Enhanced video projection system

• US 5,779,334 A
• Filed: 01/08/1997
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lextron Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): DOWLING, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US08/780,351
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 353/31, 353/33, 353/34, 353/84, 349/5, 349/7, 349/8, 349/61
• US Class Current: 353/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3105 for displaying all colours simultaneously, e.g. by using two or more electronic spatial light modulators simultaneous projection in colour photography G03B33/10; beam splitting or combining systems per se G02B27/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/312 Driving therefor driving of electronic spatial light modulators in displays other than projection devices G09G3/34, G09G3/36; control of liquid crystal elements G02F1/133; control of micromechanical modulators G02B26/08
• 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 9/3164 using multiple light sources

Abstract

A color video projector system has separate light sources for producing separate beams of light which are passed each first through color filters to provide separate color beams before being processed by video-controlled light shutter matrices and then combined into a single beam projectable to provide a full-color video display with superimposed color spots rather then side-by-side color spots. In a preferred embodiment the color beams are red, green, and blue. In another aspect of the invention a single white-light source is used, and the beam of white light is split by a prism system into separate color beams, which are redirected to impinge as parallel beams on a monochrome LCD array. The LCD array is switched by a controller driven in accordance with a video signal, and the emerging beams are recombined and focused on a surface to produce a dynamic color image.

Claims

1. A video projector system comprising:

a source projecting parallel beams of light of different colors;

a light-shutter matrix system comprising a number of equivalent switching matrices equal to the number of beams and placed one each in the beam paths;

a video controller adapted for controlling the light-shutter matrix system; and

an optical combination system adapted for combining the separate beams after the light-shutter matrix system into a single composite beam for projection on a surface to provide a video display.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the source projecting parallel beams of light comprises three white-light sources producing three parallel beams of white light through three color filters.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the three color filters comprise one each of red, green, and blue filters.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the source projecting parallel beams of light comprises a single white-light source projecting a white beam on a prism system adapted to separate the white beam into three color beams, and a redirection apparatus for directing the color beams into parallel paths to the light shutter matrix system.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the three color beams produced by the prism system are one each of red, green, and blue beams.

6. The video projection system of claim 1 wherein the light-shutter matrix system comprises a monochrome LCD array.

7. A method for projecting a dynamic color image, comprising steps of:

a) providing separate parallel beams of colored light;

b) directing the separate color beams on separate cells of a monochrome LCD array;

c) switching the monochrome matrix by action of a video signal through an LCD controller;

d) recombining the beams of colored light into a single beam; and

e) focusing the recombined beam on a surface to provide a dynamic color image.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the separate beams of colored light comprise beams of red, green and blue light.

9. A method for projecting a dynamic color image, comprising steps of:

a) directing a beam of white light on a prism system;

b) splitting the beam of white light into separate beams of colored light by action of the prism system;

c) directing the separate beams of colored light onto a monochrome LCD matrix having as many cells as the separate beams of colored light;

d) switching the monochrome matrix by action of a video signal through an LCD controller;

e) recombining the beams of colored light into a single beam; and

f) focusing the recombined beam on a surface to provide a dynamic color image.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein in step b) the beam of white light is split into three color beams, one red, one green, and one blue.

11. A video projector system comprising:

a source projecting a beam of white light;

a splitter adapted to split the beam of white light into separate parallel beams of light of different colors;

a light-shutter matrix system comprising a number of equivalent switching matrices equal to the number of beams of light of different colors and placed one each in each beam path;

a video controller adapted for controlling the light-shutter matrix system; and

an optical combination system adapted for combining the separate beams after the light-shutter matrix system into a single composite beam for projection on a surface to provide a video display.

12. The video projector system of claim 11 wherein the splitter divides the beam of white light into three separate beams of colored light, one red, one green, and one blue.

13. The video projector system of claim 11 wherein the splitter is an apparatus comprising prisms.

14. The video projection system of claim 11 wherein the light-shutter matrix system comprises a monochrome LCD array.