Image display apparatus

• US 7,322,700 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Katoh, Ikuo, Takaura, Atsushi, Miyagaki, Kazuya, Osaka, Takanobu, Takiguchi, Yasuyuki, Kameyama, Kenji, Namie, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US11/519,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 353/31, 353/30, 353/38, 353/69, 353/98, 353/99, 353/122, 349/57, 349/95, 349/108, 349/109, 349/113, 349/144, 359/558, 359/563, 359/570, 359/621, 359/623, 359/685, 359/708, 359/733, 359/737, 359652-654, 348/755, 348/764, 348/770, 348/771
• US Class Current: 353/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7416 involving the use of a spatial light modulator, e.g. a light valve, controlled by a video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3188 Scale or resolution adjustment scaling in general G06T3/40; resolution modifying circuits for displays in general G09G5/391

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes an indicating element which modulates or emits light as a pixel in accordance with image information. A displacement unit optically displaces a position of the pixel for each of two or more sub-fields constituting an image field corresponding to the image information. A projection unit enlarges the pixel and projects an enlarged pixel on a screen. A pixel-profile deformation unit changes an optical intensity profile of the pixel.

Claims

1. An optical component for use in an image display apparatus, comprising:

an indicating element configured to modulate or emit light as a pixel in accordance with image information; and

a pixel-profile deformation unit configured to deform an optical intensity profile of the pixel, wherein

the pixel-profile deformation unit is further configured to deform the optical intensity profile of the pixel into a pixel profile of a non-rectangle configuration, and

the pixel of the pixel profile produced by the pixel-profile deformation unit has a concave portion near a center of the pixel.

2. The optical component of claim 1, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit deforms the optical intensity profile so as to meet the formula:

w<

=0.7 p×

(2/n) where w is a full width at half maximum of the resulting pixel profile, p is a pixel pitch, and n is an integer above 2 and indicates the number of steps in which displacement is carried out by a displacement unit.

3. The optical component of claim 1, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit deforms the optical intensity profile so that a minimum optical intensity of a continuation pixel profile produced from two or more continuous pixel profiles produced by the pixel-profile deformation unit is less than 43% of a maximum optical intensity of the continuation pixel profile.

4. The optical component of claim 1, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit includes a micro-lens array which is formed with a curved surface.

5. The optical component of claim 1, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit includes a gradient-index lens array in which a refractive index is distributed therein.

6. The optical component of claim 1, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit includes a concave surface mirror array having a concave surface mirror.

7. The optical component of claim 1, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit includes an aperture array having an area smaller than an area of the original pixel.

8. The optical component of claim 1, further comprising a displacement unit configured to optically displace a position of the pixel, the optical intensity profile of the pixel being deformed by the pixel-profile deformation unit, for each of two or more sub-fields constituting an image field corresponding to the image information.

9. An image display apparatus in which an optical component is provided, the optical component comprising:

an indicating element configured to modulate or emit light as a pixel in accordance with image information; and

a pixel-profile deformation unit configured to deform an optical intensity profile of the pixel, wherein

the pixel-profile deformation unit deforms the optical intensity profile so that a minimum optical intensity of a continuation pixel profile produced from two or more continuous pixel profiles produced by the pixel-profile deformation unit is less than 43% of a maximum optical intensity of the continuation pixel profile.

10. The image display apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit includes a micro-lens array which is formed with a curved surface.

11. The image display apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit includes a gradient-index lens array in which a refractive index is distributed therein.

12. The image display apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pixel-profile deformation unit includes a concave surface mirror array having a concave surface mirror.

13. The image display apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical component further comprises a displacement unit configured to optically displace a position of the pixel, the optical intensity profile of the pixel being deformed by the pixel-profile deformation unit, for each of two or more sub-fields constituting an image field corresponding to the image information.