Victor Company of Japan, Limited

Keiichi Maeno

Tetsuji Suzuki

Shintaro Nakagaki

Ryusaku Takahashi

Fujiko Tatsumi

Ichiro Negishi

Itsuo Takanashi

Toshio Konno

Tsutou Asakura

Masato Furuya

Yuji Uchiyama

Yoshihisa Koyama

Tsuyoshi Yoshimura

Satoru Moriya

Ighiro Negishi

A projection display apparatus that is lightweight and provides bright, high quality images is provided. The projection display apparatus comprising a color separation and synthesis optical system, that performs color synthesis, generating an image, after separating light of the three primary colors of determined polarities into the respective three colors, and modulating those three color lights in relation to respective image signals therefor, and a projection lens. The color separation and synthesis optical systemcomprises polarized light separating meansanddisposed in respective diagonal directions therein and reflecting spatial light modulating elementsanddisposed to perform light modulation coordinated to an image signal for each respective color, for light separated according to polarization by the four polarized light separating means. Three spatial light modulating elementsandare disposed on the outer side of the polarized light separating meansand, other than the polarized light separating means, that is disposed on that side of incident light, at least two from among the four polarized light separating meansandare wire grid polarized light separating plates and an astigmatism correcting lensis provided between the polarized light separating meansdisposed on that side at which projection is performed and at least one of the spatial light modulating elements.

Projection display apparatus

An image processing system for an image display comprising an image data producing device for producing image data corresponding to an image to be displayed and a display device for displaying the image on the basis of the produced image data. The image data producing device divides the image data into a plurality of data sections respectively corresponding to image areas constituting the image so that each of the plurality of data sections is produced as serial data and the plurality of data sections are outputted in parallel. The display device includes a number of pixel elements continuously arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally and equally divided into a plurality of element sections respectively corresponding to the plurality of data sections. The display device is responsive to the image data from the image data producing device so that the plurality of data sections are inputted in parallel to the plurality of element sections, whereby the display device displays the image on a screen on the basis of the plurality of inputted data sections. This arrangement can speedily display a jointless high-grade image in real time.

Image processing system for display, recording and reproducing image

A display unit includes a light-emitting element array having a plurality of linearly arranged light-emitting elements drivable by a time sequential image information signal to emit beams of light in accordance with pieces of information allotted to the corresponding picture elements, a deflector such as a polygon mirror for deflecting the light beams simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light-emitting element array, and a light-to-light conversion element including a photoconductive layer and a photo-modulation layer, the light beams being imaged on the photoconductive layer.

Display unit having a light-to-light conversion element

The present invention offers a display system for displaying information comprising a linear array of N light-emitting devices emitting light of predetermined wavelength, the devices are arranged respectively with N pixels, a stream of the information is divided into pieces each of which containing the N pixels, and the N light-emitting devices are caused to emit N light beams simultaneously in a form of array during a given period for every divided piece of the information, the every divided piece of information may correspond to one line of a frame of picture, the N light beams are intensity-modulated respectively with the divided piece of the information, the N light beams are deflected simultaneously in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the array of the N light beams, and a spatial light modulator having a photoconductive layer and a light modulation layer interposed between a pair of electrodes, the photoconductive layer is responsive to the deflected N light beams incident thereto through a focusing lens as a writing light, and a reading light of visible wavelength which is shorter than the predetermined wavelength of the emitted light from the linear array of the N light-emitting devices, the reading light irradiates the photomodulation layer of the spatial light modulator to read out and display the written information thereon.

Light to light modulator with reading light of specified wavelength

This specification discloses an image projector for projecting a tri-color composite optical image on a screen as a magnified optical image. A reading light beam emitted from a light source is separated into three color beams, e.g., Red, Green and Blue color beams through a tri-color separation and composition optical system. The separated color beams are irradiated on image forming devices provided correspondingly with Red, Green and Blue color images to read out color images respectively therefrom. Each of the reflected light beams from the image forming device carrying color image information impinges again on the tri-color separation and composition optical system to compose a composite image beam. The composite image beam is projected on the screen through an optical lens system comprising a first lens group, a second lens group and a third lens group disposed along an optical axis in order. The first lens group forms a composite color image on the second lens group by focusing the composite image beam from the tri-color separation and composition optical system. The second lens group converges the composite image beam therefrom to the third lens group. The third lens group projects the composite image beam on the screen as a magnified image. A focal length of the lens system is arranged shorter than a back-focal length defined as a distance between the front surface of the first lens group and a object focal point thereof.

Projector lens system having three lens groups for image projector

A light-light transfer method using a spatial light modulator realizes an image display with a high utilizing of light without causing an undesirable residual image. The spatial light modulator is constituted to include two electrodes and at least a photoconductor layer member and a photo-modulation layer member used in a birefringence operating mode both being sandwiched between the two electrodes. A writing light is entered from the photoconductive layer member side so that its exposure value varies from the minimum exposure value to the maximum exposure value in a condition that a predetermined operation voltage is supplied between the two electrodes. In this instant, a voltage applied between both ends of the photo-modulation layer member corresponds to a voltage obtained by subtracting a voltage drop amount, occurring in the photoconductor layer member due to an incidence of the writing light, from said predetermined operation voltage applied in advance between said two electrodes. An operational condition of the spatial light modulator is set so that the voltage applied between both ends of the photo-modulation layer member becomes a voltage monotonously exceeding a voltage value corresponding to an extreme value of a degree of photo-modulation in a characteristic curve showing a relationship between an applied voltage and a degree of photo-modulation in the photo-modulation layer member, at the timing when the writing light of the maximum exposure value is entered into the spatial light modulator.

Driving method for photoconductive-type SLM

There is provided an optical system for a spatial light modulator. The system comprises a light source for emitting an unpolarized light, a separator for separating a first linearly polarized light having a specified plane of polarization from the unpolarized light and polarizer for rotating the plane of polarization of the first linearly polarized light at a specified angle different from the specified angle to obtain a second linearly polarized light, wherein the second linearly polarized light is adopted as a reading light. Also provided is a method of photomodulation, comprising the steps of separating a light in the region of a specified wavelength from an unpolarized light, separating a first linearly polarized light having a specified plane of polarization from the light and obtaining a second linearly polarized light by rotating the plane of polarization of the first linearly polarized light at a specified angle.

Spatial light modulator system

A drive apparatus for an optical element array includes a counter counting clock pulses and being periodically reset at a horizontal scanning period. The counter outputs first and second counter signals out of phase with each other. A latch holds a pixel-corresponding segment of an input image signal. One of clock signals out of phase with each other is selected in response to the pixel-corresponding input-signal segment held by the latch. A first comparator compares the first counter signal and the pixel-corresponding input-signal segment held by the latch, and outputs a first identity signal when the first counter signal and the pixel-corresponding input-signal segment are equal to each other. A second comparator compares the second counter signal and the pixel-corresponding input-signal segment held by the latch, and outputs a second identity signal when the second counter signal and the pixel-corresponding input-signal segment are equal to each other. A drive pulse is generated which starts in synchronism with a start of a horizontal scanning period and which ends in response to the selected clock signal and in response to the first and second identity signals. An optical element in the array is driven in response to the drive pulse.

Drive apparatus for optical element array

There is provided an apparatus for displaying an image on a screen by projecting a reading light from a light source onto a spatial light modulator of reflective type in which the image is written, and projecting a reflected light from the modulator corresponding to the image onto the screen through a projection lens, the modulator, lens and screen being provided so that their optical axes are in agreement on one optical path. The apparatus comprises an optical device provided between the lens and screen for the reading light toward the modulator and passing the reflected light to the screen and a converging element for converging the reading light on the position which is on the optical axis of the lens and located between the lens and screen so that the reading light thus turned becomes a parallel pencil beam which is projected onto the modulator in parallel with the optical axis.

Display apparatus

A spatial light modulator which includes a light modulation layer which is interposed between two photoconductive layers and laminated to both layers; the two photo conductive layers have charge images written thereon, respectively, by illumination of a writing light carrying optical information; the illumination direction of the writing light to the photoconductive layers are different from each other; and the two photoconductive layers permit the reading light to pass therethrough. When illuminated by a reading light via either of the first or second photoconductive layers, the light modulation layer optically modulates the reading light in accordance with the first and second charge images, under the presence of a voltage applied to the modulator. Thus it reads read out the first information and second information. The first and second photoconductive layers permit the reading light to pass therethrough.

Spatial light modulator with a photoconductor on each side of a light

A color imaging system for use as an electronic still camera, for example, includes a color separator for separating the optical image of a subject from a lens into a plurality of different color images, an optical shutter selectively openable for transmitting the optical image of the subject to the color separator, a photoconductive layer for converting the different color images into respective electric charge images, and an information recording medium for recording images corresponding to the electric charge images under an electric field developed between the photoconductive layer and the information recording medium. The timing with which the optical shutter is opened and the timing with which the electric field is generated by the power supply, are controlled by a control unit depending on imaging conditions selected by the user. The color imaging system also has an optical viewfinder for allowing the user to visually observe the optical image of the subject introduced by the lens.

Color imaging system with selectively openable optical shutter

There is provided a polarization converter for producing a beam of linearly polarized light from a randomly polarized light. The randomly polarized light is separated into a first polarized light which is projected in a first predetermined direction and a second polarized light having a predetermined angular relationship with the first polarized light. The second polarized light is converted into a third polarized light a polarization of which is identical to that of the first polarized light. By providing a predetermined two-dimensional positional relationship between the first and third polarized lights, the beam of linearly polarized light is produced and advanced on the outside of the converter in a second predetermined direction.

Polarization converter for converting unpolarized light to linearly

A photo-to-photo transducer is composed by laminating a photoconductive layer member and a photo-modulation layer member including liquid crystals of scattering type each other and disposing the members between two transparent electrodes. The transducer is operated as follows: a specified voltage is applied across the electrodes to operate the photo-modulation layer member in the vicinity of operation threshold level thereof; an electro-magnetic radiation beam for writing information is projected onto the photoconductive layer member through the electrode at the side thereof; and an electro-magnetic radiation beam for reading the information is projected onto the photo-modulation layer member through the electrode at the side thereof, thus the electro-magnetic radiation beam for reading the information is modulated accordingly with intensity of the electro-magnetic radiation beam for writing the information.

Photo-to-photo transducer and method of operation using a

There is disclosed an optical system for a color picture display having three spatial light modulators of reflecting type corresponding to an optical image of one of three primary colors by photoelectric effect and photomodulation effect, a writing device for guiding writing lights each carrying the optical image of one of the colors to each device, a reading device for guiding reading lights each in the region of wavelength of one of the colors to each device and a composing device for composing a composed reading light of the reading lights which are emitted from the optical devices respectively after optically modulated. The optical system comprises an optical apparatus shared by the reading device and the composing device, having first, second and third prisms, a first dichroic filter provided between the first and the second prisms and a second dichroic filter provided between the second and the third prisms.

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Yokosuka, Japan

Keiichi Maeno