Abstract: A relay lens system for a high dynamic range projector is provided. The relay lens system comprises: a light input; a light output; one or more lenses configured to relay light from the light input to the light output; and, an aperture stop configured to provide a given numerical aperture to the light being relayed through the one or more lenses, the combination of the given numerical aperture and the one or more lenses are configured to: introduce a spherical aberration in the light between the light input and the light output; and, suppress one or more of the following in a ray fan plot of the spherical aberration: local maxima and local minima; and, points where a derivative of the ray fan plot is zero.

Abstract: A system and method for producing an image having high dynamic range is described. The system comprises: a light source for providing light along an optical path; a digital micromirror device for directing portions of the light to off-state and on-state light paths, thereby producing an image; and a deformable optical element disposed in the optical path between the light source and the digital micromirror device for steering at least some of the light from the off-state light path to the on-state light path to increase dynamic range of the image produced by the digital micromirror device. The deformable optical element can comprise at least one steerable segment and at least one static element.

Abstract: A decohered laser light production system is provided. The decohered laser light system comprises a laser source. The system further comprises a multi-mode fiber having an input face, an output face and a body for propagating light from the input face to the output face, the input face arranged to accept laser light from the laser source, the body comprising a length such that laser light is generally decohered when exiting the output face.

Abstract: A light combining system is provided comprising: prisms comprising respective entrance faces enabled to receive respective on-state light from respective digital-micro-mirror devices (DMD). At least one interface between prisms is enabled to receive respective on-state light from the prisms. A mirror at the at least one interface is enabled to transmit first on-state light from a first prism through a second prism and reflect second on-state light from the second prism in alignment with the first on-state light back through the second prism. Respective angles formed by a normal of the mirror and each of the first on-state light and the second on-state light is less than a total internal reflection angle. A combination of respective back working distances of the DMDs and shapes of each of the prisms is chosen such that respective illumination paths and respective reflection paths of each of DMDs do not interfere with each other.

Abstract: A contrast enhancing system is provided comprising: a digital micromirror device (DMD); a light source; a first integrator that receives light from the light source, comprising lateral long and short dimensions, the lateral short dimension at a non-zero angle to the DMD tilt axis; a second integrator that receives and shapes light from the first integrator; a telecentric lens about midway between the integrators that generates fast and slow f-number directions of the light in angle space, respectively corresponding to the lateral long and short dimensions of the first integrator, the slow f-number direction correspondingly at the non-zero angle to the DMD tilt axis, thereby increasing dead-zones between adjacent ones of a DMD illumination path and DMD reflection paths for each of the on, flat and off-state positions; and, at least one optical component that focuses the light along the illumination path from the second integrator onto the DMD.

Abstract: A zonal illumination system for use in a projector, comprising a source of illumination; a first modulation stage for dividing light from the source of illumination into a plurality of zones having respective light intensities based on zonal lighting intensity of an image to be projected; and a second modulation stage for modulating light from the first modulation stage to generate the image to be projected.

Abstract: A system for order alignment of diffractively produced images is provided. The system comprises: a diffractive spatial light modulator (DSLM) configured to provide a computer generated hologram of an image; a substantially coherent light source configured to illuminate the DSLM which responsively produces the image along each of different diffractive order paths; and, at least one set of optical components located along respective diffractive order paths of the DSLM, the at least one set of optical components configured to align at least one respective image diffracted from the DSLM with at least another diffracted image at a common image plane.

Abstract: A contrast enhancing system is provided comprising: a digital micromirror device (DMD); a light source; a first integrator that receives light from the light source, comprising lateral long and short dimensions, the lateral short dimension at a non-zero angle to the DMD tilt axis; a second integrator that receives and shapes light from the first integrator; a telecentric lens about midway between the integrators that generates fast and slow f-number directions of the light in angle space, respectively corresponding to the lateral long and short dimensions of the first integrator, the slow f-number direction correspondingly at the non-zero angle to the DMD tilt axis, thereby increasing dead-zones between adjacent ones of a DMD illumination path and DMD reflection paths for each of the on, flat and off-state positions; and, at least one optical component that focuses the light along the illumination path from the second integrator onto the DMD.

Abstract: A light combining system is provided comprising: prisms comprising respective entrance faces enabled to receive respective on-state light from respective digital-micro-mirror devices (DMD). At least one interface between prisms is enabled to receive respective on-state light from the prisms. A mirror at the at least one interface is enabled to transmit first on-state light from a first prism through a second prism and reflect second on-state light from the second prism in alignment with the first on-state light back through the second prism. Respective angles formed by a normal of the mirror and each of the first on-state light and the second on-state light is less than a total internal reflection angle. A combination of respective back working distances of the DMDs and shapes of each of the prisms is chosen such that respective illumination paths and respective reflection paths of each of DMDs do not interfere with each other.

Abstract: A zonal illumination system for use in a projector, comprising a source of illumination; a first modulation stage for dividing light from the source of illumination into a plurality of zones having respective light intensities based on zonal lighting intensity of an image to be projected; and a second modulation stage for modulating light from the first modulation stage to generate the image to be projected.

Abstract: An apparatus for combining coherent light from a plurality of coherent light sources is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of light guides, each including: a first mirror at an entrance face, including an aperture for admitting light therein from a respective one of the plurality of coherent light sources; and a second partially-reflective mirror at an exit face. The apparatus further includes a second stage light guide, for combining emitted light exiting the plurality of light guides, including: a second stage entrance face and a second stage exit face, the second stage entrance face for receiving the emitted light from each the exit face of the plurality of light guides; and a third mirror, at the second stage exit face, for reflecting the light back towards the second mirror, the third mirror including an exit aperture for the light to exit the second stage light guide.

Abstract: An apparatus for combining coherent light from a plurality of coherent light sources is provided. The apparatus comprises a plurality of light guides, each comprising: a first mirror at an entrance face, including an aperture for admitting light therein from a respective one of the plurality of coherent light sources; and a second partially-reflective mirror at an exit face. The apparatus further comprises a second stage light guide, for combining emitted light exiting the plurality of light guides, comprising: a second stage entrance face and a second stage exit face, the second stage entrance face for receiving the emitted light from each the exit face of the plurality of light guides; and a third mirror, at the second stage exit face, for reflecting the light back towards the second mirror, the third mirror comprising an exit aperture for the light to exit the second stage light guide.

Abstract: A decohered laser light production system is provided. The decohered laser light system comprises a laser source. The system further comprises a multi-mode fiber having an input face, an output face and a body for propagating light from the input face to the output face, the input face arranged to accept laser light from the laser source, the body comprising a length such that laser light is generally decohered when exiting the output face.

Abstract: A decohered laser light production system is provided. The decohered laser light system comprises a laser source. The system further comprises a multi-mode fiber having an input face, an output face and a body for propagating light from the input face to the output face, the input face arranged to accept laser light from the laser source, the body comprising a length such that laser light is generally decohered when exiting the output face.

Abstract: A decohered laser light production system is provided. The decohered laser light system comprises a laser source. The system further comprises a multi-mode fiber having an input face, an output face and a body for propagating light from the input face to the output face, the input face arranged to accept laser light from the laser source, the body comprising a length such that laser light is generally decohered when exiting the output face.

Abstract: An optical illumination apparatus includes an illumination source, a pair of spaced integrator plates each having a plurality of lenslets, a conduit array, having a respective aperture corresponding to a plurality of the lenslets disposed there between, with non-reflective optically absorptive walls, and a relay optical structure for integrating light emitted from said second array of lenslets on a focal plane.