Abstract: Optical energy from a broadband source is focused on an aperture in an opaque member. The energy exiting the aperture is received off axis by a parabolic mirror which collimates the energy. The collimated energy is reflected from each planar mirror of an actuated mirror array. The reflected energy from the mirror array is re-reflected to the aperture by the parabolic mirror. The orientation of each planar mirror determines the flux which passes through the aperture or is reflected by a reflective face of the opaque member. The energy reflected from this face which is derived from each mirror corresponds to the flux intensity for a corresponding pixel. This energy may then be focused on a screen to display the scene.

Abstract: A video display system includes a source of optical energy, a beam splitter, a baffle, an MxN array of mirrors and a screen. The source develops the first light beam along a first propagation path. The beam splitter is disposed in this first propagation path. The beam splitter is positioned to split the optical energy of the first light beam to develop a second light beam along a second propagation path. The baffle has a first face, a second face and a row of parallel slits. The slits are open between the first face and the second face and may extend either vertically or horizontally across each face of the baffle. Accordingly, there are either M rows or N columns of slits. The baffle is disposed in the second propagation path so that the second light beam illuminates the first face and passes through the slits to exit from the second face as a plurality of planar light beams along the second propagation path. The mirror array is disposed in a facing relationship to the second face of the baffle.