Projection system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a projection system and method, the projection system is provided with at least one sub-channel unit, and each sub-channel unit comprises an illumination light source; the light path turning device is arranged on the light path of the illumination light source and is used for turning the light of the illumination light source and projecting the light to the pattern projection system; the pattern projection system is used for generating a sub-pattern based on the light, reflected by the light path bending device, of the illumination light source and projecting the sub-pattern to a target projection surface, and after the light path bending device bends the light of the illumination light source, the light is intensively projected to an area, corresponding to a specific position on the target projection surface, of the sub-pattern. Therefore, the specific position illumination of the sub-pattern is enhanced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of optical display, and in particular, to a projection system and method. Background Art

[0002] With the development of automobile intelligence, consumers have more demands for automobile functions and personalization. Car projection lights can not only increase safe driving but also provide personalized projection, and have gradually become standard equipment for cars.

[0003] Currently, there are two main types of projection lamp technologies used in cars. One is the traditional projection lamp system consisting of a lighting system, film and projection lens, and the other is the MLA projection system consisting of a lighting system, projection source and micro-lens array (MLA).

[0004] When projecting large-size patterns, traditional projection lamp systems have uneven illumination, with high illumination near the projection end and low illumination far from the projection end, resulting in poor image uniformity. In addition, traditional projection lamp systems can only project static single patterns, lack novelty in projection effects, and are not compatible with dynamic projection. Conventional dynamic projection usually simply splices projection lenses or MLAs, which has problems such as large projection system volume and high splicing accuracy requirements. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to the first aspect of the present application, an embodiment of the present application provides a projection system, comprising at least one sub-channel unit, each sub-channel unit comprising: an illumination light source; an optical path deflecting device, disposed on the optical path of the illumination light source, deflecting the light of the illumination light source and projecting it onto a pattern projection system; the pattern projection system, generating a sub-pattern based on the light of the illumination light source deflected by the optical path deflecting device, and projecting the sub-pattern onto a target projection surface,

[0006] Among them, after the optical path deflecting device deflects the light of the illumination light source, the light is concentrated and projected onto the area of ​​the sub-pattern corresponding to the specific position on the target projection surface, so as to enhance the illumination of the specific position of the sub-pattern.

[0007] In some embodiments, the specific location includes a distal location on the target projection surface.

[0008] In some embodiments, the pattern projection system includes a pattern generation subsystem and a projection subsystem, wherein the pattern generation subsystem generates a sub-pattern based on the light of the illumination light source deflected by the light path deflecting device; and the projection subsystem is used to project the sub-pattern onto a target projection surface.

[0009] The projection system includes multiple sub-channel units, wherein the multiple sub-channel units are arranged in an array, so that multiple illumination light sources form an illumination array, multiple optical path deflection devices form an optical path deflection array, multiple pattern generation subsystems form a pattern generation array, and multiple projection subsystems form a projection array.

[0010] In some embodiments, the light path deflection array deflects light from a corresponding illumination light source to a corresponding pattern generation subsystem of a pattern generation array to generate corresponding sub-patterns, and the projection array projects multiple sub-patterns generated by the pattern generation array onto a target projection surface to form a multi-channel projection display.

[0011] In some embodiments, the optical path deflecting device includes a free-form surface reflector, and the normal of the center point on the free-form surface of the free-form surface reflector forms a preset angle with the optical axis of the projection subsystem and the optical axis of the illumination light source to deflect the light of the illumination light source to the corresponding pattern generation subsystem.

[0012] In some embodiments, a point P on the free-form surface of the free-form surface reflector satisfies:

[0013]

[0014] in is the unit vector of the incident light on the free-form mirror, is the unit vector of the light reflected from the free-form surface, is the unit normal vector of the point on the free-form surface mirror.

[0015] In some embodiments, the free-form surface reflector satisfies: H / D≤1.8, wherein H is the distance from the free-form surface reflector to the pattern generating subsystem, and D is the aperture of the free-form surface reflector.

[0016] In some embodiments, the optical path deflecting device includes a microprism array, the incident surface of the microprism array includes a plurality of microprism units, and the light of the illumination light source is deflected by refraction of the microprism units.

[0017] In some embodiments, the microprismatic unit satisfies:

[0018]

[0019] Wherein, W is the thickness of the microprism unit, L is the upper intercept formed by the light incident surface of the microprism unit and the height on the incident surface, θ 3 is the light receiving angle of the projection subsystem, and n is the refractive index of the microprism unit.

[0020] In some embodiments, the optical path deflection device includes a free-form surface lens, and the sag of the free-form surface of the free-form surface lens satisfies: |SAGup / SAGdown|≤2; SAGmax / ((SAGup+SAGdown) / 2)≤2.4, wherein SAGup is the upper edge sag, SAGdown is the lower edge sag, and SAGmax is the maximum sag.

[0021] In some embodiments, the optical path deflection device and the free-form surface lens in each sub-channel unit constitute an illumination subsystem of the sub-channel unit.

[0022] In some embodiments, a plurality of sub-channel units are closely arranged in a rectangular or hexagonal shape.

[0023] In some embodiments, the multi-channel projection system further includes a driving control circuit, which is configured to individually control the switch of each sub-channel unit and realize dynamic projection by controlling the lighting timing of the multiple sub-channel units.

[0024] In some embodiments, the driving control circuit is further configured to control the light flux of each sub-channel unit.

[0025] In some embodiments, the field of view angles of the projection subsystems of each sub-channel unit overlap with each other, and each sub-channel unit is used to project a full field of view angle pattern or a local pattern.

[0026] In some embodiments, the projection subsystem includes a projection lens group; the multi-channel projection system satisfies: F / S≤1.4, where F is the focal length of the projection subsystem, and S is the distance between the lens surface of the lens subsystem closest to the pattern generation subsystem and the pattern generation subsystem.

[0027] In some embodiments, the pattern generation subsystem includes a pattern film, and the pattern film is disposed on an effective focal plane of the projection subsystem.

[0028] According to the second aspect of the present application, an embodiment of the present application further provides a multi-channel projection method, comprising:

[0029] configuring an illumination light source for at least one sub-channel;

[0030] Refractionate the light of the illumination light source of the sub-channel and project it onto the pattern projection system to generate a corresponding sub-pattern; and

[0031] The sub-pattern generated by the pattern projection system is projected onto the target projection surface for projection display.

[0032] When the light of the illumination light source is folded, the light is concentrated and projected onto the area of ​​the sub-pattern corresponding to the specific position on the target projection surface, so as to enhance the illumination of the specific position of the sub-pattern.

[0033] In some embodiments, the specific location includes a distal location on the target projection surface.

[0034] In some embodiments, the pattern generating array includes a plurality of pattern generating subsystems and a projection subsystem, each pattern generating subsystem is configured to generate a corresponding sub-pattern based on light from a reflected illumination light source, and the projection subsystem is configured to project the sub-pattern onto a target projection surface, wherein the plurality of sub-patterns projected onto the target projection surface form a multi-channel projection display.

[0035] In some embodiments, the light from the illumination light source is refracted by a free-form surface reflector, wherein the free-form surface reflector is configured such that a normal of a center point on the free-form surface forms a preset angle with the optical axis of the projection subsystem and the optical axis of the illumination light source, so as to refract the light from the illumination light source to the corresponding pattern generation subsystem.

[0036] In some embodiments, the light of the illumination light source is refracted by a microprism array, the incident surface of the microprism array includes a plurality of microprism units, and the light of the illumination light source is refracted by refraction of the microprism units.

[0037] In some embodiments, the light of the illumination light source is refracted by a free-form surface lens, and the vector height of the free-form surface of the free-form surface lens satisfies:

[0038] |SAGup / SAGdown|≤2; SAGmax / ((SAGup+SAGdown) / 2)≤2.4,

[0039] Among them, SAGup is the upper edge sag height, SAGdown is the lower edge sag height, and SAGmax is the maximum sag height.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method further includes: achieving dynamic projection by controlling the lighting sequence of multiple pattern generation subsystems; wherein the switch of each pattern generation subsystem is independently controlled, and sub-patterns generated by different pattern generation subsystems are the same or different.

[0041] As described above, according to the projection system and method provided in the embodiments of the present application, a projection display with uniform illumination distribution can be achieved. The light path of the illumination light source can be changed by the optical path deflection device, thereby adjusting the illumination distribution irradiated on the pattern generating array and improving the illumination uniformity of the projection pattern.

[0042] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, the projection system may have multiple sub-channel units, each sub-channel unit can independently control the projection pattern and the projection switch, that is, the pattern generation subsystem of each sub-channel unit can generate the same or different sub-patterns, and can achieve dynamic projection effects by controlling the lighting timing of different sub-channel units, which is conducive to the projection of customized patterns and the display of dynamic projection effects.

[0043] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, the luminous flux of each sub-channel unit can be independently controlled. By adjusting the luminous flux input of the sub-channel units corresponding to the far and near ends of the projection pattern, the overall illumination uniformity of the projection pattern can be improved, and the projection pattern illumination uniformity can be achieved.

[0044] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, the plurality of sub-channel units of the projection system can be closely arranged in a rectangular or hexagonal shape. With this arrangement, the sub-channel units are arranged in a rectangular or hexagonal shape to form a whole structure, which can solve the problem of requiring separate separation and insufficient splicing precision between the sub-channel units, and realize the miniaturization and compactness of the projection system.

[0045] In addition, in some embodiments of the present application, multiple projection subsystems can achieve large-angle projection, and the field of view (FOV) of each sub-channel unit overlaps with each other, so that each sub-channel unit can project both a full FOV projection pattern and a local pattern. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Other features, objects and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings:

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of a projection system according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0048] Figure 2A A schematic diagram showing the composition of a projection system according to Embodiment 1 of the present application is shown;

[0049] Figure 2B A schematic diagram showing the composition of a sub-channel unit according to the first embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0050] Figure 3A A schematic diagram showing the light path deflection of light by a microprism array according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0051] Figure 3B A schematic structural diagram of a micro-prism unit according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0052] Figure 3CA schematic diagram showing the refracting of light by a right-angle micro-prism unit according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0053] Figure 4A A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of sub-channel units of a projection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0054] Figure 4B A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of sub-channel units of a projection system according to another exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0055] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the composition of a projection system according to Embodiment 2 of the present application is shown;

[0056] Fig. 6A A schematic diagram showing the composition of a sub-channel unit according to the second embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0057] Figure 6B A schematic diagram showing the free-form surface reflector refracting the light path of light according to the second embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0058] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of sub-channel units of a projection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0059] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing the composition of a projection system according to Embodiment 3 of the present application is shown;

[0060] Fig. 9 A schematic cross-sectional view of a free-form surface lens according to Embodiment 3 of the present application is shown;

[0061] Fig.10 A schematic diagram showing the free-form surface lens refracting the light path of light according to the third embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0062] Fig.11A A schematic diagram showing a dynamic display of a full-size projection pattern of a projection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0063] Fig. 11B A schematic diagram showing a dynamic display of a local projection pattern of a projection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application; and

[0064] Fig.12 A schematic flow chart of a projection method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] In order to better understand the present application, various aspects of the present application will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these detailed descriptions are only descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the present application, and do not limit the scope of the present application in any way. Throughout the specification, the same figure numbers refer to the same elements. The expression "and / or" includes any one of the relevant listed items and any combination of any two or more. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the relevant inventions, rather than to limit the invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the relevant inventions are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0066] It should be noted that in this specification, the expressions first, second, third, etc. are only used to distinguish one feature from another, but do not represent any limitation on the features, and especially do not represent any order of precedence.

[0067] In the drawings, the thickness, size and shape of each component may be slightly exaggerated for convenience of explanation. The drawings are only examples and are not drawn strictly to scale.

[0068] Throughout the specification, when, for example, an element is described as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element, the element may be directly “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” the other element, or one or more other elements may be present between the element and the other element. Conversely, when an element is described as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element, other elements may not be present between the element and the other element.

[0069] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above," "higher," "lower," and "lower" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element as shown in the accompanying drawings. Such spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the accompanying drawings. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is turned over, an element described as being "above" or "higher" relative to another element will be "below" or "lower" relative to the other element. Therefore, depending on the spatial orientation of the device, the term "above" includes both "above" and "lower" orientations. The device may also be oriented in other ways (e.g., deflected 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0070] It should also be understood that the terms "comprises", "including", "having", "includes" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the stated features, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. In addition, when a statement such as "at least one of..." appears after a list of listed features, it modifies all of the features in the list, rather than just the individual elements in the list.

[0071] As used herein, the words "substantially," "approximately," "about," "substantially," and similar words are used as words of approximation rather than words of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent variations in measurements or calculations that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize.

[0072] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. It should also be understood that terms (such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having the same meaning as they have in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless explicitly defined in this article.

[0073] The features, principles and other aspects of the present application are described in detail below.

[0074] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a projection system 10 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown,

[0075] The projection system 10 according to the embodiment of the present application may include an illumination array, an optical path deflection array, a pattern generation array and a projection array. The illumination array includes a multi-channel illumination light source, and the light path of the illumination light source can be changed through the optical path deflection array, and the light of the illumination light source can be projected to the corresponding pattern generation subsystem of the pattern generation array, and the light can be concentrated and projected to the area corresponding to the specific position of the projection pattern, so that the illumination distribution of the illumination can be changed to achieve illumination enhancement at a specific position; the pattern generated by the pattern generation array is projected onto the target projection surface through the projection array, so that the illumination of the projection pattern on the target projection surface is evenly distributed.

[0076] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the projection system may have a plurality of sub-channel units, each of which includes: an illumination light source; an optical path deflecting device, which is disposed on the optical path of the illumination light source and deflects the light of the illumination light source and projects it onto the pattern projection system; the pattern projection system generates a sub-pattern based on the light of the illumination light source deflected by the optical path deflecting device, and projects the sub-pattern onto the target projection surface. The pattern projection system may further include a pattern generation subsystem and a projection subsystem, the pattern generation subsystem generates a sub-pattern based on the light of the illumination light source deflected by the optical path deflecting device, and the projection subsystem is used to project the sub-pattern onto the target projection surface.

[0077] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, after the optical path refraction device refracts the light of the illumination light source, the light is concentrated and projected onto the area of ​​the sub-pattern corresponding to the far position on the target projection surface, so as to enhance the illumination of the far position of the sub-pattern, so that the illumination of the projection pattern of the sub-channel unit is evenly distributed at the far and near ends.

[0078] In some exemplary embodiments, the illumination light source, the light path deflection device, the pattern generation subsystem, and the projection subsystem in each sub-channel unit correspond to each other one by one and are coaxially arranged along the light path direction.

[0079] As an exemplary embodiment, multiple sub-channel units are arranged in an array, so that multiple illumination light sources form an illumination array, multiple light path deflecting devices form a light path deflecting array, multiple pattern generating subsystems form a pattern generating array, and multiple projection subsystems form a projection array, wherein the light path deflecting array deflects light from corresponding illumination light sources to corresponding pattern generating subsystems of the pattern generating array to generate corresponding sub-patterns, and the projection array projects the multiple sub-patterns generated by the pattern generating array onto a target projection surface to form a multi-channel projection display.

[0080] In some embodiments, the lighting array includes a plurality of lighting subsystems, each of which may include a lighting light source and a collimating lens group, wherein the lighting light source may be, for example, an LED light source.

[0081] In some other exemplary embodiments, the light path deflecting device in each sub-channel unit can be a free-form surface reflector, and the curvature of the free-form surface reflector can be set according to the projection tilt angle and the projection distance to deflect the light path of the illumination light source, and concentrate the light to the far-end position of the sub-pattern generated by the corresponding pattern generation subsystem, thereby enhancing the far-end illumination of each sub-channel unit and reducing the near-end illumination of each sub-channel unit. Specifically, the projection pattern has a near end and a far end relative to the projection lens, the near-end illumination is high, and the far-end illumination is low. In order to solve the problem of illumination uniformity, in the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the illumination of the near end and the far end is adjusted so that the difference between the illumination of the near end and the far end is not too large.

[0082] As an exemplary embodiment, the normal line of the free-form surface reflector in each sub-channel unit is placed at 30° to the optical axis of the illumination light source and at 30° to the optical axis of the projection lens.

[0083] In some embodiments, the optical path deflection device can also be a light diffuser composed of a microstructure array, for example, a microprism array, the surface of which has a plurality of microprism units. The propagation path of the light of the illumination light source is changed through the refraction effect of the microprism units, and the light is adjusted to be relatively concentrated at a position corresponding to the far end of the projection pattern, thereby achieving modulation of illumination uniformity.

[0084] In some exemplary embodiments, the micro-prism units of the diffuser are right-angle micro-prisms.

[0085] In some embodiments, the multi-channel projection system may include multiple sub-channel units, which may be arranged in an n×m rectangular arrangement (n, m are positive integers) or a hexagonal close arrangement. For example, it may include 6 sub-channel units, arranged in a 2×3 rectangular arrangement, etc.

[0086] In some embodiments, each sub-channel unit can independently control the projection pattern and projection switch, and the pattern generation subsystem of each sub-channel unit can generate the same or different sub-patterns, thereby forming a projection pattern composed of multiple sub-channel units on the target projection surface. In addition, a dynamic projection effect can be achieved by controlling the lighting sequence of different sub-channel units, which is conducive to realizing the projection of customized patterns and the display of dynamic projection effects.

[0087] In some exemplary embodiments, the multi-channel projection system includes a driving control circuit, which can be used to individually control the switch of each sub-channel unit, and can achieve dynamic projection by controlling the lighting timing of multiple sub-channel units.

[0088] In some embodiments, the luminous flux of each sub-channel unit can be independently controlled (for example, the luminous flux can be independently controlled by a driving control circuit). As an exemplary embodiment, the overall illumination uniformity of the projection pattern can be achieved by adjusting the luminous flux input of the sub-channel units corresponding to the far and near ends of the projection pattern.

[0089] In some embodiments, the projection subsystem may include a projection lens group consisting of a plurality of projection lenses.

[0090] In some embodiments, the pattern generation subsystem may include a pattern film disposed on an effective focal plane of the projection subsystem.

[0091] In some embodiments, the projection system satisfies: F / S≤1.4, where F is the focal length of the projection subsystem, and S is the distance between the lens surface of the lens subsystem closest to the pattern film and the pattern film. As an exemplary embodiment, the projection system may satisfy 0.6≤F / S≤1.4, and by controlling the ratio of the focal length of the projection subsystem to the distance between the outermost lens surface of the projection subsystem and the pattern film, the light efficiency and compactness of the structure of the projection system may be ensured.

[0092] In some exemplary embodiments, the FOV of the projection lens of each projection subsystem can achieve large-angle projection, and the FOVs of each sub-channel unit overlap with each other, so that each sub-channel unit can project both a full FOV projection pattern and a local pattern.

[0093] In some implementations, an aperture may be provided in the lens of each projection subsystem to reduce stray light and achieve clear projection.

[0094] The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0095] Figure 2A FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the composition of the projection system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present application. Figure 2A As shown, the projection system 100 includes an illumination array 110, an optical path deflection array 120, a pattern generation array 130, and a projection array 140. The illumination array 110 may include multiple groups of illumination subsystems to form a multi-channel illumination light source; the optical path deflection array 120 may include multiple optical path deflection devices, and the multiple optical path deflection devices are respectively arranged on the optical paths of the multi-channel illumination light source; the pattern generation array 130 may include multiple pattern generation subsystems, each pattern generation subsystem is used to generate an independent sub-pattern, wherein the sub-patterns generated by different pattern generation subsystems may be the same or different; the projection array 140 may include multiple projection subsystems, which are used to project the sub-patterns generated by the pattern generation subsystems onto the target projection surface respectively, so as to form a multi-channel projection display.

[0096] Figure 2B FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the composition of the sub-channel unit of the projection system 100. Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the projection system 100 has a plurality of sub-channel units, each of which includes an illumination subsystem, an optical path deflection device 21, a pattern generation subsystem 31 and a projection subsystem 41 which are sequentially and coaxially arranged along the optical path direction.

[0097] Exemplarily, the lighting subsystem may include an LED light source 11 and a collimating lens group 12. After the light beams are collimated by the collimating lens group 12, the light emitted by the LED light source 11 forms a parallel uniform light beam incident on the optical path deflection device 21; the optical path deflection device 21 deflects the incident light path, and focuses the light on a specific target area of ​​the pattern generation array 130, which may include, for example, an area corresponding to the far end position (relative to the target projection surface) of the sub-pattern generated by the pattern generation subsystem 31, so that the illumination of the area corresponding to the far end position is improved; and then when the projection subsystem 41 projects the sub-pattern generated by the pattern generation subsystem 31 onto the target projection surface, the illumination of the projection pattern on the target projection surface can be uniformly distributed. For each sub-channel unit, the uniformity of each sub-channel can be adjusted by setting an optical path deflection device.

[0098] In this embodiment, the optical path deflection device 21 may include a light diffuser composed of a microstructure array, such as a microprism array 1201. Figure 3A As shown, the surface of the microprism array 1201 has multiple microprism units 1202, which change the propagation path of the light of the illumination light source through the refraction effect of the microprism units 1202, and adjust the light to be relatively concentrated in the area corresponding to the far end position of the projection pattern, thereby realizing the modulation of illumination uniformity.

[0099] Combination Figure 3B As shown, the microprism unit 1202 can satisfy:

[0100]

[0101] Where W is the thickness of the microprism unit, L is the upper intercept formed by the light incident surface of the microprism unit and the height on the incident surface, θ 3 is the light receiving angle of the projection subsystem, and n is the refractive index of the microprism unit.

[0102] Preferably, the microprism unit satisfies:

[0103] Combination Figure 3C As shown, as an exemplary embodiment, the microprism unit 1202 is a right-angle microprism. For the right-angle microprism, W can be the length of the short right-angle side of the right-angle microprism, and L can be the length of the long right-angle side of the right-angle microprism. 1 is the angle between the normal of the right-angle microprism and the incident light of the illumination light source, θ 2 is the angle between the outgoing light of the right-angle microprism and the normal of the right-angle microprism, θ 3 is the light receiving angle of the projection subsystem 41, and n is the refractive index of the right-angle microprism.

[0104] In some embodiments, the pattern generation subsystem 31 may include a pattern film.

[0105] In some embodiments, the projection subsystem 41 may include a projection lens group or a micro-lens array.

[0106] According to some embodiments of the present application, the lighting array 110, the light path deflection array 120, the pattern generation array 130, and the projection array 140 are all arranged as a whole in an array, and all sub-channel units are formed into a whole in the form of an array, thereby realizing the miniaturization and compactness of the projection system 100.

[0107] In some embodiments, the projection system 100 may include six sub-channel units, which may be closely arranged in a rectangular or hexagonal shape. With this arrangement, the sub-channel units are arranged in a rectangular or hexagonal shape to form a whole structure, which can solve the problem of requiring separate separation and insufficient splicing precision between the sub-channel units, and realize the miniaturization and compactness of the projection system.

[0108] As an exemplary embodiment, the illumination array 110, the light path deflection array 120, the pattern generation array 130 and the projection array 140 are arranged in a rectangular arrangement, and the projection system 100 has 6 sub-channel units, such as Figure 4A As shown, it is a 2×3 rectangular arrangement, wherein the cross-section of each sub-channel unit is a 4.5 mm×4.5 mm rectangle.

[0109] As another exemplary embodiment, the projection system 100 may have 7 sub-channel units, such as Figure 4B As shown, the illumination array 110, the light path deflection array 120, the pattern generation array 130 and the projection array 140 are arranged in a hexagonal close arrangement. It should be understood that the number of sub-channel units of the projection system 100 is not limited to 6 or 7, and the present application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0110] As an exemplary embodiment, the length of each sub-channel unit composed of the LED light source 11, the collimating lens group 12, the optical path deflection device 21, the pattern film 31 and the projection lens group 41 is 15 mm.

[0111] According to some embodiments of the present application, each sub-channel unit can independently control the projection pattern and the projection switch, that is, the pattern generation subsystem of each sub-channel unit can generate the same or different sub-patterns, and can achieve a dynamic projection effect by controlling the lighting timing of different sub-channel units, thereby facilitating the projection of customized patterns and the display of dynamic projection effects.

[0112] As an exemplary embodiment, the projection system 100 includes a driving control circuit (not shown), which controls the switch of each sub-channel unit individually, and can realize dynamic projection by controlling the lighting sequence of multiple sub-channel units.

[0113] According to some embodiments of the present application, the independent control of the luminous flux of each sub-channel unit can be achieved by driving the control circuit. Specifically, for the entire projection system, the uniformity between the sub-channel units can be adjusted by setting different luminous fluxes of LEDs between the sub-channel units. Since the LED luminous flux loss in the sub-channel unit corresponding to the far end of the projection pattern is usually greater than the LED luminous flux in the sub-channel unit corresponding to the near end of the pattern, by adjusting the luminous flux input of the sub-channel units corresponding to the far and near ends of the projection pattern, for example, by making the LED luminous flux in the sub-channel unit corresponding to the far end of the projection pattern greater than the LED luminous flux in the sub-channel unit corresponding to the near end, the uniformity of the overall illumination of the projection pattern can be improved.

[0114] In some implementations, an aperture may be provided in the lens of each projection subsystem to reduce stray light and achieve clear projection.

[0115] In some exemplary embodiments, the FOVs of each sub-channel unit overlap with each other, and each sub-channel unit can project both a full FOV projection pattern and a local pattern.

[0116] As an exemplary embodiment, the full field of view of each projection subsystem is 20°-60°, which can achieve large-angle projection. Preferably, the full field of view is 30°-50°, the effective focal length is 3.59 mm, and the F number is 2.23.

[0117] As an exemplary embodiment, the microprism unit is a right-angle microprism, wherein the length L of the long right-angle side of the right-angle microprism is 0.036 mm, and the length W of the short right-angle side of the right-angle microprism is 0.0117 mm.

[0118] As an exemplary embodiment, the pattern generating array 30 is disposed on the effective focal plane of the projection lens group, and the distance from the plane of the first lens (the lens closest to the pattern generating array 30) of the projection lens group is 3.052 mm.

[0119] Figure 5 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the composition of a projection system 200 according to Embodiment 2 of the present application. Figure 5As shown, the projection system 200 includes an illumination array, an optical path deflection array 220, a pattern generation array, and a projection array 240. The illumination array may include a plurality of illumination subsystems, such as an illumination subsystem 2101 and an illumination subsystem 2102. The optical path deflection array 220 includes a plurality of optical path deflection devices, such as an optical path deflection device 2201 and an optical path deflection device 2202. Exemplarily, each illumination subsystem may include an LED light source and a collimating lens group.

[0120] The projection system 200 may include a plurality of sub-channel units, and the plurality of illumination subsystems, the plurality of light path deflection devices, the plurality of pattern generation subsystems and the plurality of projection subsystems of the projection system 200 are respectively arranged as a whole in an array.

[0121] Fig. 6A A schematic diagram of the composition of one of the sub-channel units is shown. The sub-channel unit includes an illumination subsystem 2101, an optical path deflection device 2201, a pattern generation subsystem 230a and a projection subsystem 2401. For example, the illumination subsystem 2101 may include an LED light source 211 and a collimating lens group 212, the pattern generation subsystem may include a pattern film, and the projection subsystem 2401 may include a projection lens group.

[0122] According to some embodiments of the present application, the optical path deflection device (e.g., 2201 and 2202) may include a free-form surface reflector, which can adjust the normal of a point on the free-form surface to change the curvature of the free-form surface and the direction of the reflected light to deflect the light of the illumination light source. For example, the normal of the center point on the free-form surface of the free-form surface reflector can be set at a preset angle to the optical axis of the projection subsystem and the optical axis of the illumination light source to deflect the light of the illumination subsystem to the corresponding pattern generation subsystem. The light can also be adjusted to the target area of ​​the pattern generation array, thereby increasing the illumination at the far end of the projection pattern and improving the uniformity of the projection image.

[0123] According to some embodiments of the present application, the free-form surface reflector satisfies: H / D≤1.8. Where H is the distance from the free-form surface reflector to the pattern film, and D is the aperture of the free-form surface reflector. As an exemplary embodiment, the free-form surface reflector satisfies 0.7≤H / D≤1.2. By controlling the ratio of the distance from the free-form surface reflector to the pattern film to the aperture of the free-form surface reflector, it is beneficial to better light collection effect, improve light efficiency, and facilitate system miniaturization.

[0124] In this embodiment, both the optical path deflection device 2201 and the optical path deflection device 2202 are free-form surface reflectors. Figure 5 and Figure 6BAs shown, the light emitted by the LED light source in the illumination subsystem 2102 is collimated by the collimating lens group to form a parallel uniform light beam, which is incident on the light path folding device 2202 from the light emitting surface. After the incident light is folded by the free curved surface of the light path folding device 2202, the emitted light is irradiated to the pattern generating subsystem 203b of the pattern generating array to generate a corresponding sub-pattern. Furthermore, the light can be adjusted to be concentrated to irradiate a specific target area of ​​the pattern generating subsystem 203b, such as the area corresponding to the far end position. It should be understood that, similarly, the light path folding device 2201 can fold the parallel uniform light beam emitted by the illumination subsystem 2101, and irradiate it to a specific target area of ​​the pattern generating subsystem 230a to generate a sub-pattern corresponding to another sub-channel unit.

[0125] As an exemplary embodiment, a point P on the free-form surface of the free-form surface reflector satisfies:

[0126]

[0127] in is the unit vector of the incident light on the free-form surface reflector, is the unit vector of the light reflected from the free-form surface, is the unit normal vector of the point on the free-form surface mirror.

[0128] As an exemplary embodiment, the normal of the center point on the free-form surface of the free-form surface reflector in each sub-channel unit is placed at a predetermined angle to the optical axis of the illumination light source and the optical axis of the projection lens. Exemplarily, the predetermined angle range may be 10°-50°, preferably 25°-40°. It should be understood that in actual applications, the installation angle of the free-form surface reflector is not limited to the specific angle in this example, but can be set by a specific installation position, etc., to adapt to different system spaces.

[0129] As an exemplary embodiment, the expression after fitting the free-form surface reflector can adopt the following formula:

[0130]

[0131] Among them, z is the surface sag, c is the curvature, k is the cone coefficient, c j is the coefficient of the monomial, j=[(m+n) 2 +m+3n] / 2+1. The coefficients in this embodiment are shown in Table 1 below.

[0132] c 0 k 0 <![CDATA[c 3 ]]> -0.0050558 <![CDATA[c 6 ]]> -0.006723 <![CDATA[c 10 ]]> -0.006 <![CDATA[c 15 ]]> -0.0001 <![CDATA[c 21 ]]> <![CDATA[3.0747×10 -6 ]]>

[0133] Table 1

[0134] In this embodiment, the projection system 200 may have 6 sub-channel units. Figure 7 As shown, the arrangement of the illumination array, the light path deflection array, the pattern generation array and the projection array can be a 2×3 rectangular arrangement, the cross-section of each sub-channel unit is a 4.5mm×20.5mm rectangle, and the length of each sub-channel is 25mm. In some other embodiments, the sub-channel units of the projection system 200 can also be closely arranged in a hexagon or other polygon. With this rectangular or polygonal arrangement, the sub-channel units are structurally arranged in a rectangular or polygonal shape to form a whole, which can solve the problem of the need for separate separation and insufficient splicing accuracy between the sub-channel units, and realize the miniaturization and compactness of the projection system.

[0135] Some other functions and features of the projection system 200 of this embodiment have been described in detail in the aforementioned exemplary embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0136] Figure 8 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the composition of a projection system 300 according to Embodiment 3 of the present application. Figure 8 As shown, the projection system 300 includes an illumination array 310 , an optical path deflection array, a pattern generation array 330 and a projection array 340 .

[0137] In some embodiments, the illumination array 310 may include a plurality of illumination light sources, and each illumination light source may include, for example, a group of LED light sources and a collimating lens group, such as LED light source 3101 and collimating lens group 3102. The light path deflection array may include a plurality of light path deflection devices. For the projection system 300, a plurality of sub-channel units may be included, and the plurality of illumination subsystems, the plurality of light path deflection devices, the plurality of pattern films, and the plurality of projection subsystems of the projection system 300 are respectively arranged as a whole in an array.

[0138] According to some embodiments of the present application, the optical path deflection device may include a free-form surface lens 320. The free-form surface lens 320 is asymmetric and can be used to adjust the illumination distribution of the illumination light source so that the illumination is concentrated at the far end of the sub-pattern.

[0139] Combination Fig. 9 As shown in the figure, as an exemplary embodiment, the free-form surface lens 320 is symmetrical in the X direction (sagittal direction) and asymmetrical in the Y direction (meridian direction). The X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction and the optical axis. The symmetry in the X direction can ensure uniform illumination on the left and right sides of the projection pattern, and the asymmetry in the Y direction can further improve the uniformity of illumination at near and far distances. Fig.10As shown, by adjusting the light more to the position corresponding to the far end of the projection pattern on the target projection surface, the light distribution in a specific target area (such as the far end) can be dense, while the light distribution in other areas (such as the near end) can be sparse, thereby improving the overall illumination uniformity of the projection pattern.

[0140] As an exemplary embodiment, the sag of the free-form surface of the free-form surface lens 320 satisfies: |SAGup / SAGdown|≤2; SAGmax / ((SAGup+SAGdown) / 2)≤2.4, where SAGup is the upper edge sag, SAGdown is the lower edge sag, and SAGmax is the maximum sag. Preferably, the sag of the free-form surface of the free-form surface lens 320 satisfies: 1≤|SAGup / SAGdown|≤2; 1≤SAGmax / ((SAGup+SAGdown) / 2)≤1.4. Since the upper and lower ends of the free-form surface of the free-form surface lens are asymmetric, by controlling the difference in sag between the upper and lower ends, the light can be more concentrated on one side of the distal pattern position, thereby improving the distal illumination and thereby improving the uniformity of the projection pattern illumination; and by controlling the degree of change in sag, the light can be emitted smoothly.

[0141] In an exemplary embodiment, SAGup=1.31 mm, SAGdown=0.94 mm, SAGmax=1.42 mm.

[0142] According to some embodiments of the present application, the expression after free-form surface fitting of the two surfaces S1 and S2 of the free-form surface lens may adopt the aforementioned formula (1).

[0143] In an exemplary embodiment, the surface coefficients of the surface S1 and the surface S2 of the free-form surface lens are shown in the following Table 2 and Table 3, respectively.

[0144] c 0 k 0 <![CDATA[c 4 ]]> -0.053919 <![CDATA[c 11 ]]> -0.000916031

[0145] Table 2

[0146] c 0 k 0 <![CDATA[c 3 ]]> 0.22432 <![CDATA[c 4 ]]> 0.0970347605 <![CDATA[c 6 ]]> 0.0714894833 <![CDATA[c 10 ]]> -0.0222927063 <![CDATA[c 13 ]]> -0.000175378 <![CDATA[c 15 ]]> -0.0193810415

[0147] Table 3

[0148] As an exemplary embodiment, the light path deflecting device can be combined with the lighting light source to form a lighting subsystem, that is, the light path deflecting device can be built into the lighting subsystem, which can save component space and reduce the system volume.

[0149] In this embodiment, the projection system 300 may have 6 sub-channel units. The arrangement of the multiple sub-channel units may be a 2×3 rectangular arrangement, or the number of sub-channel units of the projection system 300 may be 7 or more, and these sub-channel units may also be closely arranged in a hexagon or other polygon. With this rectangular or polygonal arrangement, the sub-channel units are arranged in a rectangular or polygonal structure to form a whole, which can solve the problem of the need for separate partitions and insufficient splicing precision between the sub-channel units, and realize the miniaturization and compactness of the projection system.

[0150] The projection system according to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments and examples of the present application can be applied to vehicles. For example, different projection patterns, such as vehicle logos or welcome messages, can be projected on the road surface in front of the vehicle. In addition, dynamic patterns can be displayed so that people inside or outside the vehicle can observe the projection patterns, thereby achieving a better interactive effect.

[0151] Fig.11A FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a full-scale projection pattern dynamic display of a projection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Fig.11A As shown, the projection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application has 6 sub-channel units, wherein the display content (i.e., projection patterns) of sub-channel units 1-5 can be divided into 5 levels according to the total power or fuel level of the vehicle, and one of the corresponding sub-channels can be selected for display according to the actual remaining power or fuel level of the vehicle, and sub-channel unit 6 is a welcome pattern for the vehicle.

[0152] For example, subchannel 1 can display the remaining power of 0-20%, subchannel 2 can display the remaining power of 20-40%, subchannel 3 can display the remaining power of 40-60%, subchannel 4 can display the remaining power of 60-80%, subchannel 5 can display the remaining power of 80-100%, and subchannel 6 displays the welcome text and pattern. In actual application, the driving control circuit can first project one of the subchannels 1-5 to display information such as the vehicle power or oil level, and then close the channel to display subchannel 6, thereby switching to the welcome information and realizing the switching dynamic display of the full-size projection pattern.

[0153] Fig. 11B FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a dynamic display of a local projection pattern of a projection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Fig. 11B As shown, sub-channels 1-6 may respectively correspond to a sub-pattern (eg, a local pattern) in the entire projection pattern.

[0154] For example, subchannel 1 can display the upper straight line, subchannel 2 can display the lower straight line, subchannel 3 can display the first arrow, subchannel 4 can display the second arrow, subchannel 5 can display the third arrow, and subchannel 6 can display the fourth arrow. In actual application, the two straight lines represented by subchannel 1 and subchannel 2 are always on, while the arrows displayed by subchannels 3-6 are cycled in time sequence, so as to realize the dynamic flowing effect display of arrows.

[0155] It should be understood that the projection system according to the embodiment of the present application can also be implemented to project other display patterns such as left turn, right turn and other patterns, as well as other shapes such as circle, semicircle, sector, other arbitrary polygon or irregular shape, etc., and the present application is not limited to this.

[0156] In addition, according to one or more embodiments of the present application, a projection method 900 is also provided, which can be applied to a projection system of a car. Fig.12 As shown, the projection method 900 may include:

[0157] S910, configuring an illumination light source for at least one sub-channel.

[0158] S920, folding the light of the illumination light source of the sub-channel and projecting it to the pattern projection system to generate a corresponding sub-pattern.

[0159] S930, projecting the sub-pattern generated by the pattern projection system onto a target projection surface for projection display.

[0160] In the above step S920, when the light of the illumination light source is refracted, the light is concentrated and projected onto the area of ​​the sub-pattern corresponding to the specific position (e.g., the far end position) on the target projection surface, so as to enhance the illumination of the specific position (far end) of the sub-pattern and improve the uniformity of the illumination distribution of the projection pattern.

[0161] According to some embodiments of the present application, the pattern generation array may include multiple pattern generation subsystems and multiple projection subsystems, each of the pattern generation subsystems can be used to generate an independent sub-pattern; each projection subsystem is used to project the sub-pattern onto a corresponding area on the target projection surface.

[0162] In an exemplary embodiment, the pattern generation subsystem may be a pattern film.

[0163] According to some embodiments of the present application, in step S920, the light from the multi-channel illumination light sources can be refracted respectively by a plurality of free-form surface reflectors.

[0164] According to other embodiments of the present application, in step S920, the light of the multi-channel illumination light source can be refracted by a microprism array, wherein the incident surface of the microprism array includes a plurality of microprism units, and the light of the illumination light source is refracted by refraction of the microprism units.

[0165] According to other embodiments of the present application, in step S920, the light of the multi-channel illumination light source can be refracted by a free-form surface lens array.

[0166] According to some embodiments of the present application, the projection method 900 may further include: realizing dynamic projection by controlling the lighting sequence of multiple pattern generation subsystems, wherein the switch of each pattern generation subsystem may be independently controlled, and the sub-patterns generated by different pattern generation subsystems may be the same or different.

[0167] It should be understood that, without departing from the teaching of the present application, the above-mentioned projection method 900 can be implemented by the aforementioned projection system 100, 200 or 300, or can also be implemented by other projection systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0168] In addition, other aspects of the above-mentioned projection method 900 have been described in more detail in the exemplary embodiments of the aforementioned projection system 100, projection system 200 and projection system 300, that is, the projection method 900 may cover various aspects of the specific implementation of the projection system 100, projection system 200 and projection system 300 of any one of the aforementioned embodiments or a combination of any multiple embodiments thereof.

[0169] It should be noted that the step division of the above methods is only for clear description. When implemented, they can be combined into one step or some steps can be split and decomposed into multiple steps. As long as they include the same logical relationship, they are all within the scope of protection of this patent; adding insignificant modifications to the algorithm or process or introducing insignificant designs without changing the core design of the algorithm and process are all within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0170] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and an explanation of the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the present application is not limited to the technical solution formed by a specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the above features are replaced with the technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application (but not limited to) by each other.

Claims

1. A projection system, characterized in that: The projection system has at least one sub-channel unit, each of which comprises: Lighting source; An optical path folding device is arranged on the optical path of the illumination light source, and folds the light of the illumination light source and then projects it to the pattern projection system; The pattern projection system generates a sub-pattern based on the light from the illumination light source deflected by the light path deflecting device, and projects the sub-pattern onto a target projection surface. Wherein, after the optical path deflecting device deflects the light of the illumination light source, the light is concentrated and projected onto the area of ​​the sub-pattern corresponding to the specific position on the target projection surface, so as to enhance the illumination of the specific position of the sub-pattern.

2. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein: The specific position includes a far end position on the target projection surface.

3. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein: The pattern projection system comprises a pattern generation subsystem and a projection subsystem. The pattern generation subsystem generates a sub-pattern based on the light of the illumination light source deflected by the light path deflecting device. The projection subsystem is used to project the sub-pattern onto the target projection surface. The projection system includes a plurality of the sub-channel units, wherein the plurality of sub-channel units are arranged in an array, so that the plurality of illumination light sources form an illumination array, the plurality of optical path deflection devices form an optical path deflection array, the plurality of pattern generation subsystems form a pattern generation array, and the plurality of projection subsystems form a projection array.

4. The projection system according to claim 3, wherein: The optical path deflection array deflects the light of the corresponding illumination light source to the corresponding pattern generation subsystem of the pattern generation array to generate corresponding sub-patterns, and the projection array projects the multiple sub-patterns generated by the pattern generation array onto the target projection surface to form a multi-channel projection display.

5. The projection system according to claim 4, wherein: The optical path deflecting device includes a free-form surface reflector, and the normal line of the center point on the free-form surface of the free-form surface reflector forms a preset angle with the optical axis of the projection subsystem and the optical axis of the illumination light source to deflect the light of the illumination light source to the corresponding pattern generation subsystem.

6. A projection method, characterized in that: The method comprises: configuring an illumination light source for at least one sub-channel; Refractionating the light of the illumination light source of the sub-channel and projecting it onto the pattern projection system to generate a corresponding sub-pattern; and Projecting the sub-pattern generated by the pattern projection system onto a target projection surface for projection display, When the light of the illumination light source is folded, the light is projected onto the area of ​​the sub-pattern corresponding to the specific position on the target projection surface, so as to enhance the illumination of the specific position of the sub-pattern.

7. The projection method according to claim 6, wherein: The specific position includes a far end position on the target projection surface.

8. The projection method according to claim 6, wherein: The pattern projection system includes multiple pattern generation subsystems and a projection subsystem, each of the pattern generation subsystems is configured to generate a corresponding sub-pattern based on the light from the refracted illumination light source, and the projection subsystem is configured to project the sub-pattern onto the target projection surface, wherein the multiple sub-patterns projected onto the target projection surface form a multi-channel projection display.

9. The projection method according to claim 8, wherein: The light of the illumination light source is refracted by a free-form surface reflector, wherein the free-form surface reflector is configured so that a normal line of a center point on the free-form surface forms a preset angle with the optical axis of the projection subsystem and the optical axis of the illumination light source, so as to refract the light of the illumination light source to a corresponding pattern generation subsystem.

10. The projection method according to claim 8, wherein: The light of the illumination light source is refracted by a micro-prism array, the incident surface of the micro-prism array comprises a plurality of micro-prism units, and the light of the illumination light source is refracted by refraction of the micro-prism units.

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