Reflection type projector with four imaging units and a color wheel

• US 6,144,420 A
• Filed: 04/09/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Myung-ryul
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, TARIFUR RASHID
• Application Number:
  US09/057,508
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 349/5, 349/8, 349/6, 349/7, 353/31, 353/34
• US Class Current: 349/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/008 in the form of devices for effecting sequential colour changes, e.g. colour wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/025 and magnifying means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/027 comprising magnifying means G02B27/023, G02B27/025, G02B27/04, G02B27/06 and G02B27/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1026 for use with reflective spatial light modulators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/149 using crossed beamsplitting surfaces, e.g. cross-dichroic cubes or X-cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• 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 9/3114 by using a sequential colour filter producing one colour at a time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3167 for polarizing the light beam polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28

Abstract

A reflection type projector includes: a light source; a polarization beam splitter for transmitting or reflecting an input light according to a polarization component thereof; a dichroic beam splitter, having first and second dichroic reflection surfaces for transmitting or reflecting a ray of one polarized light emitted from the light source and split by the polarization beam splitter to thereby be split into three colors; first, second and third imaging units, respectively disposed at positions corresponding to light output surfaces of the dichroic beam splitter, for forming an image from the input light and reflecting the formed image; a fourth imaging unit for forming an image from a ray of the other polarized light emitted from the light source and split by the polarization beam splitter and reflecting the formed image; a color filter, disposed between the polarization beam splitter and the fourth imaging unit and capable of rotating, for determining the color of a ray proceeding toward the fourth imaging unit; a projection lens unit for magnifying and projecting rays reflected from the first, second, third and fourth imaging units and passing through the polarization beam splitter to be focused on a screen.

Claims

1. A reflection type projector comprising:

a light source;

a polarization beam splitter for at least one of transmitting and reflecting an input light according to a polarization component thereof;

a dichroic beam splitter, having first and second dichroic reflection surfaces, for at least one of transmitting and reflecting a ray of one polarized light emitted from said light source and split by said polarization beam splitter to thereby be split into three colors;

first, second and third imaging units, respectively disposed at positions corresponding to light output surfaces of said dichroic beam splitter, for forming an image from the input light and reflecting the formed image;

a fourth imaging unit for forming an image from a ray of the other polarized light emitted from said light source and split by said polarization beam splitter and reflecting the formed image;

a color filter, disposed between said polarization beam splitter and said fourth imaging unit and capable of rotating, for determining the color of a ray proceeding toward said fourth imaging unit;

a projection lens unit for magnifying and projecting rays reflected from said first, second, third and fourth imaging units and passing through said polarization beam splitter to be focused on a screen.

2. The reflection type projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth imaging units comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal display having pixels of a two dimensional array structure for allowing an input light to have a polarization direction independently selected according to each pixel and reflecting the same.

3. The reflection type projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth imaging units comprises a phase delay plate disposed along the optical path of the light for delaying the phase of the input light, and a digital mirror device having a plurality of reflection mirrors of a two dimensional array structure, each mirror being independently driven, for forming an image from the input light reflected therefrom.

4. The reflection type projector as claimed in claim 3, wherein said phase delay plate is a 1/4 wavelength plate which delays the phase of the input light by 90°

.

5. The reflection type projector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a light mixing unit disposed along the optical path of the light between said light source and said polarization beam splitter for making the light input from said light source into a uniform light by at least one of diverging/converging and diffusingly-reflecting the same.

6. The reflection type projector as claimed in claim 5, wherein said light mixing unit comprises:

first and second fly-eye lenses disposed to be adjacent to each other and respectively having a plurality of convex portions at an input and/or output surface thereof, each of said convex portions focusing an input light; and

a focusing lens for focusing the light passing through said second fly-eye lens to be a parallel beam.

7. The reflection type projector as claimed in claim 5, wherein said light mixing unit is a scrambler of a glass block having input and output surfaces both being perpendicular to the optical path of the light.