Projecton device for projecting an image onto a projection surface, and a projection unit for coupling to a projector

• US 20020180936A1
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CARL Zeiss JENA GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: CARL Zeiss JENA GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Baumann, Oliver, Spruck, Bernd, Knupfer, Klaus, Muehlhoff, Dirk
• Granted Patent: US 6,558,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/31
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2066 Reflectors in illumination beam in projection beam G03B21/28
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/26 Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image

Abstract

A projection arrangement for projecting an image onto a projection surface, said arrangement comprising a light source (26), a film stage (2), arranged following said light source, for holding a positive image recorded on a carrier medium, and projection optics (3) for projecting a illuminated positive image, is provided with a control unit (25), a light modulator (10) controllable by said control unit in order to generate an additional image on the basis of predetermined image data, said light modulator being followed by an optical device (11) for projecting the additional image onto the projection surface (34), and with a beam splitter (6) arranged between the light source (26) and the film stage (2) so as to split the light from the light source (26) into a first partial beam directed to the film stage (2) in order to illuminate the positive image and into a second partial beam which may be directed to the light modulator (10). Thus, a projection arrangement is provided which allows to project additional images, such as subtitles, in addition to the illuminated positive image.

Claims

1. A projection arrangement for projecting an image onto a projection surface (34), said arrangement comprising a light source (26), a film stage (2), arranged following the light source, for holding a positive image recorded on a carrier medium, and projection optics (3) for projecting a illuminated positive image, characterized by a control unit (25), a light modulator (10), which is controllable by said control unit in order to generate an additional image on the basis of predetermined image data, an optical device (11), arranged following said light modulator, for projecting said additional image onto the projection surface (34), and by a beam splitter (6), arranged between the light source (26) and the film stage (2), for splitting the light from the light source (26) into a first partial beam directed to the film stage (2) in order to illuminate the positive image and into a second partial beam which may be directed to the light modulator (10).

2. The projection arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the beam splitter (6) is formed such that the degree of splitting between the first and second partial beams varies over a beam cross-section of the light incident on the beam splitter (6).

3. The projection arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the beam splitter (6) comprises a partially reflective mirror (8), a beam splitter block, or a deflecting element which is arranged partially in a beam cross-section of the light.

4. The projection arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the beam splitter (6) is movable into and out of the optical path between the light source (26) and the film stage (2).

5. The projection arrangement as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that a deflecting device is further provided which, when the beam splitter (6) is moved out of the optical path between the light source (26) and the film stage (2), is movable into said optical path so as to direct the light from the light source (26) onto the light modulator (10).

6. The projection arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the beam splitter (6), the light modulator (10) and the optical device (11) are comprised in one attachable projection unit.

7. The projection arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a splitting device (13, 14, 15;

35, 36, 37) is provided, which splits the light from the light source (26) into different color components, and that the light modulator (10) comprises several light-modulating units (21, 22, 23;

38, 39, 40), each of which modulates one of said color components.

8. The projection arrangement as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that a combining device (18, 19;

35, 36, 37) is provided which combines the light emitted by the light-modulating units (21, 22, 23;

38, 39, 40) to form one single light bundle (20) and guides said light bundle to the optical device (11).

9. The projection arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the light modulator (10) comprises an LCD module (21, 22, 23), a tilting mirror matrix (38, 39, 40) or a GLV module (42).

10. The projection arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the projection optics (3) and the optical device (11) are realized as one single projection unit.

11. The projection arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a memory (30) for storing data and/or an input interface (27) for receiving data as well as an output interface are provided.

12. The projection arrangement as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that a sound unit (28, 29) is provided which can extract sound data from said data and feed them into a sound system (33) via the output interface.

13. The projection arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a display device (31) and an image recording device are provided, said image recording device being able to record the image projected onto the projection surface (34) and to represent it on the display device (31).

14. The projection arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the projection arrangement is adapted to project moving images.

15. A projection unit for coupling to a projector, which projector comprises a light source (26), a film stage (2), arranged following said light source, for holding a positive image recorded on a carrier medium, as well as projection optics (3) for projecting a illuminated positive image onto a projection surface (34), said projection unit comprising a control unit (25), a light modulator (10) controllable by said control unit in order to generate an additional image on the basis of predetermined image data, an optical device (11), arranged following the light modulator (10), for projecting the additional image onto the projection surface (34), and a beam splitter (6), wherein the beam splitter (6), when the projection unit is coupled to the projector, is arranged between the light source (26) and the film stage (2) and splits the light from the light source (26) into a first partial beam directed to the film stage in order to illuminate the positive image and into a second partial beam which may be directed to the light modulator (10).