Light source apparatus and projector

• US 9,310,622 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Egawa, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sultan
• Application Number:
  US14/184,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20140232992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 353/31, 353/38, 353/84, 353/85, 353/94, 353/98, 353/102, 348/84, 348/293, 313/506, 313/501, 313/503
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/007 using rotating transparent or colored disks, e.g. gobo wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/06 by movement of refractors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/635
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/08 by movement of the screens or filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/208 Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light

Abstract

A light source apparatus includes a light source unit, a light diffusion element that is provided so as to be rotated about a predetermined rotation shaft and includes a plurality of diffusion regions which are consecutively formed around the rotation shaft, and a motor that rotates the light diffusion element so that a region on which light from the light source unit is incident in the light diffusion element is moved between the plurality of diffusion regions. The plurality of diffusion regions include a first diffusion region, and a second diffusion region which has diffusion characteristics different from diffusion characteristics of the first diffusion region and is provided so as to be adjacent to the first diffusion region.

Claims

1. A light source apparatus comprising:

a light source unit;

a light diffusion element that is provided so as to be rotated about a predetermined rotation shaft and includes a plurality of diffusion regions which are consecutively formed around the rotation shaft; and

a driving device that rotates the light diffusion element so that a region on which light from the light source unit is incident in the light diffusion element is moved between the plurality of diffusion regions,

wherein the plurality of diffusion regions include a first diffusion region, and a second diffusion region which has second diffusion characteristics different from first diffusion characteristics of the first diffusion region and is provided so as to be adjacent to the first diffusion region, the first diffusion region having the first diffusion characteristics consistently across the entire first diffusion region, and the second diffusion region having the second diffusion characteristics consistently across the entire second diffusion region.

2. The light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

at least one light diffusion structure selected from the group consisting of a light scattering structure, a diffraction structure, and a lens structure is provided in the first diffusion region, and

at least one light diffusion structure selected from the group is provided in the second diffusion region.

3. The light source apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

a light diffusion structure provided in the first diffusion region is different from a light diffusion structure provided in the second diffusion region.

4. The light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light diffusion element includes a plate-shaped base, a first layer provided on one surface of the base, and a second layer provided on the other surface of the base,

wherein, in the plurality of diffusion regions, the first layer overlaps the second layer in a plan view when a direction in which light is incident on the light diffusion element is a plan view direction,

at least one light diffusion structure selected from the group consisting of a light scattering structure, a diffraction structure, and a lens structure is provided in the first layer, and

at least one of a prism structure and a lens structure is provided in the second layer.

5. The light source apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source unit includes:

a plurality of light sources; and

a condensing optical system that collects light beams emitted from the plurality of light sources at the light diffusion element.

6. The light source apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

a control unit that intermittently changes an output of at least one light source out of the plurality of light sources.

7. The light source apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the control unit reduces an output of a light source of the plurality of light sources while the control unit increases outputs of the other light sources of the plurality of light sources.

8. A projector comprising:

the light source apparatus according to claim 1;

a light modulation element that modulates light emitted from the light source apparatus;

a superimposition optical system that divides light emitted from the light diffusion element into a plurality of small light beams and superimposes the plurality of small light beams on the light modulation element; and

a projection optical system that projects light modulated by the light modulation element.

9. A projector comprising:

the light source apparatus according to claim 2;

a light modulation element that modulates light emitted from the light source apparatus;

a superimposition optical system that divides light emitted from the light diffusion element into a plurality of small light beams and superimposes the plurality of small light beams on the light modulation element; and

a projection optical system that projects light modulated by the light modulation element.

10. A projector comprising:

the light source apparatus according to claim 3;

a light modulation element that modulates light emitted from the light source apparatus;

a superimposition optical system that divides light emitted from the light diffusion element into a plurality of small light beams and superimposes the plurality of small light beams on the light modulation element; and

a projection optical system that projects light modulated by the light modulation element.

11. A projector comprising:

the light source apparatus according to claim 4;

a light modulation element that modulates light emitted from the light source apparatus;

a superimposition optical system that divides light emitted from the light diffusion element into a plurality of small light beams and superimposes the plurality of small light beams on the light modulation element; and

a projection optical system that projects light modulated by the light modulation element.

12. A projector comprising:

the light source apparatus according to claim 5;

a light modulation element that modulates light emitted from the light source apparatus;

a superimposition optical system that divides light emitted from the light diffusion element into a plurality of small light beams and superimposes the plurality of small light beams on the light modulation element; and

a projection optical system that projects light modulated by the light modulation element.

13. A projector comprising:

the light source apparatus according to claim 6;

a light modulation element that modulates light emitted from the light source apparatus;

a superimposition optical system that divides light emitted from the light diffusion element into a plurality of small light beams and superimposes the plurality of small light beams on the light modulation element; and

a projection optical system that projects light modulated by the light modulation element.

14. A projector comprising:

the light source apparatus according to claim 7;

a light modulation element that modulates light emitted from the light source apparatus;

a superimposition optical system that divides light emitted from the light diffusion element into a plurality of small light beams and superimposes the plurality of small light beams on the light modulation element; and

a projection optical system that projects light modulated by the light modulation element.