Projection-type display devices including redundant laser sets

• US 7,510,284 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transpacific Image LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Transpacific Image LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Plut, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US11/741,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 353/119, 353/31, 353/100, 353/101, 353/102, 353/122, 353/52, 353/85, 348/739, 348/744, 348/750, 348/758, 348/759, 348/771, 348/794, 348/748, 348/798, 348/801, 362/259, 362/553, 362/559, 362/561, 362/227, 362/260, 362/231, 362/555, 345/905, 349/161, 352/202
• US Class Current: 353/52
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/16 Cooling; Preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

Described herein are display devices that provide projection-type video output and use redundant sets of lasers to generate light. The laser set produces a desired amount of light, e.g., for a primary color. A redundant laser set includes more lasers than that needed to produce the desired amount of light. For example, a set of six lasers may only need five lasers to generate and emit a desired amount of light. The sixth laser allows failure of one laser in the set to not compromise operability of the entire set—and the display device. In addition, extra lasers in a laser set also allows the lasers to be cycled for heat purposes and to extend longevity of individual lasers in the set.

Claims

1. A projection-type display device comprising:

a set of lasers for producing a desired amount of light, each laser in the set of lasers configured to produce light in a wavelength range related to a primary color and including a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature of a portion of the laser, wherein the total number of lasers in the set of lasers is greater than a number of lasers needed to produce the desired amount of light;

control circuitry configured to determine a subset of lasers in the set of lasers that produces the desired amount of light, wherein the control circuitry is configured to turn off a heating laser in the set of lasers when the heating laser reaches a threshold temperature;

an optical modulation device configured to selectively transmit light produced by the subset of lasers according to video data included in a video signal provided to the optical modulation device;

an optics system, arranged to receive light produced by the subset of lasers before receipt by the optical modulation device, and configured to increase flux area of the light; and

a projection lens system configured to project light transmitted by the optical modulation device along a projection path.

2. The display device of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the subset of lasers based on the operability of each laser in the set of lasers.

3. The display device of claim 1 wherein the wavelength is between about 615 and about 690 nanometers and the primary color is red.

4. The display device of claim 1 wherein each laser in the set of lasers is a diode laser.

5. The display device of claim 1 wherein each laser in the set is a diode pumped solid-state laser.

6. The display device of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine the subset of lasers based on a temperature of each laser in the set of lasers.

7. The display device of claim 1 wherein the laser set includes from 2 to 40 lasers.

8. The display device of claim 1 wherein the laser set includes one more laser than the number of lasers needed to produce the desired amount of light.

9. The display device of claim 8 wherein the laser set includes two more lasers than the number of lasers needed to produce the desired amount of light.

10. A projection-type display device comprising:

a set of diode lasers for producing a desired amount of light, each diode laser in the set of diode lasers configured to produce light in a wavelength range related to a primary color and including a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature of a portion of the laser, wherein the total number of diode lasers in the set of diode lasers is greater than a number of diode lasers needed to produce the desired amount of light;

control circuitry configured to determine a subset of diode lasers in the set of diode lasers that produces light for an image, wherein the control circuitry is configured to turn off a heating laser in the set of lasers when the heating laser reaches a threshold temperature;

an optical modulation device configured to selectively transmit light produced by the subset of diode lasers according to video data included in a video signal provided to the optical modulation device;

an optics system, arranged to receive light produced by the subset of diode lasers before receipt by the optical modulation device, and configured to increase flux area of the light; and

a projection lens system configured to project light transmitted by the optical modulation device along a projection path.

11. The display device of claim 10 wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the subset of diode lasers based on the operability of each diode laser in the set of lasers.

12. The display device of claim 10 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine which diode lasers in the set of diode lasers produces light based on a temperature of each diode laser in the set of diode lasers.

13. The display device of claim 10 wherein each diode laser in the diode laser set further comprises a photosensor that detects light produced by each diode laser.

14. The display device of claim 10 wherein the diode laser set includes two more diode lasers than the number of diode lasers needed to produce the desired amount of light.

15. The display device of claim 10 wherein the wavelength is between about 615 and about 690 nanometers and the primary color is red.

16. The display device of claim 10 wherein each diode laser in the diode laser set includes a) a lasing medium in a lasing chamber for producing the light, and b) an output lens for emitting the light.