Video projector system

• US 9,319,648 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red.com, LLC
• Original Assignee: Red.com, LLC
• Inventors: Jannard, James H., English, Stuart J., Prior, Gregory Alan, Sandberg, Edmund, Newham, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US14/808,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 270 Days
• Field of Search: 348/756, 348/757, 348/758, 348/759, 348/760, 348/761, 348/779, 348/792, 348/725, 348/744, 348/674, 348/698, 348/203, 348/230.1, 348/310, 353/20, 353/30, 353/31, 353/34, 353/37, 353/57, 353/85, 353/84, 353/88, 353/89, 353/94, 353/98, 353/102, 353/121, 359/3, 359/15, 359/22, 359/40, 359/53, 359/437, 359/443, 359/649
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/123 Multibeam scanners, e.g. using multiple light sources or beam splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/25 using polarisation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0005 the light guides being of the fibre type G02B6/0003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/06 the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/00 Projectors or projection-type viewers; Accessories therefor devices for changing pictures G03B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/206 Control of light source other than position or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/00 Colour photography, other than mere exposure or projection of a colour film printing apparatus G03B27/00; stereoscopic colour photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/005 Optical devices external to the laser cavity, specially adapted for lasers, e.g. for homogenisation of the beam or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping shaping laser beam for working metal or other materials B23K26/06; optical elements, systems or apparatus in general G02B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3108 by using a single electronic spatial light modulator
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3117 by using a sequential colour filter producing two or more colours simultaneously, e.g. by creating scrolling colour bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3144 Cooling systems cooling of liquid crystal cells in general G02F1/133382; cooling of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/315 Modulator illumination systems general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3155 for controlling the light source light source control per se H05B35/00 – H05B47/00; control of an illumination source for displays in general G09G3/3406
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3161 using laser light sources using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3164 using multiple light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3167 for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3188 : Scale or resolution adjustment scaling in general G06T3/40; resolution modifying circuits for displays in general G09G5/391

Abstract

Some embodiments provide for a modular video projector system having a light engine module and an optical engine module. The light engine module can provide narrow-band laser light to the optical engine module which modulates the laser light according to video signals received from a video processing engine. Some embodiments provide for an optical engine module having a sub-pixel generator configured to display video or images at a resolution of at least four times greater than a resolution of modulating elements within the optical engine module. Systems and methods for reducing speckle are presented in conjunction with the modular video projector system.

Claims

1. A modular video projector system comprising:

a plurality of light engine modules, each light engine module configured to provide blue light, red light, and green light, each light engine module comprising;

a light engine housing;

a plurality of red laser diodes housed within the light engine housing;

a plurality of green laser diodes housed within the light engine housing;

a plurality of blue laser diodes housed within the light engine housing; and

a cooling system configured to dissipate or carry heat away from the laser diodes, the cooling system housed within the light engine housing;

a projector head configured to project video images;

fiber optic cabling configured to receive light from the plurality of light engine modules and to deliver the received light to the projector head, the fiber optic cabling having a length that is at least about 3 m;

wherein the plurality of light engine modules are configured to be mounted in a rack.

2. The modular video projector system of claim 1, wherein the modular video projector system includes at least 5 light engine modules.

3. The modular video projector system of claim 1, wherein the blue light provided by a first light engine module has a different central wavelength than the blue light provided by a second light engine module.

4. The modular video projector system of claim 3, wherein the green light provided by the first light engine module has a different central wavelength than the green light provided by the second light engine module.

5. The modular video projector system of claim 4, wherein the red light provided by the first light engine module has a different central wavelength than the red light provided by the second light engine module.

6. The modular video projector system of claim 1, wherein the projector head is configured to project video images having a horizontal resolution of at least about 4000 pixels.

7. The modular video projector system of claim 1, wherein the projector head is configured to project stereoscopic video.

8. The modular video projector system of claim 1, wherein the projector head is configured to project video having a refresh rate of at least about 120 Hz.

9. The modular video projector system of claim 1, wherein individual light engine modules are configured to provide about the same light output so that increasing or decreasing the number of light engine modules respectively increases or decreases the light output from the projector head by the amount of light provided by an individual light engine module, thereby providing a scalable light source for the projector head.

10. A light engine module for use in a modular video projector system, the light engine module comprising:

a light engine housing configured to be mounted within a rack;

a plurality of red light sources housed within the light engine housing, the plurality of red light sources configured to produce red light having a red central wavelength and a red spectral bandwidth;

a plurality of green light sources housed within the light engine housing, the plurality of green light sources configured to produce green light having a green central wavelength and a green spectral bandwidth;

a plurality of blue light sources housed within the light engine housing, the plurality of blue light sources configured to produce blue light having a blue central wavelength and a blue spectral bandwidth;

a red light optical system configured to direct the red light provided by the plurality of red light sources onto a fiber optic cable;

a green light optical system configured to direct the green light provided by the plurality of green light sources onto the fiber optic cable;

a blue light optical system configured to direct the blue light provided by the plurality of blue light sources onto the fiber optic cable;

a cooling system configured to dissipate or carry heat away from the plurality of light sources, the cooling system housed within the light engine housing,

wherein the light engine module is configured to be combined with other light engine modules to provide a scalable light source for a projector head of a modular video projector system.

11. The modular light engine module of claim 10, wherein the fiber optic cable comprises one or more optical fibers configured to receive the red light, one or more optical fibers configured to receive the green light, and one or more optical fibers configured to receive the blue light.

12. The modular light engine module of claim 11, wherein the fiber optic cable is at least about 3 m in length.

13. The modular light engine module of claim 10, wherein the red light sources comprise red laser diodes, the green light sources comprise green laser diodes, and the blue light sources comprise blue laser diodes.

14. The modular light engine module of claim 10, wherein the red light sources comprise red LEDs, the green light sources comprise green LEDs, and the blue light sources comprise blue LEDs.

15. The modular light engine module of claim 14 further comprising:

a polarization conversion system for each of the red LEDs, green LEDs, and blue LEDs, each polarization conversion system configured to receive input light from the respective LEDs and to output polarized light; and

a polarizing beam splitter configured to receive the output polarized light from each polarization conversion system and to output combined light corresponding to the input light,

wherein at least 70% of the light received by each polarization conversion system is output as polarized light.

16. A modular video projector system comprising a projector head and a plurality of the light engine modules of claim 10 that, in use, provide red, green, and blue light to the projector head.

17. The modular video projector system of claim 16, wherein the projector head is, in use, in a different room from the plurality of the modular light engine modules.

18. The modular video projector system of claim 16, wherein the projector head comprises:

a modulating element configured to modulate the light provided by the plurality of light engine modules, the modulating element comprising a plurality of pixels configured to provide a plurality of modulated pixels; and

a sub-pixel generator comprising an optical element configured to move each of the plurality of modulated pixels in a geometric pattern.

19. A modular video projector system comprising a plurality of projector heads and a plurality of the light engine modules of claim 10 that, in use, provide red, green, and blue light to the plurality of projector heads.

20. The modular video projector system of claim 19, wherein the combination of the plurality of projector heads is configured to project stereoscopic video.