Active mask projector providing diffracted light with animation and non-random patterns

• US 8,894,216 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Reichow, Mark A., Joseph, Daniel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Audrey Y
• Application Number:
  US12/647,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 359/569, 359/9, 348/740, 348/744, 353/26, 353/30, 353/88, 353/46, 353/75, 353 79- 80, 353/62, 353/20, 349/129, 362/565, 362/566, 362/806, 362/807, 362/808, 362/809, 362/255, 362/256, 404/37
• US Class Current: 353/46
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/22 Processes or apparatus for obtaining an optical image from holograms G03H1/26 - G03H1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2205 using downstream optical component
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2218 being perpendicular to optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/261 in optical contact
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2222/15 Ultra Violet [UV]
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/12 Amplitude mask, e.g. diaphragm, Louver filter
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/54 Filtering the holobject information
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/18 involving the use of optical projection means, e.g. projection of images on clouds projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3161 using laser light sources using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3197 using light modulating optical valves

Abstract

A projector for projecting diffracted light in a selectable pattern and/or animation on a display surface. The apparatus includes a light source providing one or more beams of coherent light from one or more lasers. The apparatus includes a diffraction assembly in the path of the light source to generate diffracted light by diffracting the laser light with one, two, or more diffraction grating patterns and, optionally, with a diffraction glass or other material. An active mask is provided with a raster that receives the diffracted light and that includes a plurality of optical shutter elements that are selectively operable to project a portion of the diffracted light from the active mask toward the display surface. In one example, the active mask includes a liquid crystal display panel to provide a grid of addressable programmable pixels that are turned on and off to project portions of the diffracted light.

Claims

1. An apparatus for projecting light in one or more patterns on a display surface, comprising:

a light source outputting light;

a diffraction assembly comprising one or more diffraction grating patterns diffracting the output light from the light source to generate a number of points, spots, or shapes in the output light from the light source; and

an active mask with a raster receiving the output light from the diffraction assembly, the raster comprising a plurality of programmable optical shutter elements selectively operable to pass portions of the output light in the one or more patterns on the display surface, including a subset of the number of points, spots, or shapes provided in the output light received by the raster from the diffraction assembly for projection from the active mask, wherein the passed portions are projected at differing locations over time on the display surface such that the passed portions move over time on the display surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical shutter elements comprise a grid of addressable pixels selectively operable to pass the portions of the output light received by the raster toward the display surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a controller providing control data defining sets of the addressable pixels to define a series of patterns in the raster for projecting the portions of the output light received by the raster, whereby a plurality of locations and patterns for the projected differing portions is defined by the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the active mask comprises a liquid crystal (LC) panel and wherein the shuttering elements comprise addressable pixels that are operable to be selectively opaque and transparent to project the portions and to selectively reflect or block other portions of the output light received by the raster.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a controller providing a video to define the portions of the output light and a driver for converting the video into a set of the addressable pixels to be transparent to the portions of the output light received by the raster.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a laser, wherein the diffraction assembly comprises a first disk with at least two diffraction grating patterns and a second disk with at least two diffraction grating patterns, and wherein two of the diffraction grating patterns in the first and second disks are aligned to sequentially diffract the output light to generate the diffracted light.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diffraction assembly comprises a first disk with a diffraction grating pattern and a second disk with a differing diffraction grating pattern, wherein the output light from the light source is directed through the diffraction grating patterns of the first and second disks, and wherein the diffraction assembly comprises a motor linked to the second disk rotating the second disk to generate the diffracted light.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises at least one laser providing the output light, wherein the diffraction assembly comprises a first diffraction grating pattern, a second diffraction grating pattern, and a sheet of diffraction material, and wherein the output light is directed sequentially through the first diffraction grating pattern, the second diffraction grating pattern, and the diffraction material to generate the diffracted light provided to the raster.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical shutter elements are further operable to, concurrently with the passing of the portions of the output light, block other portions of the output light received by the raster from being transmitted through the active mask with the portions, whereby light is only projected on a discrete area of the display surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of points, spots, or shapes include multiple points of lights.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the multiple points of light are further diffracted or refracted by one of the disks to create shapes including one or more of stars, spots, speckles, lens flare shapes, flaring stars, bursts, streaks, smears, sparkling dust, sparkling clouds, and bubbles.

12. A projector, comprising:

a source of coherent light;

a diffraction assembly comprising a first diffraction grating pattern diffracting the coherent light to produce multiple light spots and a second diffraction grating pattern, downstream of the first diffraction grating pattern, diffracting each of the light spots to produce a diffracted light comprising a plurality of shapes or point sources produced from the light spots, wherein the second diffraction grating pattern differs from the first diffraction grating pattern, and

an active mask with a grid of addressable pixels selectively operable to block or pass through the diffracted light passing through the diffraction assembly, wherein the projector projects a pattern filled with the diffracted light and wherein at least one of a boundary shape, a size, and a location of the projected pattern of the diffracted light is modified over time by operation of the active mask.

13. The projector of claim 12, wherein the diffraction assembly further comprises a first rotatable disk including the first diffraction grating pattern and a second rotatable disk including the second diffraction grating pattern and wherein the diffraction assembly further includes at least one motor for selectively rotating the first and second disks to align the first and second diffraction grating patterns in a path of the coherent light.

14. The projector of claim 13, wherein the first and second rotatable disks each further comprise additional diffraction grating patterns differing from the first and second diffraction grating patterns.

15. The projector of claim 13, wherein the motor is operable to rotate the second disk in an ongoing manner to diffract the coherent light.

16. The projector of claim 12, wherein the diffraction assembly further comprises a sheet of diffraction material in the path of the coherent light to further diffract the coherent light after it passes through the second diffraction grating pattern.