Hughes Aircraft Company

Victor J Fritz

Ronald S Gold

Donald C Mead

Projection apparatus comprising high resolution projection display systems that generate a relatively large high resolution image on a display screen, wherein seams and tiling artifacts in observation (image) space are eliminated or minimized. The projection apparatus comprises an image source that includes a plurality of small tiled image displays, relay optics, and a photoactivated reflective liquid crystal light valve. The small tiled or mosaic-like displays that provide source images that are displayed. The images projected by the image displays are imaged onto the light valve. A polarizing beamsplitter is disposed adjacent an output surface of the light valve, and an illumination source provides illumination light that is projected by way of the polarizing beamsplitter onto an output surface of the light valve. The illumination light is reflected from the output surface of the light valve back through the polarizing beamsplitter. A projection lens projects the illumination light onto the display screen. When the tiles are aligned so that the seams are a small fraction of a pixel, the light valve spatially low pass filters the tiled image, thereby eliminating the seams, and minimizing any tiling artifacts in the displayed image. A partially reflecting and transmitting beamsplitter may be disposed between the plurality of tiled image displays and the relay optics. This beamsplitter may be a thin glass plate, a thin quartz plate, or a pellicle. The plurality of tiled image displays may comprise flat panel displays or active matrix light valves. The relay optics may comprises a plurality of relay lenses or a single relay lens. The projection light may be continuous or sequentially imaged monochrome or red-green-blue (RGB) light provided by the illumination source.

Very high resolution light valve writing system based on tilting lower

A polarizing beamsplitter (PBS) that can be used with reflective light valve displays includes two polarizing surfaces. A light source projects opposing readout beams onto the polarizing surfaces, which reflect linearly polarized (S or P) components of the readout beams. The polarized readout beams illuminate respective portions of a reflective light valve cell that bears an image intensity pattern. The cell spatially modulates the readout beams' polarization in accordance with the image intensity pattern and reflects the polarization modulated beam back towards the polarizing beamsplitter. The PBS spatially analyzes the readout beams' intensities in accordance with their polarization modulations.

Polarizing beamsplitter for reflective light valve displays having

Optical apparatus that condenses illuminating light into a narrow formatted band of light that follows activated lines down a light valve as it is driven. The present invention is a telecentric illumination scanning system that comprises an input lens group, a rotatable or oscillating reflective scanner, an output lens group and a polarizing element. The input lens group transmits light provided by a light source to the scanner, which is reflected therefrom and is directed to the output lens group. The light transmitted by the output lens group is polarized by the polarizing element and applied to the light valve. The input and output lens groups focus the light provided by the light source into a relatively narrow band of light that is scanned by the rotatable or oscillating scanner across the face of the light valve. A telecentric light zone is formed in a predetermined space between the output lens group and the light valve. Scanning is accomplished by varying the angle of the bundle of chief rays at the aperture stop. The scanned illumination may be synchronized with the imaging processes of the light valve. The present invention thus eliminates illumination from the areas of the light valve that are not activated during or between video frames. The present approach to concentrating and manipulating the illuminating light greatly increases the light output and contrast of a light valve type projector system. The present system increases the efficiency of a projector to 5 to 10 lumens per watt (5-10 times) with an increase in contrast of approximately 100%, thereby enhancing the projector performance. This permits a decrease in the input power to the projector and lowers the cost of the illumination subsystem, and in turn, the total projector cost.

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Chino Hills, CA, United States of America

Victor J Fritz