Abstract: A light source apparatus includes: an excitation light source including a laser light source; a first wheel that is controlled to rotate, and includes, in a part of a surface thereof to be illuminated by excitation light emitted from the excitation light source, a phosphor layer to be excited by the excitation light; and a second wheel that is controlled to rotate, and includes a dichroic filter that outputs light having a desired wavelength component of each of fluorescence emitted from the phosphor layer of the first wheel and the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus, including: a filter including transmittance variable element and adjusting amount of incident light from lens; a photoelectric transducer; and guide optical system guiding the incident light from the filter to the photoelectric transducer. The guide optical system includes color separation optical system including, in order from object side, first prism having first dichroic film, second prism having second dichroic film, and third prism, to separate the incident light into red, green, and blue. The first or second dichroic film is blue reflection dichroic film. Rotational position of the transmittance variable element about optical axis is such a position that ratio of transmittance for blue to transmittance for green of marginal ray entering the blue reflection dichroic film at incident angle smaller than principal ray of axial ray to the blue reflection dichroic film is smaller than such ratio of the principal ray of axial ray.

Abstract: This invention realizes an illumination optical system with a small etendue that has a longer lifetime and a high degree of brightness. The invention includes: a laser light source that generates excitation light; a phosphor that generates a fluorescent light by means of the excitation light; a light tunnel that projects the excitation light that is incident at one end towards the phosphor from another end, and projects a fluorescent light generated with the phosphor from the one end; and a dichroic mirror that is provided between the laser light source and the light tunnel, and that allows the fluorescent light or the excitation light to pass through, and reflects the remaining excitation or fluorescent light.

Abstract: A light source apparatus includes: an excitation light source including a laser light source; a first wheel that is controlled to rotate, and includes, in a part of a surface thereof to be illuminated by excitation light emitted from the excitation light source, a phosphor layer to be excited by the excitation light; a dichroic mirror that guides fluorescence emitted from the phosphor layer of the first wheel and the excitation light to an illumination optical system; and a second wheel that is controlled to rotate, and includes a dichroic filter that transmits light having a desired wavelength component of each of the fluorescence and the excitation light output from the dichroic mirror.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a half-silvered mirror that divides incident light from a subject into light fluxes traveling along two optical paths; a first imaging device that receives one of the incident light fluxes divided by the half-silvered mirror; a second imaging device that receives the other one of the incident light fluxes divided by the half-silvered mirror; a first subject luminance information calculator that calculates first subject luminance information based on an output from the first imaging device; a second subject luminance information calculator that calculates second subject luminance information based on an output from the second imaging device; and a subject luminance information comparator that compares the first subject luminance information with the second subject luminance information.

Abstract: An image acquisition system that includes a first image recording device that records a series of images of a subject. A lateral velocity vector estimator receives the series of images from the first image recording device and estimates the lateral velocity vectors of the subject relative to the image acquisition system. The image acquisition system further includes a second image recording device that includes an orthogonal transfer CCD sensing element which records a target image of the subject. The orthogonal transfer CCD sensing element includes an array of pixels. A control adjusts the array of pixels within the orthogonal transfer CCD sensing element based on the lateral velocity vector estimates provided by the lateral velocity estimator.

Abstract: A wavelength combining apparatus includes first and second optical devices. The first optical device collects and collimates or focuses light from multiple laser light sources. The second optical device includes multiple nonparallel dichroic surfaces to combine light received from the first optical device.

Abstract: A light source device includes: a light source section adapted to emit a light beam; a first optical element provided with a first entrance surface to which the light beam emitted from the light source section is input, and adapted to transmit the light beam; and a second optical element provided with a second entrance surface to which the light beam transmitted through the first optical element is input, and adapted to transmit the light beam, wherein the first entrance surface is tilted towards a direction rotated around a primary axis with respect to a principal ray of the light beam input to the first entrance surface, and the second entrance surface is tilted towards a direction rotated around a secondary axis substantially perpendicular to the primary axis with respect to the principal ray of the light beam input to the second entrance surface.

Abstract: A projector includes an optical arrangement and a cooling arrangement. The optical arrangement includes a light source, a filtering component, a light modulation component and a projection lens. The filtering component filters the light emitted by the light source. The light modulation component modulates the light filtered by the filtering component to form an image. The projection lens projects the image formed by the light modulation component. The cooling arrangement is arranged relative to the optical arrangement to cool the optical arrangement. The cooling arrangement includes a blower, an air duct and a heat sink. The blower blows cooling air. The air duct guides the cooling air from the blower to the filtering component along an cooling air path. The heat sink is disposed in the cooling air path within the air duct and fixedly attached to the light modulation component to thermally contact with the light modulation component.

Abstract: A projection system comprising a first imaging component, at least a second imaging component, and a color combiner. The first and second imaging components each comprise an imager and a reflective polarizer that is configured to at least partially separate a light beam from the imager into a first portion and second portion, where the first portion and the second portion have substantially orthogonal polarization states. The first portions of the light beams are directed in the same direction above or below a plane defined by the second portions of the light beams. The color combiner is configured to combine the second portions of the light beams, where the second portions of the light beams have substantially orthogonal polarization states prior to entering the color combiner.

Abstract: A curve representing a characteristic of a blue-light reflecting dichroic film DB and a curve representing a characteristic of a red-light reflecting dichroic film DR are configured to have shapes that track an ideal spectral characteristic of green. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a characteristic approximated to the ideal spectral characteristic without using a trimming filter having a dichroic film in an exiting surface of a prism. Since it is not necessary to use the trimming filter having the dichroic film, it is possible to prevent ghost and flare from occurring due to the dichroic film of the trimming filter. Accordingly, it is possible to embody an imaging apparatus having the ideal spectral characteristic with ghost and flare being reduced.

Abstract: An image sensor having light-sensitive elements situated in rows and columns, a camera, and a camera system are provided. The image sensor has a repeating pattern including two adjacent rows, the first row having alternating light-sensitive elements having a blue filter and light-sensitive elements having a red filter, and the second row having light-sensitive elements having no blue filters and no red filters, i.e., no color filter.

Abstract: An exemplary digital camera module (200) includes a lens module (20), a chip package (30) and a focusing structure (40). The lens module includes a holder (24) and a barrel slidably received in the holder. At least one lens element (222) is fixed in the barrel. The holder has several channels (246) defined therein. Each channel respectively has an enlarged end opening (2468) and receives a corresponding wire (28) therein. The focusing structure is attached to the holder. Several pads (36) are formed on the surface of the chip package. Each wire electrically connects with a given pad using a conductive adhesive (52), and, via such a connection, the chip package is able to control the focusing structure to drive movement of the barrel. The respective enlarged end openings serve to help retain the corresponding conductive adhesive proximate/adjacent a given pad.

Abstract: A projection system comprising a first imaging component, at least a second imaging component, and a color combiner. The first and second imaging components each comprise an imager and a reflective polarizer that is configured to at least partially separate a light beam from the imager into a first portion and second portion, where the first portion and the second portion have substantially orthogonal polarization states. The first portions of the light beams are directed in the same direction above or below a plane defined by the second portions of the light beams. The color combiner is configured to combine the second portions of the light beams, where the second portions of the light beams have substantially orthogonal polarization states prior to entering the color combiner.

Abstract: An image displaying apparatus is capable of maintaining the contrast ratios of displayed images even if the f-value of an optical system of the apparatus is lowered to provide bright images, efficiently utilizing a beam from a light source, minimizing the size and weight of the optical system, and being easy to manufacture. The image displaying apparatus includes first to third reflective polarizing plates (120, 121, 122) provided for first to third reflective spatial light modulators (130, 131, 132), respectively. The reflective polarizing plates polarize and separate beams to be injected into the reflective spatial light modulators. In the image displaying apparatus, a color separating optical system has a larger effective diameter than a color composition prism (140).

Abstract: A polarization splitting section has a structure in that a polarization splitting layer is formed of a light reflecting grid member which is arranged in a grid-shaped pattern on an optically-transparent substrate, and an optically-transparent medium is filled between the grid member and the substrate in contact with the grid member surface and the substrate surface, and the grid member and the filled optically-transparent medium are bonded to the substrate with another adhesive agent or tackiness agent formed of an optically-transparent medium interposed. The polarization splitting layer is partly protruded externally from the surfaces of prism materials.

Abstract: For mixing different light colors from different LEDs or energized phosphors, an elongated mixing tunnel is used having a reflective inner surface. LEDs of different colors are optically coupled along the length of the mixing tunnel and at a first end of the tunnel. Light coupled along the length of the tunnel is reflected by an angled dichroic mirror that selectively reflects the incoming color light towards a single output port of the mixing tunnel. The dichroic mirror passes all other colors of light being transmitted towards the output port of the tunnel. Two, three, or more colors of LEDs can be used. Efficient and compact ways to energize phosphors are also described. Other optical techniques are also described.

Abstract: A projector incorporating a prism and a plurality of light valves for modulating light that passes though the prism, wherein the color splitting-converging prism includes a dichroic coating having multiple layers of high and low index of refraction and ¼ wavelength thickness at each desired angle of incidence for reducing dichroic shift and thereby minimizing light loss.

Abstract: A first prism 11a and a second prism 12a are joined together on a face-to-face basis. A dichroic mirror 13a is interposed into the junction plane to reflect only G-light. A first imaging device 111a receives the reflected light (G-light) with high sensitivity. In this manner, there is constructed an inexpensive light receiving unit 10a having the same visual sensitivity characteristic as eyes of a person. The light receiving unit 10a is disposed in an image taking apparatus.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus has input optics for obtaining a multispectral image bearing light and a programmable spectral switching section. The programmable spectral switching section has a first lens for directing light toward a dichroic separator that separates the multispectral image bearing light into a plurality of discrete spectral bands, each directed to an optical switch. Each optical switch is selectively enabled to redirect its corresponding spectral band back through the first lens as switched spectral band light. A light path selector element directs switched spectral band light toward an image forming section that has a sensor lens for directing switched spectral band light toward an image sensor. The image sensor forms image data according switched spectral band light from each optical switch. A control logic processor communicates with optical switches and with the sensor, providing instructions for enablement of optical switches and obtaining sensor data.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a projector that can readily correct for chromatic aberration caused by, for example, a projecting lens without having to give a cross dichroic prism, for example, a special preliminary process. Illumination-light components modulated by corresponding liquid-crystal light valves are synthesized in a cross dichroic prism (27) to form image light. The image light enters a projecting lens (29) from which the image light is projected onto a screen, which is not shown in the drawings. In the cross dichroic prism (27) used to synthesize light components, a first prism element (P1) has a refractive index higher than that of remaining prism elements (P2, P3 and P4). This allows a width of a red projection-image component to be made larger than widths of projection-image components of remaining colors, whereby the chromatic aberration in the projecting lens can be readily corrected.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical carrier and housing arrangement to accommodate a color-separation system as well as several image converters, in particular CCD receivers, which is based on a preferably metallic housing block with a radiation entrance opening in one of the side surfaces as well as radiation exit openings in the remaining side surfaces. In the beam path in the interior of the block attachment grooves are provided to fix in position a prefabricatable mirror/filter color-separation system that is accessible from the open cover surface of the block. Wiring-carrier modules support the bare CCD chips and a neccessary drive and evaluation electronics, such that the bare CCD chips make contact face-down above an aperture in the wiring carrier.

Abstract: To provide a compact projector in which a projection image is formed by using four kinds of color light so as to expand an expressible color gamut of the projection image and to achieve an excellent light utilization efficiency, a projector includes a light source, a color-separation optical system, a light-modulation optical system, and a color-synthesis optical system. The color-separation optical system produces four kinds of color light whose output directions are different from each other. The light-modulation optical system includes a first two-color-modulation electro-optical device to modulate any two of the four kinds of color light separated by the color-separation optical system and a second two-color-modulation electro-optical device to modulate the remaining two kinds of color light. Each two two-color-modulation electro-optical device includes a microlens array on a substrate close to the color-separation optical system and a plurality of sub-pixels corresponding to respective microlenses.

Abstract: A color separation beam splitter for projectors is provided, which comprises a plurality of prisms connected with each other and three optical interference filters having different wavelength ranges respectively formed on side surfaces of the plurality of prisms. The three optical interference filters include a yellow color reflective dichroic mirror, a red color reflective dichroic mirror, and a blue color reflective dichroic mirror to filter out the yellow light and provide three primary color lights with high color purity. Moreover, by reflecting a light beam twice, the number of layers of dichroic mirror can be reduced. The color purity of the light is increased after reflected twice by the dichroic mirrors. Moreover, configuration of a liquid crystal projector by use of this prism assembly as color separation unit is also disclosed.

Abstract: A projection type display apparatus including an illumination optical system for emitting a light flux, a decomposition optical system for decomposing the light flux into color lights of red, green and blue, liquid crystal light valves for the colors for receiving the decomposed color lights, a synthesis optical system for synthesizing the image lights of the colors from the liquid crystal light valves, and a projection optical system for projecting the synthesized image lights to a screen. A filter is disposed at one of positions opposing to each other across the center of the light flux between the white light source and the decomposition optical system and attenuates or cuts off light of a wavelength region different from that of light which passes the other of the positions.

Abstract: A one-piece cable support including an integral box-shaped mounting assembly. The box-shaped mounting assembly extends over a cable tray portion of the cable support and includes several optional mounting apertures. Once secured to a building structure through the box-shaped mounting assembly, the weight of a suspended bundle of cables is distributed evenly below the assembly, thereby permitting the load to be balanced evenly below the assembly and reducing the bending moment and therefore the stress on the wall portion connecting the cable tray and mounting assembly portions of the support. An integral bracket assembly is provided on the bottom of the cable support to allow easy ganging of multiple cable supports without the need for specialized brackets.

Abstract: An optical color separation system which separates light incident thereupon into at least two color components. The optical color separation system includes a plurality of dichroic mirrors that are arranged nonparallel to one another and along an optical axis of the incident light to reflect different color components. The dichroic mirrors are disposed at predetermined positions so that the respective color components of the incident light are reflected toward different relay positions corresponding to the respective color components. The incident light contains at least one color component, and is incident upon and reflected by one or more subsequent dichroic mirrors behind a frontmost dichroic mirror. The incident light is also transmitted through preceding dichroic mirrors including the frontmost dichroic mirror in accordance with at least one color component.