Method of projecting image with tunable individually-addressable fabry-perot filters

• US 8,210,690 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Gulvin, Peter M., Mestha, Lalit K., Wang, Yao Rong, Lin, Pinyen
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US12/568,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 353/84, 353/20, 353/32, 359/455, 359/498, 359/502, 359/891, 356/454, 356/519
• US Class Current: 353/84
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2018 by time modulation using two or more time intervals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3466 based on interferometric effect

Abstract

A projection system includes a display apparatus comprising a plurality of tunable Fabry-Perot filters, each of the filters being configured for shifting between a state in which the filter transmits radiation in a bandwidth in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum and a state in which the filter transmits radiation in a bandwidth outside the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. An illuminator provides light to the plurality of Fabry-Perot filters. A control system receives image data and controls the display apparatus to project an image onto an associated display surface. The control system includes a modulator which provides wavelength modulation signals to the plurality of Fabry-Perot filters to modulate a color of pixels in the image and causes selected ones of the Fabry-Perot filters to shift into the bandwidth outside the visible range to modulate the brightness of pixels in the image.

Claims

1. A method of projecting an image comprising:

receiving image data for an image to be projected;

illuminating a plurality of tunable Fabry-Perot filters, each of the filters being configured for shifting between a state in which the filter transmits radiation in a bandwidth in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum and a state in which the filter transmits radiation in a bandwidth outside the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum;

controlling the tunable Fabry-Perot filters to project the image onto an associated display surface including providing wavelength modulation signals to the plurality of Fabry-Perot filters to modulate a color of pixels in the image and causing selected ones of the Fabry-Perot filters to shift into the bandwidth outside the visible range to modulate the brightness of pixels in the image in accordance with the image data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising magnifying the projected image with a projection lens system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing of selected ones of the Fabry-Perot filters to shift between a bandwidth in the visible range and a bandwidth outside the visible range is at a frequency at which the two bandwidths are not separately detectable by the eye.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency is at least 20 Hz.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein causing of selected ones of the Fabry-Perot filters to shift between bandwidths includes time-division multiplexing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the Fabry-Perot filters is capable of selectively transmitting radiation in any one of a plurality of bandwidths in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the each of the Fabry-Perot filters comprises a pair of mirrors, and the method includes adjusting a distance between the pair of mirrors based on the image data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising supporting the mirrors on a transparent substrate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the filters are arranged in an array.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the Fabry-Perot filters is individually addressable.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing of causing of selected ones of the Fabry-Perot filters to shift into the bandwidth outside the visible range includes causing selected ones of the Fabry-Perot filters to shift between a bandwidth in the visible range and a bandwidth outside the visible range at a frequency of at least 20 Hz.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency is at least 60 Hz.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising diverging the image with a lens array comprising a plurality of microlenses.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable recording medium on which a control program is recorded including computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

15. A projection method comprising:

providing an image source which supplies image data for an image to be projected;

providing an array of individually tunable Fabry-Perot filters mounted on a common transparent substrate, each of the filters being configured for transmitting visible light therethrough;

illuminating the plurality of Fabry-Perot filters with light;

controlling projection of an image onto an associated display surface, the controlling comprising providing wavelength modulation signals to the array of Fabry-Perot filters to modulate a color of pixels in the image; and

diverging the image with a lens system which includes an array of microlenses intermediate the array of filters and the associated display surface.