Light source apparatus and projection apparatus

• US 7,349,095 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Kurosaki, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Jr.; Gregory J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TON, TRI T
• Application Number:
  US11/418,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20060262283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 353/94, 356/445, 362/235, 362/227, 362/245, 362/240, 362/243, 362/231, 362/230, 362/560, 362/355, 362/234
• US Class Current: 356/445
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2013 Plural light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/208 Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3152 for shaping the light beam beam shaping per se G02B27/09

Abstract

A light source apparatus is provided with a prismoidal light source housing having a first inclined surface formed of a dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength less than 600 nm and reflects light of a wavelength of 600 nm or more, a second inclined surface opposed to the first inclined surface and formed of a dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength of 600 nm or more and reflects a light of a wavelength less than 600 nm, green LEDs and blue LEDs are arranged on an external surface of the first inclined surface, and red LEDs which are arranged on an external surface of the second inclined surface.

Claims

1. A light source apparatus, comprising:

a pyramidal or prismoidal light source housing having a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface opposed to the first inclined surface, and a third and a fourth inclined surfaces adjacent to the first and second inclined surfaces and opposed to each other, the first inclined surface being formed of a first dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength less than a predetermined wavelength and reflects light of a wavelength equal to or greater than the predetermined wavelength, the second inclined surface being formed of a second dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength equal to or greater than the predetermined wavelength and reflects a light of a wavelength less than the predetermined wavelength, the third and fourth inclined surfaces each having internal surfaces formed of total reflection mirrors;

a first light-emitting element group of at least one primary color, which emit light of a wavelength less than the predetermined wavelength and are arranged on an external surface of the first inclined surface, such that the emitted light outgoes from an opening provided in a lower base surface of the light source housing directly without contacting the second inclined surface, or outgoes from the opening after being reflected once by the second inclined surface; and

a second light-emitting element group of at least one primary color, which emit light of a wavelength equal to or greater than the predetermined wavelength and are arranged on an external surface of the second inclined surface, such that the emitted light outgoes from an opening provided in the lower base surface of the light source housing directly without contacting the first inclined surface, or outgoes from the opening after being reflected once by the first inclined surface.

2. A light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light source housing has a prismoidal shape and an upper base internal surface formed of a total reflection mirror.

3. A light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

an optical member which uniformizes a brightness distribution of light transmitted through the optical member is provided on the opening of the light source housing, the optical member has a rectangular tube shape and all internal peripheral wall surfaces of the optical member are formed of total reflection mirrors.

4. A light source apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the optical member is a hollow light tunnel having a rectangular tube shape.

5. A light source apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the optical member is not hollow, but filled with a light-transmitting member.

6. A light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first light-emitting element group are green LEDs and blue LEDs.

7. A light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second light-emitting element group are red LEDs.

8. A light source apparatus, comprising:

a pyramidal or prismoidal light source housing having a first inclined surface formed of a first dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength within a first wavelength range and reflects light of a wavelength other than the first wavelength range, a second inclined surface formed of a second dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength within a second wavelength range and reflects a light of a wavelength other than the second wavelength range, a third inclined surface formed of a third dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength within a third wavelength range and reflects light of a wavelength other than the third wavelength range, and a fourth inclined surface having an internal surface formed of a total reflection mirror;

a first light-emitting element group of at least one primary color, which emit light of a wavelength within the first wavelength range and are arranged on an external surface of the first inclined surface, such that the emitted light outgoes from an opening provided in a lower base surface of the light source housing directly without contacting the second inclined surface, or outgoes from the opening after being reflected once by the second inclined surface;

a second light-emitting element group of at least one primary color, which emit light of a wavelength within the second wavelength range and are arranged on an external surface of the second inclined surface, such that the emitted light outgoes from the opening provided in the lower base surface of the light source housing directly without contacting the first inclined surface, or outgoes from the opening after being reflected once by the first inclined surface; and

a third light-emitting element group of at least one primary color, which emit light of a wavelength within the third wavelength range and are arranged on an external surface of the third inclined surface, such that the emitted light outgoes from the opening provided in the lower base surface of the light source housing directly without contacting the fourth inclined surface, or outgoes from the opening after being reflected once by the fourth inclined surface.

9. A light source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the light source housing has a prismoidal shape and an upper base internal surface formed of a total reflection mirror.

10. A light source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

an optical member which uniformizes a brightness distribution of light transmitted through the optical member is provided on the opening of the light source housing, the optical member has a rectangular tube shape and all internal peripheral wall surfaces of the optical member are formed of total reflection mirrors.

11. A light source apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the optical member is a hollow light tunnel having a rectangular tube shape.

12. A light source apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the optical member is not hollow, but filled with a light-transmitting member.

13. A light source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the first light-emitting element group are blue LEDs.

14. A light source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the second light-emitting element group are red LEDs.

15. A light source apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the third light-emitting element group are green LEDs.

16. A projection apparatus, comprising:

a light source section including a pyramidal or prismoidal light source housing having a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface opposed to the first inclined surface, and a third and a fourth inclined surfaces adjacent to the first and second inclined surfaces and opposed to each other, the first inclined surface being formed of a first dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength less than a predetermined wavelength and reflects light of a wavelength equal to or greater than the predetermined wavelength, the second inclined surface being formed of a second dichroic mirror which transmits light of a wavelength equal to or greater than the predetermined wavelength and reflects a light of a wavelength less than the predetermined wavelength, the third and fourth inclined surfaces each having internal surfaces formed of total reflection mirrors, a first light-emitting element group of at least one primary color, which emit light of a wavelength less than the predetermined wavelength and are arranged on an external surface of the first inclined surface, such that the emitted light outgoes from an opening provided in a lower base surface of the light source housing directly without contacting the second inclined surface, or outgoes from the opening after being reflected once by the second inclined surface, and a second light-emitting element group of at least one primary color, which emit light of a wavelength equal to or greater than the predetermined wavelength and are arranged on an external surface of the second inclined surface, such that the emitted light outgoes from an opening provided in the lower base surface of the light source housing directly without contacting the first inclined surface, or outgoes from the opening after being reflected once by the first inclined surface;

a light emission driving section which drives the first and second light-emitting element groups to emit light for each primary color in a time division manner;

a light modulating section which forms a projection optical image by outgoing light beams from the light source housing emitted by time-division light emission driving for each primary color by the light emission driving section; and

a projection section which projects the projection optical image formed by the light modulating section onto an object to which the projection optical image is to be projected.

17. A projection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the light source housing has a prismoidal shape and an upper base internal surface formed of a total reflection mirror.

18. A projection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

an optical member which uniformizes a brightness distribution of light transmitted through the optical member is provided on the opening of the light source housing, the optical member has a rectangular tube shape and all internal peripheral wall surfaces of the optical member are formed of total reflection mirrors.

19. A projection apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the optical member is a hollow light tunnel having a rectangular tube shape.

20. A projection apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the optical member is not hollow, but filled with a light-emitting member.