Six color display apparatus having increased color gamut

Claim 1

An apparatus for displaying a color image from digital data, the apparatus comprising: (a) first modulation system for providing a first modulated beam, said first modulation system comprising: (a1) a first spatial light modulator for modulating a first incident light beam in order to form said first modulated beam according to said digital data; (a2) a first light source for providing a first color beam as said first incident light beam; (a3) a second light source for providing a second color beam as said first incident light beam; (b) second modulation system for providing a second modulated beam, said second modulation system comprising: (b1) a second spatial light modulator for modulating a second incident light beam in order to form said second modulated beam according to said digital data; (b2) a third light source for providing a third color beam as said second incident light beam; (b3) a fourth light source for providing a fourth color beam as said second incident light beam; (c) third modulation system for providing a third modulated beam, said third modulation system comprising: (c1) a third spatial light modulator for modulating a third incident light beam in order to form said third modulated beam according to said digital data; (c2) a fifth light source for providing a fifth color beam as said third incident light beam; (c3) a sixth light source for providing a sixth color beam as said third incident light beam; and (d) an optical combiner for directing said first, second, and third modulated beams toward a lens for projection onto a display surface.

Claim 2

An apparatus for displaying a color image from digital data, the apparatus comprising: (a) first modulation system for providing a first modulated beam, said first modulation system comprising: (a1) a first spatial light modulator for modulating a first incident light beam in order to form said first modulated beam according to said digital data; (a2) a first light source for providing a first color beam as said first incident light beam; (a3) a second light source for providing a second color beam as said first incident light beam; (b) second modulation system for providing a second modulated beam, said second modulation system comprising: (b1) a second spatial light modulator for modulating a second incident light beam in order to form said second modulated beam according to said digital data; (b2) a third light source for providing a third color beam as said second incident light beam; (b3) a fourth light source for providing a fourth color beam as said second incident light beam; (c) third modulation system for providing a third modulated beam, said third modulation system comprising: (c1) a third spatial light modulator for modulating a third incident light beam in order to form said third modulated beam according to said digital data; (c2) a fifth light source for providing a fifth color beam as said third incident light beam; (c3) a sixth light source for providing a sixth color beam as said third incident light beam; and (d) an optical combiner for directing said first, second, and third modulated beams toward a lens for projection onto a display surface.

Claim 10

An apparatus for displaying a color image from digital data, the apparatus comprising: (a) a first spatial light modulator for modulating a first incident light beam from a first light source to form a first color modulated beam; (b) a second spatial light modulator for modulating a second incident light beam from a second light source to form a second color modulated beam; (c) a third spatial modulator for modulating a third incident light beam from a third light source to form a third color modulated beam; (d) a fourth spatial light modulator for modulating a fourth incident light beam from a fourth light source to form a fourth color modulated beam; (e) a fifth spatial light modulator for modulating a fifth incident light beam from fifth light source to form a fifth color modulated beam; (f) a sixth spatial light modulator for modulating a sixth incident light beam from a sixth light source to form a sixth color modulated beam; (g) means for combining said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth color modulated beams to form a combined color beam; (h) means for projection of said combined color beam onto a display surface; and wherein the resolutions of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth spatial light modulators are not all equal.

Claim 11

An apparatus for displaying a color image from digital data, the apparatus comprising: (a) a first spatial light modulator for modulating a first incident light beam from a first light source to form a first color modulated beam; (b) a second spatial light modulator for modulating a second incident light beam from a second light source to form a second color modulated beam; (c) a third spatial modulator for modulating a third incident light beam from a third light source to form a third color modulated beam; (d) a fourth spatial light modulator for modulating a fourth incident light beam from a fourth light source to form a fourth color modulated beam; (e) a fifth spatial light modulator for modulating a fifth incident light beam from fifth light source to form a fifth color modulated beam; (f) a sixth spatial light modulator for modulating a sixth incident light beam from a sixth light source to form a sixth color modulated beam; (g) means for combining said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth color modulated beams to form a combined color beam; (h) means for projection of said combined color beam onto a display surface; and wherein the resolutions of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth spatial light modulators are not all equal.

Claim 14

A method for displaying a color image from digital data, the method comprising: (a) forming a first modulated beam by: (a1) providing a first color beam from a first light source; (a2) providing a second color beam from a second light source; (a3) in a repeated sequence, alternately directing said first and said second color beam to a first spatial light modulator as a first incident light beam, said first spatial light modulator modulating said first incident light beam as an array of pixels to form said first modulated beam; (b) forming a second modulated beam by: (b1) providing a third color beam from a third light source; (b2) providing a fourth color beam from a fourth light source; (b3) in a repeated sequence, alternately directing said third and said fourth color beam to a second spatial light modulator as a second incident light beam, said second spatial light modulator modulating said second incident light beam as an array of pixels to form said second modulated beam; (c) forming a third modulated beam by: (c1) providing a fifth color beam from a fifth light source; (c2) providing a sixth color beam from a sixth light source; (c3) in a repeated sequence, alternately directing said fifth and said sixth color beam to a third spatial light modulator as a third incident light beam, said third spatial light modulator modulating said third incident light beam as an array of pixels to form said third modulated beam; and (d) combining said first, second, and third modulated beams to form an output beam and projecting said output beam onto a surface in order to form the color image.

Claim 15

A method for displaying a color image from digital data, the method comprising: (a) forming a first modulated beam by: (a1) providing a first color beam from a first light source; (a2) providing a second color beam from a second light source; (a3) in a repeated sequence, alternately directing said first and said second color beam to a first spatial light modulator as a first incident light beam, said first spatial light modulator modulating said first incident light beam as an array of pixels to form said first modulated beam; (b) forming a second modulated beam by: (b1) providing a third color beam from a third light source; (b2) providing a fourth color beam from a fourth light source; (b3) in a repeated sequence, alternately directing said third and said fourth color beam to a second spatial light modulator as a second incident light beam, said second spatial light modulator modulating said second incident light beam as an array of pixels to form said second modulated beam; (c) forming a third modulated beam by: (c1) providing a fifth color beam from a fifth light source; (c2) providing a sixth color beam from a sixth light source; (c3) in a repeated sequence, alternately directing said fifth and said sixth color beam to a third spatial light modulator as a third incident light beam, said third spatial light modulator modulating said third incident light beam as an array of pixels to form said third modulated beam; and (d) combining said first, second, and third modulated beams to form an output beam and projecting said output beam onto a surface in order to form the color image.

Claim 18

A method for displaying a color image from digital data, the method comprising: (a) forming a first modulated beam by modulating a first color beam at a first spatial light modulator; (b) forming a second modulated beam by modulating a second color beam at a second spatial light modulator; (c) forming a third modulated beam by modulating a third color beam at a third spatial light modulator; (d) forming a fourth modulated beam by modulating a fourth color beam at a fourth spatial light modulator; (e) forming a fifth modulated beam by modulating a fifth color beam at a fifth spatial light modulator; (f) forming a sixth modulated beam by modulating a sixth color beam at a sixth spatial light modulator; (g) combining said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth modulated beams to form a multicolor beam and projecting said multicolor beam onto a display surface; and wherein said first spatial light modulator differs in resolution from at least one of said second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth spatial light modulators.

Claim 19

A method for displaying a color image from digital data, the method comprising: (a) forming a first modulated beam by modulating a first color beam at a first spatial light modulator; (b) forming a second modulated beam by modulating a second color beam at a second spatial light modulator; (c) forming a third modulated beam by modulating a third color beam at a third spatial light modulator; (d) forming a fourth modulated beam by modulating a fourth color beam at a fourth spatial light modulator; (e) forming a fifth modulated beam by modulating a fifth color beam at a fifth spatial light modulator; (f) forming a sixth modulated beam by modulating a sixth color beam at a sixth spatial light modulator; (g) combining said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth modulated beams to form a multicolor beam and projecting said multicolor beam onto a display surface; and wherein said first spatial light modulator differs in resolution from at least one of said second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth spatial light modulators.

Claim 20

A method for minimizing flicker in a digital display system that modulates, in a display sequence, a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth color respectively from a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth color source, the method comprising the steps of: (a) arranging said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth colors in a luminance sequence in order of highest, second highest, third highest, fourth highest, fifth highest, and sixth highest relative luminance value; (b) using said luminance sequence, grouping said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth colors into first, second, and third pairs, such that each said pair contains one of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth colors having highest, second highest, or third highest relative luminance value and one of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth colors having fourth highest, fifth highest, or sixth highest relative luminance value; and (c) sequentially modulating said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth colors in sequence of said first, second, and third pairs, thereby smoothing the luminance transition between colors.

Claim 21

A method for minimizing flicker in a digital display system that modulates, in a display sequence, a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth color respectively from a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth color source, the method comprising the steps of: (a) arranging said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth colors in a luminance sequence in order of highest, second highest, third highest, fourth highest, fifth highest, and sixth highest relative luminance value; (b) using said luminance sequence, grouping said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth colors into first, second, and third pairs, such that each said pair contains one of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth colors having highest, second highest, or third highest relative luminance value and one of said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth colors having fourth highest, fifth highest, or sixth highest relative luminance value; and (c) sequentially modulating said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth colors in sequence of said first, second, and third pairs, thereby smoothing the luminance transition between colors.