Gamma correction for adjustable light source

• US 7,787,172 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ignite USA (Ignite)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Silicon Quest Kabushiki-Kaisha
• Inventors: Nishino, Hirokazu, Shirai, Akira, Ishii, Fusao, Horikawa, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben; Loha
• Application Number:
  US12/231,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20090009850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 359290-293, 359/295, 359/298, 359/230, 359/634, 348/254, 348/255, 348/674, 348/675, 348/750, 348/756, 348/759, 348/764, 348/771, 345/84, 345/89, 345/204, 345/590, 345/596, 345/690, 353/20, 353/31, 353/33, 353/65, 353/69, 353/88, 353/121, 353/122
• US Class Current: 359/292
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

The present invention provides a projection apparatus, that includes: a light source; a light source control unit for controlling the output of the light source; at least one spatial light modulator for modulating the illumination light from the light source by a plurality of pixel elements; and an optical system for projecting, onto a screen, the illumination light deflected by the spatial light modulator, wherein: the light source control unit performs a gamma (γ) correction on input image data by a modulation control of the light source.

Claims

1. A projection apparatus, comprising:

a light source;

a light source control unit for controlling output of the light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating illumination light from the light source by a plurality of pixel elements; and

an optical system for projecting, to a screen, the illumination light deflected by the spatial light modulator, wherein the light source control unit receives input image data from an external image source and performs a gamma (γ

) correction on the input image data by a modulation control of the light source.

2. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an intensity of the illumination light variable.

3. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval of pulse emission of the light source variable.

4. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval of pulse emission of the light source constant and by making emission pulse width variable.

5. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval and emission pulse width of pulse emission of the light source variable.

6. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making at least one of an emission pulse interval, emission pulse width, and an emission pulse intensity of pulse emission of the light source variable.

7. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the gamma correction is individually performed for each color of the illumination light.

8. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the spatial light modulator comprises a micromirror device in which a plurality of mirror elements for deflecting light from the light source are arranged.

9. The projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light source is a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser device.

10. A projection apparatus, comprising:

a light source;

a light source control unit receiving input image data from an external image source for controlling output of the light source;

a gamma corrector for performing a first gamma correction on the input image data received from the light source control unit;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating illumination light from the light source by a plurality of pixel elements; and

an optical system for projecting, to a screen, the illumination light deflected by the spatial light modulator, wherein the light source control unit further performs a second gamma (γ

) correction by a modulation control of the light source after the gamma corrector performs the first gamma correction.

11. The projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an intensity of the illumination light variable.

12. The projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval of pulse emission of the light source variable.

13. The projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval of pulse emission of the light source constant and by making emission pulse width variable.

14. The projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval and emission pulse width of pulse emission of the light source variable.

15. The projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making at least one of an emission interval, emission pulse width, and an emission pulse intensity of pulse emission of the light source variable.

16. The projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the first gamma correction is individually performed for each color of the illumination light.

17. The projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the spatial light modulator comprises a micromirror device in which a plurality of mirror elements for deflecting light from the light source are arranged.

18. The projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the light source is a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser device.

19. A projection apparatus, comprising:

a light source;

a light source control unit receiving input image data from an external image source for controlling output of the light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating illumination light from the light source by a plurality of pixel elements;

an image analyzer for analyzing the input image data; and

an optical system for projecting, to a screen, the illumination light deflected by the spatial light modulator, wherein the light source control unit performs a gamma (γ

) correction on the input image data by performing a modulation control of the light source on the basis of output of the image analyzer.

20. The projection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an intensity of the illumination light variable.

21. The projection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval of pulse emission of the light source variable.

22. The projection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval of pulse emission of the light source constant and by making emission pulse width variable.

23. The projection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making an emission pulse interval and emission pulse width of pulse emission of the light source variable.

24. The projection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the light source control unit modulates the illumination light by making at least one of an emission pulse interval, emission pulse width, and an emission pulse intensity of pulse emission of the light source variable.

25. The projection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the gamma correction is individually performed for each color of the illumination light.

26. The projection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the spatial light modulator comprises a micromirror device in which a plurality of mirror elements for deflecting light from the light source are arranged.

27. The projection apparatus according to claim 19, wherein:

the light source is a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser device.

28. A projection apparatus, comprising:

a light source;

a light source control unit for controlling output of the light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating illumination light from the light source by a plurality of pixel elements; and

an optical system for projecting, to a screen, the illumination light deflected by the spatial light modulator, wherein the light source control unit receives input image data from an external image source and performs a nonlinear correction on the input image data by a modulation control of the light source.

29. A projection apparatus, comprising:

a light source;

a light source control unit receiving input image data from an external image source for controlling output of the light source;

at least one spatial light modulator for modulating illumination light from the light source by a plurality of pixel elements;

an image analyzer for analyzing the input image data; and

an optical system for projecting, to a screen, the illumination light deflected by the spatial light modulator, wherein the light source control unit performs a nonlinear correction on the input image data by a modulation control of the light source based on output generated by the image analyzer.