Abstract: A light valve image projection system (10) wherein the optical registration of individual primary color images on a projection screen (14) is substantially immune to modification of the projection throw distance is disclosed herein. The inventive light valve projection system (10) is operative to project a composite optical image onto the screen (14), and includes an optical light valve apparatus (18, 19, 20) for generating first and second optical images. A converging optical system (22), in optical alignment with one or more light valves (20), is disposed to overlap the first and second images into a composite image along an optical axis. The projection system (10) of the present invention further includes a projection lens (24) for illuminating the screen (14) with the composite image.

Abstract: A single light valve full-color projector 10 operative to display an image on a screen 12 in response to first and second video signals. The inventive projector 10 includes a laser 22 for providing a beam of coherent light. A scanning control circuit 20 coupled to the laser 22 varies the intensity of the beam on the basis of information inherent in the first and second video signals. The inventive projector 10 further includes a liquid crystal light valve 26 which modulates light illuminating an output layer 44 thereof in accordance with an internally generated voltage pattern produced by incidence of the modulated beam on an input layer 40 thereof. A raster scanner 24 is operative to deflect the beam to a first set of areas on the input layer 40 in response to the first video signal and to deflect the beam to a second set of areas on the input layer in response to the second video signal.

Abstract: There is disclosed an electro-optical system for real time projection of very high brightness, full color pictorial images from television or other program sources onto a large display screen from a set of three reflection type AC driven field effect mode birefringent liquid crystal light valves each of which modulates a primary color component video image onto a collimated beam of polarized light of a given primary color by modulating the polarization state thereof. In order to achieve very high brightness without overheating the system it is necessary that none of the optical elements forming the projection beam optical system absorb light in carrying out their function. Hence all projection beam optical processes are non-absorptive to first order. The light valves are devices that receive and reflect projection light from an independent high power light source while modulating onto the reflected light video images derived from a low level light source such as a cathode ray tube.