Optical projection system and method of use

• US 7,621,647 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Elumenati, LLC
• Original Assignee: The Elumenati, LLC
• Inventors: Colucci, D'nardo, Hooker, Clayton C., McConville, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Diane I
• Assistant Examiner(s): REILLY-DIAKUN, JORI S
• Application Number:
  US11/474,015
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 353/79, 353121-122, 353/30, 353 69- 70, 353/77, 359/435, 359/451, 359/641, 359/664, 359/708, 359713-717, 434284-296
• US Class Current: 353/121
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/147 Optical correction of image distortions, e.g. keystone
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 27/00 Planetaria; Globes

Abstract

Embodiments include a light engine to generate pixels and a number of lenses positioned to receive pixels from the light engine and to project the pixels on to a field with a higher angular pixel density at an edge of the field than at a center of the field. A method according to embodiments includes generating pixels in a light engine, receiving the pixels from the light engine in a plurality of lenses, and projecting the pixels through the plurality of lenses on to a field with a higher angular pixel density at an edge of the field than at a center of the field.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating pixels in a light engine;

receiving the pixels from the light engine in a plurality of lenses; and

projecting the pixels through the plurality of lenses in to a field having a sweep angle of greater than 135 degrees with a higher angular pixel density at an edge of the field than at a center of the field.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein projecting the pixels through the plurality of lenses further comprises:

projecting the pixels through a first lens group that nearly collimates light leaving the light engine;

projecting the pixels through a second lens group that performs wavefront shaping near a lens aperture; and

projecting the pixels through a third lens group that projects light rays over a wide field of view.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein projecting the pixels through the plurality of lenses further comprises:

projecting the pixels through a first lens group that re-images the pixels to an intermediate image plane; and

projecting the pixels through a second lens group that projects light rays over a wide field of view.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein projecting the pixels through the plurality of lenses further comprises projecting the pixels through a plurality of spherical surfaces.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein projecting the pixels through the plurality of lenses further comprises projecting the pixels through an aspheric surface.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein projecting the pixels through the plurality of lenses further comprises projecting the pixels through a plurality of aspheric surfaces.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a light engine to generate pixels; and

a plurality of lenses positioned to receive pixels from the light engine and to project the pixels in to a field having a sweep angle of greater than 135 degrees with a higher angular pixel density at an edge of the field than at a center of the field.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of lenses comprises:

a first lens group to nearly collimate light leaving the light engine;

a second lens group to perform wavefront shaping near a lens aperture; and

a third lens group to project light rays over a wide field of view.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of lenses comprises:

a first lens group to re-image the pixels to an intermediate image plane; and

a second lens group to project light rays over a wide field of view.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of lenses comprises:

a plurality of spherical surfaces; and

one aspheric surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of lenses comprises:

a plurality of spherical surfaces; and

two aspheric surfaces.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of lenses comprises a plurality of spherical surfaces.

13. A system comprising:

a surface; and

a projection system to project an image onto the surface, the projection system including;

a light engine to generate pixels; and

a plurality of lenses positioned to receive pixels from the light engine and to project the pixels over a field of view greater than 135 degrees having a higher angular pixel density at an edge of the field of view than at a center of the field of view on to the surface.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the surface is a truncated sphere.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the surface has a sweep angle selected from the group consisting of less than 180 degrees, 180 degrees, and greater than 180 degrees.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the projection system is located a distance from a geometric center of the surface.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the projection system includes a mechanism to tilt the projection system to project the image onto one of a plurality of selected locations on the surface.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the lenses are positioned to project the pixels on to a first side of the surface and a resulting image is to be viewed from a second side of the surface.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the surface is a three-dimensional rectangular room including six interior planar surfaces; and

the projection system is located on one of the planar surfaces to project an image onto one or more of the other planar surfaces.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a plurality of projection systems to project images on to the surface, each projection system including;

a light engine to generate pixels; and

a plurality of lenses positioned to receive pixels from the light engine and to project the pixels over a field of view greater than 135 degrees having a higher angular pixel density at an edge of the field of view than at a center of the field of view on to the surface.