Video projector system

• US 9,854,214 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Red.com, LLC (Nikon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red.com, LLC (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Jannard, James H., English, Stuart J., Prior, Gregory Alan, Sandberg, Edmund, Newham, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mustafizur
• Application Number:
  US15/068,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20160366381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 348756, 348757, 348758, 348759, 348760, 348761, 348779, 348792, 348725, 348744, 348674, 348698, 348203, 3482301, 348310, 353 20, 353 30, 353 31, 353 34, 353 37, 353 57, 353 85, 353 84, 353 88, 353 89, 353 94, 353 98, 353102, 353121, 359 3, 359 15, 359 22, 359 40, 359 53, 359437, 359443, 359649
• 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 video projector system comprising:

a plurality of light engine modules, each light engine module configured to provide light within one or more spectral bandwidths, each light engine module comprising;

a light engine housing;

one or more light sources configured to emit light within at least a portion of one of the spectral bandwidths, the one or more light sources housed within the light engine housing; and

a cooling system configured to reduce an operating temperature of the light engine module; and

a light guide configured to receive light from the light engine modules and to deliver the received light to an optical engine.

2. The video projector system of claim 1, wherein the optical engine is configured to project video images based on light received from the light engine modules.

3. The video projector system of claim 2, wherein the optical engine is configured to project video images having a horizontal resolution of at least about 4000 pixels.

4. The video projector system of claim 2, wherein the optical engine is configured to project stereoscopic video.

5. The video projector system of claim 2, wherein the optical engine is configured to project video having a refresh rate of at least about 120 Hz.

6. The video projector system of claim 2, wherein the light guide is of sufficient length to allow the optical engine to be positioned, in use, in a different room than the plurality of the light engine modules.

7. The video projector system of claim 1, wherein the light guide is greater than or equal to about 1 m.

8. The video projector system of claim 1, wherein the cooling system of each respective light engine module comprises a cooling element thermally coupled to the one or more light sources of the respective light engine module.

9. The video projector system of claim 1, wherein each light engine module is configured to be mounted in a rack.

10. The video projector system of claim 9, wherein each light engine module housing includes one or more mounting features configured to allow for mounting of the light engine module within one of a plurality of slots in the rack.

11. The video projector system of claim 1, wherein each light engine module is configured to provide light within the a red spectral bandwidth, a blue spectral bandwidth, and a green spectral bandwidth, and wherein each light engine module comprises at least three light source configured to emit light within at least a portion of the red, blue, and green spectral bandwidths.

12. The video projector system of claim 1, wherein the light provided by at least two light engine modules of the plurality of light engine modules comprises light within a first spectral bandwidth, wherein the light within the first spectral bandwidth provided by a first light engine module has a different central wavelength than the light within the first spectral bandwidth provided by a second light engine module.

13. The video projector system of claim 2, wherein the optical engine comprises a plurality of optical engines, wherein a first optical engine is configured to project video images based on light received from a first light engine modules and a second optical engines is configured to project video images based on light received from a second light engine module.

14. The 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.

15. The video projector system of claim 1, wherein the light sources comprise at least one of laser light sources, laser diodes, and light emitting diodes (LEDs).

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

a light engine housing;

one or more light sources housed within the light engine housing, the one or more of light sources configured to produce light having one or more central wavelengths and one or more spectral bandwidths;

an optical output configured to connect with a fiber optic cable;

an optical system configured to direct the light provided by the one or more light sources onto the optical output;

a cooling system configured to reduce an operating temperature of the one or more light sources, the cooling system housed within the light engine housing,

wherein incorporation of the light engine module into a modular video projector system allows the light produced by the light engine module and output via the optical output to be combinable with light produced by one or more other light engine modules also incorporated into the modular video projector system to provide a scalable light source.

17. The modular light engine module of claim 16, wherein the light engine housing is configured to be mounted within a rack.

18. The modular light engine module of claim 16, wherein the one or more light sources comprises a first, a second, and a third light source configured to produce red, green, and blue light, respectively, each having a red, green, and blue central wavelength and spectral bandwidth, respectively.

19. The modular light engine module of claim 16, wherein the light sources comprise at least one of laser light source, laser diodes, and light emitting diodes (LEDs).

20. A modular video projector system comprising a projector head and a plurality of the light engine modules of claim 19 that, in use, provide light to the projector head.