Projection optical system

• US 8,425,044 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta OPTO Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Keiko, Ohzawa, Soh, Imaoka, Masayuki, Hayashi, Kohtaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, JERRY L.
• Application Number:
  US12/529,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20100097581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,884 Days
• Field of Search: 353/30, 353/31, 353/34, 353/37, 359/726, 359/650
• US Class Current: 353/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/16 for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers , or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/08 Catadioptric systems used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0816 off-axis or unobscured systems in which not all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry, e.g. at least one of the mirrors is warped, tilted or decentered with respect to the other elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto

Abstract

A projection optical system receives light from a display device surface and enlarges and projects a display image thereon onto a screen surface. The projection optical system includes one or more reflective surfaces having an optical power between the display device surface and the screen surface, moves at least one optical device having an optical power to adjust focus and satisfies the following conditional formula: −0.02<{(δ1−δ2)β2}/{(δ1+δ2)β1}<0.2 where δ1 and δ2 represent, when the absolute value of a projection magnification is the highest and the lowest, respectively, during focus adjustment, the absolute value of a difference between a distance from the exit pupil of rays incident on the screen upper ends of the screen surface to the screen surface and a distance from the exit pupil of rays incident on the screen lower ends of the screen surface to the screen surface and β1 and β2 represent the maximum value and minimum value, respectively, of the projection magnification when focus is adjusted.

Claims

1. A projection optical system that receives light from a display device surface and enlarges and projects a display image thereon obliquely onto a screen surface and that varies a projection distance to a screen to display images of different projection magnifications, the projection optical system comprising:

one or more reflective surfaces having an optical power between the display device surface and the screen surface,

wherein focus is adjusted by moving at least one optical device having an optical power, such that conditional formula (1A) below is satisfied, and by said focus adjustment, a distance between an exit pupil of rays incident on the screen upper ends of a screen surface and an exit pupil of rays incident on the screen lower ends of the screen is changed;

0.0090≦

{(δ

1−

δ

2)β

2}/{(δ

1+δ

2)β

1}<

0.2 

 

(1A)

where

δ

1 represents, when an absolute value of a projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment, an absolute value of a difference between a distance from an exit pupil of rays incident on screen upper ends of the screen surface to the screen surface and a distance from an exit pupil of rays incident on screen lower ends of the screen surface to the screen surface,

δ

2 represents, when the absolute value of the projection magnification is lowest during focus adjustment, the absolute value of the difference between the distance from the exit pupil of rays incident on the screen upper ends of the screen surface to the screen surface and the distance from the exit pupil of rays incident on the screen lower ends of the screen surface to the screen surface,

β

1 represents a maximum value of the projection magnification when focus is adjusted (except that β

1 represents, if the projection magnification is negative, a value of the projection magnification when the absolute value thereof is highest) and

β

2 represents a minimum value of the projection magnification when focus is adjusted (except that (β

2 represents, if the projection magnification is negative, a value of the projection magnification when the absolute value thereof is lowest).

2. The projection optical system of claim 1,

wherein conditional formula (2) below is satisfied:

38<

θ

s<

80 

 

(2)

where, when a screen of the display device surface is rectangular in shape, a direction of a normal to a screen of the screen surface is referred to as a “

z-direction” and

a direction of a long side of the screen of the screen surface is referred to as an “

x-direction”

, θ

s represents a maximum value (°

) of an x-z component of an angle of incidence of rays with respect to the screen surface.

3. The projection optical system of claim 1,

wherein a distance from an exit pupil of rays incident on screen upper ends to the screen is shorter than a distance from an exit pupil of rays incident on screen lower ends to the screen.

4. The projection optical system of claim 1,

wherein conditional formula (3) below is satisfied:

1<

{(δ

1+δ

2)/(2·

P1)}·

|β

1|<

30 

 

(3)

where, when, among rays that reach a center of the screen of the screen surface from a center of the screen of the display device surface, a ray passing through a center of an aperture is referred to as a “

pupil center ray”

, and a length of a normal falling perpendicularly on the screen surface from an intersection between a reflective surface that is located closest to the screen among the reflective surfaces having an optical power and the pupil center ray is the projection distance, P1 represents the projection distance when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment.

5. The projection optical system of claim 4,

wherein conditional formula (4) below is satisfied:

160<

(x1/P1)·

|β

1|<

500 

 

(4)

where, when a screen of the display device surface is rectangular in shape, a direction of a long side of the screen of the screen surface is referred to as an “

x-direction”

, among rays that reach a center of the screen of the screen surface from a center of the screen of the display device surface, a ray passing through a center of an aperture is referred to as a “

pupil center ray”

, and a length of a normal falling perpendicularly on the screen surface from an intersection between a reflective surface that is located closest to the screen among the reflective surfaces having an optical power and the pupil center ray is the projection distance, x1 represents a half value of a width of the screen in the x-direction on the screen surface when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment and P1 represents the projection distance when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment.

6. The projection optical system of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one refractive optical device having an optical power.

7. The projection optical system of claim 5,

wherein at least one reflective surface is moved in the focus adjustment.

8. The projection optical system of claim 1,

wherein conditional formula (4) below is satisfied:

160<

(x1/P1)·

|β

1|<

500 

 

(4)

where, when a screen of the display device surface is rectangular in shape, a direction of a long side of the screen of the screen surface is referred to as an “

x-direction”

, among rays that reach a center of the screen of the screen surface from a center of the screen of the display device surface, a ray passing through a center of an aperture is referred to as a “

pupil center ray”

, and a length of a normal falling perpendicularly on the screen surface from an intersection between a reflective surface that is located closest to the screen among the reflective surfaces having an optical power and the pupil center ray is the projection distance, x1 represents a half value of a width of the screen in the x-direction on the screen surface when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment and P1 represents the projection distance when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment.

9. The projection optical system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one refractive optical device having an optical power.

10. The projection optical system of claim 1,

wherein rotationally symmetrical axes of at least two optical devices coincide.

11. The projection optical system of claim 1,

wherein at least one reflective surface is moved in the focus adjustment.

12. The projection optical system of claim 1,

wherein at least one refractive optical device is moved in the focus adjustment.

13. The projection optical system of claim 1,

wherein conditional formula (3A) below is satisfied:

6.03≦

{(δ

1+δ

2)/(2·

P1)}·

|β

1|<

30 

 

(3A)

where, when, among rays that reach a center of the screen of the screen surface from a center of the screen of the display device surface, a ray passing through a center of an aperture is referred to as a “

pupil center ray”

, and a length of a normal falling perpendicularly on the screen surface from an intersection between a reflective surface that is located closest to the screen among the reflective surfaces having an optical power and the pupil center ray is the projection distance, P1 represents the projection distance when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment.

14. A projection image display apparatus that includes a display device forming a two-dimensional image and a projection optical system enlarging and projecting an image on a display device surface thereof onto a screen surface,

wherein the projection optical system is the projection optical system of claim 1.

15. A projection optical system that receives light from a display device surface and enlarges and projects a display image thereon obliquely onto a screen surface and that varies a projection distance to a screen to display images of different projection magnifications, the projection optical system comprising:

one or more reflective surfaces having an optical power between the display device surface and the screen surface,

wherein focus is adjusted by moving at least one optical device having an optical power, such that conditional formula (1B) below is satisfied within at least a range specified by a formula “

1.3≦

β

1/β

2≦

1.8”

, and by said focus adjustment, a distance between an exit pupil of rays incident on the screen upper ends of a screen surface and an exit pupil of rays incident on the screen lower ends of the screen is changed;

−

0.0028≦

{(δ

1−

δ

2)β

2}/{(δ

1+δ

2)β

1}<

0.2 

 

(1B)

where

δ

1 represents, when an absolute value of a projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment, an absolute value of a difference between a distance from an exit pupil of rays incident on screen upper ends of the screen surface to the screen surface and a distance from an exit pupil of rays incident on screen lower ends of the screen surface to the screen surface,

δ

2 represents, when the absolute value of the projection magnification is lowest during focus adjustment, the absolute value of the difference between the distance from the exit pupil of rays incident on the screen upper ends of the screen surface to the screen surface and the distance from the exit pupil of rays incident on the screen lower ends of the screen surface to the screen surface,

β

1 represents a maximum value of the projection magnification when focus is adjusted (except that β

1 represents, if the projection magnification is negative, a value of the projection magnification when the absolute value thereof is highest) and

β

2 represents a minimum value of the projection magnification when focus is adjusted (except that β

2 represents, if the projection magnification is negative, a value of the projection magnification when the absolute value thereof is lowest).

16. The projection optical system of claim 15,

wherein conditional formula (2) below is satisfied:

38<

θ

s<

80 

 

(2)

where, when a screen of the display device surface is rectangular in shape, a direction of a normal to a screen of the screen surface is referred to as a “

z-direction” and

a direction of a long side of the screen of the screen surface is referred to as an “

x-direction”

, θ

s represents a maximum value (°

) of an x-z component of an angle of incidence of rays with respect to the screen surface.

17. The projection optical system of claim 16,

wherein a distance from an exit pupil of rays incident on screen upper ends to the screen is shorter than a distance from an exit pupil of rays incident on screen lower ends to the screen.

18. The projection optical system of claim 15,

wherein conditional formula (3) below is satisfied:

1<

{(δ

1+δ

2)/(2·

P1)}·

|β

1|<

30 

 

(3)

where, when, among rays that reach a center of the screen of the screen surface from a center of the screen of the display device surface, a ray passing through a center of an aperture is referred to as a “

pupil center ray”

, and a length of a normal falling perpendicularly on the screen surface from an intersection between a reflective surface that is located closest to the screen among the reflective surfaces having an optical power and the pupil center ray is the projection distance, P1 represents the projection distance when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment.

19. The projection optical system of claim 18,

wherein conditional formula (4) below is satisfied:

160<

(x1/P1)·

|β

1|<

500 

 

(4)

where, when a screen of the display device surface is rectangular in shape, a direction of a long side of the screen of the screen surface is referred to as an “

x-direction”

, among rays that reach a center of the screen of the screen surface from a center of the screen of the display device surface, a ray passing through a center of an aperture is referred to as a “

pupil center ray”

, and a length of a normal falling perpendicularly on the screen surface from an intersection between a reflective surface that is located closest to the screen among the reflective surfaces having an optical power and the pupil center ray is the projection distance, x1 represents a half value of a width of the screen in the x-direction on the screen surface when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment and P1 represents the projection distance when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment.

20. The projection optical system of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one refractive optical device having an optical power.

21. The projection optical system of claim 19,

wherein at least one reflective surface is moved in the focus adjustment.

22. The projection optical system of claim 15,

wherein conditional formula (4) below is satisfied:

160<

(x1/P1)·

|β

1|<

500 

 

(4)

where, when a screen of the display device surface is rectangular in shape, a direction of a long side of the screen of the screen surface is referred to as an “

x-direction”

, among rays that reach a center of the screen of the screen surface from a center of the screen of the display device surface, a ray passing through a center of an aperture is referred to as a “

pupil center ray”

, and a length of a normal falling perpendicularly on the screen surface from an intersection between a reflective surface that is located closest to the screen among the reflective surfaces having an optical power and the pupil center ray is the projection distance, x1 represents a half value of a width of the screen in the x-direction on the screen surface when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment and P1 represents the projection distance when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment.

23. The projection optical system of claim 15, further comprising:

at least one refractive optical device having an optical power.

24. The projection optical system of claim 15,

wherein rotationally symmetrical axes of at least two optical devices coincide.

25. The projection optical system of claim 15,

wherein at least one reflective surface is moved in the focus adjustment.

26. The projection optical system of claim 15,

wherein at least one refractive optical device is moved in the focus adjustment.

27. The projection optical system of claim 15,

wherein conditional formula (3A) below is satisfied:

6.03≦

{(δ

1+δ

2)/(2·

P1)}·

|β

1|<

30 

 

(3A)

where, when, among rays that reach a center of the screen of the screen surface from a center of the screen of the display device surface, a ray passing through a center of an aperture is referred to as a “

pupil center ray”

, and a length of a normal falling perpendicularly on the screen surface from an intersection between a reflective surface that is located closest to the screen among the reflective surfaces having an optical power and the pupil center ray is the projection distance, P1 represents the projection distance when the absolute value of the projection magnification is highest during focus adjustment.

28. A projection image display apparatus that includes a display device forming a two-dimensional image and a projection optical system enlarging and projecting an image on a display device surface thereof onto a screen surface,

wherein the projection optical system is the projection optical system of claim 15.