filter. A motor may be connected to the set of color filters for rotating the set of color filters and the cooling fan about a common axis. The color filters may be arranged in a spiral configuration when a cylindrical sequential color filter is provided. The preceding abstract is submitted with the understanding that it only will be used to assist in determining, from a cursory inspection, the nature and gist of the technical disclosure as described in 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b). In no case should this abstract be used for interpreting the scope of any patent claims.

Claims

1. A sequential color filter comprising:

a set of at least three color filters substantially in a plane; and

an axial fan substantially in said plane connected to said set of color filters and rotating about an axis substantially perpendicular to said plane.

2. The sequential color filter of claim 1, said set of color filters comprising:

a red filter;

a green filter; and

a blue filter.

3. The sequential color filter of claim 2, said set of color filters further comprising:

a clear filter.

4. The sequential color filter of claim 2, said set of color filters further comprising:

at least two red filters.

5. The sequential color filter of claim 1, said set of color filters comprising:

a cyan filter;

a magenta filter; and

a yellow filter.

6. The sequential color filter of claim 5, further comprising:

a clear filter.

7. The sequential color filter of claim 1, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters.

8. The sequential color filter of claim 1, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters deposited on a transparent substrate.

9. The sequential color filter of claim 1, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface.

10. The sequential color filter of claim 1, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface around a central fan.

11. The sequential color filter of claim 1, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface inside a peripheral fan.

12. The sequential color filter of claim 1, comprising:

a motor for rotating said set of color filters and said cooling fan about a common axis.

13. A sequential color filter comprising:

a first color filter;

a second color filter;

a third color filter;

said first, second, and third color filters forming a cylindrical set of color filters; and

a cooling fan appended to said set of color filters.

14. The sequential color filter of claim 13, further comprising:

a motor for rotating said set of color filters.

15. The sequential color filter of claim 13, said set of color filters comprising:

a red filter;

a green filter; and

a blue filter.

16. The sequential color filter of claim 15, said set of color filters further comprising:

a clear filter.

17. The sequential color filter of claim 15, said set of color filters further comprising:

at least two red filters.

18. The sequential color filter of claim 13, said set of color filters comprising:

a cyan filter,

a magenta filter; and

a yellow filter.

19. The sequential color filter of claim 18, further comprising:

a clear filter.

20. The sequential color filter of claim 13, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters.

21. The sequential color filter of claim 13, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters deposited on a transparent substrate.

22. The sequential color filter of claim 13, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a central cooling fan portion.

23. The sequential color filter of claim 13, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a planar central cooling fan portion.

24. The sequential color filter of claim 13, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a appended cooling fan portion.

25. The sequential color filter of claim 13, wherein each color filter forms a spiral around said cylinder.

26. A sequential color filter comprising:

a first color filter,

a second color filter; and

a third color filter, wherein said first, second, and third color filters comprise a set of at least three color filters forming a cylinder.

27. The sequential color filter of claim 26, further comprising:

a motor for rotating said set of color filters.

28. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a red filter,

a green filter; and

a blue filter.

29. The sequential color filter of claim 28, said set of color filters further comprising:

a clear filter.

30. The sequential color filter of claim 28, said set of color filters further comprising:

at least two red filters.

31. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a cyan filter;

a magenta filter; and

a yellow filter.

32. The sequential color filter of claim 31, further comprising:

a clear filter.

33. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters.

34. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters deposited on a transparent substrate.

35. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface.

36. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface around a central cooling fan.

37. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface inside a peripheral cooling fan.

38. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration.

39. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a central cooling fan portion.

40. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a planar central cooling fan portion.

41. The sequential color filter of claim 26, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a appended cooling fan portion.

42. The sequential color filter of claim 26, wherein each color filter forms a spiral around said cylinder.

43. The sequential color filter of claim 42, each color filter forming a spiral portion of said cylinder.

44. A display system comprising:

a light source for generating a beam of white light along a light path;

a sequential color filter for sequentially filtering the beam of white light, said sequential color filter comprising;

a set of at least three color filters substantially in a plane; and

a cooling fan substantially in said plane connected to said set of color filters;

a motor for rotating said set of color filters and said cooling fan about a common axis;

a spatial light modulator for selectively modulating said filtered beam of light, and

a projection lens for focusing said modulated light onto an image plane.

45. The display system of claim 44, further comprising:

an integrating rod conducting said beam of white light from said light source to said sequential color filter.

46. The display system of claim 44, further comprising:

a solid integrating rod conducting said beam of white light from said light source to said sequential color filter.

47. The display system of claim 44, further comprising:

a hollow integrating rod conducting said beam of white light from said light source to said sequential color filter.

48. The display system of claim 44, further comprising:

an integrating rod conducting said beam of white light from said light source to said sequential color filter, said integrating rod having a beveled end.

49. The display system of claim 44, further comprising:

an integrating rod conducting said sequentially filtered beam light from said sequential color filter to said spatial light modulator.

50. The display system of claim 44, further comprising:

a solid integrating rod conducting said sequentially filtered beam light from said sequential color filter to said spatial light modulator.

51. The display system of claim 44, further comprising:

a hollow integrating rod conducting said sequentially filtered beam light from said sequential color filter to said spatial light modulator.

52. The display system of claim 44, further comprising:

an integrating rod conducting said sequentially filtered beam of light from said sequential color filter to said spatial light modulator, said integrating rod having a beveled end.

53. The display system of claim 44, said set of color filters comprising:

a red filter;

a green filter; and

a blue filter.

54. The sequential color filter of claim 53, said set of color filters further comprising:

a clear filter.

55. The sequential color filter of claim 53, said set of color filters further comprising:

at least two red filters.

56. The display system of claim 44, said set of color filters comprising:

a cyan filter;

a magenta filter; and

a yellow filter.

57. The sequential color filter of claim 56, further comprising:

a clear filter.

58. The display system of claim 44, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters.

59. The display system of claim 44, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters deposited on a transparent substrate.

60. The display system of claim 44, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface.

61. The display system of claim 44, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface around a central cooling fan.

62. The display system of claim 44, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface inside a peripheral cooling fan.

63. The display system of claim 44, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration.

64. A display system comprising:

a light source for generating a beam of white light;

a sequential color filter for sequentially filtering said beam of white light, said sequential color filter comprising a set of at least three color filters forming a cylinder,

a cooling fan;

a motor for rotating said set of color filters and said cooling fan about a common axis;

a spatial light modulator for selectively modulating said sequentially colored beams of light, and

a projection lens for focusing said modulated light onto an image plane.

65. The display system of claim 64, said sequential color filter forming a cylinder, wherein each color filter forms a spiral around said cylinder.

66. The display system of claim 64, further comprising a cooling fan.

67. The display system of claim 64, further comprising:

an integrating rod conducting said beam of white light from said light source to said sequential color filter.

68. The display system of claim 64, further comprising:

a solid integrating rod conducting said beam of white light from said light source to said sequential color filter.

69. The display system of claim 64, further comprising:

a hollow integrating rod conducting said beam of white light from said light source to said sequential color filter.

70. The display system of claim 64, further comprising:

an integrating rod conducting said beam of white light from said light source to said sequential color filter, said integrating rod having a beveled end.

71. The display system of claim 64, further comprising:

an integrating rod conducting said sequentially filtered beam light from said sequential color filter to said spatial light modulator.

72. The display system of claim 64, further comprising:

a solid integrating rod conducting said sequentially filtered beam light from said sequential color filter to said spatial light modulator.

73. The display system of claim 64, further comprising:

a hollow integrating rod conducting said sequentially filtered beam light from said sequential color filter to said spatial light modulator.

74. The display system of claim 64, further comprising:

an integrating rod conducting said sequentially filtered beam of light from said sequential color filter to said spatial light modulator, said integrating rod having a beveled end.

75. The display system of claim 64, said sequential color filter forming a cylinder, said display system further comprising:

a fold mirror in said cylinder.

76. The display system of claim 64, said sequential color filter forming a cylinder, said display system further comprising:

an integrating rod in said cylinder on said light path.

77. The display system of claim 64, said sequential color filter forming a cylinder, said display system further comprising:

an integrating rod having a beveled end in said cylinder on said light path.

78. The display system of claim 64, said sequential color filter forming a cylinder, said display system further comprising:

a folded integrating rod having a beveled end in said cylinder on said light path.

79. The display system of claim 64, said sequential color filter forming a cylinder, said display system further comprising:

an angled integrating rod having a beveled end in said cylinder on said light path.

80. The display system of claim 64, said sequential color filter forming a cylinder, said display system further comprising:

a prism assembly for directing said sequentially filtered beams of light to said spatial light modulator, and for directing said modulated light to said projection lens.

81. The display system of claim 64, said sequential color filter forming a cylinder, wherein each color filter forms a spiral around said cylinder.

82. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a red filter;

a green filter; and

a blue filter.

83. The sequential color filter of claim 82, said set of color filters further comprising:

a clear filter.

84. The sequential color filter of claim 82, said set of color filters further comprising:

at least two red filters.

85. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a cyan filter

a magenta filter; and

a yellow filter.

86. The sequential color filter of claim 85, further comprising:

a clear filter.

87. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters.

88. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of dichroic color filters deposited on a transparent substrate.

89. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface.

90. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface around a central cooling fan.

91. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters forming a circular planar surface inside a peripheral cooling fan.

92. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a central cooling fan portion.

93. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a planar central cooling fan portion.

94. The display system of claim 64, said set of color filters comprising:

a set of color filters arranged in a cylinder configuration with a appended cooling fan portion.