EP0490171A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Scattering type liquid crystal device
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1991-11-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-11-27
Abstract
Abstract A liquid crystal device for controlling scattering of light beams made incident upon a plurality of portions of a liquid crystal layer (4) thereof so as to modulate the light beams, the liquid crystal device including: a first lens array (2a) having lenses disposed to correspond to the portions of the liquid crystal layer, the lenses causing the light beams transmitted from the corresponding portions of the liquid crystal layer to travel toward a focal plane; a mask (6) for shielding scattered light transmitted from the first lens array and as well as allowing non-scattered light to pass through, the mask having a plurality of aperture portions which are formed along the focal plane to correspond to the lenses of the first lens array so as to allow non-scattered light transmitted from corresponding lenses to pass through; and a second lens array (3a) having lenses arranged to correspond to the aperture portions of the mask, the lenses substantially collimating the non-scattered light transmitted from corresponding aperture portions of the mask.
Inventors
- 👤 Nobuo C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Minoura
- 👤 Hidetoshi C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Suzuki
- 👤 Katsumi C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Kurematsu
- 👤 Kazuo C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Yoshinaga
- 👤 Hideaki C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Mitsutake
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 08:06
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N9/00; H04N9/12; H04N9/31; H04N9/3141; H04N9/315; G; G02; G02B; G02B3/00; G02B3/0006; G02B3/0037; G02B3/005; G02B3/0056; G02B3/0062; G02B3/0068; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1335; G02F1/133526; H04N5/00; H04N5/74; H04N5/7416; H04N5/7441; H04N9/3102; H04N9/3105; G02F1/137; G02F1/13756
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A liquid crystal device for controlling scattering of light beams made incident upon a plurality of portions of a liquid crystal layer thereof so as to modulate said light beams, said liquid crystal device comprising: a first lens array having lenses disposed to correspond to said portions of said liquid crystal layer, said lenses causing said light beams transmitted from said corresponding portions of said liquid crystal layer to travel toward a focal plane; a mask for shielding scattered light transmitted from said first lens array and as well as allowing non-scattered light to pass through, said mask having a plurality of aperture portions which are formed along said focal plane to correspond to said lenses of said first lens array so as to allow non-scattered light transmitted from corresponding lenses to pass through; and a second lens array having lenses arranged to correspond to said aperture portions of said mask, said lenses substantially collimating said non-scattered light transmitted from corresponding aperture portions of said mask.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 1, wherein each of lenses of said first lens array comprises a refraction factor distributed type lens.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 1, wherein each of lenses of said second lens array comprises a refraction factor distributed type lens.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 3, wherein each of lenses of said first lens array comprises a refraction factor distributed type lens.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 1, wherein a first and a second transparent plates are stacked to each other while holding said mask therebetween, said first lens array is formed on said first transparent plate and said second lens array is formed on said second lens array.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 1 or 5, wherein said light beam is caused to travel toward said liquid crystal layer via said mask and said first lens array and a reflecting surface for reflecting and returning said light beam, which has passed through said liquid crystal layer, to said liquid crystal layer is disposed at a position opposing said first lens array.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
122 words
A liquid crystal device for controlling scattering of light beams made incident upon a plurality of portions of a liquid crystal layer thereof so as to modulate said light beams, said liquid crystal device comprising: a lens array having lenses disposed to correspond to said portions of said light crystal layer, said lenses converging said light beam to said corresponding portions of said light crystal layer; a mask for shielding scattered light transmitted from said liquid crystal layer and as well as allowing non-scattered light to pass through, said mask having a plurality of aperture portions formed to correspond to said portions of said liquid crystal layer so as to allow said non-scattered light transmitted from said corresponding portions to pass through.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 7, wherein said lens array converges said light beams onto the side of said liquid crystal layer adjacent to said mask.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 8, wherein said lens array acts to focus said light beam to its focal plane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 9, wherein said mask is disposed on said focal plane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
77 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 10, wherein said mask is formed on a first surface of a transparent plate adjacent to said liquid crystal layer and a second surface of said transparent plate opposing said first surface has a concave lens array, said concave lens array of said transparent plate having lenses disposed to correspond to said aperture portions of said mask so as to diverge said non-scattered light transmitted from said corresponding aperture portion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 9, wherein said mask is disposed on a plane deviated from said focal plane toward said liquid crystal layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 12, wherein each of said aperture portions of said mask has a convex lens element for converging said-scattered light.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 8, wherein a convex lens array is disposed between said liquid crystal layer and said mask, said convex lens array having lenses which are disposed to correspond to said portions of said liquid crystal layer to converge said non-scattered light transmitted from said corresponding portions onto said mask.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 7, wherein said lenses of said lens array are disposed in two directions perpendicular to each other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 15, wherein said aperture portions of said mask are arranged in said two directions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 7, wherein said lens array has a first and a second arrays, said first array includes a cylindrical lens configuration extending in a first direction and said second array includes a cylindrical lens configuration extending in a direction perpendicular to said first direction.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
69 words
A liquid crystal device according to Claim 17, wherein said mask has a first and a second mask, said first mask includes a configuration extending in said first direction and composed of light shielding portions and light transmissive portions, which are disposed alternately, and said second mask includes a configuration extending in said second direction and composed of light shielding portions and light transmissive portions which are disposed alternately.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
203 words
A projector for projecting an image formed by an illuminated liquid crystal light bulb to a projection optical system, said projector comprising improvements: said light bulb controls scattering of light made incident upon each of a plurality of portions of a liquid crystal layer so that said image is formed; a first lens array is provided which has lenses disposed to correspond to said portions of said liquid crystal layer, each of said lenses causing said light beam transmitted from said corresponding portions of said liquid crystal layer to travel toward a focal plane; a mask is provided which shields scattered light transmitted from said first lens array and allows non-scattered light to pass through, said mask having a plurality of apertures which are disposed along said focal plane to correspond to said lenses of said first lens array so as to allow said non-scattered light transmitted from said corresponding lenses to pass through; and a second lens array is provided which has lenses which are disposed to correspond to said apertures of said mask, each of said lenses substantially collimating said non-scattered light transmitted from said corresponding apertures of said mask so as to cause it to travel toward said optical system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A projector according to Claim 19, wherein said light bulb comprises a reflecting type light bulb which is illuminated by said light from said optical system side.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A projector according to Claim 19, wherein said light bulb comprises a transmissive type light bulb which is illuminated by said light from a side opposing said optical system.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
A projector according to Claim 19, wherein said light bulb is illuminated by light which has been substantially collimated.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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