Eastman-Kodak Company

United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Semrock, Inc.

James R Kircher

Barry David Silverstein

Joseph R Bietry

Mark A Harland

Robert J Metzger

John C Boutet

Christopher M Muir

Daniel A Slater

Michael K Rogers

Anna L Hrycin

Michael B Brandt

Craig A Caprio

Thomas S Albrecht

James Mazzarella

John I Kilburn

Craig W Hodgson

Rusty J Coleman

Donald R Snyder, Iii

George T McCollough

Jesse J Coleman

Volodymyr K Malyutenko

Arthur R Staley

Robert L Murrer, Jr

Oleg Y Malyutenko

Vyacheslav V Bogatyrenko

Andrew M Dziel

An optical apparatus has an optic having a first flat surface and a second surface opposite the first flat surface. A frame has a first fixed contact point, a second fixed contact point, and a third fixed contact point that extend from the frame. The first surface of the optic seats against the first, second, and third fixed contact points. A clamping plate applies a three-point nesting force by extending, against the second flat surface of the optic, a first opposing contact point aligned with the first fixed contact point, a second opposing contact point aligned with the second fixed contact point, and a third opposing contact point aligned with the third fixed contact point.

Mount for flat optical surface

A light modulation assembly for a digital projection apparatus comprising: a solid-state light source that provides an illumination beam; a spatial light modulator having a plurality of tiltable micro-mirrors, each micro-mirror being actuable to tilt with respect to a tilt axis between a first tilt position that provides on-state light and a second tilt position that provides off state light, and wherein the micro-mirrors deflect the illumination beam along an arced path defining a deflection plane as they are tilted between the first tilt position and the second tilt position; and a light baffle disposed alongside the optical axis and in the path of the off state light from the micro-mirrors, the light baffle having a light-trapping surface adapted to absorb the off-state light from the micro-mirrors on the spatial light modulator, the light-trapping surface having a plurality of protruding fins that extend outward from the light-trapping surface at an oblique angle.

Off-state light baffle for digital projection

A stereoscopic digital image projecting system has a light source system energizable to provide polarized illumination having a first polarization state and a beam splitting system alternately generating first and second light beams having different polarization states from the polarized illumination. A combining system has a polarization beam combiner that combines the first and second light beams into a combined light beam. A spatial light modulator is used to modulate the combined light beam in a manner consistent with stereoscopic image data to form a first modulated image from illumination in the combined light beam having the first polarization state and to form a second modulated image from illumination in the combined light beam having the second polarization state. Projection optics are configured to project the first and second modulated images onto a display surface.

Etendue reduced stereo projection using segmented disk

A beam alignment chamber extending in a length direction comprising a base having a front edge, and two side edges, first and second opposed side walls connected to the base, and extending along the length of the base, a front wall located at the front edge of the base having an output opening. The beam alignment chamber further comprises a plurality of arrays of light sources disposed to direct light beams through the first or second side walls, and a plurality of reflectors mounted on the base, each having independent yaw and pitch adjustments, each reflector being paired with a corresponding array of light sources, the base-mounted reflectors being disposed to direct the light beams along the length of the beam alignment chamber through the output opening forming an aligned two-dimensional array of parallel light beams.

Digital projector using arrayed light sources

A beam alignment chamber comprising: a base, first and second side walls connected to the base, and a front wall located at the front edge of the base having an output opening. The beam alignment chamber further including a plurality of light sources disposed to direct light beams through the first or second side walls, a plurality of reflectors mounted on the base, each having independent yaw and pitch adjustments, each being disposed to direct the light beams from a corresponding light sources along the length of the beam alignment chamber through the output opening forming an aligned array of parallel light beams, and one or more optical elements positioned in the optical path of the aligned array of light beams disposed to correct the beam divergence with respect to at least one axis.

Beam alignment chamber providing divergence correction

A stereoscopic digital image projecting system has a light source system providing polarized illumination having a first polarization state and a beam splitting system with a rotating segmented disk in the illumination, alternately generating first and second light beams, the rotating segmented disk having outer segments alternately transmissive and non-transmissive and inner segments radially aligned with the outer segments and alternately reflective and transmissive. A polarization rotator in a path of either the first or second light beam rotates the first polarization state to a second state orthogonal to the first. A combining system combines the first and second light beams into a combined light beam. A spatial light modulator modulates the combined light beam in a manner consistent with stereoscopic image data to form first and second modulated images having substantially orthogonal polarization states. Projection optics project the modulated images onto a display surface.

Stereoscopic projector with rotating segmented disk

A beam alignment system for generating an aligned two-dimensional array of parallel light beams, comprising a beam alignment chamber including a base extending in a length direction and a plurality of reflectors mounted on the base, each having independent yaw and pitch adjustments. The beam alignment system further includes a plurality of arrays of light sources, each generating an array of light beams and being paired with a corresponding reflector, the reflectors being disposed to direct the light beams along the length of the beam alignment chamber forming an aligned two-dimensional array of parallel light beams.

Beam alignment system using arrayed light sources

A stereoscopic digital image projector includes (a) a plurality of light modulation assemblies, each comprising: (i) at least one solid-state light source energizable to provide illumination having a first polarization axis; (ii) a polarization rotator disposed in the path of the polarized illumination from the solid-state light source(s) and actuable to controllably rotate the polarization axis from the solid-state light source(s) to a second polarized axis; (iii) a micro-electromechanical spatial light modulator in the path of the polarized illumination and energizable to modulate the polarized illumination to form a first modulated light from illumination of the first polarization state and to form a second modulated light from illumination of the second polarization state; and (b) a synchronizing means to temporally control the polarization rotation to match the appropriate image data on the spatial light modulator; and (c) projection optics for directing the first and second modulated light toward a display surface.

Stereo projection using polarized solid state light sources

The present invention relates to a curing assembly comprising at least two light sources combined into one light path, wherein the light sources are capable of curing a material exposed to the combined light path. The invention also relates to a method of curing a material or material in contact with a heat sensitive material comprising providing a curable material or a material associated with a heat sensitive material and exposing curable material to a combined light path from the curing assembly.

UV cure equipment with combined light path

A digital cinema projection apparatus having an illumination source with a first etendue value for providing polarized polychromatic light. A first lens element lies in the path of the polarized polychromatic light for forming a substantially telecentric polarized polychromatic light beam. A color separator separates the telecentric polarized polychromatic light beam into at least two telecentric color light beams. At least two transmissive spatial light modulators modulate the two telecentric color light beams. There is an etendue value associated with each spatial light modulator. The etendue value is within 15% or greater than the first etendue value corresponding to the illumination source. A color combiner combines the modulated color beams along a common optical axis, forming a multicolor modulated beam thereby; and a projection lens directs the multicolor modulated beam toward a display surface.

High efficiency digital cinema projection system with increased etendue

A high-speed, high-resolution, broadband dynamic infrared scene generator based on semiconductor transducer conversion of visible spectrum scene images into infrared spectrum images. Wavelength conversion is accomplished in the semiconductor material through absorption of visible spectrum energy by valence electrons in a subsurface layer of the semiconductor material and photogeneration by valence band to conduction band electron transfer occurring within about one diffusion length of the semiconductor material surface. The semiconductor material used, for example Germanium or Silicon provides a band gap energy value that is smaller than the quantum energy level of the optical emission. Temperature of the semiconductor material may be maintained at a selected level above or below that of the infrared scene. Infrared images of higher frequency content than are achievable with conventional thermal heating infrared converters are accomplished. The invention thus includes down conversion of visible generated light in order to develop a semiconductor pixel-less Dynamic Infrared Scene Projector capable of simulating high-speed broadband IR scenery.

Semiconductor generation of dynamic infrared images

A light collector and detector for collecting and detecting light emitted, reflected or transmitted by a scanned information medium, comprising: a planar mirror assembly for extending the width of a scanned information medium and for disposition substantially perpendicular thereto, the planar mirror assembly having a lower edge adjacent to the scanned medium and an upper edge spaced from the lower edge; first and second pyramidal mirrors located side by side facing the planar mirror, the pyramidal mirrors having respective upper edges spaced from the upper edge of the planar mirror and respective lower edges spaced from the lower edge of the planar mirror, thereby to form aligned slots for the passage of a scanning beam of light to a medium to be scanned and for allowing light emitted by, reflected from, or transmitted by the scanned medium to enter the collector; wherein the first pyramidal mirror has a first aperture in an apex region thereof and wherein the second pyramidal mirror has a second aperture in an apex region thereof; a first photodetector having a light receiving face coextensive with the aperture of the first pyramidal mirror; a second photodetector having a lightreceiving face coextensive with the aperture of the second pyramidal mirror; wherein light from the scanned medium and reflected by the collector mirrors are received by the light receiving faces of the first and second photodetectors which generate electrical signals in response thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Mendon, NY, United States of America

James R Kircher