Projector optimized for modulator diffraction effects
First Claim
1. An optical system for modulating an incident light beam, the optical system comprising:
- an illumination source for providing the incident light beam having a defined narrow spectral bandwidth that is 10 nm or less;
an optical element having an aperture of a size and a shape for transmitting portions of a modulated light beam and blocking remaining portions of the modulated light beam; and
a micro-mirror array optical modulator for selectively modulating the incident light beam to encode data thereon based on commands to an ON-state or an OFF-state of one or more micro-mirrors to form the modulated light beam, the micro-mirror array optical modulator being selected from a plurality of micro-mirror array optical modulators by being matched to the size and shape of the aperture in that the modulated light beam has an ON-state light efficiency and an OFF-state contrast that depend on a diffraction handedness pattern of the modulated light beam relative to the size and the shape of the aperture, wherein the optical system is configured to have an f-number in a range of F/3.5 to F/6.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical system that includes a micro-mirror array optical modulator that can selectively modulate an incident light beam having a defined narrow spectral bandwidth to encode data thereon based on commands to an ON-state or an OFF-state of a micro-mirror. The micro-mirror array optical modulator can redirect light by diffraction and reflection to provide an output modulated light beam that exhibits a diffraction handedness dependent described by an arrangement of diffraction orders that depend in part on the narrow spectral bandwidth of light incident thereupon. An optical element has an optimized limiting aperture for defining portions of a modulated light beam that are blocked and remaining portions that are transmitted. An ON-state efficiency and an OFF-state contrast of an optically transmitted modulated light beam can depend on the diffraction handedness of the output modulated light beam relative to a size and a shape of the optimized limiting aperture.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An optical system for modulating an incident light beam, the optical system comprising:
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an illumination source for providing the incident light beam having a defined narrow spectral bandwidth that is 10 nm or less; an optical element having an aperture of a size and a shape for transmitting portions of a modulated light beam and blocking remaining portions of the modulated light beam; and a micro-mirror array optical modulator for selectively modulating the incident light beam to encode data thereon based on commands to an ON-state or an OFF-state of one or more micro-mirrors to form the modulated light beam, the micro-mirror array optical modulator being selected from a plurality of micro-mirror array optical modulators by being matched to the size and shape of the aperture in that the modulated light beam has an ON-state light efficiency and an OFF-state contrast that depend on a diffraction handedness pattern of the modulated light beam relative to the size and the shape of the aperture, wherein the optical system is configured to have an f-number in a range of F/3.5 to F/6. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An optical system for modulating an incident light beam, the optical system comprising:
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an illumination source for providing the incident light beam having a defined narrow spectral bandwidth that is 10 nm or less; a micro-mirror array optical modulator for selectively modulating the incident light beam to encode data thereon based on commands to an ON-state or an OFF-state of one or more micro-mirrors to form the modulated light beam; and an optical element having an aperture of a size and a shape for transmitting portions of a modulated light beam and blocking remaining portions of the modulated light beam, the size and the shape of the aperture being matched to the micro-mirror optical modulator in that the modulated light beam has an ON-state light efficiency and an OFF-state contrast that depend on a diffraction handedness pattern of the modulated light beam relative to the size and the shape of the aperture, wherein the optical system is configured to have an f-number in a range of F/3.5 to F/6. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification