Optical engine
By combining fluorescent and laser light sources in an optical engine, and modulating and combining light through dimming and combining components, the problems of high cost of RGB lasers and limited LED brightness are solved, achieving optical effects with high brightness and wide color gamut.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- APPOTRONICS CORP LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-12
AI Technical Summary
Among existing optical engines, RGB laser light sources are expensive and their speckle effect affects the picture quality, while LED light sources have limited brightness and low color saturation, making it impossible to provide high brightness and realistic viewing effects.
A combination of fluorescent and laser light sources is used, and the light is modulated and combined through a dimming component and a light combining component. The control unit controls the light output of different light source combinations in different signal segments to achieve the ratio of laser to fluorescence.
It achieves higher brightness and a wider color gamut of light emitted from the light source, thus improving picture quality and viewing experience.
Smart Images
Figure CN117406541B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of projection equipment technology, and more specifically, to an optical engine. Background Technology
[0002] In the projection field, the performance of the optical engine is a major factor affecting user experience, and the most important performance characteristics—brightness and color—depend on the light source used. Currently, the mainstream optical engine light sources include: RGB lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
[0003] The advantage of RGB laser light sources lies in their wide color gamut, even exceeding the range of colors found in nature. However, the main problem is the high cost of red and green lasers, especially green lasers, which can cost up to ten times more than blue lasers. Furthermore, the relatively small optical extension of lasers cannot provide significant brightness gain in optical engines using lenses with small apertures (small f-numbers). Therefore, to achieve the same light source brightness, a larger number of red and green lasers are needed, resulting in RGB lasers potentially costing several times more than other light sources, making them a less desirable choice in the cost-sensitive field of smart projectors. In addition, the speckle effect of RGB lasers can severely impact the viewing experience.
[0004] The biggest advantage of LEDs is their lower cost while maintaining comparable performance, and the absence of speckle. For example, red LEDs can achieve the DCI-P3 color gamut standard, and in terms of efficiency, they are superior to filtering red light from yellow / orange phosphors. However, LEDs also have several disadvantages. For instance, the brightness of an LED is limited by the current density that the chip can withstand. Therefore, the common method to obtain high-brightness LED chips is to increase the number or size of LED chips. Another example is that the green light spectrum of LEDs is relatively broad, resulting in low color saturation. The color coordinates of green light in the CIE1931 color gamut space are only around (0.32, 0.64), which is a yellowish color. Furthermore, in order to achieve higher brightness, LED optical engines often preset a special mode. In this mode, the proportion of green light is increased and the proportion of red and blue light is decreased, allowing green LEDs to provide higher brightness. However, this also results in a greenish tint to the image, extremely poor viewing experience, and an inability to provide users with a truly bright viewing experience. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This application proposes an optical engine to at least solve one of the aforementioned technical problems.
[0006] The above objectives are achieved through the following technical solutions in the embodiments of this application.
[0007] This application provides an optical engine, including: a first light source assembly, a second light source assembly, a dimming assembly, a light combining assembly, a spatial light modulator, and a control unit. The first light source assembly includes multiple fluorescent light sources for emitting fluorescent light of various colors. The second light source assembly includes multiple laser light sources for emitting laser light of various colors. The dimming assembly is disposed on the light output path of the first light source assembly and is used to modulate the light emitted by the first light source assembly. The light combining assembly is disposed on the light output path of the second light source assembly and is used to combine the fluorescent light modulated by the dimming assembly with the laser light emitted by the second light source assembly. The spatial light modulator is disposed on the side of the light combining assembly away from the dimming assembly. The fluorescent light and the laser light are combined by the light combining assembly and then converged on the spatial light modulator, which is used to output light. The control unit is used to control different combinations of light sources to emit light in different signal segments according to the laser-to-fluorescence ratio scheme corresponding to different signal segments within a signal period.
[0008] In one embodiment, the first light source assembly includes: a first fluorescent light source and a first collecting lens, the first fluorescent light source being used to emit a first type of fluorescent light; a second fluorescent light source and a second collecting lens, the second fluorescent light source being used to emit a second type of fluorescent light; a third fluorescent light source and a third collecting lens, the third fluorescent light source being used to emit a third type of fluorescent light; and a fourth fluorescent light source and a fourth collecting lens, the fourth fluorescent light source being used to emit a fourth type of fluorescent light.
[0009] The second light source assembly includes: a first laser light source, a second laser light source, and a third laser light source;
[0010] The dimming assembly includes: a first dichroic filter and a second dichroic filter, with a first fluorescent light source and a third fluorescent light source facing one surface of the first dichroic filter, and the third fluorescent light source facing the other surface of the first dichroic filter. The first dichroic filter is used to transmit the first type of fluorescent light passing through the first collecting lens, reflect the second type of fluorescent light passing through the second collecting lens, and reflect the third type of fluorescent light passing through the third collecting lens back to the first fluorescent light source for re-excitation. The second dichroic filter is used to transmit the fluorescent light transmitted and reflected by the first dichroic filter, and reflect the fourth type of fluorescent light passing through the fourth collecting lens.
[0011] In one embodiment, the signal period sequentially includes a first signal segment, a second signal segment, and a third signal segment;
[0012] The first signal segment corresponds to the first light source combination, which includes a first laser light source and a first fluorescent light source;
[0013] The second signal segment corresponds to a second light source combination, which includes a second laser light source, a second fluorescent light source, and a third fluorescent light source; and
[0014] The third signal segment corresponds to the third light source combination, which includes a third laser light source and a fourth fluorescent light source.
[0015] The control unit is used to control the first light source combination to emit light in the first signal segment, control the second light source combination to emit light in the second signal segment, and control the third light source combination to emit light in the third signal segment.
[0016] In one embodiment, the first laser source is a red laser source, and the first fluorescent light emitted by the first fluorescent source is red fluorescence; the second laser source is a green laser source, and the second fluorescent light emitted by the second fluorescent source is green fluorescence; the third fluorescent light emitted by the third fluorescent source is blue fluorescence; the third laser source is a blue laser source, and the fourth fluorescent light emitted by the fourth fluorescent source is blue fluorescence.
[0017] In one embodiment, the control unit is used to:
[0018] Within the first signal segment, the first laser source and the first fluorescent source are controlled to emit light, and the light emission ratio of the first laser source is increased by increasing the current.
[0019] Within the second signal segment, the second laser source and the second fluorescent source are controlled to emit light, while the third fluorescent source is controlled not to emit light. The light emission ratio of the second fluorescent source is reduced by decreasing the current.
[0020] Within the third signal segment, the third laser light source is controlled to not emit light, while the fourth fluorescent light source is controlled to emit light. The light emission ratio of the fourth fluorescent light source is reduced by decreasing the current.
[0021] In one embodiment, the first light source assembly further includes a second fluorescent light source, and the second light source assembly further includes a first fluorescent light source; the first control unit is configured to:
[0022] Within the first signal segment, control the light output of the first laser source, the first fluorescent source, and the second fluorescent source;
[0023] Within the second signal segment, control the light output of the second laser source, the first fluorescent source, the second fluorescent source, and the third fluorescent source;
[0024] The third laser source and the fourth fluorescent source are controlled to emit light within the third signal segment.
[0025] In one embodiment, the optical engine further includes a relay lens disposed between the first dichroic filter and the second dichroic filter.
[0026] In one embodiment, the light combining component includes a light combining sheet, the light combining sheet including a first region and a second region, the first region being used to transmit the fluorescent light and the second region being used to reflect the laser light.
[0027] In one embodiment, the surface of the light-combining sheet is provided with a light-scattering coating.
[0028] In one embodiment, the optical engine further includes a light homogenizing device disposed between the light combining component and the spatial light modulator, the light homogenizing device being used to homogenize the light after it has been combined by the light combining component.
[0029] The optical engine provided in this application embodiment uses a first light source component for emitting fluorescent light and a second light source component for emitting laser light. A dimming component and a combining component modulate and combine the fluorescent and laser light, ultimately converging them onto a spatial modulator for output. By controlling the ratio of laser to fluorescence in the control unit, not only can higher brightness be achieved, but also a wider color gamut of the emitted light source. Attached Figure Description
[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of an optical engine provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a second light source component in an optical engine, provided as an embodiment of this application.
[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a light-combining component and a second dichroic color filter in an optical engine provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another light-combining component in an optical engine provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another light-combining component and a second dichroic color filter in an optical engine provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another light-combining component and a second dichroic color filter in an optical engine provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0037] Figure 7 A side view of a light homogenizing device and a light combining component in an optical engine provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of an optical engine provided for another embodiment of this application.
[0039] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of an optical engine provided in another embodiment of this application.
[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a second light source component in an optical engine, provided as another embodiment of this application.
[0041] Figure 11 Another optical path diagram of a second light source component in an optical engine provided in yet another embodiment of this application.
[0042] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a first light source component and a second light source component in an optical engine, provided in another embodiment of this application.
[0043] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path of a first light source component and a second light source component in an optical engine, provided in another embodiment of this application.
[0044] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of an optical path in an optical engine provided in yet another embodiment of this application.
[0045] Figure 15 This is yet another schematic diagram of an optical path in an optical engine provided in yet another embodiment of this application.
[0046] Figure 16 This is a waveform diagram illustrating the modulation method of an optical engine in a first mode, as provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0047] Figure 17 This is a waveform diagram illustrating the modulation method of an optical engine in a second mode, as provided in an embodiment of this application.
[0048] Figure 18 This is a waveform diagram illustrating the modulation method of an optical engine in a third mode, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0049] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.
[0050] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.
[0051] Please also refer to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The first embodiment of this application provides an optical engine 1, which includes: a first light source assembly 10, a second light source assembly 20, a dimming assembly 30, a light combining assembly 40, and a spatial light modulator 50.
[0052] In this embodiment, the first light source assembly 10 and the second light source assembly 20 are arranged approximately perpendicularly in space. Therefore, for a better explanation of the first light source assembly 10 and the second light source assembly 20, Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The diagrams show structural schematics with the plane containing the first light source component 10 and the plane containing the second light source component 20 as the main viewing angles, respectively. It is understood that the embodiments of this application do not impose restrictions on the specific placement of the first light source component 10 and the second light source component 20.
[0053] See Figure 1 The first light source assembly 10 includes multiple fluorescent light sources for emitting fluorescent light in different color bands. In this embodiment, the first light source assembly 10 may include: a first fluorescent light source 110 and a first collecting lens 120, a second fluorescent light source 130 and a second collecting lens 140, and a third fluorescent light source 150 and a third collecting lens 160. It is understood that the aforementioned fluorescent light sources include, but are not limited to, halogen lamps, LEDs, etc.
[0054] The first fluorescent light source 110, the second fluorescent light source 130, and the third fluorescent light source 150 can be used to emit fluorescence in different color segments, such as red fluorescence, green fluorescence, blue fluorescence, etc., without any limitation.
[0055] In this embodiment, the first fluorescent light source 110 is used, for example, to emit green fluorescent light, and the first collecting lens 120 is disposed on the light emission path of the first fluorescent light source 110.
[0056] The second fluorescent light source 130 is used, for example, to emit blue fluorescent light, and the second collecting lens 140 is disposed on the light output path of the second fluorescent light source 130;
[0057] The third fluorescent light source 150 is used, for example, to emit deep blue fluorescent light, and the third collecting lens 160 is disposed on the light emission path of the third fluorescent light source 150; this embodiment uses the third fluorescent light source 150 as an excitation source for illustration.
[0058] The first collecting lens 120, the second collecting lens 140, and the third collecting lens 160 are used to collect the fluorescent light emitted by the first fluorescent light source 110, the second fluorescent light source 130, and the third fluorescent light source 150, respectively. It can be understood that the first collecting lens 120, the second collecting lens 140, and the third collecting lens 160 may include a single lens or a combination of lenses.
[0059] The dimming component 30 is disposed on the light emission path of the first light source component 10 and is used to modulate the light emitted by the first light source component 10.
[0060] The dimming assembly 30 may include a first dichroic filter 310. A first fluorescent light source 110 and a third fluorescent light source 150 face one surface of the first dichroic filter 310, and the third fluorescent light source 150 faces the other surface of the first dichroic filter 310. The first dichroic filter 310 is used to transmit the first type of fluorescent light passing through the first collecting lens 120, reflect the second type of fluorescent light passing through the second collecting lens 140, and reflect the third type of fluorescent light passing through the third collecting lens 160 back to the first fluorescent light source 110 for re-excitation.
[0061] In some embodiments, the first light source assembly 10 may further include a fourth fluorescent light source 170 and a fourth collecting lens 180, wherein the fourth fluorescent light source 170 is used to emit a fourth type of fluorescent light; it is understood that the fourth fluorescent light source 170 may also be used to emit colored fluorescence such as red fluorescence, green fluorescence, blue fluorescence, etc., and this is not limited thereto. For example, in this embodiment, the fourth fluorescent light source 170 is used to emit red fluorescence.
[0062] The dimming assembly 30 may further include a second dichroic filter 320, which is used to transmit fluorescent light transmitted and reflected by the first dichroic filter 310, and to reflect the fourth type of fluorescent light passing through the fourth collecting lens 180.
[0063] In some embodiments, the optical engine 1 may further include a first relay lens 60 disposed between the first dichroic filter 310 and the second dichroic filter 320.
[0064] In this embodiment, the first fluorescent light is green fluorescence, the second fluorescent light is blue fluorescence, the third fluorescent light is dark blue fluorescence, and the fourth fluorescent light is red fluorescence. It can be understood that the third fluorescent light can be used to excite any one of the first, second, or fourth fluorescent lights; there is no limitation on this. The optical path of this embodiment is described in detail below:
[0065] The first fluorescent light source 110 emits green fluorescence to the first dichroic filter 310, the second fluorescent light source 130 emits blue fluorescence to the first dichroic filter 310, and the third fluorescent light source 150 emits dark blue fluorescence to the first dichroic filter 310. The dark blue fluorescence is reflected by the first dichroic filter and enters the first fluorescent light source 110, exciting the green fluorescence. The green fluorescence is transmitted through the first dichroic filter and enters the first relay lens 60, while the blue fluorescence is reflected by the second dichroic filter 320 and enters the first relay lens 60. The green and blue fluorescence, after passing through the first relay lens 60, are directed towards the second dichroic filter 320. The third fluorescent light source 150 emits red fluorescence to the second dichroic filter 320. The green and blue fluorescence are transmitted through the second dichroic filter 320 and enter the light combining assembly 40, while the red fluorescence is reflected by the second dichroic filter 320 and enters the light combining assembly 40.
[0066] Please see Figure 2 The second light source assembly 20 may include one laser light source or multiple laser light sources, which are used to emit laser light of different color bands. The second light source assembly 20 may include at least one of a first laser light source 210, a second laser light source 220, and a third laser light source 230, as well as a fifth collecting lens 240. The first laser light source 210, the second laser light source 220, and the third laser light source 230 can be used to emit red, green, blue, and other colored lasers.
[0067] This embodiment takes the second light source assembly 20, which includes a first laser light source 210, a second laser light source 220, and a third laser light source 230, as an example for detailed explanation:
[0068] The first laser source 210 is used to emit red laser light, the second laser source 220 is used to emit green laser light, and the third laser source 230 is used to emit blue laser light.
[0069] The red laser, the green laser, and the blue laser converge at the fifth collecting lens 240 and then enter the light combining component 40. The light combining component 40 combines the red laser, the green laser, and the blue laser with the blue segment fluorescence, the green segment fluorescence, and the red segment fluorescence to obtain a composite light.
[0070] In some embodiments, the second light source assembly 20 may further include a laser astigmatism device 250, which may be disposed on the light output paths of the first laser light source 210, the second laser light source 220, and the third laser light source 230. It is understood that the laser astigmatism device 250 includes, but is not limited to, astigmatism plates or astigmatism wheels. For ease of description, the lenses constituting the fifth collecting lens 240 are referred to here as the first lens 241 and the second lens 242. In some embodiments, the laser astigmatism device 250 may be disposed between the first lens 241 and the second lens 242. This application embodiment does not limit the specific positions of the first lens 241 and the second lens 242.
[0071] Please refer to this again. Figure 1 A spatial light modulator 50 is disposed on the side of the light combining component 40 away from the dimming component 30. The fluorescent light and the laser light are combined by the light combining component 40 and then converged onto the spatial light modulator 50, which is used to output light. In this embodiment, the spatial light modulator 50 can be one of a digital micromirror device (DMD), a liquid crystal display (LCD), or a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS). DMD devices have a fast response speed and can use time-switched primary color light to achieve color projection display. LCD devices, due to their slow response speed, typically require three chips to supply the three primary colors RGB. LCOS is also used in single-chip and three-chip projection systems.
[0072] In some embodiments, the optical engine 1 may further include a light homogenizing device 70, which is disposed between the light combining component 40 and the spatial light modulator 50. The light homogenizing device 70 is used to homogenize the light rays after they have been combined by the light combining component 40, i.e., the synthesized light rays. It is understood that the light homogenizing device 70 may include, but is not limited to, compound eyes or light bars, etc., and is not limited thereto.
[0073] In some embodiments, the optical engine 1 may further include optical elements such as a second relay lens 810 and a refractive prism 820. The second relay lens 810 and the refractive prism 820 may be disposed between the light homogenizer 70 and the spatial light modulator 50. The placement of the second relay lens 810 and the refractive prism 820 can reduce the size of the optical engine 1. It should be noted that the number of the second relay lens 810 and the refractive prism 820 is not specifically limited in this embodiment.
[0074] The optical engine provided in this application embodiment uses a first light source component for emitting fluorescent light and a second light source component for emitting laser light. A dimming component and a combining component modulate and combine the fluorescent and laser light, ultimately converging them onto a spatial modulator for output. By controlling the ratio of laser to fluorescence in the control unit, not only can higher brightness be achieved, but also a wider color gamut of the emitted light source.
[0075] Please see Figures 3-6 In some implementation methods, please refer to the details. Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 The light combining component 40 may include a light combining sheet 410, which includes a first region 411 and a second region 412. The first region 411 is used to transmit the fluorescent light, and the second region 412 is used to reflect the laser light.
[0076] For further details, please refer to Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 In some embodiments, the light-combining assembly 40 may further include a support member 420, wherein the light-combining sheet 410 is disposed on the support member 420 and connected to the support member 420. The fixing method of the support member 420 and the light-combining sheet 410 is not limited to adhesive bonding or snap-fitting. For example, in this embodiment, the support member 420 and the light-combining sheet 410 can be fixed by adhesive bonding to ensure that the support member 420 and the light-combining sheet 410 do not detach. The support member 420 may be made of metal or plastic material, and the support member 420 may be as follows: Figure 3 The supporting square bar shown or as Figure 4 The pyramid shown can also be hollowed out to minimize the light blocking ratio. In some embodiments, the support 420 can also be made of optical glass, including but not limited to square bars, conical bars or round bars. Coating the optical glass can enhance the fluorescence and minimize the loss of light emitted by the fluorescent light source.
[0077] Please refer to this again. Figure 5 as well as Figure 6In some embodiments, the light combiner 410 can also be a special film attached to the second dichroic film 320. The shape of the light combiner 410 can be any irregular shape. In this embodiment, the light combiner 410 can be understood as a conventional light combiner 410 that has been cut to remove the interference portion, while retaining a structure sufficient to support the light combining area, ensuring that the light combiner 410 does not interfere with other components. It should be noted that the cutting method in this application is not limited to... Figure 5 or Figure 6 As shown in the figure.
[0078] Please see Figure 7 In the figure, the outer box represents the cross-section of the homogenizing device 70, the bar box represents the interface of the beam combiner 410, and the circular area represents the fluorescence spot on the homogenizing device 70. In some embodiments, the second region 412 of the beam combiner 410 is located at the center of the optical axis of the homogenizing device 70. In this embodiment, the size of the beam combiner 410 is smaller than the size of the homogenizing device 70, specifically, the size of the second region 412 is smaller than the size of the fluorescence spot, so that the fluorescence loss when passing through the beam combiner 410 is small. It is understood that the specific positional relationship between the homogenizing device 70 and the beam combiner 410 is not limited here, as long as the side view projection of the beam combiner 40 is located within the homogenizing device 70.
[0079] Please see Figure 8 In some embodiments, the optical engine 1 may further include a compression lens 840, which is disposed between the light combining component 40 and the light homogenizing device 70. The compression lens 840 is used to reduce the beam size of the combined light. The compression lens 840 can further reduce the size of the optical engine 1. It should be noted that in this embodiment, there are two second relay lenses 810, and a reflector 830 can be disposed between the two second relay lenses. The reflector 830 can be used to change the exit direction of the light, making the configuration of the spatial light modulator 50 more flexible.
[0080] Please see Figures 9-11 ,like Figure 9 As shown, the second embodiment of this application provides an optical engine 2, which may include: a first light source assembly 10, a second light source assembly, a dimming assembly 30, a light combining assembly 40, a light homogenizing device 70, and a spatial light modulator 50. The structures of the first light source assembly, the dimming assembly, the light combining assembly 40, the light homogenizing device 70, and the spatial light modulator 50 can be the same as those in the first embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.
[0081] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the positions of the light-diffusing device 70 and the light-combining component 40 can be interchanged. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 10In this embodiment, the second light source assembly 20 may further include a laser homogenizing device 850, which is disposed between the second lens 242 and the second dichroic filter 320, based on the first embodiment.
[0082] Please also refer to Figure 11 ,based on Figure 10 In one embodiment of the structure shown, the positions of the laser homogenizing device 850 and the second lens 242 can be interchanged. Specifically, in this embodiment, the laser homogenizing device 850 is located between the second lens 242 and the laser astigmatizing device 250. That is, in this embodiment, the homogenizing device 70 is only used to homogenize fluorescent light, while the laser homogenizing device 850 is used to homogenize laser light. By separately configuring the laser homogenizing device 850 in the laser optical path, a better homogenization effect can be achieved.
[0083] Please also refer to Figure 12 as well as Figure 13 The third embodiment of this application provides an optical engine 3, which may include: a first light source assembly 10, a second light source assembly 20, a dimming assembly 30, a light combining assembly 40, a compression lens 840, a light homogenizing device 70, and a spatial light modulator 50. The structures of the first light source assembly, the dimming assembly, the light combining assembly 40, the compression lens 840, the light homogenizing device 70, and the spatial light modulator 50 can be the same as those in the first embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.
[0084] In this embodiment, the second light source assembly and the first light source assembly are arranged in the same horizontal plane, and the light combining assembly 40 is arranged between the second relay lens 810 and the spatial light modulator 50. Specifically, in this embodiment, two second relay lenses 810 can be arranged, the light combining assembly 40 is arranged between the two second relay lenses 810, and the second light source assembly 20 is arranged on one side of the light combining assembly 40.
[0085] Please see Figure 12 In one embodiment, the structure of the second light source assembly 20 can be as follows: Figure 10 The structure of the second light source assembly 20 shown is illustrated. Please also refer to... Figure 13 In one embodiment, the structure of the second light source assembly 20 can be as follows: Figure 11 The structure of the second light source component 20 shown is illustrated.
[0086] Please see Figure 14The fourth embodiment of this application provides an optical engine 4, which may include: a first light source assembly 10, a second light source assembly 20, a dimming assembly 30, a light combining assembly 40, a compression lens 840, and a spatial light modulator. The structures of the first light source assembly and the second light source assembly may be the same as those in the third embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.
[0087] In this embodiment, the optical engine 4 may further include: a third relay lens 910, a first reflector 920, and a second reflector 930.
[0088] Two third relay lenses 910 can be provided, one of which can be located on one side of the light homogenizing device 70, and the other can be located on one side of the second light source assembly. That is to say, by providing an additional relay lens on the light output path of the first light source assembly and the second light source assembly, the size of the optical engine 4 can be further reduced.
[0089] The first reflector 920 is located on the side of the compression lens 840 away from the light homogenizing device 70, and is used to reflect the light emitted from the first light source assembly. The second reflector 930 is located on the side of the second relay lens 810 away from the second light source assembly, and is used to reflect the light emitted from the second light source assembly.
[0090] The spatial light modulator may include a first modulator 510, a second modulator 520, and a third modulator 530. The first modulator 510 is disposed between the first reflector 920 and the light combining assembly 40, and is used to modulate the light emitted from the first light source assembly 10. The second modulator 520 is disposed between the second reflector 930 and the light combining assembly 40, and is used to modulate the light emitted from the second light source assembly 20. The third modulator 530 is disposed on one side of the light combining assembly 40, so that the light entering the light combining assembly 40 ultimately exits through the third modulator 530.
[0091] The first reflector 920 and the second reflector 930 reflect the light emitted from the first light source assembly and the light emitted from the second light source assembly into the first modulator 510 and the second modulator 520, respectively. Then, the first modulator 510 and the second modulator 520 converge the light onto the light combining assembly 40, so that the light entering the light combining assembly 40 is finally emitted towards the third modulator 530.
[0092] In this embodiment, the light combining component 40 projects the light emitted from the second light source component 20 and reflects the light emitted from the first light source component 10. The specific properties of the light combining component 40 are not limited here and can be changed according to the specific configuration of the first light source component 10 and the second light source component 20.
[0093] In this embodiment, the configuration of the first modulator 510 and the second modulator 520 can expand the combined light. Specifically, the first modulator modulates the fluorescent light and the second modulator 520 modulates the laser light, so that the optical engine 4 can modulate a grayscale bit depth of 10 bits or more (that is, the control precision of the laser light or fluorescent light can be less than 1 / 1024). Therefore, when adjusting the dynamic color gamut, a more precise ratio adjustment between the laser light and the fluorescent light can be performed, thereby achieving more accurate color control.
[0094] Please refer to Figure 15 In some embodiments, the optical engine 4 may further include a first lens 940 and a second lens 950, wherein the first lens 940 is disposed between the first modulator 510 and the light combining assembly 40, and the second lens 950 is disposed between the second modulator 520 and the light combining assembly 40. Considering that the light reflected from the first modulator 510 and the second modulator 520 will be separated from the light combining assembly 40 by a considerable distance during light combining, so that the angular distribution at the first modulator 510 and the second modulator 520 is transformed into a planar distribution at the light combining assembly 40, this places certain requirements on the back focal length and lens size of the lens. Therefore, the arrangement of the first lens 940 and the second lens 950 can shorten the distance between the first modulator 510 and the light combining assembly 40 and the second modulator 520. At the same time, the first modulator 510 and the second modulator 520 can be specifically designed for different spectra or F-numbers of laser light and fluorescent light to achieve better imaging effects.
[0095] The control method of the optical engine provided in the embodiments of this application will be described below. For ease of explanation, the structure of the first embodiment will be used as an example to illustrate the method:
[0096] Please see Figure 16 It is understandable that the optical engine may also include a control unit, which is used to control different light source combinations to emit light in different signal segments according to the laser and fluorescence ratio schemes corresponding to different signal segments within the signal cycle.
[0097] The aforementioned signal period includes, in sequence, a first signal segment, a second signal segment, and a third signal segment;
[0098] The first signal segment corresponds to the first light source combination, which includes a first laser light source and a first fluorescent light source;
[0099] The second signal segment corresponds to a second light source combination, which includes a second laser light source, a second fluorescent light source, and a third fluorescent light source; and
[0100] The third signal segment corresponds to the third light source combination, which includes a third laser light source and a fourth fluorescent light source.
[0101] The control unit is used to control the first light source combination to emit light in the first signal segment, control the second light source combination to emit light in the second signal segment, and control the third light source combination to emit light in the third signal segment.
[0102] For ease of explanation, the following examples will be used to illustrate the following scenarios: the first laser source is a red laser source, and the first fluorescent light emitted by the first fluorescent source is red fluorescence; the second laser source is a green laser source, and the second fluorescent light emitted by the second fluorescent source is green fluorescence, and the third fluorescent light emitted by the third fluorescent source is blue fluorescence; the third laser source is a blue laser source, and the fourth fluorescent light emitted by the fourth fluorescent source is blue fluorescence.
[0103] Within the first signal segment, the control unit is used to control the light output of the first laser source and the first fluorescent source, and to increase the light output ratio of the first laser source by increasing the current;
[0104] Within the second signal segment, the control unit is used to control the second laser source and the second fluorescent source to emit light, and to control the third fluorescent source to not emit light, by reducing the current to reduce the light emission ratio of the second fluorescent source;
[0105] Within the third signal segment, the control unit is used to control the third laser light source to not emit light and to control the fourth fluorescent light source to emit light, thereby reducing the light emission ratio of the fourth fluorescent light source by decreasing the current.
[0106] In another embodiment, the first light source assembly further includes a second fluorescent light source, and the second light source assembly further includes the first fluorescent light source; the first control unit is used for:
[0107] Within the first signal segment, control the light output of the first laser source, the first fluorescent source, and the second fluorescent source;
[0108] Within the second signal segment, control the light output of the second laser source, the first fluorescent source, the second fluorescent source, and the third fluorescent source;
[0109] The third laser source and the fourth fluorescent source are controlled to emit light within the third signal segment.
[0110] This embodiment provides three modes for modulating the light source: the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode. The three modes are described in detail below:
[0111] Please refer to Figure 16In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the signal segment and the vertical axis represents the light source. In the first mode, when the signal segment is the first signal segment, the optical engine emits red laser and red fluorescent light. The current under the first laser light source is 3.6A and the current under the first fluorescent light source is 10A.
[0112] When the signal segment is the second signal segment, the optical engine emits green laser, green fluorescence and blue fluorescence. The current under the second laser light source is 2.1A, the current under the second fluorescence light source is 15A, and the current under the third fluorescence light source is 15A. The blue fluorescence emitted by the third fluorescence light source can achieve double-sided excitation to improve the brightness of the green fluorescence.
[0113] When the signal segment is the third signal segment, the optical engine emits blue laser and blue fluorescence. The current under the third laser light source is 3.5A, and the current under the fourth fluorescence light source is 15A.
[0114] In this mode, since the red primary color is composed of red fluorescence and red laser, its color coordinates are superior to those of red fluorescence. The green primary color is composed of green fluorescence and green laser, so its color coordinates are superior to those of green fluorescence. As a result, the area of blue light in the color gamut is increased compared to the fluorescence area. At the same time, due to the addition of laser, the brightness of the synthesized light is also greatly improved.
[0115] Please refer to Figure 17 In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the signal segment and the vertical axis represents the light source. In the second mode, when the signal segment is the first signal segment, the optical engine emits red laser and red fluorescent light. The current under the first laser light source is 3.0A and the current under the first fluorescent light source is 7A. The current of the first laser light source and the first fluorescent light source is adjusted so that the proportion of red laser in the red light is further increased, resulting in a better color coordinate of the red light.
[0116] When the signal segment is the second signal segment, the optical engine emits green laser and green fluorescent light. The current under the second laser light source is 2.1A, and the current under the second fluorescent light source is 0.5A. Compared with the first mode, the second fluorescent light source has a lower current and the third fluorescent light source does not emit light. Therefore, the proportion of green laser in the green light is further increased, resulting in a better coordinate of the green light.
[0117] When the signal segment is the third signal segment, the optical engine emits blue fluorescence, the current under the fourth fluorescent light source is 6.5A, the third laser light source does not emit light, and at the same time the fourth fluorescent light source emits light but the current decreases.
[0118] Because the fluorescent light source experiences a greater drop in current in this mode, the brightness decreases more, but the color gamut area is also significantly increased. This results in the white balance being consistent even though the RGB monochrome colors and brightness are not identical.
[0119] Please refer to Figure 18 In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the signal segmentation and the vertical axis represents the light source. In the third mode, when the signal segment is the first signal segmentation, the optical engine emits red laser, red fluorescent light and green fluorescent light. The current under the first laser light source is 3.6A, the current under the first fluorescent light source is 10A, and the current under the second fluorescent light source is 1.8A. At this time, the red light is composed of red laser, red fluorescent light and green fluorescent light, and the brightness of the red light is improved.
[0120] When the signal segment is the second signal segment, the optical engine emits green laser, red fluorescence, green fluorescence, and blue fluorescence. The current under the second laser light source is 2.1A, the current under the first fluorescence light source is 10A, the current under the second fluorescence light source is 15A, and the current under the third fluorescence light source is 15A. Here, the blue fluorescence is used to excite the green fluorescence. Therefore, the green light is composed of green laser, green fluorescence, and red fluorescence, and the brightness of the green light is improved.
[0121] When the signal segment is the third signal segment, the optical engine emits blue laser and blue fluorescent light. The current under the third laser light source is 3.5A, and the current under the third fluorescent light source is 15A. Although the RGB monochrome colors and brightness are inconsistent, the white balance can be made consistent.
[0122] Please refer to Table 1. By comparing the luminous flux and color gamut area of the three modes described above in this application with those in the prior art, we can see that:
[0123] Table 1
[0124]
[0125] The luminous flux in both the first and third modes is higher than that in the contrast mode, while the color gamut area in both the first and second modes is larger than that in the contrast mode. All three modes can achieve the same white light coordinates as the contrast mode.
[0126] This application can control the number of light sources emitting light in laser and fluorescent light sources, the current of each light source, and the proportion of different color gamut modes to achieve dynamic adjustment of color gamut and brightness. Furthermore, the solution in this application is significantly superior to the comparative solution in both brightness and color gamut upper limit. The solution provided by this application can both exceed the comparative solution in brightness and color gamut under a certain mode, and can also exceed the comparative solution in color gamut or brightness individually. Simultaneously, it can ensure that the white light coordinates of each mode are consistent. The light source brightness and color gamut upper limit of the solution provided in the embodiments of this application are higher, achieving the same wide color gamut with higher brightness. It should be noted that the embodiments of this application do not impose specific limitations on the current; the current magnitude can be adjusted according to actual conditions.
[0127] The optical engine provided in this application embodiment uses a first light source component for emitting fluorescent light and a second light source component for emitting laser light. A dimming component and a combining component modulate and combine the fluorescent and laser light, ultimately converging them onto a spatial modulator for output. By controlling the ratio of laser to fluorescence in the control unit, not only can higher brightness be achieved, but also a wider color gamut of the emitted light source.
[0128] The terms "some embodiments," "other embodiments," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this application, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this application, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.
[0129] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. An optical engine, characterized in that, include: A first light source assembly includes multiple fluorescent light sources for emitting fluorescent light of various colors. The first light source assembly includes a first fluorescent light source, a first collecting lens, a second fluorescent light source, a second collecting lens, a third fluorescent light source, a third collecting lens, a fourth fluorescent light source, and a fourth collecting lens. The first fluorescent light source is used to emit a first type of fluorescent light, the second fluorescent light source is used to emit a second type of fluorescent light, the third fluorescent light source is used to emit a third type of fluorescent light, and the fourth fluorescent light source is used to emit a fourth type of fluorescent light. The second light source assembly includes multiple laser light sources for emitting laser light of various colors. The second light source assembly includes: a first laser light source, a second laser light source, and a third laser light source. A dimming component is disposed on the light emission path of the first light source component and is used to modulate the light emitted by the first light source component. The dimming component includes: a first dichroic filter and a second dichroic filter. The first fluorescent light source and the third fluorescent light source face one surface of the first dichroic filter, and the second fluorescent light source faces the other surface of the first dichroic filter. The first dichroic filter is used to transmit the first type of fluorescent light passing through the first collecting lens, reflect the second type of fluorescent light passing through the second collecting lens, and reflect the third type of fluorescent light passing through the third collecting lens back to the first fluorescent light source for re-excitation. The second dichroic filter is used to transmit the fluorescent light transmitted and reflected by the first dichroic filter and reflect the fourth type of fluorescent light passing through the fourth collecting lens. A light combining component is disposed on the light output path of the second light source component and is used to combine the fluorescent light modulated by the dimming component with the laser light emitted by the second light source component. A spatial light modulator is disposed on the side of the light combining component away from the dimming component. The fluorescent light and the laser light are combined by the light combining component and then converged onto the spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator is used to output light. A control unit is configured to control different light source combinations to emit light within different signal segments according to the laser and fluorescence ratio schemes corresponding to different signal segments within a signal period. The signal period sequentially includes a first signal segment, a second signal segment, and a third signal segment. The first signal segment corresponds to a first light source combination, which includes a first laser light source and a first fluorescence light source. The second signal segment corresponds to a second light source combination, which includes a second laser light source, a second fluorescence light source, and a third fluorescence light source. The third signal segment corresponds to a third light source combination, which includes a third laser light source and a fourth fluorescence light source. The control unit is configured to control the first light source combination to emit light within the first signal segment, control the second light source combination to emit light within the second signal segment, and control the third light source combination to emit light within the third signal segment.
2. The optical engine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The first laser source is a red laser source, and the first fluorescent light emitted by the first fluorescent source is red fluorescence; the second laser source is a green laser source, and the second fluorescent light emitted by the second fluorescent source is green fluorescence; the third fluorescent light emitted by the third fluorescent source is blue fluorescence; the third laser source is a blue laser source, and the fourth fluorescent light emitted by the fourth fluorescent source is blue fluorescence.
3. The optical engine as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The control unit is used for: Within the first signal segment, the first laser source and the first fluorescent source are controlled to emit light, and the light emission ratio of the first laser source is increased by increasing the current. Within the second signal segment, the second laser source and the second fluorescent source are controlled to emit light, while the third fluorescent source is controlled not to emit light. The light emission ratio of the second fluorescent source is reduced by decreasing the current. Within the third signal segment, the third laser light source is controlled to not emit light, while the fourth fluorescent light source is controlled to emit light. The light emission ratio of the fourth fluorescent light source is reduced by decreasing the current.
4. The optical engine as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first light source assembly further includes a second fluorescent light source, and the second light source assembly further includes a first fluorescent light source. The first control unit is used for: Within the first signal segment, control the light output of the first laser source, the first fluorescent source, and the second fluorescent source; Within the second signal segment, control the light output of the second laser source, the first fluorescent source, the second fluorescent source, and the third fluorescent source; The third laser source and the fourth fluorescent source are controlled to emit light within the third signal segment.
5. The optical engine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The optical engine further includes a relay lens disposed between the first dichroic filter and the second dichroic filter.
6. The optical engine as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The light combining component includes a light combining sheet, which includes a first region and a second region. The first region is used to transmit the fluorescent light, and the second region is used to reflect the laser light.
7. The optical engine as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The surface of the light-combining sheet is provided with a light-scattering coating.
8. The optical engine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The optical engine further includes a light homogenizing device, which is disposed between the light combining component and the spatial light modulator. The light homogenizing device is used to homogenize the light after it has been combined by the light combining component.