Abstract: A multidirectional switch includes a base, a weight coupled to the base via resilient member, and at least first and second contacts coupled to the base. The weight is biased toward a neutral position spaced from the first and second contacts. The weight is movable toward and contacts the first contact when a first force is applied to the base, which deforms the resilient member in a first direction. The weight is movable toward and contacts the second contact when a second force is applied to the base, which deforms the resilient member in a second direction different than the first direction.

Abstract: The optical path for a rear projection television is disclosed, having emission from a projection lens, an optional reflection from a turning mirror, reflection from a curved mirror, reflection from one or two flat mirrors, and projection onto the rear surface of a viewing screen. When two flat mirrors are present, there is one flat mirror parallel to the screen near the rear of the television cabinet, and the other flat mirror perpendicular to the screen near the top or the bottom of the cabinet. When only one flat mirror is present, it is located near the top or bottom of the cabinet, and is inclined with a small but finite angle toward the screen. The optional turning mirror can allow the lens barrel to be located in an otherwise unused part of the cabinet, and can further reduce the size of the cabinet. The pedestal height divided by the screen height may be less than roughly 1/10, and the casing depth divided by the screen height may be less than roughly ?.

Abstract: In a projection system, an illumination unit directs light to a spatial light modulator, via a prism having first, second and third sides. At least some of the illumination light from the illumination unit enters the prism through the first side, is totally internally reflected at the second side and exits the third side of the prism to the spatial light modulator. The illumination light is incident on the first side along a first axis, the first axis being directed with a component directed towards the spatial light modulator. In some cases, the first prism may introduce prism aberrations to the illumination light. The light from the illumination unit is directed tot the prism by light handling optics. The light handling optics compensate, at least in part, for the prism aberrations.

Abstract: A color display system includes a color light separator that separates incident white illumination light into red, green and blue wavelength bands to be directed to distinct color component sub-pixels (sometimes called dots) that are arranged in a dot-matrix, color triad arrangement (e.g., stripe or delta) to form individual picture elements (pixels) on a pixelated electronic image device (e.g., LCD of DMD). The entire picture is optically shifted from one set of color component sub-pixels to another in a 3-field sequence. As a result, the sets of red, green and blue color component sub-pixels appear to an observer as a single full-color image, thereby providing a dot sequential color display.

Abstract: Projection lenses for use with pixelized panels (PP) are provided. The projection lenses have first and second lens units (U1,U2), with the first lens unit having a negative or weakly positive power and the second lens unit having a positive power. The second lens unit has first and second subunits (U2S1 and U2S2) which provide positive power followed by negative power. The second subunit (U2S2) of the second unit (U2), in turn, has negative power followed by positive power. In this way, an overall short projection lens (e.g., BRL/f0?0.9) along with small lens elements (e.g., CAmax/f0?0.8) can be achieved.

Abstract: A table-top rear projection television employs a single large-panel (e.g., 7 inch-15 inch, 17.5 cm-38 cm, diagonal), multi-color transmissive imaging device (e.g., an amorphous silicon liquid crystal display). The rear projection television has a cabinet with a pedestal having a height and a depth that are each less than or equal to about 0.65 the height of the display screen. The display screen may have any aspect ratio of a wide format (e.g., 16:9, 15:9, 16:10) or a conventional format (i.e. 4:3).

Abstract: The present invention is particularly useful for projection systems in which portions of an unwanted light beam overlap with the image beam. Such an overlap reduces the image contrast. Under the present invention, an aperture is used to restrict the extent of the unwanted beam while an integrator changes the shape of the light beam illuminating the image display device. The integrator changes the illumination beam so as concentrate the light in those areas of the illumination beam that are transmitted through the aperture. When the aperture and the integrator are used together in the projection system, both the image brightness and the image contrast are increased.

Abstract: An optical element for homogenizing light and an optical system incorporating same are disclosed. The optical element includes an optical rod that has an input face and an output face. The input face of the optical element is not parallel to the output face of the optical element.