Dual projection in short screen distance

• US 9,720,314 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMAX Corporation
• Original Assignee: IMAX Corporation
• Inventors: Bowron, John William, Read, Steven Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US14/784,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20160054648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• 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 30/25 using polarisation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/606 for relief projection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/20 using two or more projectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/26 using polarised or coloured light separating different viewpoint images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388

Abstract

A theatre system is described that includes a screen and a projection system. The projection system includes a first mirror and a second mirror that are positionable within axes for imaged light and between projection lenses of projectors and the screen. The axes include a first axis and a second axis. The first mirror and the second mirror are configured for causing the first axis and the second axis to be parallel to each other and to have a displacement between the first axis and second axis along a dimension by which the screen is curved.

Claims

1. A theatre system comprising:

a screen having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension, one of the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension being curved and another one of the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension being straight;

a first projector for outputting first imaged light;

a first mirror positioned between the first projector and the screen for directing the first imaged light along a first axis to the screen;

a second projector for outputting second imaged light; and

a second mirror positioned between the second projector and the screen for directing the second imaged light along a second axis to the screen,

wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are configured for causing the first axis and the second axis to be parallel to each other and to have a displacement between the first axis and the second axis along the same one of the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension of the screen that is curved,

wherein the first projector includes a first projection lens for outputting the first imaged light,

wherein the second projector includes a second projection lens for outputting the second imaged light,

wherein the screen is positioned a distance from the first projection lens and the second projection lens that is in a range of one meter to fifteen meters.

2. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the displacement is by an amount that is in a range of one percent to six percent of the distance between the screen and the first projection lens and the second projection lens.

3. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the displacement is based on an object circle diameter of the first projection lens or the second projection lens.

4. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the displacement is based on a first luminance distribution of the first imaged light from the first projector onto the screen at a view location matched spatially to a second luminance distribution of the second imaged light from the second projector onto the screen at the view location, the view location being between the screen and the first projector and the second projector.

5. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the first projection lens or the second projection lens has zoom capability.

6. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the screen is a high-gain screen.

7. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the screen is curved along the horizontal dimension.

8. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the first projector and the second projector are in a stereoscopic projection system, the theatre system further comprising:

a first polarizer of a first polarization positioned between the first mirror and the screen; and

a second polarizer of a second polarization positioned between the second mirror and the screen.

9. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the displacement between the first axis and the second axis is less than a width of the first projector or the second projector.

10. The theatre system of claim 1, wherein the screen is configured to have a gain and to be curved by an amount for reducing gain-viewing angles of reflections of the first imaged light and the second imaged light viewed at a position between the screen and the first projector and the second projector.

11. The theatre system of claim 10, wherein the screen is configured to have the gain and to be curved by the amount such that the gain-viewing angles of reflections with a greatest gain slope of the first imaged light and the second imaged light occur at an edge of the screen.

12. The theatre system of claim 10, wherein the screen is configured to have the gain and to be curved by the amount such that the gain-viewing angles of reflections with a greatest gain slope of the first imaged light and the second imaged light occur beyond an edge of the screen.

13. A theatre system comprising:

a screen having a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension, one of the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension being curved and another one of the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension being straight;

a first projector for outputting first imaged light;

a first mirror positioned between the first projector and the screen for directing the first imaged light along a first axis to the screen;

a second projector for outputting second imaged light; and

a second mirror positioned between the second projector and the screen for directing the second imaged light along a second axis to the screen,

wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are configured for causing the first axis and the second axis to be parallel to each other and to have a displacement between the first axis and the second axis along the same one of the horizontal dimension or the vertical dimension of the screen that is curved,

wherein the screen includes an area positioned to have a luminance difference measured at a view location between the first imaged light and the second imaged light reflected from the screen, resulting from (i) the displacement between the first axis and the second axis and (ii) a difference in a gain of the screen for the first imaged light and the second imaged light incident on the area, to cause the area to reflect light with the luminance difference between the first imaged light and the second imaged light,

wherein a curvature of the screen is along a dimension corresponding to the dimension of the displacement of the first axis and the second axis to cause the area with the luminance difference to shift away from a center of the screen.

14. A theatre system, comprising:

a screen with a surface having a gain to reflect light;

a first projector for illuminating the screen with a first light having a first axis;

a second projector for illuminating the screen with a second light having a second axis;

a first mirror positioned between the first projector and the screen; and

a second mirror positioned between the second projector and the screen,

wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are configured to cause the first axis to be parallel to the second axis between (i) the first mirror and the second mirror and (ii) the screen, with a displacement between the first axis and the second axis,

wherein the screen includes an area positioned to have a luminance difference measured at a view location between the first light and the second light reflected from the screen, resulting from (i) the displacement between the first axis and the second axis and (ii) a difference in the gain for the first light and the second light incident on the area, to cause the area to reflect the light with the luminance difference between the first light and the second light,

wherein a curvature of the screen is along a dimension corresponding to the dimension of the displacement of the first axis and the second axis to cause the area with the luminance difference to shift away from a center of the screen.

15. The theatre system of claim 14, wherein the dimension is a horizontal dimension or a vertical dimension,

wherein the first mirror is positioned for directing the first light along the first axis to the screen and the second mirror is positioned for directing the second light along the second axis to the screen.

16. The theatre system of claim 14, wherein the first projector includes a first projection lens for outputting the first light,

wherein the second projector includes a second projection lens for outputting the second light.

17. The theatre system of claim 16, wherein the screen is positioned a distance from the first projection lens and the second projection lens that is in a range of one meter to fifteen meters.

18. The theatre system of claim 17, wherein the displacement is by an amount that is in a range of one percent to six percent of the distance between the screen and the first projection lens and the second projection lens.

19. The theatre system of claim 14, wherein the first projector and the second projector are in a stereoscopic projection system, the theatre system further comprising:

a first polarizer of a first polarization positioned between the first mirror and the screen; and

a second polarizer of a second polarization positioned between the second mirror and the screen.

20. A projection system, comprising:

a first mirror and a second mirror that are positionable within axes for imaged light and between projection lenses of projectors and a screen, the axes including a first axis and a second axis;

a first projector for outputting first imaged light to the first mirror for being directed along the first axis, the first projector including a first projection lens; and

a second projector for outputting second imaged light to the second mirror for being directed along the second axis, the second projector including a second projection lens,

wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are configured for causing the first axis and the second axis to be parallel to each other and to have a displacement between the first axis and the second axis along a dimension by which the screen is curved,

wherein the projection system is positionable within a theatre system having the screen such that the first projection lens and the second projection lens are a distance from the screen that is within a range of one meter to fifteen meters.

21. The projection system of claim 20, wherein the displacement is by an amount that is in a range of one percent to six percent of the distance between the screen and the first projection lens and the second projection lens.

22. The projection system of claim 20, wherein the projection system is a stereoscopic projection system, the projection system further comprising:

a first polarizer of a first polarization configured for being positioned within the first axis; and

a second polarizer of a second polarization configured for being positioned within the second axis.

23. A method for use in a theatre system, comprising:

projecting first imaged light and second imaged light by projecting the first imaged light and the second imaged light from projection lenses of separate projectors;

directing, by a first mirror, the first imaged light along a first axis to a screen that is curved in one dimension; and

directing, by a second mirror, the second imaged light along a second axis to the screen, the second axis being parallel to the first axis and defining a displacement with the first axis that is along the one dimension,

wherein the screen is in a range of one meter to fifteen meters from the projection lenses.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

polarizing the first imaged light in the first axis and the second imaged light in the second axis.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

reflecting, by the screen, the first imaged light and the second imaged light to form reflected first imaged light and reflected second imaged light, the reflected first imaged light having a luminance difference with the reflected second imaged light.