Abstract: An illumination device includes a light diffusion device including element diffusion devices that diffuse incident light, a coherent light source that emits coherent light, a shaping optical system that shapes the coherent light, a scanner that adjusts a traveling direction of the coherent light so as to allow the coherent light to scan the light diffusion device, and a light condensing optical system located on a light path of the coherent light from the shaping optical system up to the light diffusion device. The light condensing optical system condenses the coherent light such that a spot area on the light diffusion device is smaller than the element diffusion device. Each element diffusion device diffuses the coherent light incident thereon so as to illuminate an element illumination area corresponding to the element diffusion device.

Abstract: A coherent light beam from a light source is scanned by a scanning member and is incident to a light receiving surface of a light diffusing element. The incident light beam is emitted as diffused light, passes through an illumination optical system, and forms a drawing spot on an illumination target surface. When a scan control unit controls scanning of the light beam, an illumination area is formed by the moving drawing spot on the illumination target surface.

Abstract: The invention provides a structurally simple illumination device capable of safely illuminating the desired area with coherent light. An illumination device (1) includes a laser light source (11) (coherent light source), a light diffuser (14), and a light scanning device (21). The laser light source (11) emits laser beam L (coherent light). The light diffuser (14) diffuses the laser beam L emitted from the laser light source (11). The light scanning device (21) guides the laser beam L to one of the illumination subareas constituting part of an illumination area, thereby scanning the laser beam L radiated from the light diffuser (14) across the illumination area.

Abstract: An illumination device has a plurality of first lens elements to collect incident light beams, and a field lens to guide each of the light beams that have passed through the plurality of first lens elements to an entire region of a specific area. The plurality of first lens elements include at least two first lens elements having different lens diameters from each other. When one of the two first lens elements has a lens diameter d and a focal length f, another of the two first lens elements has a lens diameter k×d (where k is a value larger than zero but other than 1) and a focal length k×f.

Abstract: An illumination device, which projects a projection pattern including information onto a projection plane, includes a light source that emits a coherent light beam, and a diffractive optical element that diffracts the coherent light beam from the light source and projects the projection pattern. The diffractive optical element has a diffraction characteristic that allow an observer who sees the projection pattern from a viewpoint position in a first line-of-sight direction based on a position and a direction of the diffractive optical element, to visually recognize the information with a predetermined size, a predetermined shape and a predetermined inclination angle.

Abstract: A laser beam (L50) generated by a laser light source (50) is reflected by a light beam scanning device (60), and irradiated onto a hologram recording medium (45). On the hologram recording medium (45), an image (35) of a scatter plate is recorded as a hologram by using reference light that converges on a scanning origin (B). The light beam scanning device (60) bends the laser beam (L50) at the scanning origin (B) and irradiates it onto the hologram recording medium (45). At this time, scanning is carried out by changing the bending mode of the laser beam with time so that the irradiation position of the bent laser beam (L60) on the hologram recording medium (45) changes with time. Regardless of the beam irradiation position, diffracted light (L45) from the hologram recording medium (45) reproduces the same reproduction image (35) of the scatter plate at the same position.

Abstract: There is provided a screen capable of sufficiently reducing speckles. A screen for displaying an image by being irradiated with a light beam from a projector, is provided with a plurality of particles each including a first part and a second part different in dielectric constant, a particle layer having the plurality of particles, and electrodes which form an electric field for driving the particles of the particle layer by applying a voltage to the particle layer.

Abstract: An optical device including a hologram recording medium that can reproduce an image of a reference member and an irradiation unit that emits a coherent light beam to the optical device. The irradiation unit includes a light source for emitting a coherent light beam and a scanning device capable of adjusting a reflection angle of the coherent light beam emitted from the light source and that makes a reflected coherent light beam scan the hologram recording medium. The light source has light sources for emitting coherent light beams having different wavelength ranges. The hologram recording medium has a plurality of recording areas to be scanned with a plurality of coherent light beams reflected by the scanning device, respectively. Each of the plurality of recording areas has an interference fringe that diffracts a coherent light beam of the corresponding wavelength range.

Abstract: The invention provides a structurally simple illumination device capable of safely illuminating the desired area with coherent light. An illumination device (1) includes a laser light source (11) (coherent light source), a light diffuser (14), and a light scanning device (21). The laser light source (11) emits laser beam L (coherent light). The light diffuser (14) diffuses the laser beam L emitted from the laser light source (11). The light scanning device (21) guides the laser beam L to one of the illumination subareas constituting part of an illumination area, thereby scanning the laser beam L radiated from the light diffuser (14) across the illumination area.

Abstract: To protect observer's eyes while forming a clear illumination pattern on a desired region to be illuminated. An illumination device includes a light source that emits coherent light, a collimating optical system that enlarges and collimates a beam diameter of the coherent light emitted from the light source, and a diffractive optical element that diffracts the coherent light collimated by the collimating optical system into a predetermined diffusion angle space. The diffractive optical element has a plurality of element diffractive optical portions and has a function to illuminate the region to be illuminated defined at a predetermined position and having predetermined size and shape to form the desired illumination pattern. Each of the plurality of element diffractive optical portions has a function to illuminate at least a part of the region to be illuminated, and diffractive characteristics of the element diffractive optical portions are different from each other.

Abstract: A lighting device capable of illuminating an entire region of a region to be illuminated with uniform brightness and with a desired color is provided. Provided is a lighting device that extends in a first direction and illuminates a region to be illuminated that extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction includes a light source that emits coherent light, and a plurality of hologram components each of which diffracts the coherent light emitted by the light source to illuminate the entire region of the region to be illuminated. At least one of the plurality of hologram components diffracts the incident coherent light so that illuminance at both end portions in the second direction of the region to be illuminated is higher than the illuminance at the central portion.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus that illuminates an illumination zone having a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction is provided with a light source to emit a coherent light beam, and a diffraction optical device to diffract the coherent light beam incident from the light source. The diffraction optical device diffracts the incident coherent light beam so that a width of the illumination zone in the second direction gradually becomes wider along the first direction of the illumination zone from a nearer side to the diffraction optical device.

Abstract: To protect observer's eyes while forming a clear illumination pattern on a desired region to be illuminated. An illumination device includes a light source that emits coherent light, a collimating optical system that enlarges and collimates a beam diameter of the coherent light emitted from the light source, and a diffractive optical element that diffracts the coherent light collimated by the collimating optical system into a predetermined diffusion angle space. The diffractive optical element has a plurality of element diffractive optical portions and has a function to illuminate the region to be illuminated defined at a predetermined position and having predetermined size and shape to form the desired illumination pattern. Each of the plurality of element diffractive optical portions has a function to illuminate at least a part of the region to be illuminated, and diffractive characteristics of the element diffractive optical portions are different from each other.

Abstract: The invention enables a desired projection pattern on a surface to be illuminated, and enables a projection position and/or a projection orientation of the projection pattern to be changed. A laser beam is shaped into a parallel light, and an incident surface of a diffraction optical element recording a hologram image is irradiated with the parallel light. A projection pattern of an arrow oriented in a predetermined direction is projected as a hologram reconstructed image on a surface to be illuminated. An optical-element drive unit rotates the diffraction optical element about a rotation axis in a rotation plane orthogonal to an optical axis of a parallel incident light. By means of the rotation, a geometric positional relationship of the diffraction optical element with respect to the surface to be illuminated is changed, whereby an orientation of the arrow projection pattern on the surface can be changed.

Abstract: An illumination device includes an optical element including a hologram recording medium capable of diffusing a coherent light beam, the hologram recording medium comprising a plurality of regions, each region diffusing a coherent light beam to an illuminated region corresponding to that region, and an irradiation device configured to irradiate the optical element with the coherent light beam so as to allow the coherent light beam to scan the hologram recording medium. The coherent light beam incident to a position existing in each region of the hologram recording medium is diffused to an entire region of the illuminated region corresponding to the region in order to illuminate the entire region of the illuminated region.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus using a coherent light source, including a light beam scanning device that irradiates a light beam onto a hologram recording medium, and scans the light beam so that an irradiation position of the light beam on the hologram recording medium changes with time. The light beam scanning device scans the light beam so that an irradiation direction of the light beam with respect to the hologram recording medium is along the particular optical path, the light beam scanning device having a function of bending the light beam at a fixed scanning origin so that the light beam swings around the fixed scanning origin on a plane including the fixed scanning origin, and scans the light beam in a one-dimensional direction on the hologram recording medium. Illumination light obtained from the hologram recording medium is irradiated onto a light receiving surface.

Abstract: With a simple configuration, a clear illumination area with suppressed blurring is formed, and a form such as position, shape, and size thereof is changed. Divergent light from a point light source is shaped by a collimating optical system and emitted to a hologram element. Since the point light source is arranged at a front focal position of the collimating optical system, the light emitted from the collimating optical system is emitted to the hologram element as parallel light, and diffracted light therefrom forms an illumination area at a predetermined position on an illumination target surface. A light scanning part rotating about a predetermined rotation axis is arranged between the point light source and the collimating optical system, and light incident on the collimating optical system is scanned. By this scanning, an incident angle of the parallel light incident on the hologram element changes, and the illumination area changes.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus that illuminates an illumination zone having a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction is provided with a light source to emit a coherent light beam, and a diffraction optical device to diffract the coherent light beam incident from the light source. The diffraction optical device diffracts the incident coherent light beam so that a width of the illumination zone in the second direction gradually becomes wider along the first direction of the illumination zone from a nearer side to the diffraction optical device.

Abstract: The illumination device capable of illuminating plural regions via a light diffusion element includes a laser light source that emits a laser beam, an optical scan unit capable of changing an optical path of the laser beam from the laser light source, an optical path adjustment element and a light diffusion element. On the optical path adjustment element, the laser beam from the optical scan unit is incident, an incidence position of the laser beam varies depending on the optical path determined by the optical scan unit; and an emission angle of the laser beam varies depending on the incidence position. The light diffusion element diffuses the laser beam and emits diffused light. On the light diffusion element, the laser beam from the optical path adjustment element is incident and an emission angle of the diffused light varies depending on an incidence angle of the laser beam.

Abstract: An illumination device has a coherent light source, an optical device that diffuses the plurality of coherent light beams and illuminates a predetermined illumination area, and a timing control unit that individually controls incident timing of the plurality of coherent light beams to the optical device or illumination timing of the illumination area, wherein the optical device has a plurality of diffusion regions, the diffusion regions being provided corresponding to the plurality of coherent light beams, the plurality of diffusion regions illuminate the illumination range by diffusion of incident coherent light beams, the plurality of diffusion regions have a plurality of element diffusion regions, the plurality of element diffusion regions illuminate partial regions in the illumination area by diffusion of incident coherent light beams, and at least parts of the partial regions illuminated by the plurality of element diffusion regions are different from one another.