Projector

• US 7,477,435 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Columbia Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yonekubo, Masatoshi, Takeda, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pak; Sung H
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, CHAD
• Application Number:
  US11/456,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20070019921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 359/196.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/006 using LCD's

Abstract

A projector includes: a light source device that emits a laser beam toward a projected surface; a scanning unit that scans the laser beam emitted from the light source device; a light diffusion member that diffuses the laser beam used for scanning by the scanning unit; and a converging unit that converges the laser beam going out from the light diffusion member on the protected surface.

Claims

1. A projector comprising:

a light source device that emits a laser beam toward a projected surface;

a scanning unit that scans the laser beam emitted from the light source device;

a light diffusion member that diffuses the laser beam output from the scanning unit, and further comprising a diffused state changing unit that temporarily changes the diffused state of the laser beam emitted from the light diffusion member; and

a converging unit that converges the laser beam going out from the light diffusion member on the projected surface;

wherein the light diffusion member receives the laser beam directly from the scanning unit.

2. The projector according to claim 1 comprising another converging unit that converges the laser beam emitted from the light source device onto the light diffusion member.

3. The projector according to claim 1, wherein the diffused state changing unit is a rotational unit that rotates the light diffusion member within an incoming surface of the light diffusion member.

4. The projector according to claim 1, wherein the diffused state changing unit is a moving unit that moves the light diffusion member within the incoming surface of the light diffusion member.

5. A projector comprising:

a light source device that emits a laser beam toward a projected surface;

a scanning unit that scans the laser beam emitted from the light source device in a two-dimensional direction;

a light diffusion member that diffuses the laser beam output from the scanning unit, and further comprising a diffused state changing unit that temporarily changes the diffused state of the laser beam emitted from the light diffusion member;

a first converging unit that converges the laser beam going out from the light diffusion member on the projected surface; and

a second converging unit that converges the laser beam emitted from the light source device onto the light diffusion member,

wherein the light diffusion member receives the laser beam directly from the scanning unit.

6. The projector according to claim 5, wherein the diffused state changing unit is a rotational unit that rotates the light diffusion member within an incoming surface of the light diffusion member.

7. The projector according to claim 5, wherein the diffused state changing unit is a moving unit that moves the light diffusion member within the incoming surface of the light diffusion member.

8. A projector comprising:

a light source device that emits a laser beam toward a projected surface;

a first scanning unit that scans the laser beam emitted from the light source device in a first-axis direction;

a light diffusion member that diffuses the laser beam output from the first scanning unit, and further comprising a diffused state changing unit that temporarily changes the diffused state of the laser beam emitted from the light diffusion member, wherein the diffused state changing unit is a rotational unit that rotates the light diffusion member within an incoming surface of the light diffusion member; and

a first converging unit that converges the laser beam going out from the light diffusion member on the projected surface;

a second converging unit that converges the laser beam emitted from the light source device onto the light diffusion member;

a second scanning unit that scans the laser beam scanned by the first scanning unit and diffused by the light diffusion member in a second-axis direction perpendicular to the first-axis direction.

9. The projector according to claim 8, further comprising a collimating unit that collimates the laser beam emitted from the scanning unit.