Light Shield, Mask, Hood, Or Diaphragm Patents (Class 353/97)
  • Patent number: 8354790
    Abstract: A projector comprises a light source unit 63, a display device, a cooling fan, a light source side optical system for guiding light from the light source unit 63 to the display device, a projection side optical system for projecting an image emitted from the display device on to a screen, and a projector control unit for controlling the light source unit 63 and the display device. In addition, this light source unit 63 has a plurality of fan-shaped segment areas on a circular transparent base material 130 which can be controlled to rotate, layers 131 of different phosphors which emit light of predetermined wavelength bands by receiving excitation light being disposed on at least two of the segment areas on the transparent base material 130, and comprises an excitation light source 72 which shines excitation light within a visible light wavelength band on to the phosphors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masakuni Iwanaga
  • Patent number: 8337024
    Abstract: A projection optical system for enlarging and projecting a light flux from an image display panel modulating an irradiation light, onto a screen in an oblique direction, the projection optical system includes: a lens system including a plurality of lenses, the lens system refracting the light flux from the image display panel; a single convex mirror reflecting the light flux from the lens system, the lens system and the convex mirror being arranged in an order from the image display panel; and a stop disposed in an optical path after an emission from the lens system to an incidence on the convex mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Muneharu Kuwata, Tomohiro Sasagawa
  • Patent number: 8328369
    Abstract: The projecting zoom lens includes, sequentially from its magnification side, a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, a negative third lens group, a positive fourth lens group, a positive or negative fifth lens group, and a positive six lens group, while the reduction side of the projecting zoom lens is formed as a telecentric system. When the power of the zoom lens is varied, the first lens group and sixth lens group are fixed, while the second to fifth lens groups move. In such power varying operation, the movement of the third lens group advances from the magnification side to the reduction side as the zoom lens goes from the wide angle end toward the tele end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fujinon Corporation
    Inventor: Masaru Amano
  • Patent number: 8328368
    Abstract: Miniature projection devices will enable the use of common household objects as the projection screen for still and moving images. This application describes a set of techniques and embodiments for implementing image projection inside a lamp such as a table or wall lamp and provides techniques for dealing with the unique physical attributes of lamps such as the shape of the lamp and the bright source of light that would tend to wash out the projected image. In addition, the invention presents a series of novel embodiments that respond changes in the environment to enable an immersive user experience and operation as a pet entertainment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: AccuVein Inc.
    Inventor: Vincent Luciano
  • Patent number: 8303121
    Abstract: A projector includes: a speaker adapted to output a sound; a light source; a light modulation device; a projection optical system adapted to project an image modulated by the light modulation device; a cover member, and moving between a blocking position for blocking the light and an transmitting position for transmitting the light; a position detection section adapted to detect the position of the cover member; a microphone input terminal to which a microphone is connected; a microphone connection detection section; a loading section adapted to load a recording medium; a reproduction section adapted to reproduce a content recorded on the recording medium loaded to the loading section; a content identification section adapted to identify a type of the content the reproduction section reproduces; and a control section adapted to switch states of the projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Nagaharu
  • Patent number: 8287129
    Abstract: An imaging system having reduced susceptibility to thermally induced stress birefringence, comprising; a relay lens, which images the object plane onto an intermediate image plane; a projection lens, which images the intermediate image plane onto the display surface. The lens elements that are immediately adjacent to a relay lens aperture stop and a projection lens aperture stop are fabricated using glasses having a negligible susceptibility to thermal stress birefringence, and the other lens elements are fabricated using glasses having at most a moderate susceptibility to thermal stress birefringence as characterized by the thermal stress birefringence metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Andrew F. Kurtz, Joseph R. Bietry, Barry D. Silverstein
  • Patent number: 8287139
    Abstract: A light source device, includes: an arc tube, and a pair of sealing portions; a reflector; and a sub mirror configured to reflect the light emitted from the arc tube toward the arc tube, and disposed of the other side of the sealing portion in such a manner as to cover a part of the outer surface of the tube spherical portion of the side of the illumination area, the sub mirror include a plurality of reflection members provided with reflection surfaces having different shapes, and the distance between the illumination axis and the outer shape of one of the adjoining reflection members is different from the distance between the illumination axis and the other of the adjoining reflection members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Susumu Wada
  • Publication number: 20120236268
    Abstract: A projection system includes a projection screen defining a shape and a projector configured to project an image onto the projection screen. The projector may project a static or dynamic image that has substantially the same shape as the projection screen or otherwise block portions of the projected image that are projected outside of the projection screen with the aid of a virtual mask. The virtual mask and the projection screen may be created based on a virtual shape template that defines the desired shape for the projection screen, such as with a vector outline. In some embodiments, the virtual mask and the projection screen are created based on the same virtual shape template. The virtual shape template may define a cutting path for extracting the projection screen from a suitable material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventors: Brett C. Tanis-Likkel, Vincent S. Peddle, Mark L. Schuleman, Michael L. Graetz, Russell J. Vander Wiel
  • Patent number: 8262231
    Abstract: A light control device which controls the transmission amount of light emitted from a predetermined emission area includes a rotation member having a rotation axis extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the center axis of the light, and a light shielding member supported by the rotation member and shielding at least a part of the light by rotation of the rotation member. The light shielding member has a light shielding surface which shields received light. The light shielding surface is so processed as to reduce the amount of light reflected by the light shielding surface, and reaching the emission area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hirohisa Nakano
  • Patent number: 8262232
    Abstract: A display device is provided that includes: a projection unit emitting a light flux including image information; and a divergence angle controlling unit controlling a divergence angle of the light flux emitted from the projection unit to not more than a prescribed angle. The divergence angle controlling unit includes a transmission unit transmitting the light flux emitted from the projection unit and a light shielding unit shielding part of the light flux, and the part of the light flux is shielded by the light shielding unit so that the divergence angle of the light flux is controlled to not more than a prescribed angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuo Horiuchi, Naotada Okada, Haruhiko Okumura, Takashi Sasaki, Aira Hotta
  • Patent number: 8262233
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, a light control device includes a light blocking module to block a luminous flux passing through the light control device in a direction parallel to a system optical axis. The light blocking module includes a first and a second light blocking member. The first light blocking member includes a cutout portion at an end near a system optical axis, the first light blocking member configured so as to change a size of an area blocking the luminous flux in accordance with an opening and closing operation of the light blocking module. The second light blocking member is disposed in proximity to the first light blocking member and configured so as to increasingly block the luminous flux from passing through the cutout portion of the first light blocking member in accordance with the closing operation of the light blocking module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 8256902
    Abstract: An entire-visual-field projection device which projects image information relating to an entire-visual-field image onto a spherical screen to provide the entire-visual-field image to a viewer positioned inside the screen. The projection device is provided with the spherical screen, a pair of projectors which project the entire-visual-field image onto the screen and are arranged opposite each other with the center of the screen therebetween, and a double-convex mirror for projection which reflects luminous fluxes from the projectors toward the screen and is disposed in the vicinity of the center of the screen. A projection luminous flux from one of the projectors is emitted to one of the convex surfaces of the mirror, and that from the other projector to the other convex surface of the mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Inventor: Satoru Yoshii
  • Patent number: 8251512
    Abstract: The present invention discloses systems, equipment and methods that allow the improved tiling of multiple projections displays in order to create higher resolution images. Equipment and methods are disclosed for improved blending of the seam by optical means where edge blending masks are employed to create a brightness ramp in the blending region. Equipment and methods are also disclosed for the correction of artifacts in an optically blended seam by modifying the brightness of image pixels in the overlap or blend region. Equipment, systems, and techniques are disclosed for preserving the resolution and uniformity of the image across each seam by actively controlling the position of each display using a servo controlled lens mount for the positioning of each projected image in conjunction with a real time image analysis system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: IMAX Corporation
    Inventors: Sean M. Adkins, Steven Charles Read
  • Publication number: 20120162616
    Abstract: A projector includes a case, a projection lens, a shielding plate, and a controller received in the case. The case includes a sidewall defining an aperture. The projection lens is used for projecting a cone of light rays which passes through the aperture and a projection area. The shield plate is positioned on the sidewall. The driver is used for driving the shield plate to any of desired positions ranging from a first position in which the shield plate exposes the aperture to a second position in which the shield plate shields the aperture. The barrier detection device is used for generating a first signal if detecting no barrier presents in the projection area and generating a second signal if detecting a barrier presents in the projection area. The controller is used for controlling the driver to drive the shield plate to the first position if receiving the first signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: BING-HENG LEE, YI-ZHONG SHEU, TAI-CHERNG YU
  • Patent number: 8192031
    Abstract: The present invention provides a projection type display apparatus for displaying an image by which reduction of contrast is suppressed, including: a light source; a first lens array and a second lens array having a plurality of lens cell areas; a collecting lens; a display element; a projection lens; and a light shielding unit which light-shields the light fluxes from the first lens array to the second lens array, wherein the light shielding unit light-shields at least parts of all the lens cell areas except for the lens cell area in contact with an optical axis among a plurality of rectangular lens cell areas of the second lens array, and a light shielding area in the lens cell area in contact with the optical axis is smaller than that in any of the lens cell areas except for the lens cell area in contact with the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kimura
  • Patent number: 8186832
    Abstract: A projector includes: a light source; a polarization conversion element array having an entrance surface on which an effective entrance area and an ineffective entrance area are disposed to form stripes; a modulation device adapted to modulate a linearly polarized light beam emitted from the polarization conversion element array in accordance with an image signal; a projection device adapted to project the modulated light beam; a first light shielding section, a part of the entrance surface being provided with the first light shielding section adapted to shield a part of the incident light beam to the effective entrance area; and a first opening section, the first opening section being another area of the entrance surface than the part provided with the first light shielding section, at least a part of the first opening section reaches an end of the entrance surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Hayashi, Kanji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8162488
    Abstract: A projection display apparatus includes a light valve, a light source for producing light directed to the light valve, an integrator lens disposed in an optical path extending from the light source to the light valve and including a first lens array and a second lens array, and a light amount adjustment mechanism disposed in the optical path between the first lens array and the second lens array. The light amount adjusting mechanism includes a pair of light shielding elements pivoting in the form of a pair of double doors. The pair of light shielding elements have an opening formed in a region of tip portions thereof which corresponds to lens cells in contact with the optical axis of the second lens array. A region of the opening corresponding to one lens cell in contact with the optical axis of the second lens array is of a triangular configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamada, Akira Daijogo, Motoo Takahashi, Kenji Samejima
  • Publication number: 20120092629
    Abstract: A projection device including an optical engine base, a light source, a light valve, and a projection lens is provided. The light source includes a component holder, a light component, and light lens. The component holder is assembled to the optical engine base, and has a component slot and a lens slot communicated with the component slot. The lens slot has at least one slot section plane. The light component is disposed within the component slot. The light lens is disposed within the lens slot, and adapted to form the light generated by the light component into a lighting beam. The light valve and the projection lens are assembled to the optical engine base. The light valve is adapted to convert the lighting beam into an image beam. The projection lens is adapted to convert the image beam into a projection beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: YOUNG OPTICS INC.
    Inventors: Chih-Wei Chang, Pei-Ching Liu, Jui-Hsiang Yen, Chien-Jung Huang
  • Patent number: 8152307
    Abstract: A optical apparatus (201) for use in an laser imaging system (200) is provided. The optical apparatus (201) includes one or more optical elements (215) that are configured to create an intermediate image plane (217) in the laser imaging system (200). A diffractive optical element (216) is then disposed at the intermediate image plane (217) to reduce speckle. The diffractive optical element (216) includes a periodically repeating phase mask (218) that can be configured in accordance with steps, vortex functions, Hermite-Gaussian functions, and so forth. Smooth grey-level phase transitional surface (337) can be placed between elements (333,334) to improve brightness and image quality. The periodically repeating phase mask (218) makes manufacture simple by reducing alignment sensitivity, and can be used to make applicable safety standards easier to meet as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Duelli, Alban N. Lescure, Mark O. Freeman, Christian Dean DeJong, Joshua M. Hudman
  • Publication number: 20120069180
    Abstract: An information presentation apparatus includes a display frame having a display surface to display a display object, wherein an arbitrary information provision image is generated on an information provision region included in at least part of a region in which the display object is present, a display object image for projecting an image on the display object is generated, a display object region of the information provision region in which the display object is present is set, a projection image obtained by synthesizing the information provision image and the display object image is generated, and the projection image is drawn to be projected by an image projecting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC ELECTRIC WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryo Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8132919
    Abstract: A beam alignment chamber extending in a length direction comprising a base having a front edge, and two side edges, first and second opposed side walls connected to the base, and extending along the length of the base, a front wall located at the front edge of the base having an output opening. The beam alignment chamber further comprises a plurality of arrays of light sources disposed to direct light beams through the first or second side walls, and a plurality of reflectors mounted on the base, each having independent yaw and pitch adjustments, each reflector being paired with a corresponding array of light sources, the base-mounted reflectors being disposed to direct the light beams along the length of the beam alignment chamber through the output opening forming an aligned two-dimensional array of parallel light beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Mark A. Harland, Barry D. Silverstein, James R. Kircher
  • Patent number: 8109636
    Abstract: The invention provides an illumination optical system that guides light emitted from light source device 1 to DMD 2, the illumination optical system including: light tunnel 20 that uniformizes luminance distribution of light emitted from light source device 1; relay optical system 40 that guides light having uniformized illumination distribution to DMD 2; and shield board 30 disposed on an optical path between light tunnel 20 and relay optical system 40. Shield board 30 is smaller than outlet end face 22 of light tunnel 20 and at the same time has an opening of a shape similar to the image formation area on DMD 2, and is movable in a plane containing the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8107019
    Abstract: A diaphragm control angle calculating portion 2 calculates an angle at which a diaphragm is controlled to control an amount of light that reaches from a lamp 6 to a display device 10 according to distribution information of an input video signal, such as the maximum value, the minimum value, the average value and the histogram of the signal, and the control angle is inputted to a fan control signal generating portion 3 and a diaphragm driving portion 8 as control angle information. The diaphragm driving portion 8 controls the angle of the diaphragm 9 based on the control angle information. Light from the lamp 6 driven by a lamp driving portion 5 enters the diaphragm 9, and the amount of light according to the angle of the diaphragm 9 enters the display device 10. The fan control signal generating portion 3 controls the rotation speed of a cooling fan 4 according to a combination of the control angle information and the temperature detected by a temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuro Shiota
  • Patent number: 8102584
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a reconfigurable spatial light modulator capable of spatially modulating an incident wavefront responsive to an image formed on the modulator. A light source is configured to direct a coherent illumination light beam towards the modulator such that the modulator produces a modulated outgoing light beam therefrom. A filter is configured to spatially filter a light pattern formed by the outgoing light beam on a plane to selectively transmit light from a plurality of diffraction peaks therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Alcatel Lucent
    Inventors: Cristian A. Bolle, Christopher D. W. Jones, Roland Ryf, Maria E. Simon
  • Publication number: 20120013858
    Abstract: A dimmer has a driving source, a driven body that is reciprocatingly moved by driving force generated by the driving source, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force generated by the driving source. The transmission mechanism includes at least one rotary gear, and a conversion gear that converts the rotational motion of the rotary gear into linear motion. The light shielding plate is integrally provided with a drive pin in parallel with a rotating shaft of a light shielding plate. The driven body engages with the drive pin. The drive pin is rotated about the rotating shaft of the light shielding plate in association with the reciprocating movement of the driven body to cause the light shielding plate to rotate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroaki Fukunaga, Takayuki Okada
  • Patent number: 8096661
    Abstract: A projection-type image display apparatus including: a light source unit; an optical modulator including an incident surface and an output surface both being perpendicular to an optical axis of a light beam emitted from the light source, and configured to modulate a light beam emitted from the light source; a first polarizer provided to a surface of the optical modulator; and a second polarizer provided to another surface of the optical modulator. In the projection-type image display apparatus, the polarization direction of a light beam allowed to pass through the first polarizer and the polarization direction of a light beam allowed to pass through the second polarizer are substantially orthogonal to each other, and the light source unit emits a cross shaped light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Arai
  • Publication number: 20120008105
    Abstract: There is provided a projector that uses a laser light source and is safe and realizes high brightness. The projector applies a laser beam emitted from a laser light source (101) to an image modulation device (105) and magnifies and projects an image formed in the image modulation device (105) by a zoom lens (106). The projector includes a control mechanism (108) for controlling the amount of energy of the light beam in response to a change in a focal distance of the zoom lens (106) in such a way that an energy density of the laser beam developed on a light emitting surface of the zoom lens (106) is kept at a specified value or smaller than the specified value. The specified value is the energy density of the laser beam in a case where the focal distance of the zoom lens (106) is set to the shortest value and is an accessible emission limit value (AEL value) that satisfies the laser safety class of the projector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventor: Atsushi Katou
  • Publication number: 20110310359
    Abstract: A light modulation device includes: a reflective light modulation element which modulates an incident light; a holding section which holds the reflective light modulation element; and a light blocking plate disposed on an incident side which incidents the incident light to the reflective light modulation element, and fixed to the holding section, wherein a thermal conductivity of the light blocking plate is equal to or higher than a thermal conductivity of the holding section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi WAKABAYASHI, Yoshitaka HAMA
  • Publication number: 20110310354
    Abstract: A multi-projection system includes a first projector and a second projector. Each of the projectors includes: a light source; a modulation device that modulates light emitted by the light source; a projection device that projects light modulated by the modulation device; a brightness reduction device that reduces brightness of the projection image projected by the projection device; a color mode switching unit that changes a color mode of the projector; and a brightness reduction control device that adjusts a range for which brightness is reduced by the brightness reduction device in accordance with the change in the color mode of the projector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiki Fujimori, Shun Imai
  • Publication number: 20110304824
    Abstract: A screen having a display angle of 360°, wherein in the light path of a projection means and in the area of the central axis of a projection surface closed about 360° formed by a pillar a mirror is located, wherein the mirror is configured as a spherical mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas Franz Lechner, David Gabriel Lechner, Gregor Sebastian Lechner
  • Publication number: 20110299048
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a projection type image display apparatus enables control of a large amount of light masking through a light-masking unit while maintaining a uniform illumination distribution in an area to be illuminated by the illumination light. The apparatus uses two array lenses on which lens cells are arranged in matrix form, where light-masking unit masks the array lens installed on the light source side in their particular area. The light-masking unit adjusts the amount of light emitted from the light source. The light-masking area of lens cells adjacent to lens cells closest to an optical axis is made smaller than the light-masking area of other cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Shimizu, Kentaro Kato
  • Publication number: 20110292354
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for projecting an image on a surface, comprising: a light source generating a light beam; a mask arranged in the path of the light beam; a lens arranged behind the mask to focus the image of the mask on a surface, wherein the surface is not parallel to the lens, wherein at substantially each position along the edges of the mask the distance v to the lens and the distance b of the corresponding position at the edges of the image of the mask to the lens correspond substantially to the formula 1/v+1/b=1/f, wherein f is the focal length of the lengths. The invention also relates to a device for moving the image on the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: SOLMATES B.V.
    Inventors: Joska Johannes Broekmaat, Jan Matthijn Dekkers, Jan Arnaud Janssens
  • Publication number: 20110291990
    Abstract: A projection display system includes: an image projection device projecting an image on a projection surface; an optical detecting device; and an attaching device, wherein the optical detecting device includes an irradiating section emitting an irradiation light toward a detection region which is set along the projection surface, a light receiving section receiving a reflected light generated as a result of the irradiation light being reflected from the object, and a detecting section detecting position information of the object based on the result of the light received by the light receiving section, and the attaching device includes a first attaching section attached to a support supporting the attaching device, a second attaching section attached to the image projection device, and a third attaching section attached to the optical detecting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kanechika KIYOSE, Yasunori ONISHI
  • Patent number: 8061855
    Abstract: A projection apparatus including an image display element for modulating illumination light, an illumination optical system for irradiating the illumination light onto the image display element, a projection optical system for projecting the modulated light by the image display element onto a projection surface, and an optical system changing section for changing the illumination optical system, wherein the illumination optical system includes a light source, a condensing optical system, a rod integrator and an illumination relay optical system wherein the projection optical system includes a projection variable-aperture diaphragm whose aperture diameter can be adjusted, and wherein the optical system changing section changes, when the aperture diameter of the projection variable-aperture diaphragm is made smaller, the illumination optical system such that an amount of light passing through the projection variable-aperture diaphragm with that aperture diameter increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasumasa Sawai
  • Patent number: 8052285
    Abstract: The invention provides a projection display that achieves continuous light amount control with ease and without causing unevenness of illumination of light applied to a light valve responsive to a video signal, thereby allowing constant image display with satisfactory contrast. The projection display of the invention includes a light valve (2); a light source (3a) generating light applied to the light valve (2); an integrator lens (4) provided on an optical path between the light source (3a) and the light valve (2) and making uniform the illumination distribution of light applied from the light source (3a) to the light valve (2); and a light amount control system (9) provided on the optical path and including a turning mechanism (9a) which turns like a set of double doors in order to adjust the amount of light applied from the light source (3a) to the light valve (2). The turning mechanism (9a) is bent into a V shape in a direction to reduce the amount of light (to block the light).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamada, Tomohiro Bessho, Akira Daijogo, Motoo Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8029141
    Abstract: The image display apparatus includes a two-dimensional light modulation device for modulating light emitted from a laser light source, a display surface for displaying the modulated light, an optical pixel aperture enlarging member for distributing the luminance of the laser light while introducing the laser light to apertures of pixels of the modulation device; and a display pixel aperture enlarging portion for optically enlarging the modulated light by the apertures of the pixels of the modulation device corresponding to pixels of an image to be displayed. The luminance of a partial area of each pixel of the image displayed on the display surface is controlled to be below the threefold of an average value of the luminance in the area of the entire pixel by the optical pixel aperture enlarging member and the display pixel aperture enlarging portion, accomplishing speckle noise reduction and improved light utilization efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuro Mizushima, Tatsuo Itoh, Kenichi Kasazumi, Kazuhisa Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20110235001
    Abstract: A lens barrel assembly has a first groove formed in a stationary barrel. A second groove is formed in a rotatable barrel. A diaphragm control plate portion is disposed between an inner surface of the rotatable barrel and an iris diaphragm device in a rotatable manner in a circumferential direction, has an end portion connected to a driving ring. An engaging groove is formed in the diaphragm control plate portion to extend along the optical axis. An operable aperture ring is disposed outside the stationary barrel. A pin device has first and second end portions, the first end portion being secured fixedly to the aperture ring, the second end portion being inserted through the first and second grooves and the engaging groove, for operating upon rotation of the aperture ring to cause the engaging groove to rotate the diaphragm control plate portion to actuate the driving ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoru MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20110235000
    Abstract: A projector includes: an illuminator that emits illumination light; a light modulator that modulates the illumination light emitted from the illuminator; and a projection system that includes a plurality of lenses and a diaphragm and projects the light modulated by the light modulator, wherein the projection system includes a support that supports at least one of the following lenses: a lens located on the object side of the diaphragm in the nearest position therefrom and a lens located on the image side of the diaphragm in the nearest position therefrom, and the support partially supports the outer circumference of the lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshihiro SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20110222026
    Abstract: When a rotation member is rotated clockwise by a stepping motor, one main operation member is rotated counterclockwise through a link member and the other main operation member is rotated clockwise by said main operation member through the link member. Also, one sub operation member is rotated counterclockwise by said main operation member through the link member, and the other sub operation member is rotated clockwise by the other main operation member through the link member. This causes the amount of overlap between a main split blade mounted to said main operation member and a sub split blade mounted to said sub operation member to be increased and also causes the amount of overlap between a main split blade mounted to the other main operation member and a sub split blade mounted to the other sub operation member to be also increased. As a result, the aperture opening formed between the two main split blades is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Yuichirou Usuda, Shigemi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8007110
    Abstract: A projection system that prevents projection light on a presenter and provides a gesture based interface for visual enhancements is disclosed. The system may include a projector camera system comprising a computer communicating an image to a projector, the projector projecting the image on a screen, a stereo camera unit mounted approximately in the plane of the screen or at the projector and directed toward the presenter and communicating with the computer, and software that interprets the stereo camera data to distinguish and manipulate foreground and background features. The foreground feature may be the presenter relative to the screen or to the audience and room, or the presenter's hand relative to the presenter. The invention employs imaging stereo camera algorithms and techniques developed for foreground/background segmentation, image manipulation, and gesture recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Wesslund Dunn, Gregory Joseph Dunn, Boaz Super, Tianli Yu
  • Patent number: 8002412
    Abstract: A projection system includes a light source module illuminating a plurality of monochromic lights, at least one optical modulator modulating the lights illuminated by the light source module according to each of color signals, a color combining prism combining the monochromic lights modulated by the optical modulator to form an image, and a projection lens projecting the image formed by the color combining prism toward a screen. A semiconductor diode including a P type semiconductor layer, an intrinsic semiconductor layer, and an N type semiconductor layer to absorb or transmit the monochromic lights according to the value of a reverse bias voltage is arranged in units of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung LED Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae-hee Cho
  • Patent number: 8004760
    Abstract: Various embodiments related to rear-projection image display are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a projector for projecting an image and a screen configured to display the image. The screen comprises a filter layer having a light reception side and an image display side. The filter layer includes an array of trapezoidal transmissive elements and an array of trapezoidal absorption elements, where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal transmissive elements faces the light reception side of the filter layer, and where a wider base of each of the trapezoidal absorption elements faces the image display side of the filer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Zhiqiang Liu, Prafulla Masalkar, Karlton Powell
  • Patent number: 7993017
    Abstract: A projection display apparatus 101 in which the light quantity adjusting means has a simple and readily interchangeable structure, and which can improve image quality by adjusting the quantity of light received by a light valve continuously, without causing illuminance irregularities, and without having unwanted light radiated onto the screen, the light quantity adjusting means 9 having light blocking members 91L, 91R for blocking light in transit to a second lens array 22, and rotational axes 91LA, 91RA for turnably supporting each of the light blocking members on an xy plane, the light blocking members 91L, 91R and rotational axes 91LA, 91RA being positioned so that the rotational axes 91LA, 91RA are disposed in positions symmetric with respect to the optical axis AX on the xy plane, and the turning range from the light blocking initiation position at which the light blocking members 91L, 91R, by being turned, start to block light in transit toward the second lens array 22 to the maximum light blocking posi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamada, Motoo Takahashi, Akira Daijogo, Tomohiro Bessho, Kenji Samejima
  • Patent number: 7993018
    Abstract: A light amount adjusting component adapted a projection optical system is provided. The light amount adjusting component has a light incident surface upon which a light beam impinges, and the light incident surface is provided with a surface structure for irregularly dispersing the light beam. A slot that permits the light beam to pass therethrough and enter a light-receiving element is formed on the light amount adjusting component, and a width of the slot changes along an extension direction of the slot to allow control of the amount of the light beam entering the light-receiving element when the light amount adjusting component moves or rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Kuei Chen, Chia-Chi Chung
  • Publication number: 20110176120
    Abstract: A projection system having a first tilting mirror matrix, a second tilting mirror matrix, and an imaging lens, which projects the first tilting mirror matrix onto the second tilting mirror matrix, wherein each tilting mirror matrix has multiple tilting mirrors, the tilting axes of which are positioned in a modulator surface plane. The imaging lens includes a first lens and an imaging mirror, and the imaging mirror forms an aperture stop of the imaging lens, wherein the aperture diaphragm includes an uneven angle of 90° together with the normal of the modulator surface of the first tilting mirror matrix without taking into account any optical path folds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: CARL ZEISS AG
    Inventors: Enrico Geissler, Christoph Nieten, Guenter Rudolph, Marco Pretorius
  • Patent number: 7980707
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for an audience scanning laser display projector includes a laser projector capable of generating a laser beam output having a predetermined beam path, scan area and beam wavelength. A beam position sensor is associated with said laser projector. A camera capable of capturing an image of the audience using light of a wavelength other than the beam wavelength, is disposed relative to said laser projector so that the captured image includes the area scanned by the laser beam. A processor is operably connected with said laser projector, said beam position sensor and said camera, said processor generating a table corresponding to the camera image of the audience, and containing software capable of identifying location of faces in the audience image and comparing face locations with beam position so as to signal said laser projector to attenuate the beam when scanning over a face location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Inventor: Patrick Murphy
  • Patent number: 7972005
    Abstract: A method includes detecting a person located between a projector and a surface on which a first image is projected by the projector, and automatically blacking out a portion of the first image, so that light from the projector does not fall on the face of the person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Jimmy Jose
  • Patent number: 7972007
    Abstract: An image generating apparatus is provided, which has a plurality of image generating optical paths and means for simultaneously deflecting a received plurality of light beams of primary illumination light having coherence properties. The received light beams are assigned to the respective optical paths. The means for deflecting simultaneously optically couples each of the received light beams into a respective assigned optical path and irradiates intermediate faces of illumination units of each respective optical path with the respective assigned light beam. The means for deflecting is configured so that, during the process of irradiating, each of the light beams subsequently in time irradiates different portions of the respective assigned intermediate faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Zoltan Facius, Markus Kamm
  • Patent number: 7967450
    Abstract: A light amount control device that controls an amount of light acquired from a light source provided in an image display apparatus includes: a pulse generator; an operation processing portion for light amount control that outputs a transfer start signal at timing when the amount of light is controlled; a data setting circuit that is provided outside the operation processing portion and that stores data, in which various kinds of signals instructing the operation processing portion to set transfer data beforehand are set, in a memory; an address generator that is provided outside the operation processing portion and that sets an address in response to the transfer start signal output from the operation processing portion; a memory that is a main component included in the pulse generator and that outputs data on the basis of a memory address generated by the address generator; a pulse driven body whose operation direction and speed are determined by a pulse signal formed by data output from the memory and which
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Fumio Koyama, Masashi Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 7967445
    Abstract: An image projecting apparatus enables the formation of a projected image faithful to original image information by reducing degradation in the projected image due to decrease in imaging performance of a projection optical system. Image information is processed by an image processing device, which includes a first and a second image processor. A light modulating device modulates a flux of light emitted by an illumination optical system based on the processed image information. The modulated flux of light is projected on a screen by a projection optical system. If the image information processed by the first image processor in a pixel region is not within a representable modulation range of the light modulating device, the image information is processed by the second image processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukiko Hamano, Ryosuke Kasahara, Toshiyuki Kawasaki