Projector device

• US 9,958,676 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chou, Ming-Chieh, Wang, Kuo-Chih, Su, Han-Wei, Lee, Yao-Hui, Chen, Yi-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Stephone B
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISSEL, TRAVIS S
• Application Number:
  US14/869,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20160187648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 359629, 359630, 359631, 359633, 359 13, 359 14, 359627, 340905, 340980
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1066 for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/149 using crossed beamsplitting surfaces, e.g. cross-dichroic cubes or X-cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3135 Driving therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• 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

Abstract

A projector device is provided. The projector device includes a projector unit, an optical beam splitting module and a first image forming element. The projector unit forms a beam projecting image. The horizontal projection width of the beam projecting image is smaller than the vertical projection width of the beam projecting image. The optical beam splitting module projects one or multiple projection sub-images according to the beam projecting image. The projection sub-images are projected to the first image forming element to form one or multiple projection images. Thus, the projector device obtains multiple projection images from a single image source, and the placement of the image forming elements in the projector unit may be adjusted to obtain the projection images with the best image ratios and the best resolutions. The projector device may be suitable for a head up display.

Claims

1. A projector device, comprising:

a projector unit, forming a light beam projecting image, wherein a horizontal projection width of the light beam projecting image is smaller than a vertical projection width of the light beam projecting image;

an optical light-splitting module, projecting one or a plurality of projection sub-images according to the light beam projecting image; and

a first image forming element, wherein the projection sub-images are respectively projected to the first image forming element to form one or a plurality of projection images,

wherein the light beam projecting image comprises a plurality of split images, and the optical light-splitting module comprises;

a first optical lens set comprising a first reflective mirror and a second reflective mirror;

a second optical lens set; and

a third optical lens set comprising a third reflective mirror and a fourth reflective mirror,

wherein the third reflective mirror of the third optical lens set overlaps with the first reflective mirror of the first optical lens set in a first direction, the third reflective mirror of the third optical lens set forms with the first reflective mirror of the first optical lens set in a second direction an angle from plus or minus 15 degrees to plus or minus 75 degrees, the third reflective mirror and the first reflective mirror present cross-shaped mutually in a plane formed by the second direction and a third direction, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are different from each other,

wherein the third reflective mirror and the fourth reflective mirror of the third optical lens set are configured to project a first part of the light beam projecting image to the first image forming element to form a first projection sub-image,

the second optical lens set is configured to project a second part of the light beam projecting image through the first image forming element to form second projection sub-image, and

the first reflective mirror and the second reflective mirror of the third optical lens set are configured to project a third part of the light beam projecting image to the first image forming element to form a third projection sub-image.

2. The projector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the split images are arranged along the first direction, the projection images are arranged along the second direction.

3. The projector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is a vertical direction, and the second direction is a horizontal direction.

4. The projector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first optical lens set, the second optical lens set and the third optical lens set comprise at least one reflective mirror or at least one lens.

5. The projector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projector unit comprises:

a light source module for generating a light beam; and

an projection imaging element, forming the light beam projecting image with the light beam.

6. The projector device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the light source module is a laser light source or a light-emitting diode light source.

7. The projector device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the light beam projecting image of the projection imaging element has a projecting direction, and

when the projector device splits the light beam projecting image to project the first projection sub-image, the second projection sub-image and the third projection sub-image, a global placement of a projecting angle of the projection imaging element is rotated a predetermined angle along a vertical plane of the projecting direction, such that the horizontal projecting width of the light beam projecting image is smaller than the vertical projecting width of the light beam projecting image.

8. The projector device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a control unit, coupled to the light source module and the projection imaging element of the projector unit and transmitting image data for forming the light beam projecting image to the projection imaging element by controlling the light source module and the projection imaging element,

wherein the control unit drives the light source module to adjust a dot speed of the light beam to the light beam projecting image in a vertical direction.

9. The projector device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the projector unit and the optical light-splitting module form a device body, and

the device body is selectively disposed in a space adjacent to or different from a space of the control unit, and the projector unit and the control unit are connected through a wire or by using a wireless transmission technology.

10. The projector device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the projection imaging element is one of a micro-electromechanical scanning lens, a liquid crystal display, a liquid crystal on silicon unit, and a digital micromirror device.

11. The projector device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the micro-electromechanical scanning lens is driven through a piezoelectric, electrostatic, or electromagnetic operation.

12. The projector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first image forming element is a transparent diffuser, and the projector device is a head up display for vehicles.

13. The projector device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second image forming element, converting the projection images that are real images into a plurality of virtual display images,

wherein the first projection sub-image forms a first virtual display image in the second image forming element, the second projection sub-image forms a second virtual display image in the second image forming element and the third projection sub-image forms a third virtual display image in the second image forming element.

14. The projector device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second image forming element is a virtual image forming lens with a concave surface, an internal side of the concave surface of the virtual image forming lens has a film layer with partially reflection function, wherein the film layer is coated according to a beam wavelength of the light beam projecting image, so that a reflectivity of the film layer for the beam wavelength of the light beam projecting image is higher than a first predetermined value, and a reflectivity of the film layer for a beam wavelength not within the beam wavelength of the light beam projecting image is lower than a second predetermined value.

15. A projector device, comprising:

a projector unit, forming a light beam projecting image;

an optical light-splitting module, projecting light beam projecting image to form one or more projection images;

a reflection element, reflecting a light beam with the light beam projecting image;

a first image forming element arranged within a light path of the reflected light beam projecting image, so that of the light beam projecting image is projected through the first image forming element to form one or more projection image; and

a second image forming element arranged within the light path of the reflected light beam projecting image, so that the projection images are formed a first virtual image, a second virtual image and a third virtual image on the second image forming element,

wherein the light beam projecting image comprises a plurality of split images, and the optical light-splitting module comprises;

a first optical lens set comprising a first reflective mirror and a second reflective mirror;

a second optical lens set; and

a third optical lens set comprising a third reflective mirror and a fourth reflective mirror,

wherein the third reflective mirror of the third optical lens set overlaps with the first reflective mirror of the first optical lens set in a first direction, the third reflective mirror of the third optical lens set forms with the first reflective mirror of the first optical lens set in a second direction an angle from plus or minus 15 degrees to plus or minus 75 degrees, the third reflective mirror and the first reflective mirror present cross-shaped mutually in a plane formed by the second direction and a third direction, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are different from each other,

wherein the third reflective mirror and the fourth reflective mirror of the third optical lens set are configured to project a first part of the light beam projecting image to the first image forming element to form a first projection sub-image,

the second optical lens set is configured to project a second part of the light beam projecting image through the first image forming element to form second projection sub-image, and

the first reflective mirror and the second reflective mirror of the third optical lens set are configured to project a third part of the light beam projecting image to the first image forming element to form a third projection sub-image.

16. The projector device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first image forming element is a transparent element, and

the projector device further comprising:

a case, wherein the projector unit and the reflection element is arranged in an inside space of the case, the first image forming element is arranged on the case, so that the light beam with the light beam projecting image is passed through the first image forming element, and

the second image forming element is arranged on an outside of the case, so that a light beam passed through the first image forming element is formed the first virtual image, the second virtual image and the third virtual image on the second image forming element,

wherein the first projection sub-image forms a first virtual display image in the second image forming element, the second projection sub-image forms a second virtual display image in the second image forming element and the third projection sub-image forms a third virtual display image in the second image forming element.

17. The projector device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a control unit, coupled to the projector unit, transmitting image data for forming the light beam projecting image to the projector unit by controlling the projector unit,

wherein a case is selectively disposed in a space adjacent to or different from a space of the control unit, and the projector unit and the control unit are connected through a wire or by using a wireless transmission technology.

18. The projector device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second image forming element is a virtual image forming lens with a concave surface, an internal side of the concave surface of the virtual image forming lens has a film layer with partially reflection function, wherein the film layer is coated according to a beam wavelength of the light beam projecting image, so that a reflectivity of the film layer for the beam wavelength of the light beam projecting image is higher than a first predetermined value, and a reflectivity of the film layer for a beam wavelength not within the beam wavelength of the light beam projecting image is lower than a second predetermined value.