Video projector

Claim 2

A video projector comprising: a reflective type liquid crystal light valve for re­flecting a light beam being incident thereon while modulat­ing the polarization of the light beam according to a video signal; a light source for generating a light beam; and optical means for linearly polarizing the light beam from the light source, leading the linearly polarized light beam to the light valve, and projecting the modulated light beam reflected from the light valve onto a screen to form a visible image on the screen, wherein the light valve comprises: a transparent first substrate having on a surface thereof a transparent electrode; a second substrate having an active matrix array cir­cuit on a surface thereof opposing the transparent elec­trode; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, wherein said active matrix array circuit includes: a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a control signal; a plurality of signal lines arranged to intersect the scanning lines for supplying the video signal; a plurality of pixel electrodes opposing the transparent electrode and being arranged in a matrix to correspond to respective in­tersecting points of the scanning and signal lines; and a plurality of switching elements for applying the video sig­nal on the signal lines to the pixel electrodes selectively according to the control signal on the scanning lines, the pixel electrodes each having on a surface opposing the transparent electrode a reflective surface for reflecting the light beam being incident thereon from the first sub­strate side of the light valve and covering the switching elements so that the incident light beam does not reach the switching elements.

Claim 3

A video projector as in claim 1, wherein each of the pixel electrodes is connected to at least two of the switching elements which are respectively controlled by at least two of the scanning lines which are different from each other.

Claim 4

A video projector as in claim 2, wherein a capaci­tance is formed between each of the pixel electrodes and one of the plurality of scanning lines which is different from the scanning lines for controlling the at least two switch­ing elements connected with the each pixel electrode.

Claim 5

A video projector as in claim 2, wherein, supposing that each of the plurality of scanning lines is designated by a sequential number n in a sequential order thereof, each of the pixel electrodes disposed between an (n-1)-th scan­ning line and an n-th scanning line is connected to two switching elements which are respectively controlled by the (n-1)-th scanning line and the n-th scanning line, and the capacitance connected to the each pixel electrode is con­nected to an (n-2)-th scanning line.

Claim 6

A video projector as in claim 2, wherein, supposing that each of plurality of scanning line is designated by a sequential number n in a sequential order thereof, each of the pixel electrodes disposed between an (n-1)-th scanning line and an n-th scanning lines is connected to two switch­ing elements which are respectively controlled by an (n-2)-­th scanning line and the n-th scanning line, and the capaci­tance connected to the each pixel electrode is connected to the (n-1)-th scanning line.

Claim 7

A video projector as in claim 2, wherein each of the at least two switching elements connected to each of the pixel electrodes has on each of its terminal portions an area to be cut off, when defective, by laser trimming so as to be separated from the array circuit.

Claim 8

A video projector as in claim 6, wherein the second substrate is transparent at a wave length of a laser beam for the laser trimming.

Claim 9

A video projector comprising: a plurality of reflective type liquid crystal light valves each for reflecting a light beam being incident thereon while modulating the polarization of the light beam according to a video signal; a light source for generating a light beam; and optical means for splitting the light beam from the light source into a plurality of light beams having differ­ent wave lengths from one another, linearly polarizing the splitted light beams, leading the linearly polarized light beams respectively to the plurality of light valves, and projecting the modulated light beams from the light valves onto a screen to form a visible image on the screen, wherein each of the light valves comprises: a transparent first substrate having on a surface thereof a transparent electrode; a second substrate having an active matrix array circuit on a surface thereof opposing the transparent electrode; and a liquid crystal layer in­terposed between the first and second substrates, wherein said active matrix array circuit includes: a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a control signal; a plurality of signal lines arranged to intersect the scan­ning lines for supplying the video signal; a plurality of pixel electrodes opposing the transparent electrode and being arranged in a matrix to correspond to respective in­tersecting points of the scanning and signal lines; and a plurality of switching elements for applying the video sig­nal on the signal lines to the pixel electrodes selectively according to the control signal on the scanning lines, the pixel electrodes each having on a surface opposing the transparent electrode a reflective surface for reflecting the light beam being incident thereon from the first sub­strate side of the light valve and covering the switching elements so that the incident light beam does not reach the switching elements.

Claim 10

A video projector comprising: a plurality of reflective type liquid crystal light valves each for reflecting a light beam being incident thereon while modulating the polarization of the light beam according to a video signal; a light source for generating a light beam; and optical means for splitting the light beam from the light source into a plurality of light beams having differ­ent wave lengths from one another, linearly polarizing the splitted light beams, leading the linearly polarized light beams respectively to the plurality of light valves, and projecting the modulated light beams from the light valves onto a screen to form a visible image on the screen, wherein each of the light valves comprises: a transparent first substrate having on a surface thereof a transparent electrode; a second substrate having an active matrix array circuit on a surface thereof opposing the transparent electrode; and a liquid crystal layer in­terposed between the first and second substrates, wherein said active matrix array circuit includes: a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a control signal; a plurality of signal lines arranged to intersect the scan­ning lines for supplying the video signal; a plurality of pixel electrodes opposing the transparent electrode and being arranged in a matrix to correspond to respective in­tersecting points of the scanning and signal lines; and a plurality of switching elements for applying the video sig­nal on the signal lines to the pixel electrodes selectively according to the control signal on the scanning lines, the pixel electrodes each having on a surface opposing the transparent electrode a reflective surface for reflecting the light beam being incident thereon from the first sub­strate side of the light valve and covering the switching elements so that the incident light beam does not reach the switching elements.

Claim 11

A video projector as in claim 8, wherein each of the pixel electrodes is connected to at least two of the switching elements which are respectively controlled by at least two of the scanning lines which are different from each other.

Claim 12

A video projector as in claim 9, wherein a capaci­tance is formed between each of the pixel electrodes and one of the plurality of scanning lines which is different from the scanning lines for controlling the at least two switch­ing elements connected with the each pixel electrode.

Claim 13

A video projector as in claim 9, wherein, suppos­ing that each of the plurality of scanning lines is des­ignated by a sequential number n in a sequential order thereof, each of the pixel electrodes disposed between an (n-1)-th scanning line and an n-th scanning line is connect­ed to two switching elements which are respectively con­trolled by the (n-1)-th scanning line and the n-th scanning line, and the capacitance connected to the each pixel elec­trode is connected to an (n-2)-th scanning line.

Claim 14

A video projector as in claim 9, wherein, suppos­ing that each of the plurality of scanning line is desig­nated by a sequential number n in a sequential order there­of, each of the pixel electrodes disposed between an (n-1)-­th scanning line and an n-th scanning lines is connected to two switching elements which are respectively controlled by an (n-2)-th scanning line and the n-th scanning line, and the capacitance connected to the each pixel electrode is connected to the (n-1)-th scanning line.

Claim 15

A video projector as is claim 9, wherein each of the at least two switching elements connected to each of the pixel electrodes has on each of its terminal portions an area to be cut off, when defective, by laser trimming so as to be separated from the array circuit.

Claim 16

A video projector as in claim 13, wherein the second substrate is transparent at a wave length of a laser beam for the laser trimming.

Claim 17

A reflective type liquid crystal light valve for reflecting a light beam being incident thereon while mod­ulating the polarization of the light beam according to a modulation signal, comprising: a transparent first substrate having on a surface thereof a transparent electrode; a second substrate having an active matrix array cir­cuit on a surface thereof opposing the transparent elec­trode; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, wherein said active matrix array circuit includes: a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a control signal; a plurality of signal lines arranged to intersect the scan­ning lines for supplying the modulation signal; a plurality of pixel electrodes opposing the transparent electrode and being arranged in a matrix to correspond to respective intersecting points of the scanning and signal lines; and a plurality of switching elements for applying the modulation signal on the signal lines to the pixel electrodes selec­tively according to the control signal on the scanning lines, the pixel electrodes each having on a surface oppos­ing the transparent electrode a reflective surface for re­flecting the light beam being incident thereon from the first substrate side of the light valve and covering the switching elements so that the incident light beam does not reach the switching elements.

Claim 18

A reflective type liquid crystal light valve for reflecting a light beam being incident thereon while mod­ulating the polarization of the light beam according to a modulation signal, comprising: a transparent first substrate having on a surface thereof a transparent electrode; a second substrate having an active matrix array cir­cuit on a surface thereof opposing the transparent elec­trode; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, wherein said active matrix array circuit includes: a plurality of scanning lines for supplying a control signal; a plurality of signal lines arranged to intersect the scan­ning lines for supplying the modulation signal; a plurality of pixel electrodes opposing the transparent electrode and being arranged in a matrix to correspond to respective intersecting points of the scanning and signal lines; and a plurality of switching elements for applying the modulation signal on the signal lines to the pixel electrodes selec­tively according to the control signal on the scanning lines, the pixel electrodes each having on a surface oppos­ing the transparent electrode a reflective surface for re­flecting the light beam being incident thereon from the first substrate side of the light valve and covering the switching elements so that the incident light beam does not reach the switching elements.

Claim 19

A light valve as in claim 15, wherein each of the pixel electrodes is connected to at least two of the switch­ing elements which are respectively controlled by at least two of the scanning lines which are different from each other.

Claim 20

A light valve as in claim 16, wherein a capaci­tance is formed between each of the pixel electrodes and one of the plurality of scanning lines which is different from the scanning lines for controlling the at least two switch­ing elements connected with the each pixel electrode.

Claim 21

A light valve as in claim 16, wherein, supposing that each of the plurality of scanning lines is designated by a sequential number n in a sequential order thereof, each of the pixel electrodes disposed between an (n-1)-th scan­ning line and an n-th scanning line is connected to two switching elements which are respectively controlled by the (n-1)-th scanning line and the n-th scanning line, and the capacitance connected to the each pixel electrode is con­nected to an (n-1)-th scanning line.

Claim 22

A light valve as in claim 16, wherein, supposing that each of the plurality of scanning lines is designated by a sequential number n in a sequential order thereof, each of the pixel electrodes disposed between an (n-1)-th scan­ning line and an n-th scanning lines is connected to two switching elements which are respectively controlled by an (n-2)-th scanning line and the n-th scanning line, and the capacitance connected to the each pixel electrode is con­nected to the (n-1)-th scanning line.

Claim 23

A light valve as in claim 16, wherein each of the at least two switching elements connected to each of the pixel electrodes has on each of its terminal portions an area to be cut off, when defective, by laser trimming so as to be separated from the array circuit.

Claim 24

A light valve as in claim 20, wherein the second substrate is transparent at a wave length at a laser beam for the laser trimming.