Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Yoshihiro Masumoto

Mitsuhiro Wada

Yoshimasa Fushimi

Yoshito Miyatake

Shigekazu Yamagishi

Hideki Ohmae

The present invention provides a small projection type display apparatus capable of suppressing an optical path of incident light and an optical path of output light in a reflection type light valve from being overlapped with each other and obtaining a projected image of high quality; a rear projector and a multi-vision system using the same. The lens elementis composed of one piano-convex lens, and is placed between the reflection type light valve and the projection lens system with a convex surface directed to the projection lens system. The illumination light passes through the lens element to illuminate the reflection type light valve, and the modulated light output from the reflection type light valve passes through the lens element to be incident upon the projection lens system.

Projection type display apparatus, rear projector and multi-vision system

A projection type display apparatus is composed of a light source (), an illumination optical system () for forming illumination light, a reflection type light valve () for reflecting the illumination light to form an optical image, a projection optical system () for projecting the optical image, and a lens () with a positive power. An optical axis () of the reflection type light valve, an optical axis () of the projection optical system, and an optical axis () of the lens with a positive power are matched with each other. The illumination optical system () is placed so that the illumination light passes through the lens () with a positive power and is reflected from the reflection type light valve (). An output pupil () of the illumination optical system () and an entrance pupil () of the projection optical system () are placed so as to have a conjugate relationship with respect to the lens () with a positive power.

Projection display device

The present invention provides a small projection type display apparatus capable of suppressing an optical path of incident light and an optical path of output light in a reflection type light valve from being overlapped with each other and obtaining a projected image of high quality; a rear projector and a multi-vision system using the same. The projection type display apparatus is composed of an illumination optical systemfor collecting light radiated from a light sourceto form illumination light, a reflection type light valvefor reflecting the illumination light to output modulated light forming an optical image, a projection lens systemfor projecting an optical image formed by the reflection type light valve, and a lens elementwith a positive power. The lens elementis composed of one plano-convex lens, and is placed between the reflection type light valve and the projection lens system with a convex surface directed to the projection lens system, in such a manner that the illumination light passes through the lens element to illuminate the reflection type light valve, and the modulated light output from the reflection type light valve passes through the lens element to be incident upon the projection lens system.

Projection type display apparatus, rear projection, and multi-vision system

A projection display apparatus includes a light source (), an illumination system (), a reflection system (), a reflection-type light modulator (), a lens element (), and a projection system (). The optical axis () of the illumination system () and the optical axis () of the projection system () are skew lines. The lens element () allows the exit pupil () of the illumination system () to be conjugated substantially with the entrance pupil () of the projection system (). Thus, the reflection-type light modulator () and the projection system () can be arranged coaxially. Moreover, mechanical contact or interference between the optical components can be eliminated, and the space can be utilized efficiently. This configuration can provide an inexpensive compact projection display apparatus using a reflection-type light modulator.

Projection display device and back projection display device using the display device

A small projection display apparatus which suppresses optical paths of incident and output light in a reflection valve from overlapping; and a rear projector and a multi-vision system using the same. The projection display apparatus includes an illumination optical system for collecting light radiated, forming illumination light, a reflection type light valve for reflecting the illumination light to output modulated light forming an optical image, a projection lens system for projecting an optical image formed by the reflection type light valve, and a lens element. The lens element is composed of one plano-convex lens, and is placed between the valve and the projection lens system with a convex surface directed to the projection lens system. The illumination light passes through the lens element to illuminate the reflection type light valve, and the modulated light output passes through the lens to be incident upon the projection lens system.

Projection type display apparatus rear projection and multi-vision system

Optical illumination device and projection display device

Randomly polarized light from a light source ( ) enters a polarization separation section ( ) through an integrator optical system ( ) including a second lens plate ( ) designed to have variant apertures. The polarization separation section ( ) separates the incident light into two polarized lights whose polarization directions are orthogonal to each other. Then, the polarization directions of these polarized lights are aligned by a polarization conversion section ( ). Thus, a polarized-light illumination unit in which polarization directions of randomly polarized light is converted into a desired polarization direction and at the same time the spread of illumination light can be suppressed can be obtained. Such a polarized-light illumination unit can be used suitably as an illumination unit for a projection-type image display unit using a liquid crystal light valve for modulating light by utilizing polarization and enables both the reduction in cost and the increase in luminance in the projection-type image display unit.

Polarized light illuminator and projecting type image display

An illumination apparatus includes a light source for emitting light including three primary color components; a condensing device for condensing light emitted by the light source; a luminous surface formation device for converging the light from the condensing device and dividing the converged light into color light rays respectively of the three primary colors to form color luminous surfaces respectively of the three primary colors; relay lenses respectively provided in the vicinity of the color luminous surfaces to receive the color light rays from the luminous surface formation device; a field lens for receiving the color light rays from the relay lenses; a first microlens array for receiving the color light rays from the field lens; and a second microlens array for receiving the color light rays from the first microlens array. The first microlens array includes a plurality of first microlenses arranged two-dimensionally. The second microlens array includes a plurality of second microlenses two-dimensionally in the same quantity as the first microlenses in correspondence therewith. The first microlenses array arranges actual images of the color luminous surfaces two-dimensionally. The second microlenses respectively provided in the vicinity of the actual images of the color luminous surfaces cause the color light rays from the corresponding first microlenses to travel substantially parallel to one another. Thus, color microscopic luminous surfaces respectively of the three primary colors are formed separately and periodically in accordance with a prescribed arrangement.

Illuminating apparatus, projection lens, and display apparatus including

A projection display apparatus includes a light source, a light valve, and a projection lens. The light source includes at least two luminous elements, a plurality of light condensing devices provided in the same number as the luminous elements, and a light transmitting device for transmitting the light beams outgoing from the respective light condensing devices to the light valve in a superimposed state. The light transmitting optical device forms actual images of the plurality of luminous elements on an optical path thereof so that the actual images are substantially inscribed in a circle on the same, single plane. The projection display apparatus further includes a device for lighting up at least one of the plurality of luminous elements selectively so as to change the brightness of the image displayed by projection by steps.

Projection display apparatus

In a liquid crystal light valve apparatus comprising an incident side polarizing plate, a twisted nematic liquid crystal cell of active matrix type and an outgoing side polarizing plate, two phase difference plates are provided between the incident side polarizing plate and the liquid crystal cell. Optical axes of both the phase difference plates are perpendicular with each other, and one of them is slanted by an angle, and thereby, a phase difference which is caused by the liquid crystal cell is compensated by the phase difference caused by two phase difference plates.

Liquid crystal light valve apparatus with a pair of non-parallel phase

An optical illumination system includes a radiation source, a condensor, a first lens array including a plurality of first lenses, and a second lens array including a plurality of second lenses. The first lens array converges partial luminous fluxes, the number of which is the same as the number of first lenses, onto the second lenses paired with the first lenses. The second lens array transmits each of the partial luminous fluxes to an object region to be illuminated in such a manner that the partial luminous fluxes are superimposed on each other at the object region. Configurations of the apertures of the second lenses are different from each other and the second lenses are arranged in close contact with each other with the effective region of the second lens array approximating the smallest possible circle.

Optical illumination system and projection display apparatus using the

A projection display apparatus has a light source, a component color separator, a light transmitter(s), three light valves, a light combiner, a single projection lens, and a drive circuit. The light transmitter includes an input side convergent lens for producing a real image of a luminous element in the light source at a location adjacent to a central convergent lens. The central convergent lens produces a real image of an object situated about a position of the input side convergent lens at a location adjacent to an output side convergent lens. The output side convergent lens permits its output light to reach the projection lens. Accordingly, divergent light is converged along a considerably extending portion of the optical path and directed to the projection lens so that the efficiency of light in use can be improved, thus allowing the projection display apparatus to remain compact in size and provide a great light output power.

A projection display apparatus which is designed to separate a light from the light source into color lights of three primary colors by a color separator, irradiate the respective color lights to corresponding three light valves, combine the optical images on the light valves by a light combiner formed by intersecting dichroic reflection surfaces in X-letter form, followed by projecting the combined image by enlargement on a screen with a projection lens. The color separator is made by intersecting in X-letter form a first and second flat plate type dichroic mirrors. The second dichroic mirror is composed of two small dichroic mirrors made by separating into two parts of the intersecting part. The two small type dichroic mirrors are disposed on mutually different places so that, when viewed from the output side of the light which advances straightly through the color separator, the two edge surfaces which form the intersecting part of the two small dichroic mirrors are seen as being in overlapped state. Due to the existence of the two places of the intersecting parts of the dichroic mirrors, it is possible to make the produced bright lines on the projected image lens conspicuous.

Growing community of inventors

Kobe, Japan

Yoshihiro Masumoto