Lightmaster Systems, Inc.

Mike Detro

Arthur Louis Berman

Ken Bradley

Frames are used to hold and/or position components in precise positions in a prism assembly. The frames may be constructed using any of side caps, air gaps, recesses, and hold either a single or multiple planar components. The frames are, for example, immersed in liquid filled channels between adjacent faces of beamsplitters in the prism assembly. The planar components themselves may include waveplates, optical flats, spacer glasses, retarders, Color Selects, substrates, or any other components of the optical device. The planar components may themselves include multiple layers (e.g., polarizers, dichroics, etc). In one embodiment, a polarizer and an air gap are provided. The invention increases precision, lowers cost, and improves quality (e.g., contrast ratio) of any number of devices, but is particularly applicable to Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) and other microdisplay based projection systems such as High Definition (HD) Rear Projection Televisions (RPTVs).

Method and apparatus for internal frames to improve performance and manufacturability of optical devices including liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) based kernels

Kernels are designed in different configurations based on design properties of an enclosure or other requirements. A prism assembly having various types of filters, waveplates, beam splitters (e.g., path length matched beam splitters) and/or other optical components are provided to selectively direct light beams to each of red, green, and blue microdisplays that manipulate the light and then combine the manipulated lights into an output image. The prism assembly includes an input face, an output face, and other faces on which the microdisplays are attached in a number of different configurations. Requirements and exact placement of optical components varies depending on which microdisplay is attached to which face. The components of the prism assembly may be arranged in path length matched positions.

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Mike Detro