Abstract: An image display apparatus includes a light source for supplying illumination light, a reflection type display device which reflects the illumination light and modulates the illumination light into image light, and an illumination optical system for guiding the illumination light to the reflection type display device. The illumination optical system includes a first optical member for directing the illumination light toward the reflection type display device, and a second optical member. The second optical member includes a part generating a secondary light source with the illumination light emitted from the light source, in which the light from the part emerges toward the first optical member, and a reflecting surface which guides illumination light which is not incident directly on the part to the part. In addition, a projection optical system guides the image light to an observer.

Abstract: An image display apparatus includes a light source for supplying illumination light, a reflection type display element for modulating the illumination light into image light by reflecting the light, an illumination optical system for guiding the illumination light to the reflection type display element, and a projection optical system for guiding the image light to an observer. The image light is incident on the projection optical system via at least a portion of said illumination optical system. The projection optical system includes a member for correcting an optical path length difference between rays of the image light caused when the image light is incident on the projection optical system via at least a portion of the illumination optical system.

Abstract: An image display apparatus includes a light source for supplying illumination light, a reflective display element for reflecting and modulating the illumination light into image light, a first optical system for guiding the illumination light to the reflective display element, and a second optical system for guiding the image light to an observer. Particularly, the first optical system has an optical element including a first surface on which the illumination light is incident, a second surface for totally reflecting the light incident on the first surface, and a third surface from which the light totally reflected by the second surface emerges toward the reflective display element. The first optical system is arranged so that the image light is again incident through the third surface on the optical element and emerges from the second surface toward the second optical system.

Abstract: An image display apparatus includes a light source for supplying illumination light, a reflection type display element for modulating the illumination light into image light by reflecting the light, an illumination optical system for guiding the illumination light to the reflection type display element, and a projection optical system for guiding the image light to an observer. The image light is incident on the projection optical system via at least a portion of said illumination optical system. The projection optical system includes a member for correcting an optical path length difference between rays of the image light caused when the image light is incident on the projection optical system via at least a portion of the illumination optical system.

Abstract: An image display apparatus includes a light source for supplying illumination light, a reflection type display device which reflects the illumination light and modulates the illumination light into image light, an illumination optical system for guiding the illumination light to the reflection type display device, and a projection optical system for guiding the image light to an observer.

Abstract: An image display apparatus includes a light source for supplying illumination light, a reflective display element for reflecting and modulating the illumination light into image light, a first optical system for guiding the illumination light to the reflective display element, and a second optical system for guiding the image light to an observer. Particularly, the first optical system has an optical element including a first surface on which the illumination light is incident, a second surface for totally reflecting the light incident on the first surface, and a third surface from which the light totally reflected by the second surface emerges toward the reflective display element, and the first optical system is arranged so that the image light is again incident through the third surface on the optical element and emerges from the second surface toward the second optical system.

Abstract: An image viewing apparatus has a stop for limiting light from an original image, and a viewing optical system for guiding the light from the original image, limited by the stop, to the eye of a viewer. The viewing optical system has a prism body including an entrance surface into which the light from the original image is incident, a reflecting surface for reflecting the incident light, and an exit surface from which the reflected light emerges. At least one of the entrance surface, reflecting surface, and exit surface is a curved surface, which is a rotationally asymmetric, aspherical surface. The apparatus satisfies the following condition: 3.

Abstract: An optical system having a first optical acting surface and a second optical acting surface in an optical path between a focal plane and a stop. In the optical path traced from the focal plane to the stop, light emitted from the focal plane is reflected by the second optical acting surface and thereafter reflected by the first optical acting surface to reach the stop. A ray connecting a center of the focal plane with a center of the stop via the first optical acting surface and the second optical acting surface is defined as a reference axis ray. The second optical acting surface is of a rotationally asymmetric, aspherical shape only one symmetry plane of which is a plane including the reference axis ray.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a projecting apparatus which focuses a plurality of color light components through a lens, illuminates reflection optical modulation elements arranged in units of color light components through a first deflection unit provided near a position where the color light components are focused, guides a light beam from at least one optical modulation element to a projection optical system through a second deflection unit, and superposes and projects pieces of image information based on the optical modulation elements on a predetermined surface through the projection optical system, wherein the second deflection unit is arranged near the stop of the projection optical system to divide the aperture of the stop into a plurality of areas, the first deflection unit is arranged near the stop of the projection optical system, and the optical modulation elements are illuminated with light beams tilted in a direction of division of the stop aperture and in a direction perpendicular to the directi

Abstract: There is disclosed an image projection apparatus which comprises separating a light beam from a light source into plural color lights by color separation means, respectively condensing the separated plural color lights, providing first deflection means in the vicinity of at least one of condensed positions to guide the color lights to optical modulation elements respectively corresponding thereto, and projecting image information, based on the optical modulation elements, onto a predetermined plane through a projection optical system.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method both offering a high-precision and general-purpose capability of identifying an image and performing appropriate processing depending on whether identification is effected. In the image processing apparatus and image processing method, image data is detected in visible and invisible light reflected from each of a target pixel and surrounding pixels. Based on the image data detected in visible and invisible light, a specific pattern is identified. The specific pattern appears substantially the same in color as a surrounding area under visible light but different in characteristic therefrom under invisible light, which is identified using the image data of the target pixel and surrounding pixels provided by a detector. The image processing apparatus is controlled depending on whether the identification is effected.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optical modulation device provided with a binary-type diffraction grating for separating incident light into plural colored lights and an optical modulation element including plural pixels and modulating the incident light in each of the pixels wherein the colored lights from the diffraction grating are introduced into the pixels provided respectively for the colored lights in the optical modulation element. The optical modulation element comprises a portion for controlling the optical modulation, a portion controlled by the optical modulation, an entrance side polarizing element, and an exit side polarizing element, wherein the polarizing direction of the entrance side polarizing element is parallel to a plane formed by the grating direction vector of the diffraction grating and the normal line vector thereof.

Abstract: This invention is to provide a projecting apparatus which focuses a plurality of color light components through a lens, illuminates reflection optical modulation elements arranged in units of color light components through a first deflection unit provided near a position where the color light components are focused, guides a light beam from at least one optical modulation element to a projection optical system through a second deflection unit, and superposes and projects pieces of image information based on the optical modulation elements on a predetermined surface through the projection optical system, wherein the second deflection unit is arranged near the stop of the projection optical system to divide the aperture of the stop into a plurality of areas, the first deflection unit is arranged near the stop of the projection optical system, and the optical modulation elements are illuminated with light beams tilted in a direction of division of the stop aperture and in a direction perpendicular to the directi

Abstract: This invention provides a projector capable of effectively utilizing the light from the light source and significantly reducing the light illuminating the outside of the area to be illuminated, thereby attaining an excellent efficiency of light utilization. In the illuminating system of the present invention provided with a light source and a reflector, there is further provided a circular reflector of a spherical surface, for returning the light, which emerges from the light source to the outside of the area to be illuminated, without being reflected on the reflector, to the light source. Also there is provided a flat mirror or a substantially spherical sub reflector for returning the light, which proceeds to the outside of the area to be illuminated, after being reflected on the reflector, to the light source. The sub reflector may be provided in the vicinity of the light source.

Abstract: This invention provides a projector capable of effectively utilizing the light from the light source and significantly reducing the light illuminating the outside of the area to be illuminated, thereby attaining an excellent efficiency of light utilization. In the illuminating system of the present invention provided with a light source and a reflector, there is further provided a circular reflector of a spherical surface, for returning the light, which emerges from the light source to the outside of the area to be illuminated, without being reflected on the reflector, to the light source. Also there is provided a flat mirror or a substantially spherical sub reflector for returning the light, which proceeds to the outside of the area to be illuminated, after being reflected on the reflector, to the light source. The sub reflector may be provided in the vicinity of the light source.

Abstract: An optical modulator includes a first diffraction grating for separating a light flux of a wide wavelength band into light fluxes of given wavelength bands. The optical modulator further includes an optical modulation element for modulating the separated light fluxes through corresponding picture elements, respectively, and outputting them. The optical modulator further includes a second diffraction grating for synthesizing the modulated light fluxes outputted from the optical modulation element, wherein the first diffraction grating, the optical modulation element and the second diffraction grating are integrally structured.