Abstract: An optical filter to increase contrast of an image generated with a spatial light modulator includes a lens for spatially Fourier transforming modulated light from the spatial light modulator, and an optical filter mask positioned at a Fourier plane of the lens to filter the modulated light. The modulated light has a plurality of diffraction orders, and the optical filter mask transmits at least one of the diffraction orders of the modulated light and block a remaining portion of the modulated light. A method that improves contrast of an image generated with a spatial light modulator includes spatially Fourier transforming modulated light from the spatial light modulator onto a Fourier plane, and filtering the modulated light by transmitting at least one diffraction order of the modulated light at the Fourier plane and blocking a remaining portion of the modulated light at the Fourier plane.

Abstract: Dual or multi-modulation display system are disclosed that comprise projector systems with at least one modulator that may employ non-mechanical beam steering modulation. Many embodiments disclosed herein employ a non-mechanical beam steering and/or polarizer to provide for a highlights modulator.

Abstract: A dual-modulation laser projection system (100) includes a polarizing beamsplitter (110) for splitting laser light (180) into first (182) and second (184) polarized beams having mutually orthogonal polarizations, a phase spatial light modulator (120) for beam steering the second polarized beam (184), a mechanical amplitude spatial light modulator (130) for amplitude modulating a combination of the first polarized beam (182) and the second polarized beam (186) as beam steered by the phase spatial light modulator (120), and a filter (140) for removing, from the combination (190) of the first and second polarized beams, one or more of a plurality of diffraction orders introduced by the mechanical amplitude spatial light modulator (130), to generate filtered, modulated output light (192).

Abstract: A novel projection system includes a base signal source, a highlight signal source, a base/highlight destination, and a shared optical element. A base signal provided by the base source and a highlight signal provided by the highlight source are combined by the shared optical element. In a particular embodiment, the base signal source and the highlight signal source each include a light source, a spatial light modulator, and optics, and the base/highlight destination includes optics and a spatial light modulator. In a more particular embodiment, the base signal source and the highlight source provide spatially modulated lightfields to the shared optical element. In another particular embodiment, the base signal and the highlight signal are modulated by the spatial light modulator of the base/highlight destination after being combined.

Abstract: Dual and multi-modulator projector display systems and techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment, a projector display system comprises a light source; a controller, a first modulator, receiving light from the light source and rendering a halftone image of said the input image; a blurring optical system that blurs said halftone image with a Point Spread Function (PSF); and a second modulator receiving the blurred halftone image and rendering a pulse width modulated image which may be projected to form the desired screen image. Systems and techniques for forming a binary halftone image from input image, correcting for misalignment between the first and second modulators and calibrating the projector system—e.g. over time—for continuous image improvement are also disclosed.

Abstract: Light from an array of laser light sources are spread to cover the modulating face of a DMD or other modulator. The spread may be performed, for example, by a varying curvature array of lenslets, each laser light directed at one of the lenslets. Light from neighboring and/or nearby light sources overlap at a modulator. The lasers are energized at different energy/brightness levels causing the light illuminating the modulator to itself be modulated (locally dimmed). The modulator then further modulates the locally dimmed lights to produce a desired image. A projector according to the invention may utilize, for example, a single modulator sequentially illuminated or separate primary color modulators simultaneously illuminated.

Abstract: Light projection systems using white light illumination. One embodiment provides a projection system using white light illumination. The projection system includes an illumination assembly configured to receive a white light input. A prism is configured to separate the white light input into color light inputs, redirect the color light inputs to respective modulators, and combine modulated color light inputs from the respective modulators into a white light output. An optical filter is configured to spatially Fourier transform the white light output to generate a filtered white light output. A projection lens assembly is configured to project the filtered white light output.

Abstract: Dual or multi-modulation display systems comprising a first modulator and a second modulator are disclosed. The first modulator may comprise a plurality of analog mirrors (e.g. MEMS array) and the second modulator may comprise a plurality of mirrors (e.g., DMD array). The display system may further comprise a controller that sends control signals to the first and second modulator. The display system may render highlight features within a projected image by affecting a time multiplexing scheme. In one embodiment, the first modulator may be switched on a sub-frame basis such that a desired proportion of the available light may be focused or directed onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature on a sub-frame rendering basis.

Abstract: A display for displaying image data includes defining virtual color gamuts based on a plurality of primary display colors associated with a light source. At least one of the virtual color gamuts is defined to approximate an established color gamut. Intensity values associated with the virtual color gamuts are generated based on received video data, and the intensity values associated with the virtual color gamuts are used to generate drive values for the primary colors of the light source. A display using one or more virtual color gamuts is also disclosed.

Abstract: A projection system and method therefore related to a first projection device; a second projection device; at least one spatial modulator; and an electronic processor configured to: receive a two-dimensional video data, generate a first plurality of intensity values of a first color gamut and a second plurality of intensity values of a second color gamut, subtract a luminance threshold from a plurality of pixel values of the second color gamut to yield a plurality of positive pixel values and a plurality of negative pixel values, set respective ones of the plurality of pixel values to predetermined values to obtain a residual of the second color gamut, add the residual to the first color gamut, add maximized pixel values to the first color gamut and the second color gamut to create an output gamut, and blend the output gamut with a native color gamut to generate a blended gamut.

Abstract: A projection system and calibration method therefor relate to a light source configured to emit a light in response to an image data, an illumination optical system configured to steer the light, the illumination optical system including a first mirror and a second mirror, a digital micromirror device (DMD) including a plurality of micromirrors respectively configured to reflect the steered light to a filter as on-state light or to reflect the steered light as off-state light to a light dump; determining a deviation between an actual angle of orientation and an expected angle of orientation of the DMD; calculating a first amount of angle adjustment corresponding to the first mirror and a second amount of angle adjustment corresponding to the second mirror; and actuating the first mirror according to the first amount and the second mirror according to the second amount.

Abstract: A projector controller includes an object detector and control electronics, and is configured to protect audience members from intense light imposing an exclusion zone in front of a projector. The object detector is configured to optically sense a presence of an object in a detection region beneath the exclusion zone and above the audience members. The control electronics is configured to control the projector when the object detector indicates the presence of the object in the detection region. A method for protecting audience members from intense light imposing an exclusion zone in front of an output of a projector includes: (i) optically sensing a presence of an object in a detection region between the exclusion zone and the audience members, and (ii) controlling the projector when the presence of the object is sensed in the detection region.

Abstract: Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses with spectrally complementary filters disposed thereon. The filters curved surface lenses are configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. Complementary images are projected for viewing through projection filters having passbands that pre-shift to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts. At least one filter may have more than 3 primary passbands. For example, two filters include a first filter having passbands of low blue, high blue, low green, high green, and red, and a second filter having passbands of blue, green, and red. The additional passbands may be utilized to more closely match a color space and white point of a projector in which the filters are used. The shaped glasses and projection filters together may be utilized as a system for projecting and viewing 3D images.

Abstract: A projection system and method includes a light source configured to emit a light in response to an image data; a phase light modulator configured to receive the light from the light source and to apply a spatially-varying phase modulation on the light, thereby to steer the light and generate a projection light; and a controller configured to dynamically determine, based on at least one of a user input or a sensor signal, a target geometry of a projection surface on which the projection light is projected, determine, based on the target geometry, a phase configuration for a frame of the image data, and provide a phase control signal to the phase light modulator, the phase control signal configured to cause the phase light modulator to generate the projection light in accordance with the phase configuration for the frame.

Abstract: A novel high efficiency image projection system includes a beam-steering modulator, an amplitude modulator, and a controller. In a particular embodiment the controller generates beam-steering drive values from image data and uses the beam-steering drive values to drive the beam-steering modulator. Additionally, the controller utilizes the beam-steering drive values to generate a lightfield simulation of a lightfield projected onto the amplitude modulator by the beam-steering modulator. The controller utilizes the lightfield simulation to generate amplitude drive values for driving the amplitude modulator in order to project a high quality version of the image described by the image data.

Abstract: Dual or multi-modulation display systems comprising a first modulator and a second modulator are disclosed. The first modulator may comprise a plurality of analog mirrors (e.g. MEMS array) and the second modulator may comprise a plurality of mirrors (e.g., DMD array). The display system may further comprise a controller that sends control signals to the first and second modulator. The display system may render highlight features within a projected image by affecting a time multiplexing scheme. In one embodiment, the first modulator may be switched on a sub-frame basis such that a desired proportion of the available light may be focused or directed onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature on a sub-frame rendering basis.

Abstract: A digital PSF for use in a dual modulation display. The invention allows the use of less than optimal point spread (PSF) functions in the optics between the pre-modulator and primary modulator of a dual modulation projection system. This technique uses multiple halftones per frame in the pre-modulator synchronized with a modified bit sequence in the primary modulator to produce a compensation image that reduces the errors produced by the sub-optimal PSF. The invention includes the application to dual modulation and dual modulated 3D viewing systems.

Abstract: Dual and multi-modulator projector display systems and techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment, a projector display system comprises a light source; a controller, a first modulator, receiving light from the light source and rendering a halftone image of said the input image; a blurring optical system that blurs said halftone image with a Point Spread Function (PSF); and a second modulator receiving the blurred halftone image and rendering a pulse width modulated image which may be projected to form the desired screen image. Systems and techniques for forming a binary halftone image from input image, correcting for misalignment between the first and second modulators and calibrating the projector system—e.g. over time—for continuous image improvement are also disclosed.

Abstract: One or more perforation hole pattern methods are applied (402) to generate a spatial distribution of perforation holes forming a semi-random pattern for an image display screen. The image display screen is perforated (404) with the spatial distribution of perforation holes forming the semi-random pattern. Image rendering light is emitted (406) with a light projector toward the image display screen that is installed in an image rendering environment. At least a portion of the image rendering light emitted from the light projector is reflected (408) by the image display screen, toward a viewer.

Abstract: A novel projection system includes a base signal source, a highlight signal source, a base/highlight destination, and a shared optical element. A base signal provided by the base source and a highlight signal provided by the highlight source are combined by the shared optical element. In a particular embodiment, the base signal source and the highlight signal source each include a light source, a spatial light modulator, and optics, and the base/highlight destination includes optics and a spatial light modulator. In a more particular embodiment, the base signal source and the highlight source provide spatially modulated lightfields to the shared optical element. In another particular embodiment, the base signal and the highlight signal are modulated by the spatial light modulator of the base/highlight destination after being combined.