US5704700A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Laser illuminated image projection system and method of using same
Assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
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Filing: 1995-07-24
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Granted: 1998-01-06
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Expires: 2015-07-24
Abstract
Abstract The laser illuminated image projection system includes a microlaser array coupled with a beam shaper to produce an exceptionally bright projection light beam. In one embodiment, the beam shaper includes a binary phase plate to modify the shape and intensity profile of the projection light beam. In another embodiment, the beam shaper includes a microlens array arrangement. In yet another embodiment, the beam shaper includes a diffuser arrangement. A light valve modifies the projection light beam to generate an output light beam indicative of an image. A projection lens arrangement focuses the output light beam onto a remote surface to reproduce the image thereon.
Inventors
- 👤 David W. Kappel
- 👤 David E. Hargis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 17:29
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N9/00; H04N9/12; H04N9/31; H04N9/3129; G; G02; G02B; G02B19/00; G02B19/0004; G02B19/0028; G02B19/0033; G02B19/0047; G02B19/0052; G02B19/0057; G02B19/009; G02B23/00; G02B23/02; G02B23/06; G02B27/00; G02B27/09; G02B27/0927; G02B27/0938; G02B27/0944; G02B27/095; G02B27/0955; G02B27/0961; G02B27/10; G02B27/1006; G02B27/102; G02B27/1026; G02B27/1033; G02B27/1046; G02B27/1053; G02B27/1086; G02B27/12; G02B27/123; G02B27/14; G02B27/149; G03; G03B; G03B21/00; G03B21/005; G03B21/008; G03B21/14; G03B21/20; G03B21/2006; G03B21/2033; G03B33/00; G03B33/06; H04N9/3141; H04N9/315; H04N9/3161
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 49
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
An image producing system, comprising: a spatial light modulator means for generating an image to be projected onto a remote viewing surface; a beam shaping means for directing uniformly distributed high intensity light onto said modulator means in registration therewith for illumination purposes; and said beam shaping means including means for sampling coherent light to and from a group of diverging light beams to expand onto an overlapping pattern and for imaging the pattern onto said modulator means; and laser means for generating high intensity coherent light.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
87 words
An image producing system, comprising: a spatial light modulator means for generating an image to be projected onto a remote viewing surface; a beam shaping means for directing uniformly distributed high intensity light onto said modulator means in registration therewith for illumination purposes; and said beam shaping means including means for sampling coherent light to and from a group of diverging light beams to expand onto an overlapping pattern and for imaging the pattern onto said modulator means; and laser means for generating high intensity coherent light.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein said beam shaping means including a beam sampling microlens array for sampling non-uniform intensity coherent light from said laser means to produce a group of diverging, said first array including a plurality of microlenses, each having a generally rectangular configuration generally similar to the configuration of said modulator means to cause the diverging light beams to each have a rectangular cross section proportional to the shape of said modulator means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system according to claim 2, wherein said beam shaping means includes, an imaging microlens array disposed in a spaced apart relationship relative to said sampling lens array, said imaging lens array including a plurality of microlenses for focusing the overlapping pattern onto said modulator means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system according to claim 3, wherein said beam shaping means includes a field lens for helping focus light emitted from said imaging microlens array onto said modulator means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
An image producing system according to claim 1, wherein said light source means preferably includes a multiplicity of microlaser elements.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
An image producing system according to claim 5, wherein said multiplicity of microlaser elements preferably is a microlaser array.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image producing system according to claim 6, wherein each of said microlaser elements preferably is a diode pumped solid-state laser.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
An image producing system according to claim 6, wherein said microlaser array is a monolithic linear microlaser array.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
An image producing system according to claim 6, wherein said microlaser array is preferably a two dimensional microlaser array.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
165 words
An image producing system according to claim 1, wherein said laser means is light source means including at least one laser device switchable between an on state and an off state for generating pulses of coherent projection light along an input optical path, wherein said coherent projection light is generated at a maximum luminosity level when said laser device is switched to said on state; wherein said spatial light modulator means is disposed in said input optical path for modulating said coherent projection light to produce output light representative of the image along an output optical path for facilitating the projection of the image onto a remote surface, wherein substantially all of said output light produced by said spatial light modulator means is projected onto said remote surface; and said spatial light modulator means includes a light valve for controlling the luminosity of said output light produced by said spatial light modulator means to facilitate reproducing the image with varying shades on said remote surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
65 words
An image producing system according to claim 10, wherein said light source means includes at least three laser devices, said laser devices including a red laser device, a green laser device, and a blue laser device which are each switched between their on and off states to generate sequential mono-colored pulses of coherent projection light for facilitating the reproduction of the image in full color.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
An image producing system according to claim 10, wherein said light valve is reflective.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
An image producing system according to claim 12, wherein said light valve is beam addressed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
An image producing system according to claim 13, wherein said light valve is a photoelectric liquid crystal device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
57 words
An image producing system according to claim 14, wherein said spatial light modulator means further includes a writing means to generate the image to be projected and a fiber optic plate disposed between said photoelectric liquid crystal device and said writing means to optically transfer the image from said writing means to said photoelectric liquid crystal device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
An image producing system according to claim 15, wherein said writing means includes a cathode ray tube device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
An image producing system according to claim 15, wherein said writing means includes a writing light source, and an active matrix liquid crystal device disposed between said writing light source and said fiber optic plate.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image producing system according to claim 12, wherein said spatial light modulator means further includes a mirror device for reflecting modulated coherent projection light to direct it onto said output optical path as said output light.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
An image producing system according to claim 18, wherein said light valve is a ferroelectric liquid crystal display device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
An image producing system according to claim 10, wherein said light valve is transmissive.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
An image producing system according to claim 20, wherein said light valve is a ferroelectric liquid crystal display device.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
50 words
An image producing system according to claim 10, further including an optical lens for facilitating the coordination of a cross-sectional area of said coherent projection light with a frontal surface area of said light valve to enable substantially all of said coherent projection light to impinge said frontal surface area.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
43 words
An image producing system according to claim 22, wherein said spatial light modulator means further includes means for redirecting said coherent projection light toward said light valve to permit said coherent projection light to impinge said light valve at about a right angle.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
17 words
An image producing system according to claim 23, wherein said redirecting means includes a polarizing beam splitter.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
An image producing system according to claim 1, wherein said beam shaping means includes a binary phase plate.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
An image producing system according to claim 1, wherein said beam shaping means includes a holographic diffuser.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
143 words
A method of producing a bright image utilizing a plurality of different colored lasers, comprising: generating a plurality of different colored laser lights; controlling each one of the laser lights individually and sequentially to cause them to be energized at a substantially peak ON output luminosity for a short ON period of time, thereby providing a high average output luminosity at a low average energy cost; controlling each one of the laser lights individually and sequentially to cause them to be deactivated at a near ON output luminosity for a short OFF period of time to enable the laser lights to switch between OFF and ON in an efficient manner; forming a bright image from the laser lights; sampling coherent light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern; and imaging the pattern onto said modulator means.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
143 words
A method of producing a bright image utilizing a plurality of different colored lasers, comprising: generating a plurality of different colored laser lights; controlling each one of the laser lights individually and sequentially to cause them to be energized at a substantially peak ON output luminosity for a short ON period of time, thereby providing a high average output luminosity at a low average energy cost; controlling each one of the laser lights individually and sequentially to cause them to be deactivated at a near ON output luminosity for a short OFF period of time to enable the laser lights to switch between OFF and ON in an efficient manner; forming a bright image from the laser lights; sampling coherent light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern; and imaging the pattern onto said modulator means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 27, further including projecting the bright image.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 27, wherein the image is formed by using a deformable mirror device.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 29, further including image relaying from the deformable mirror device to shorten effectively the optical path of the ON light reflected from the deformable mirror device.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 30, further including using a spherical mirror for image relaying.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 27, further including using an emersed eggcrate dichroic mirror assembly to combine the laser lights.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
152 words
A system for producing a bright image comprising: a plurality of lasers for generating a plurality of different colored laser lights; means for controlling each one of the lasers individually and sequentially to cause them to be energized at a substantially peak ON output luminosity for a short ON period of time, thereby providing a high average output luminosity at a low average energy cost; means for controlling each on of the lasers individually and sequentially to cause them to be deactivated at a near ON output luminosity for a short OFF period of time to enable the lasers to switch between OFF and ON in an efficient manner; means for forming a bright image from the laser lights; means for sampling the laser light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern and for imaging the pattern onto said means for forming a bright image.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
152 words
A system for producing a bright image comprising: a plurality of lasers for generating a plurality of different colored laser lights; means for controlling each one of the lasers individually and sequentially to cause them to be energized at a substantially peak ON output luminosity for a short ON period of time, thereby providing a high average output luminosity at a low average energy cost; means for controlling each on of the lasers individually and sequentially to cause them to be deactivated at a near ON output luminosity for a short OFF period of time to enable the lasers to switch between OFF and ON in an efficient manner; means for forming a bright image from the laser lights; means for sampling the laser light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern and for imaging the pattern onto said means for forming a bright image.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
14 words
A system according to claim 33, further including means for projecting the bright image.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system according to claim 33, wherein said means for forming includes a deformable mirror device.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system according to claim 35, further including an image relaying arrangement for the deformable mirror device to shorten effectively the optical path of the ON light reflected from the deformable mirror device.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 36, wherein said arrangement includes a spherical mirror for image relaying purposes.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system according to claim 33, further including an emersed eggcrate dichroic mirror assembly to combine the laser lights.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 33, wherein said plurality of lasers preferably is a multiplicity of microlaser elements.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 39, wherein said multiplicity of microlaser elements preferably is a microlaser array.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system according to claim 40, wherein each of said microlaser elements preferably is a diode pumped solid-state laser.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system according to claim 40, wherein said microlaser array is a monolithic linear microlaser array.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system according to claim 40, wherein said microlaser array is preferably a two dimensional microlaser array.
Claim 47
Independent Claim
177 words
A method of projecting an image, comprising: generating pulses of coherent projection light along an input optical path with a light source means including at least one laser device selectively switchable between an on state and an off state, wherein said coherent projection light is generated at a maximum luminosity level when said laser device is switched to said on state; modulating said coherent projection light with a spatial light modulator means disposed in said input optical path to produce output light representative of the image along an output optical path for facilitating the projection of the image onto a remote surface, wherein substantially all of said output light produced by said spatial light modulator means is projected onto said remote surface; controlling the luminosity of said output light produced by said spatial light modulator means with a light valve to facilitate reproducing the image with varying shades on said remote surface; sampling coherent light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern; and imaging the pattern onto said modulator means.
Claim 48
Independent Claim
177 words
A method of projecting an image, comprising: generating pulses of coherent projection light along an input optical path with a light source means including at least one laser device selectively switchable between an on state and an off state, wherein said coherent projection light is generated at a maximum luminosity level when said laser device is switched to said on state; modulating said coherent projection light with a spatial light modulator means disposed in said input optical path to produce output light representative of the image along an output optical path for facilitating the projection of the image onto a remote surface, wherein substantially all of said output light produced by said spatial light modulator means is projected onto said remote surface; controlling the luminosity of said output light produced by said spatial light modulator means with a light valve to facilitate reproducing the image with varying shades on said remote surface; sampling coherent light to form a group of diverging light beams to expand into an overlapping pattern; and imaging the pattern onto said modulator means.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method of projecting an image according to claim 44, further including using a light source including at least three laser devices, said laser devices including a red laser device, a green laser device, and a blue laser device, and switching each of said laser devices between their on and off states to generate sequential mono-colored pulses of coherent projection light for facilitating the reproduction of the image in full color.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-01-05 | 2001-07-07 | 2002-01-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-01-05 | 2005-07-07 | 2006-01-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-01-05 | 2009-07-07 | 2010-01-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |