Illumination system and projection apparatus

• US 8,220,935 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Young Optics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Young Optics, Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Bo-Cheng, Chen, S-Wei, Cheng, Chu-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Don
• Application Number:
  US12/604,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20100128227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 353/20, 353/31, 353/33, 353/34, 353/37, 353/81, 353/84, 353/94, 353/98, 353/102, 359/634, 359/40, 359/48, 359/49, 359/63, 359/64, 348/750, 348/766, 348776-780, 348/810
• US Class Current: 353/33
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

An illumination system including a first light emitting chip, a chip package, a first dichroic film, and a second dichroic film is provided. The first light emitting chip emits a first light beam. The chip package includes a second light emitting chip and a third light emitting chip. The second light emitting chip emits a second light beam. The third light emitting chip emits a third light beam. The colors of the first, second, and third light beams are different from each other. The first dichroic film is disposed in the transmission paths of the first and second light beams. The second dichroic film is disposed in the transmission paths of the first, second, and third light beams. The first and second dichroic films are not parallel to and do not intersect each other. Besides, a projection apparatus employing the illumination system and another projection apparatus are provided.

Claims

1. An illumination system, comprising:

a first light emitting chip, capable of emitting a first light beam;

a chip package, comprising;

a second light emitting chip, capable of emitting a second light beam; and

a third light emitting chip, capable of emitting a third light beam, wherein the colors of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam are different from each other;

a first dichroic film, disposed in the transmission paths of the first light beam and the second light beam; and

a second dichroic film, disposed in the transmission paths of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam, wherein the first dichroic film and the second dichroic film are not parallel to each other and do not intersect each other, the first light beam is capable of passing through the first dichroic film and the second dichroic film sequentially, the second light beam is capable of passing through the second dichroic film, being reflected by the first dichroic film, and passing through the second dichroic film sequentially, the third light beam is capable of being reflected by the second dichroic film, and the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam together form an illumination beam after departing from the second dichroic film.

2. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a light uniforming device disposed in the transmission path of the illumination beam.

3. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chip package further comprises a lens covering the second light emitting chip and the third light emitting chip and disposed in the transmission paths of the second light beam and the third light beam.

4. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first transparent substrate, having a first surface, wherein the first dichroic film is disposed on the first surface; and

a second transparent substrate, having a second surface, wherein the second dichroic film is disposed on the second surface, and the first surface is not parallel to the second surface.

5. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first dichroic film is disposed on the first surface, the second dichroic film is disposed on the second surface, and the first surface is not parallel to the second surface.

6. A projection apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system, comprising;

a first light emitting chip, capable of emitting a first light beam;

a chip package, comprising;

a second light emitting chip, capable of emitting a second light beam; and

a third light emitting chip, capable of emitting a third light beam, wherein the colors of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam are different from each other;

a first dichroic film, disposed in the transmission paths of the first light beam and the second light beam; and

a second dichroic film, disposed in the transmission paths of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam, wherein the first dichroic film and the second dichroic film are not parallel to each other and do not intersect each other, the first light beam is capable of passing through the first dichroic film and the second dichroic film sequentially, the second light beam is capable of passing through the second dichroic film, being reflected by the first dichroic film, and passing through the second dichroic film sequentially, the third light beam is capable of being reflected by the second dichroic film, and the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam together form an illumination beam after departing from the second dichroic film;

a light valve, disposed in the transmission path of the illumination beam and capable of converting the illumination beam into an image beam; and

a projection lens, disposed in the transmission path of the image beam.

7. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a total internal reflection prism disposed in the transmission paths of the illumination beam and the image beam and located between the second dichroic film and the light valve and between the light valve and the projection lens.

8. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a reflective mirror disposed in the transmission path of the illumination beam and located between the second dichroic film and the light valve.

9. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the illumination system further comprises a light uniforming device disposed in the transmission path of the illumination beam and located between the second dichroic film and the light valve.

10. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the chip package further comprises a lens covering the second light emitting chip and the third light emitting chip and disposed in the transmission paths of the second light beam and the third light beam.

11. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the illumination system further comprises:

a first transparent substrate, having a first surface, wherein the first dichroic film is disposed on the first surface; and

a second transparent substrate, having a second surface, wherein the second dichroic film is disposed on the second surface, and the first surface is not parallel to the second surface.

12. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the illumination system further comprises a transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the first dichroic film is disposed on the first surface, the second dichroic film is disposed on the second surface, and the first surface is not parallel to the second surface.

13. A projection apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system, comprising;

a first light emitting chip, capable of emitting a first light beam;

a second light emitting chip, capable of emitting a second light beam;

a third light emitting chip, capable of emitting a third light beam, wherein the colors of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam are different from each other, and at least two of the first light emitting chip, the second light emitting chip, and the third light emitting chip are contained in a chip package;

a first dichroic film, disposed in the transmission paths of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam;

a second dichroic film, disposed in the transmission paths of the second light beam and the third light beam;

a third dichroic film, disposed in the transmission path of the third light beam, wherein the first dichroic film, the second dichroic film, and the third dichroic film do not intersect each other, the first light beam is capable of being reflected by the first dichroic film, the second light beam is capable of passing through the first dichroic film, being reflected by the second dichroic film, and passing through the first dichroic film sequentially, the third light beam is capable of passing through the first dichroic film, passing through the second dichroic film, being reflected by the third dichroic film, passing through the second dichroic film, and passing through the first dichroic film sequentially, and the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam together form an illumination beam after departing from the first dichroic film; and

a light uniforming device, disposed in the transmission paths of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam or disposed in the transmission path of the illumination beam;

a light valve, disposed in the transmission path of the illumination beam and capable of converting the illumination beam into an image beam; and

a projection lens, disposed in the transmission path of the image beam.

14. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first light emitting chip and the third light emitting chip are contained in the chip package, the second light emitting chip is contained in another chip package, the illumination system further comprises a fourth dichroic film, the first light beam from the first light emitting chip and the third light beam from the third light emitting chip are capable of passing through the fourth dichroic film to arrive at the first dichroic film, the second light beam from the second light emitting chip is capable of being reflected to the first dichroic film by the fourth dichroic film, and the light uniforming device is located between the fourth dichroic film and the first dichroic film.

15. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a total internal reflection prism disposed in the transmission paths of the illumination beam and the image beam and located between the first dichroic film and the light valve and between the light valve and the projection lens.

16. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the chip package further comprises a lens covering the first light emitting chip and the third light emitting chip and disposed in the transmission paths of the first light beam and the third light beam.

17. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein all of the first light emitting chip, the second light emitting chip, and the third light emitting chip are contained in the chip package, the light uniforming device is located between the chip package and the first dichroic film, the projection apparatus further comprises a total internal reflection prism disposed in the transmission paths of the illumination beam and the image beam and located between the first dichroic film and the light valve and between the light valve and the projection lens.

18. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the chip package further comprises a lens covering the first light emitting chip, the second light emitting chip, and the third light emitting chip and disposed in the transmission paths of the first light beam, the second light beam, and the third light beam.

19. The projection apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least two of the first dichroic film, the second dichroic film, and the third dichroic film are not parallel to each other.