Texas Instruments Corporation

Gavin Camillo Perrella

Shashank Dabral

Vikrant R Bhakta

Zhongyan Sheng

Akeem Whitehead

An example headlight includes: a multi-segment illumination source comprising: a first illumination source segment; and a second illumination source segment; driver circuitry coupled to the multi-segment illumination source, the driver circuitry comprising: a first driver coupled to the first illumination source segment, the first driver configured to generate a first drive signal to cause the first illumination source segment to produce a first light having a first brightness; and a second driver coupled to the second illumination source segment, the second driver configured to generate a second drive signal to cause the second illumination source segment to produce a second light having a second brightness; and a spatial light modulator (SLM) optically coupled to the multi-segment illumination source, the SLM configured to: receive the first light; modulate the first light to produce first modulated light; receive the second light; and modulate the second light to produce second modulated light.

Methods and apparatus for multi-segment illumination of spatial light modulators

Described examples include a projection device having a light source. The projection device also has a spatial light modulator arranged to receive light from the light source and provide modulated light. The projection device also has projection optics arranged to receive and project the modulated light. The projection device also has a field splitting element between the spatial light modulator and the projection optics, a first portion of the field splitting element being structured to pass at least a first portion of the modulated light to the projection optics for projection at a first focal length, and a second portion of the field splitting element being structured to pass at least a second portion of the modulated light to the projection optics for projection at a second focal length.

Projection device with field splitting element

A projector includes a semiconductor die including a digital micromirror device; and a first integral optical layer attached to the semiconductor die. The first integral optical layer includes a first optical lens and a first diffractive optical element. A second integral optical layer is attached to the first integral optical layer. The second integral optical layer includes an aperture stop and a second diffractive optical element. A third integral optical layer is attached to the second integral optical layer. The third integral optical layer includes a second optical lens and a light source mount. The semiconductor die, the first integral optical layer, the second integral optical layer and the third integral optical layer are stacked to form an optical path through the first and second diffractive optical elements, reflect off the digital micromirror device, and pass through the first optical lens, the aperture stop and the second lens.

Growing community of inventors

Richardson, TX, United States of America

Gavin Camillo Perrella