Image generation device, display equipment and vehicle

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an image generation device, display equipment and a vehicle, relates to the technical field of projection equipment, and aims to solve the problem that the display quality is greatly influenced by temperature change. The image generation device comprises a light source module, a light modulator, a projection module and a phase compensation device, the light source module is used for generating first polarized light projected to the light modulator; the light modulator comprises a liquid crystal layer, and the liquid crystal layer is used for performing polarization state modulation on the first polarized light to form a modulated light beam; the projection module is used for projecting second polarized light in the modulated light beam, and the polarization directions of the first polarized light and the second polarized light are perpendicular to each other. The phase compensation device is arranged between the light source module and the projection module and comprises a phase compensation sheet and a driving device; the driving device is used for driving the phase compensating plate to move; and in the moving process of the phase compensation plate, the phase retardation of the light path between the light source module and the projection module is changed. The image generation device can be applied to a display device and a vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of projection equipment, and in particular to an image generating device, a display device, and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] A Picture Generation Unit (PGU), commonly known as an "optical machine," is a device that generates imaging light containing image information based on an input electrical signal. It is an important component of projection products such as head-up displays (HUDs), projectors, and near-eye displays (NEDs).

[0003] An image generation device primarily consists of components such as a light source, a light modulator, and a projection lens. During operation, the light source generates a light beam that is projected toward the light modulator. The light modulator then modulates the light beam under control to produce imaging light, which is then projected by the projection lens. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) are two common light modulators, both of which contain a liquid crystal layer. The polarization state of the light beam is modulated through the electrically controlled birefringence of the liquid crystal layer.

[0004] However, the material properties of the liquid crystal layer are greatly affected by temperature, and the display quality of the image generating device may be affected during temperature changes. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide an image generating device, a display apparatus, and a vehicle, which are used to improve the problem that the display quality of the image generating device is significantly affected by temperature changes.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an image generating device, which includes a light source module, a light modulator, a projection module and a phase compensation device; wherein the light source module is used to generate a first polarized light projected to the light modulator; the light modulator is used to modulate the first polarized light into a modulated light beam; the projection module is used to project the second polarized light in the modulated light beam, and the first polarized light and the second polarized light are linear polarized lights with polarization directions perpendicular to each other.

[0008] The phase compensation device is arranged between the light source module and the projection module, and includes a phase compensation plate and a driving device; the driving device is used to drive the phase compensation plate to move; the phase compensation plate has at least two compensation states under the drive of the driving device. In different compensation states, the phase delay amount of the phase compensation plate for the optical path between the light source module and the projection module is different.

[0009] The image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application is provided with a phase compensation device. By driving the phase compensation plate to move by a driving device in the phase compensation device, the compensation state of the phase compensation plate can be changed, that is, the phase delay amount of the phase compensation plate in the optical path can be changed, thereby compensating for the different phase difference deviations caused by the light modulator affected by factors such as temperature, thereby improving the display quality of the image generating device and improving the problem that the display quality is affected by factors such as temperature.

[0010] In some embodiments, the phase compensator includes at least two compensation parts with different phase delays, and the driving device drives the phase compensator to move so that any compensation part is located in the optical path between the light source module and the projection module.

[0011] In the image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the phase compensation device adopts the method of switching different compensation parts to achieve the change of the compensation state, that is, to achieve the change of the phase delay amount of the phase compensation plate in the optical path; this solution has the advantages of simple structure, low control difficulty and low requirements for the driving device and the phase compensation plate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the compensation portion of the phase compensator is arranged around a first axis, and the driving device is a rotation driving device that drives the phase compensator to rotate around the first axis; the first axis is parallel to the light propagation direction at the location of the phase compensator.

[0013] In the image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the phase compensation device adopts a method of driving the phase compensation plate to rotate around the axis to achieve switching of different compensation parts, thereby changing the phase delay amount of the phase compensation plate in the optical path; this solution has the advantages of simple structure, low control difficulty, and high reliability and control accuracy.

[0014] In some embodiments, the compensation portion of the phase compensator is arranged along a first straight line, and the driving device is a linear driving device that drives the phase compensator to move along the first straight line; the first straight line is perpendicular to the light propagation direction at the position of the phase compensator.

[0015] In the image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the phase compensation device uses a method of driving the phase compensation plate to translate to achieve switching of different compensation parts, thereby changing the phase delay amount of the phase compensation plate in the optical path; this solution has the advantages of simple structure, low control difficulty, and high reliability and control accuracy.

[0016] In some embodiments, the phase compensator is a plate-like structure whose thickness direction is parallel to the second straight line, and the driving device is a rotating driving device that drives the phase compensator to rotate around the second axis; the second axis is perpendicular to the light propagation direction at the location of the phase compensator and is perpendicular to the second straight line; the second axis passes through the phase compensator.

[0017] In the image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the phase compensation device adopts a method of driving the phase compensation plate to rotate around an axis to change the distance that the light passes through the phase compensation plate, thereby achieving a change in the phase delay amount, that is, changing the compensation state of the phase compensation plate; this solution has the advantages of simple structure, low control difficulty and low requirements for the driving device and the phase compensation plate.

[0018] In some embodiments, the driving device includes a driving motor or a piezoelectric device. In the image generation device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the driving device of the phase compensation device can be powered by different devices, which has the advantages of good adaptability and the ability to adapt to different scenarios.

[0019] In some embodiments, the image generation device further includes a compensation controller electrically connected to the drive device and configured to control the movement of the drive device based on an external input signal and / or an automatic control signal. In the image generation device provided in embodiments of the present application, the phase compensation device can be controlled based on an external input signal and / or an automatic control signal, providing diverse and flexible control methods.

[0020] In some embodiments, the image generating device further includes a detection sensor configured to detect environmental information about the image generating device, and the compensation controller is configured to control the motion of the driving device based on this environmental information. This design allows for targeted compensation of phase difference deviations caused by environmental factors based on environmental information about the image generating device, thereby improving compensation accuracy and, in turn, further enhancing display quality and addressing the issue of display quality being affected by environmental changes.

[0021] In some embodiments, the environmental information of the image generating device includes at least one of the following: temperature or humidity. Environmental information may also include other types of information, not listed here. This design allows for targeted compensation of phase difference deviations caused by temperature and / or humidity changes based on the temperature and / or humidity of the image generating device, thereby improving the accuracy of the compensation and, in turn, further improving display quality and addressing issues related to display quality being affected by temperature and / or humidity.

[0022] In some embodiments, the image generation device further includes a display controller electrically connected to the light modulator for controlling the light modulator; a detection sensor electrically connected to the display controller; and a compensation controller electrically connected to the display controller and integrated into the display controller. This design simplifies the control device and improves its integration.

[0023] In some embodiments, the light modulator is silicon-based liquid crystal, and the projection module includes a polarization beam splitter and a projection lens; wherein the polarization beam splitter includes a first light path and a second light path formed by polarization splitting, the first light path is used to transmit the first polarized light, and the second light path is used to transmit the second polarized light; the light source module and the silicon-based liquid crystal are respectively arranged opposite to the two ends of the first light path.

[0024] The projection lens and the silicon-based liquid crystal are respectively arranged opposite to the two ends of the second optical path. The polarization beam splitter is used to obtain a second polarized light from the modulated light beam emitted by the silicon-based liquid crystal and project the second polarized light to the projection lens through the second optical path.

[0025] The image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application may be an image generating device using silicon-based liquid crystal, and the phase compensation device can compensate for the phase difference deviation generated by the silicon-based liquid crystal, thereby improving the display quality.

[0026] In some embodiments, the light source module includes a polarized light source, and the polarized light source is used to generate a first polarized light projected toward the polarization beam splitter.

[0027] Alternatively, the light source module includes a non-polarized light source and a polarizer, the non-polarized light source is used to generate a light source beam projected toward the polarizer, and the light source beam is non-polarized light; the polarizer is used to obtain a first polarized light from the light source beam and project the first polarized light to the polarization beam splitter.

[0028] In the image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the light source module can be an integrated light source or a combined light source, which has good adaptability and can be applied to different application scenarios.

[0029] In some embodiments, the image generating device further includes a first polarizer arranged between the light source module and the polarization beam splitter, and / or a second polarizer arranged between the polarization beam splitter and the projection lens; the transmission direction of the first polarizer is the same as the polarization direction of the first polarized light, and the transmission direction of the second polarizer is the same as the polarization direction of the second polarized light.

[0030] Such a design can further improve the display contrast, thereby helping to further improve the display quality.

[0031] In some embodiments, the light modulator is silicon-based liquid crystal, the light source module includes a polarization beam splitter and a non-polarized light source, and the projection module includes a polarization beam splitter and a projection lens; wherein the polarization beam splitter includes a first optical path and a second optical path formed by polarization splitting, the first optical path is used to transmit the first polarized light, and the second optical path is used to transmit the second polarized light.

[0032] The non-polarized light source and the silicon-based liquid crystal are respectively arranged opposite to the two ends of the first optical path; the non-polarized light source is used to generate a light source beam projected toward the polarization beam splitter, and the light source beam is non-polarized light; the polarization beam splitter is used to obtain a first polarized light from the light source beam emitted by the silicon-based liquid crystal, and project the first polarized light to the silicon-based liquid crystal through the first optical path.

[0033] The projection lens and the silicon-based liquid crystal are respectively arranged opposite to the two ends of the second optical path. The polarization beam splitter is used to obtain a second polarized light from the modulated light beam emitted by the silicon-based liquid crystal and project the second polarized light to the projection lens through the second optical path; the phase compensation device is arranged between the polarization beam splitter and the silicon-based liquid crystal.

[0034] The image generation device provided in the embodiments of the present application can utilize liquid crystal on silicon (LCS). The phase compensation device can compensate for the phase difference deviation generated by the LCS, thereby improving display quality. Furthermore, the light source module can utilize an unpolarized light source and utilize the polarization function of a polarization beam splitter to generate the first polarized light. This design facilitates a simplified optical path structure and reduces costs.

[0035] In some embodiments, the polarization beam splitter is a flat plate or prism polarization beam splitter. In the image generation device provided in the embodiments of the present application, the polarization beam splitter can be a flat plate or prism structure, which has good adaptability and can be applied to different application scenarios.

[0036] In some embodiments, the light modulator is a liquid crystal display device, and the light source module and the projection module are respectively arranged on both sides of the liquid crystal display device; the projection module includes a polarizer and a projection lens, and the polarizer is used to obtain a second polarized light from the modulated light beam emitted by the liquid crystal display device and project the second polarized light to the projection lens; the phase compensation device is arranged between the light source module and the liquid crystal display device, and / or between the projection module and the liquid crystal display device.

[0037] The image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application may be an image generating device using a liquid crystal display device, and the phase compensation device can compensate for the phase difference deviation generated by the liquid crystal display device, thereby improving the display quality.

[0038] In some embodiments, the light source module includes a polarized light source, and the polarized light source is used to generate a first polarized light projected toward the polarization beam splitter.

[0039] Alternatively, the light source module includes a non-polarized light source and a polarizer, the non-polarized light source is used to generate a light source beam projected toward the polarizer, and the light source beam is non-polarized light; the polarizer is used to obtain a first polarized light from the light source beam and project the first polarized light onto the liquid crystal display device.

[0040] In the image generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the light source module can be an integrated light source or a combined light source, which has good adaptability and can be applied to different application scenarios.

[0041] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a display device, which includes a processor and an image generating device as described in any one of the embodiments of the first aspect, wherein the processor is used to control the image generating device to form imaging light.

[0042] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle, which includes the display device described in the embodiment of the second aspect, and the display device is installed on the vehicle.

[0043] In some embodiments, the vehicle further includes a reflective element, the display device is configured to project imaging light onto the reflective element, and the reflective element is configured to reflect the imaging light.

[0044] The technical effects that can be achieved by the display device and vehicle provided in the embodiments of the present application are the same as the technical effects that can be achieved by the image generating device in any of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an image generating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The structure and principle diagram of the polarization beam splitter;

[0047] Figure 3 A front view of a silicon-based liquid crystal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of liquid crystal on silicon;

[0049] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the principle of a phase compensation device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a phase compensation device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a phase compensation plate in another phase compensation device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of another phase compensation device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a control principle of a phase compensation device by an image generation device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 10 A schematic structural diagram of another image generating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Figure 11 A schematic structural diagram of another image generating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Figure 12 A schematic structural diagram of another image generating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Figure 13 A schematic structural diagram of another image generating device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] 14A to 14D Schematic diagram of different application scenarios of the image generation device provided in the embodiments of the present application;

[0059] Figure 15 A schematic structural diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 16 A circuit diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 17 A schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 18 A functional schematic diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The following will describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments.

[0064] In the following embodiments of the present application, the terms "first," "second," etc. are used for convenience of description only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0065] In the embodiments of the present application, "up", "down", "left" and "right" are not limited to being defined relative to the orientation of the components schematically placed in the drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms may be relative concepts. They are used for relative descriptions and clarifications, and may change accordingly according to changes in the orientation of the components in the drawings.

[0066] In the embodiments of the present application, unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "including" is to be interpreted as open and inclusive, that is, "including, but not limited to". In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "exemplarily" or "some examples" and the like are intended to indicate that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics associated with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. The schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any appropriate manner.

[0067] As used herein, "about," "substantially," or "approximately" includes the stated value and an average value that is within an acceptable range of deviation from the particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurements in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system).

[0068] As used herein, "parallel", "perpendicular", and "equal" include the situations described and situations similar to the situations described, and the range of the similar situations is within an acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is as determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of the specific quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate parallelism can be, for example, a deviation within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, a deviation within 5°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate equality can be, for example, that the difference between the two equals is less than or equal to 5% of either one.

[0069] It will be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or intervening layers may be present therebetween.

[0070] In the embodiments of the present application, exemplary embodiments are described with reference to cross-sectional views and / or plan views and / or equivalent circuit diagrams as idealized exemplary drawings. In the drawings, the thicknesses of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity. Therefore, variations in shape relative to the drawings due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances are conceivable. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should not be interpreted as being limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but rather include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing. For example, an etched region shown as a rectangle will typically have curved features. Therefore, the regions shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shapes of regions of the device and are not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0071] An embodiment of the present application provides an image generation device including a light modulator, which may be a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) and a liquid crystal display (LCD). This document first uses the example of a light modulator in an image generation device using LCoS as an example to illustrate the solution.

[0072] like Figure 1 As shown, the image generation device 1 includes a light source module 2, a polarization beam splitter 3, liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) 5, a projection lens 6, and a phase compensation device 4. The light source module 2 is configured to generate a first polarized light, which is projected toward the polarization beam splitter 3. The first polarized light is linearly polarized light and can be either S-polarized or P-polarized. The polarization direction of the first polarized light can be determined based on the optical path design of the polarization beam splitter 3 and the LCOS 5 (refer to the following description of the polarization beam splitter 3 and the LCOS 5).

[0073] The light source module 2 may be an integrated polarized light source capable of directly emitting first polarized light, and the first polarized light emitted from the light source module 2 is irradiated onto the polarization beam splitter 3. In some other embodiments, the light source module 2 may be a combination of a non-polarized light source and a polarizer, i.e., the non-polarized light source is used to generate a light source beam that is irradiated onto the polarizer, and the light source beam is natural light, i.e., non-polarized light; the polarizer is a polarizer that only allows linearly polarized light with a polarization direction parallel to the transmission direction to pass through. When the light source beam passes through the polarizer, the first polarized light can be obtained from the light source beam; the first polarized light obtained by the polarizer is irradiated onto the polarization beam splitter 3.

[0074] Polarization beam splitter 3 is an optical device that splits an incident light beam according to its polarization direction. It can transmit S-polarized light and P-polarized light incident at the same location to different locations. This indicates that polarization beam splitter 3 has both polarization and analysis functions. Polarization beam splitter 3 can be a prism-type or flat-plate-type polarization beam splitter.

[0075] Take the prism-type polarization beam splitter 3 as an example, Figure 2 As shown, the polarization beam splitter 3 is a square prism formed by combining two right-angle prisms, and its outer surface includes four end faces, namely a first end face S1, a second end face S2, a third end face S3 and a fourth end face S4; wherein the first end face S1 and the second end face S2 are arranged relative to each other in a first direction and are both perpendicular to the first direction; the third end face S3 and the fourth end face S4 are arranged relative to each other in a second direction and are both perpendicular to the second direction; the second direction and the first direction can be perpendicular to each other.

[0076] The polarization beam splitter 3 also has a beam splitting surface S0 located inside. The beam splitting surface S0 is tilted relative to the first direction and the second direction. The first end surface S1 and the second end surface S2 are located on both sides of the beam splitting surface S0. The first end surface S1 and the third end surface S3 are located on the same side of the beam splitting surface S0. The fourth end surface S4 and the second end surface S2 are located on the other side of the beam splitting surface S0. A polarization beam splitting film is provided on the beam splitting surface S0. The polarization beam splitting film can reflect S polarized light and transmit P polarized light. When the beam contains S polarized light ( Figure 2 dot symbols are used in the figure) and P polarized light ( Figure 2 When the incident light beam (represented by a vertical short line symbol) is irradiated on the splitting surface S0 through the first end surface S1, the S-polarized light reflected by the polarization splitting film on the splitting surface S0 is emitted from the third end surface S3, and the P-polarized light transmitted by the polarization splitting film on the splitting surface S0 is emitted from the second end surface S2, thereby realizing the polarization splitting function.

[0077] It can be seen that the polarization beam splitter 3 includes a transmission light path capable of transmitting P-polarized light, and the first end face S1, the splitting surface S0, and the second end face S2 are all located in the transmission light path; the polarization beam splitter 3 also includes a reflection light path capable of reflecting S-polarized light, and the first end face S1, the splitting surface S0, and the third end face S3 are all located in the reflection light path. According to the above description, the first polarized light can be S-polarized light or P-polarized light; and the first polarized light generated by the light source module 2 needs to be transmitted to the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 through the polarization beam splitter 3. Therefore, according to the polarization direction of the first polarized light, the transmission light path or the reflection light path in the polarization beam splitter 3 can be selected for transmission. For example, when the first polarized light is P-polarized light, the transmission light path of the polarization beam splitter 3 can be selected for transmission; when the first polarized light is S-polarized light, the reflection light path of the polarization beam splitter 3 can be selected for transmission.

[0078] For ease of description, this document defines the optical path in the polarization beam splitter 3 used to transmit the first polarized light as the first optical path. The first optical path can be a reflected optical path or a transmitted optical path. The other of the reflected optical path and the transmitted optical path is defined as the second optical path. The second optical path is used to transmit the second polarized light, which is linearly polarized light with a polarization direction perpendicular to the polarization direction of the first polarized light. In the image generation device 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application, the light source module 2 and the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 are respectively arranged opposite to the two ends of the first optical path in the polarization beam splitter 3. The first polarized light generated by the light source module 2 can be irradiated onto the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 via the first optical path; the first polarized light emitted from the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 can also be irradiated to the location of the light source module 2 via the first optical path.

[0079] In this embodiment, the first polarized light is P polarized light, the first optical path is the transmission optical path in the polarization beam splitter 3 , the light source module 2 is arranged opposite to the second end surface S2 of the polarization beam splitter 3 , and the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 is arranged opposite to the first end surface S1 of the polarization beam splitter 3 .

[0080] Liquid crystal on silicon 5, also known as liquid crystal on silicon, is a reflective display. Figure 3 This is a front view of a silicon-based liquid crystal 5 provided in an embodiment of the present application, as shown Figure 3 As shown, the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 includes a pixel array, which includes a plurality of pixels 50 (Pixel) arranged in a multi-row and multi-column array. Figure 3 Taking the orientation shown in as an example, the row direction of the pixel 50 array is Figure 3 The horizontal direction in the column direction is Figure 3 The vertical direction in .

[0081] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 is shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 includes a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) substrate 503, a liquid crystal layer 502 and a transparent substrate 501, wherein the CMOS substrate 503 and the transparent substrate 501 are arranged relative to each other, and the liquid crystal layer 502 is arranged between the CMOS substrate 503 and the transparent substrate 501. The liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 502 are anisotropic uniaxial crystals with birefringence function.

[0082] The CMOS substrate 503 includes pixel circuits and metal reflectors. The pixel circuits are fabricated using a CMOS process on a silicon wafer. After the pixel circuits are fabricated, the silicon wafer is polished flat and coated with a metal layer that serves as the metal reflector. The metal reflector is typically made of aluminum and is used to reflect incident light beams. The pixel circuits in the CMOS substrate 503 include pixel driver circuits corresponding to the pixels 50. The pixel driver circuits include first electrodes 504. A second electrode 505 is provided on the side of the transparent substrate 501 proximal to the CMOS substrate 503. When different voltages are applied to the first and second electrodes 504, 505, an electric field with a certain voltage difference is generated between the first and second electrodes 504, 505. Under the action of this electric field, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 502 located between the first and second electrodes 504, 505 are deflected, thereby changing the direction of the optical axis of the liquid crystal layer 502 located between the first and second electrodes 504, 505. By applying different electric fields between the first electrode 504 and the second electrode 505 , different optical axis directions of the liquid crystal layer 502 can be obtained, and there is a corresponding relationship between the electric fields and the optical axis directions.

[0083] When a beam of polarized light enters the liquid crystal layer 502, the optical axis direction of the liquid crystal layer 502 is controlled by the electric field to be non-parallel to the propagation direction of the incident polarized light. That is, the angle θ between the propagation direction of the incident polarized light and the optical axis direction of the liquid crystal layer 502 is not equal to 0 degrees. The incident polarized light can be decomposed into ordinary light (ordinary ray, referred to as o light) with a polarization direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and extraordinary light (extraordinary ray, referred to as e light) with a polarization direction parallel to the optical axis direction. The refractive index of o light in the liquid crystal layer 502 is n ⊥ , the refractive index of e-light in the liquid crystal layer 502 is n ∥ , n ⊥ and n ∥ The refraction of the polarized light O and E in the liquid crystal layer 502 is different, and the propagation speed is different. This phenomenon is called birefringence. In this case, the birefringence index of the liquid crystal layer 502 (for the incident polarized light) is Δn=n ∥ -n ⊥ .

[0084] According to the refractive index distribution characteristics of the uniaxial crystal, the birefringence Δn of the liquid crystal layer 502 is related to the angle θ between the incident polarized light and the optical axis direction, and the optical axis direction of the liquid crystal layer 502 can be controlled by applying an electric field between the first electrode 504 and the second electrode 505; therefore, by controlling the electric field applied between the first electrode 504 and the second electrode 505, the birefringence Δn of the liquid crystal layer 502 can be changed.

[0085] In addition, when a beam of polarized light enters the liquid crystal layer 502, the optical axis direction of the liquid crystal layer 502 is controlled by the electric field to be parallel to the propagation direction of the incident polarized light. That is, the angle θ between the propagation direction of the incident polarized light and the optical axis direction of the liquid crystal layer 502 is 0 degrees. The incident polarized light can be decomposed into o light with a polarization direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction and e light with a polarization direction parallel to the optical axis direction. The refractive index of o light in the liquid crystal layer 502 is n ⊥ , the refractive index of e-light in the liquid crystal layer 502 is n ∥ , n ∥ and n ⊥ The o-light and the e-light have the same refraction degree and propagation speed in the liquid crystal layer 502 , and no birefringence occurs at this time. The birefringence Δn of the liquid crystal layer 502 (for the incident polarized light) is 0.

[0086] The electro-optical effect of controlling the birefringence of the liquid crystal layer 502 by an electric field is called an electrically controlled birefringence (ECB) effect.

[0087] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 When image generation device 1 is operating, first polarized light emitted from polarization beam splitter 3 enters the side of silicon liquid crystal 5 away from CMOS substrate 503, passes through transparent substrate 501 and liquid crystal layer 502, and reaches the metal reflector. After being reflected by the metal reflector, it passes through liquid crystal layer 502 and transparent substrate 501 again, and then exits the side of silicon liquid crystal 5 away from CMOS substrate 503, and then irradiates polarization beam splitter 3. During this propagation process of the first polarized light, the birefringence of liquid crystal layer 502 can cause a certain phase difference (phase delay) δ between the o-light and e-light decomposed by the first polarized light. The phase difference δ can be calculated using the following formula:

[0088]

[0089] In the above formula, λ is the wavelength of the first polarized light, Δn is the birefringence of the liquid crystal layer 502, and d is the geometric distance the first polarized light propagates in the liquid crystal layer 502. The above formula shows that the magnitude of the phase difference δ is related to the birefringence Δn of the liquid crystal layer 502. As described above, the birefringence Δn of the liquid crystal layer 502 can be controlled by applying an electric field between the first electrode 504 and the second electrode 505, thereby enabling control of the phase difference δ. Furthermore, since the phase difference δ between the o-light and the e-light affects the polarization state of the first polarized light, the polarization state of the first polarized light can be altered by applying an electric field between the first electrode 504 and the second electrode 505.

[0090] The silicon-based liquid crystal 5 modulates the polarization state of the first polarized light to form a modulated beam. The modulated beam can be the first polarized light, the second polarized light, elliptically polarized light, or circularly polarized light. The modulated beam emitted from the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 is incident on the polarization beam splitter 3. The silicon-based liquid crystal 5 and the projection lens 6 are respectively positioned opposite the ends of the second optical path in the polarization beam splitter 3.

[0091] When the modulated light beam is first polarized light, as described above, the first polarized light will be transmitted along the first optical path in the polarization beam splitter 3 and will not be irradiated by the projection lens 6. When the modulated light beam is second polarized light, the second polarized light will be transmitted along the second optical path in the polarization beam splitter 3 and will then be irradiated by the projection lens 6. When the modulated light beam is elliptically polarized light or circularly polarized light, the polarization beam splitter 3 utilizes its polarization splitting function to decompose the modulated light beam into a portion of the first polarized light and a portion of the second polarized light. The decomposed first polarized light will be transmitted along the first optical path and will not be irradiated by the projection lens 6. The decomposed second polarized light can be irradiated by the second optical path to the projection lens 6. This achieves the function of obtaining the second polarized light from the modulated light beam and irradiating the second polarized light to the projection lens 6 via the second optical path.

[0092] Projection lens 6 can be either a short-focus lens or a long-focus lens, and is used to project the second polarized light to a predetermined location, such as a diffuser or reflective element, thereby achieving the display function of image generation device 1. In this embodiment, the combination of projection lens 6 and polarization beam splitter 3 can achieve the function of projecting the second polarized light in the modulated light beam. The two are collectively referred to herein as a projection module.

[0093] In this embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the first polarized light is P polarized light, which is transmitted in the transmission light path in the polarization beam splitter 3; the second polarized light is S polarized light, which is transmitted in the reflection light path in the polarization beam splitter 3; the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 is arranged opposite to the first end surface S1 in the polarization beam splitter 3, and the projection lens 6 is arranged opposite to the third end surface S3 in the polarization beam splitter 3.

[0094] During the display process of the image generating device 1 , the display brightness of the image generating device 1 can be controlled by controlling the polarization state modulation of the first polarized light by the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 .

[0095] Specifically, when all of the first polarized light is converted into the second polarized light, the image generating device 1 can achieve a bright display, at which point the display brightness is at maximum brightness. When the polarization state of the first polarized light remains unchanged, the image generating device 1 can achieve a dark display, at which point the display brightness is at minimum brightness. When the first polarized light is converted into elliptically polarized light or circularly polarized light, the display brightness of the image generating device 1 is between maximum brightness and minimum brightness. Furthermore, the display brightness can be adjusted between maximum brightness and minimum brightness by controlling the decomposition ratio of the first polarized light and the second polarized light in the elliptically polarized light or circularly polarized light. The smaller the proportion of the second polarized light after the elliptically polarized light or circularly polarized light is decomposed, the lower the display brightness; the larger the proportion, the greater the brightness. The ratio of the maximum brightness to the minimum brightness that the image generating device 1 can display is the display contrast, which is one of the important parameters for measuring display quality.

[0096] As described above regarding the structure and operating principle of the LCOS 5, the LCOS 5 utilizes an electrically controlled birefringence effect to control the birefringence of the liquid crystal layer 502, thereby generating a phase difference between the o-light and the e-light decomposed from the first polarized light. For ease of description, the phase difference generated between the o-light and the e-light decomposed from the first polarized light is referred to herein as the phase difference generated by the first polarized light. By controlling the manner in which the phase difference is generated for the first polarized light, the LCOS 5 can achieve polarization state modulation of the first polarized light.

[0097] However, in some scenarios, there may be a deviation between the actual phase difference generated by the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 for the first polarized light and the ideal phase difference. This deviation is referred to herein as phase difference deviation. The existence of phase difference deviation will affect the polarization state modulation result of the first polarized light, thereby affecting the display quality of the image generating device 1, and in particular, reducing the display contrast of the image generating device 1. For example, when a dark state image with minimum brightness needs to be displayed, due to the deviation in the polarization state modulation result of the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 for the first polarized light, a certain amount of second polarized light may be generated, resulting in light leakage in the dark state image (the dark field image is not dark enough), increasing the minimum brightness that can be displayed, and reducing the display contrast. For another example, when a bright state image with maximum brightness needs to be displayed, due to the deviation in the polarization state modulation result of the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 for the first polarized light, the first polarized light may not be fully converted to the second polarized light, resulting in the bright state image not being bright enough, reducing the maximum brightness that can be displayed, and reducing the display contrast.

[0098] The temperature change of the liquid crystal layer 502 in the silicon liquid crystal 5 is an important factor in the generation of phase difference deviation, and the magnitude of the temperature change also affects the magnitude of the phase difference deviation. The main reasons for this phenomenon include the following aspects:

[0099] On the one hand, the material properties of the liquid crystal material in liquid crystal layer 502 are affected by temperature. Temperature changes affect the correspondence between the optical axis direction and the birefringence in liquid crystal layer 502. Specifically, when the optical axis direction of liquid crystal layer 502 remains unchanged, the birefringence will change with temperature. Specifically, when the temperature rises, liquid crystal layer 502 gradually transitions to a liquid state, its order parameter decreases, its anisotropy decreases, and when the optical axis direction remains unchanged, the birefringence decreases. When the temperature drops, the liquid crystal material gradually transitions to a crystalline state, its order parameter increases, its anisotropy increases, and when the optical axis direction remains unchanged, the birefringence increases. This change in birefringence with temperature causes the actual phase difference generated for the first polarized light to also vary with temperature, resulting in phase difference deviation. Furthermore, the greater the temperature change, the greater the phase difference deviation.

[0100] Furthermore, temperature changes can affect the relationship between the electric field and the optical axis of the liquid crystal layer 502. Specifically, even when the same electric field is applied, the optical axis of the liquid crystal layer 502 may differ at different temperatures, causing the birefringence of the liquid crystal layer 502 to vary with temperature. This temperature-dependent variation in birefringence also causes the actual phase difference generated for the first polarized light to vary with temperature, resulting in phase difference deviation. Furthermore, the greater the temperature variation, the greater the phase difference deviation.

[0101] In addition, due to factors such as the manufacturing process and material properties, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 502 may have an initial tilt angle, resulting in a certain deviation between the optical axis direction of the liquid crystal layer 502 and the ideal state in the initial state without an applied electric field. This can cause the actual phase difference of the first polarized light to deviate from the ideal phase difference. This deviation is referred to herein as residual phase difference. The residual phase difference is a portion of the phase difference deviation and also changes with temperature. The greater the temperature change, the greater the residual phase difference.

[0102] As can be seen from this, the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 is affected by temperature changes, producing a temperature-dependent phase difference deviation in the first polarized light. The greater the temperature change, the greater the phase difference deviation. This temperature-dependent phase difference deviation affects the polarization state modulation of the first polarized light, thereby affecting the display quality of the image generating device 1. The greater the temperature change, the more significant the impact on display quality.

[0103] Based on this, a phase compensation device 4 is also provided in the image generating device 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application. The phase compensation device 4 is used to symmetrically compensate for the phase difference deviation that changes with temperature, thereby improving the problem that the display quality of the image generating device 1 is affected by temperature changes, which is beneficial to improving the display quality and broadening the applicable temperature of the image display device.

[0104] like Figure 1 and Figure 5As shown, in this embodiment, the phase compensation device 4 is disposed between the polarization beam splitter 3 and the liquid crystal on silicon 5 and includes a phase compensator 41 and a driving device 42. The phase compensator 41 includes at least two compensation portions with different phase retardation amounts. These compensation portions with different phase retardation amounts correspond to different compensation states of the phase compensator 41, and are used to compensate for the phase difference deviation generated by the liquid crystal layer 502 at different temperatures. In other words, the compensation portions in the phase compensator 41 correspond to the actual temperature of the liquid crystal layer 502. The number of compensation portions in the phase compensator 41 and the magnitude of their respective phase retardation amounts can be determined based on the image display device and the applicable temperature range.

[0105] The compensation part may include a wave plate or an optical compensation film for generating a corresponding phase delay; wherein the wave plate may be made of a birefringent crystal (such as quartz, mica), and its phase delay can be determined by the thickness of the wave plate. The wave plate may also be formed by stretching a polymer material, and its phase delay can be determined by controlling the stretching ratio and the thickness of the wave plate. The optical compensation film may be a uniaxial compensation film and a biaxial compensation film (Biaxial-Plate), wherein the uniaxial compensation film may be an A-Plate (optical axis is parallel to the film surface), a C-Plate (optical axis is perpendicular to the film surface), and an O-Plate (optical axis has an angle with the film surface). In terms of the manufacturing method, the optical compensation film may be a thin film stretching type or a liquid crystal coating type, and the manufacturing material may be an organic material or an inorganic material. The specific type and parameters of the optical compensation layer can be determined according to the actual application scenario.

[0106] The different compensation parts in the phase compensation plate 41 can be different areas of the same plate structure, or different physically separated parts on the same plate structure; the different compensation parts in the phase compensation plate 41 can also be independent structures, and the phase compensation plate 41 is a general term for a series of compensation parts.

[0107] The drive device 42 is used to drive the compensation portion, thereby driving the phase compensator 41 to move. The movement can be rotational or translational. Driven by the drive device 42, the phase compensator 41 can position any compensation portion in the optical path between the polarization beam splitter 3 and the silicon liquid crystal 5, thereby generating a corresponding phase delay for the light passing through the compensation portion. The drive device 42 can also switch the compensation portion located in the optical path between the polarization beam splitter 3 and the silicon liquid crystal 5. The movement mode of the phase compensator 41 driven by the drive device 42 is related to the arrangement of the compensation portions in the phase compensator 41.

[0108] For example, Figure 6As shown, the phase compensator 41 can be a circular plate-shaped structure with the first axis L1 as the central axis. The compensation portion 411 in the phase compensator 41 is arranged around the first axis L1, and the first axis L1 is parallel to the light propagation direction at the position where the phase compensator 41 is located; the driving device 42 is a rotating driving device that can drive the phase compensator 41 to rotate around the first axis L1, and the rotating driving device can be powered by a motor or a piezoelectric device.

[0109] In the scheme in which the phase compensation plate 41 is driven to rotate around the first axis L1 by the driving device 42, the phase compensation plate 41 can also be a circular ring structure, a fan-shaped structure, a semicircular structure, etc. with the first axis L1 as the central axis. The specific shape of the phase compensation plate 41 can be determined according to factors such as the setting position, size and number of the compensation part 411 in the phase compensation plate 41.

[0110] For example, Figure 7 As shown, the compensation portion 411 in the phase compensator 41 is arranged along a first straight line L2, and the first straight line L2 is perpendicular to the light propagation direction at the position of the phase compensator 41. The driving device 42 is a linear driving device that can drive the phase compensator 41 to move along the first straight line L2. The linear driving device can be powered by a motor or a piezoelectric device.

[0111] Different compensation portions 411 in the phase compensator 41 exhibit different compensation states when located in the optical path between the polarization beam splitter 3 and the silicon-based liquid crystal 5. In different compensation states, the phase compensator 41 provides different phase delays for the optical path between the polarization beam splitter 3 and the silicon-based liquid crystal 5. As can be seen from the above description, the phase compensator 41, driven by the drive device 42, has at least two compensation states. These compensation states correspond to the compensation portions 411 located in the optical path between the polarization beam splitter 3 and the silicon-based liquid crystal 5, and the number of compensation states corresponds to the number of compensation portions 411 in the phase compensator 41. The drive device 42 can also switch the compensation portions 411 of the phase compensator 41 located in the optical path between the polarization beam splitter 3 and the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 by driving the phase compensator 41 to move, thereby achieving the purpose of changing the compensation state.

[0112] The phase compensation device 4 in the above embodiment changes the phase delay of the phase compensation plate 41 in the optical path by switching different compensation parts 411, that is, changes the compensation state of the phase compensation plate 41; however, the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. For example, in some embodiments, such as Figure 8As shown, the phase compensator 41 is a plate-like structure whose thickness is parallel to the second line L3. The driving device 42 is a rotary driving device 42 that drives the phase compensator 41 to rotate about a second axis L4. The second axis L4 is perpendicular to the direction of light propagation at the location of the phase compensator 41 and is also perpendicular to the second line L3. The second axis L4 passes through the phase compensator 41. Therefore, when the driving device 42 drives the phase compensator 41 to rotate about the second axis L4, the inclination angle of the phase compensator 41 relative to the direction of light propagation can be adjusted, thereby changing the distance that light passes through the phase compensator 41 and, in turn, the amount of phase retardation. This shows that this solution also enables the phase compensator 41 to have at least two compensation states under the drive of the driving device 42. In different compensation states, the phase compensator 41 provides different phase retardation to the light path between the polarization beam splitter 3 and the silicon liquid crystal 5. The driving device 42 drives the phase compensator 41 to change the compensation state.

[0113] In this embodiment, the rotation driving device may be powered by a motor or a piezoelectric device.

[0114] The image generating device 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application also includes a compensation controller, which is electrically connected to the driving device 42 and is configured to control the movement of the driving device 42 according to an external input signal and / or an automatic control signal; wherein the external input signal can be a control signal manually input by a user, and the automatic control signal can be a control signal automatically generated by a built-in algorithm based on the working parameters of the silicon-based liquid crystal 5.

[0115] In this embodiment, if Figure 9 As shown, the image generating device 1 further includes a display controller 8 and a detection sensor 9. The display controller 8 is used to control the operation of the silicon liquid crystal 5. The detection sensor 9 is electrically connected to the display controller 8 and is used to detect temperature information of the image generating device 1 and transmit the detection information to the display controller 8. Here, the detection sensor 9 can be deployed on the silicon liquid crystal 5 to detect the temperature of the silicon liquid crystal 5, or it can be deployed elsewhere to detect the overall temperature of the image generating device 1.

[0116] The display controller 8 is electrically connected to the compensation controller 7 and is configured to transmit temperature information obtained by the detection sensor 9 to the compensation controller 7. The compensation controller 7 is configured to control the movement of the drive device 42 based on the temperature information obtained by the detection sensor 9. The compensation controller 7 may include a register that records the correspondence between the temperature information and the drive instructions. The drive instructions are command information used to control the drive device 42 to move the phase compensation plate 41 to a specified state.

[0117] The display controller 8 and the compensation controller 7 may be independent control devices, or the compensation controller 7 may be integrated into the display controller 8 .

[0118] In some embodiments, the detection sensor 9 can directly transmit the detection information to the compensation controller 7 via wired or wireless means.

[0119] The above embodiment uses the phase difference deviation caused by temperature as an example to illustrate the relationship between phase difference deviation and temperature, the principle of its influence on display quality, and the principle of compensation using the phase compensation device 4. However, the generation and influence of phase difference deviation are not limited to temperature; other environmental factors, such as humidity, may also be involved. Those skilled in the art can combine the above solution for compensating for phase difference deviation caused by temperature with an adaptive adjustment to a solution for compensating for phase difference deviation caused by other environmental factors.

[0120] Exemplarily, the environmental information of the image generating device 1 can be detected by the detection sensor 9, and the environmental information can be humidity, or both humidity and temperature; and then the phase difference deviation caused by the change of environmental factors can be compensated by the phase compensation device 4.

[0121] It should be noted that the environmental information that causes the phase difference deviation of the silicon liquid crystal 5 in the image generating device 1 can also include other types of information, which are not listed here one by one. The compensation principles and compensation processes for different environmental information can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0122] The embodiment of the present application also provides another image generating device 1, such as Figure 10 As shown, the image generating device 1 and Figure 1 The image generation device 1 differs from the aforementioned device in that it further includes a first polarizer 10 and a second polarizer 11. The first polarizer 10 is disposed between the light source module 2 and the polarizing beam splitter 3, while the second polarizer 11 is disposed between the polarizing beam splitter 3 and the projection lens 6. The first polarizer 10 transmits light in the same direction as the first polarized light, while the second polarizer 11 transmits light in the same direction as the second polarized light. The first polarizer 10 and the second polarizer 11 further enhance the display contrast of the image generation device 1, thereby further improving display quality.

[0123] In some other embodiments, only one of the first polarizer 10 and the second polarizer 11 may be provided, which can still achieve the effect of improving the display contrast.

[0124] In the above embodiment, the light source module 2 is capable of generating a first polarized light toward the polarization beam splitter 3, and the first polarized light is projected to the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 through the polarization beam splitter 3. However, the image generating device 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application is not limited thereto. For example, in some embodiments, the image generating device 1 may include a non-polarized light source, and the non-polarized light source is used to generate non-polarized light, that is, natural light, that is, projected toward the polarization beam splitter 3. Since the polarization beam splitter 3 has a polarizing function, the first polarized light can be obtained from the non-polarized light, and the first polarized light can be projected to the silicon-based liquid crystal 5 through the first optical path. It can be seen from this that the combination of the non-polarized light source and the polarization beam splitter 3 can also realize the function of projecting the first polarized light to the silicon-based liquid crystal 5, that is, the function of the light source module 2. Therefore, the non-polarized light source and the polarization beam splitter 3 can also be referred to as the light source module 2.

[0125] The embodiment of the present application also provides another image generating device 1, such as Figure 11 As shown, this image generation device 1 differs from the image generation device 1 in the above embodiment in that the polarization beam splitter 3 is a flat-plate polarization beam splitter device. It is made of a polarization beam splitter film with a metal wire grid microstructure bonded to a glass substrate. Alternatively, the metal wire grid microstructure can be formed directly on the glass substrate through processes such as etching or nanoimprinting. This polarization beam splitter 3 can also reflect S-polarized light and transmit P-polarized light; it has a reflective optical path and a transmissive optical path; in other words, it has a first optical path and a second optical path. The operating principle of using a flat-plate polarization beam splitter device as the polarization beam splitter 3 is the same as that of using a prism-type polarization beam splitter device as the polarization beam splitter 3, and will not be further described here.

[0126] The embodiment of the present application also provides another image generating device 1, such as Figure 12 As shown, the difference between this image generating device 1 and the image generating device 1 in the above embodiment is that the first polarized light is S-polarized light, the second polarized light is P-polarized light, the first optical path is a transmission optical path in the polarization beam splitter 3, and the second optical path is a reflection optical path in the polarization beam splitter 3. The display principle of this image generating device 1 can be referred to the above embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0127] The embodiment of the present application also provides an image generating device 1 using a liquid crystal display device, such as Figure 13As shown, the image generating device 1 includes a light source module 2, a liquid crystal display device 12, a projection module 14 and a phase compensation device 4. The light source module 2 is used to generate a first polarized light projected onto the liquid crystal display device 12. The light source module 2 can be an integrated polarized light source or a combined module structure. In this embodiment, the light source module 2 includes a non-polarized light source 21 and a polarizer 22. The non-polarized light source 21 is used to generate a light source beam irradiated onto the polarizer 22. The light source beam is natural light, i.e., non-polarized light. The polarizer 22 is a polarizing plate that only allows linear polarized light with a polarization direction parallel to the transmission direction to pass through. When the light source beam passes through the polarizer 22, a first polarized light can be obtained from the light source beam. The first polarized light obtained by the polarizer 22 is irradiated onto the liquid crystal display device 12.

[0128] The liquid crystal display device 12 is a transmissive display device comprising an array substrate and a counter substrate disposed opposite each other, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the array substrate and the counter substrate. The liquid crystal display device 12 includes a plurality of pixels arranged in an array, with a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed corresponding to the pixels on the array substrate, and a common electrode disposed on the counter substrate. By applying an electric field between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode, the polarization state of the first polarized light can be modulated.

[0129] The liquid crystal display device 12 forms a modulated light beam by modulating the polarization state of the first polarized light. The modulated light beam can be the first polarized light, the second polarized light, the elliptically polarized light, or the circularly polarized light. The modulated light beam emitted from the liquid crystal display device 12 is irradiated onto the projection module 14, which is used to realize the function of projecting the second polarized light in the modulated light beam. In this embodiment, the projection module 14 includes a polarizer 13 and a projection lens 6. The polarizer 13 is a polarizer whose transmission direction is the same as the polarization direction of the second polarized light, and therefore only allows the second polarized light to pass through; the second polarized light passing through the polarizer 13 is irradiated onto the projection lens 6. The projection lens 6 can be a short-focus lens or a long-focus lens, which is used to project the second polarized light to a preset position, such as the position of the diffusion screen or the reflective element, to realize the display function of the image generating device 1.

[0130] The principle of polarization state modulation of the first polarized light by the liquid crystal display device 12 is similar to that of the liquid crystal on silicon 5. Both utilize the electrically controlled birefringence effect to control the birefringence of the liquid crystal layer, thereby generating a certain phase difference between the o-light and the e-light decomposed from the first polarized light. Therefore, the image generation device 1 using the liquid crystal display device 12 also has the problem of phase difference deviation affecting the display quality.

[0131] Based on this, the image generating device 1 is also provided with a phase compensating device 4. The phase compensating device 4 can be disposed between the projection module 14 and the liquid crystal display device 12, and / or between the light source module 2 and the liquid crystal display device 12; that is, between the light source module 2 and the projection module 14. In this embodiment, the phase compensating device 4 is disposed between the liquid crystal display device 12 and the analyzer 13.

[0132] The structure and working principle of the phase compensation device 4 can refer to the description of the phase compensation device 4 in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0133] The image generation device 1 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to audio and video entertainment and assisted driving scenarios. In specific applications, the image generation device 1 can be used alone or integrated as a component in other devices.

[0134] For example, in one possible application scenario, the image generating device in the embodiment of the present application is integrated into a head up display (HUD), see Figure 14A . Figure 14A This article uses the example of a head-up display installed in a vehicle. A head-up display projects navigation information, instrument cluster information, and other information into the driver's field of view, preventing the driver from looking down to view this information, which could affect driving safety. The image projected by the head-up display is reflected by the windshield, forming a virtual image on the outside of the vehicle. Types of head-up displays include, but are not limited to, windshield (W)-HUDs and augmented reality head-up displays (AR-HUDs).

[0135] In another possible implementation, the image generating device in the embodiment of the present application is integrated into the vehicle display screen, see Figure 14B The vehicle display screen can be installed on the back of the seat or the co-pilot seat of the vehicle, etc. This application does not limit the installation location of the vehicle display screen.

[0136] In another possible application scenario, the image generating device in the embodiment of the present application is integrated into a near eye display (NED) device. The NED device may be, for example, an AR device or a VR device. The AR device may include but is not limited to AR glasses or AR helmets. The VR device may include but is not limited to VR glasses or VR helmets. Figure 14C Taking AR glasses as an example, users can wear AR glasses to play games, watch videos, participate in virtual meetings or video shopping, etc.

[0137] In another possible application scenario, the image generating device in the embodiment of the present application is integrated into a projector, see Figure 14D, a projector can project images onto a wall or projection screen.

[0138] Among them, the application scenarios given above are only examples. The image generation device 1 provided in this application can also be applied to other possible scenarios, such as medical equipment, and this application does not limit it.

[0139] The present application also provides a display device, such as Figure 15 As shown, the display device 100 includes a processor 1001 and the image generating device 1 in the above embodiment. The processor 1001 is used to control the image generating device 1 to form imaging light.

[0140] The display device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be a head-up display device, a vehicle display screen, a near-eye display device, a projector, and a medical device mentioned in the above application scenarios; it can also be a display screen integrated in a smart home appliance, or it can be an Internet TV, a smart TV, an Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), or integrated therein.

[0141] In some embodiments, the display device 100 further includes a diffuser screen 110, disposed on the light-emitting side of the image generating device 1, for receiving imaging light emitted by the image generating device 1 and generating an image. Furthermore, the diffuser screen 110 can enhance the uniformity of the imaged image through its scattering effect and inherent structure. In this embodiment, the diffuser screen 110 can be a reflective diffuser screen or a transmissive diffuser screen.

[0142] refer to Figure 16 , Figure 16 Schematic diagram of a display device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0143] like Figure 16 As shown, the circuit in the display device 100 mainly includes a processor 1001, an internal memory 1002, an external memory interface 1003, an audio module 1004, a video module 1005, a power module 1006, a wireless communication module 1007, an I / O interface 1008, a video interface 1009, a controller area network (CAN) transceiver 1010, a display circuit 1011, and any one of the above-mentioned image generation devices 1. Among them, the processor 1001 and its peripheral components, such as the internal memory 1002, the CAN transceiver 1010, the audio module 1004, the video module 1005, the power module 1006, the wireless communication module 1007, the I / O interface 1008, the video interface 1009, the transceiver 1010, and the display circuit 1011 can be connected through a bus.

[0144] The processor 1001 may be referred to as a front-end processor. The processor 1001 includes one or more processing units, such as an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural-network processing unit (NPU). The different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0145] The processor 1001 may also be provided with a memory for storing instructions and data. For example, the display device 100's operating system, the AR Creator software package, and the like may be stored. In some embodiments, the memory in the processor 1001 is a cache memory. This memory can store instructions or data that the processor 1001 has just used or is reusing. If the processor 1001 needs to use the instruction or data again, it can be directly called from the memory. This avoids repeated accesses, reduces the waiting time of the processor 1001, and thus improves system efficiency.

[0146] In addition, if the display device 100 in this embodiment is installed on a vehicle, the functions of the processor 1001 can be implemented by a domain controller on the vehicle.

[0147] In some embodiments, the display device 100 may further include a plurality of input / output (I / O) interfaces 1008 connected to the processor 1001. The interfaces 1008 may include, but are not limited to, an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, an inter-integrated circuit sound (I2S) interface, a pulse code modulation (PCM) interface, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface, a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, a subscriber identity module (SIM) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface. The I / O interfaces 1008 may be connected to devices such as a mouse, a touch screen, a keyboard, a camera, a speaker, a microphone, and the like, as well as to physical buttons on the display device 100 (e.g., a volume button, a brightness adjustment button, a power button, etc.).

[0148] The internal memory 1002 can be used to store computer executable program code, which includes instructions. The memory 1002 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. Among them, the program storage area can store an operating system, an application required for at least one function (such as a call function, a time setting function, an AR function, etc.), etc. The data storage area can store data created during the use of the display device (such as a phone book, world time, etc.), etc. In addition, the internal memory 1002 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, a universal flash storage (UFS), etc. The processor 1001 executes various functional applications and data processing of the display device 100 by running instructions stored in the internal memory 1002 and / or instructions stored in a memory provided in the processor 1001.

[0149] The external memory interface 1003 can be used to connect to an external memory (such as a Micro SD card). The external memory can store data or program instructions as needed, and the processor 1001 can perform operations such as reading and writing these data or programs through the external memory interface 1003.

[0150] The audio module 1004 is used to convert digital audio information into analog audio signal output, and is also used to convert analog audio input into digital audio signals. The audio module 1004 can also be used to encode and decode audio signals, such as for playback or recording. In some embodiments, the audio module 1004 can be provided in the processor 1001, or some functional modules of the audio module 1004 can be provided in the processor 1001. The display device can implement audio functions through the audio module 1004 and the application processor.

[0151] The video interface 1009 can receive external audio and video input, which can specifically be a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a digital visual interface (DVI), a video graphics array (VGA), a display port (DP), a low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface, etc. The video interface 1009 can also output video externally. For example, the display device 100 receives video data sent by a navigation system or receives video data sent by a domain controller through the video interface.

[0152] The video module 1005 can decode the video input by the video interface 1009, for example, by performing H.264 decoding. The video module can also encode the video captured by the display device 100, for example, by performing H.264 encoding on the video captured by an external camera. In addition, the processor 1001 can also decode the video input by the video interface 1009 and output the decoded image signal to the display circuit 1011.

[0153] Furthermore, if the display device 100 in this embodiment is installed on a vehicle, the display device 100 also includes a CAN transceiver 1010, which can be connected to the vehicle's CAN bus (CAN BUS). Through the CAN bus, the display device 100 can communicate with the in-vehicle entertainment system (music, radio, video module), the vehicle status system, etc. For example, a user can turn on the in-vehicle music playback function by operating the display device 100. The vehicle status system can send vehicle status information (doors, seat belts, etc.) to the display device 100 for display.

[0154] The display circuit 1011 and the image generation device 1 jointly implement the image display function. The display circuit 1011 receives the image signal output by the processor 1001, processes the image signal, and then inputs it into the image generation device 1 for imaging. The display circuit 1011 can also control the image displayed by the image generation device 1. For example, it can control parameters such as display brightness and contrast. The display circuit 1011 may include a driver circuit, an image control circuit, etc.

[0155] In this embodiment, the video interface 1009 can receive input video data (or called a video source), and the video module 1005 decodes and / or digitally processes the data and outputs an image signal to the display circuit 1011. The display circuit 1011 drives the image generating device 1 to form an image according to the input image signal, thereby generating a visible image (emitting imaging light).

[0156] The power module 1006 is used to provide power to components such as the processor 1001 and the image generation device 1 based on input power (e.g., direct current). The power module 1006 may include a rechargeable battery. Furthermore, the power module 1006 may be connected to a vehicle's power supply module (e.g., a power battery), which in turn supplies power to the power module 1006 of the display device 100.

[0157] The wireless communication module 1007 enables the display device 100 to communicate wirelessly with the outside world. It can provide wireless local area networks (WLAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks, Bluetooth (BT), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared (IR) and other wireless communication solutions. The wireless communication module 1007 can be one or more devices that integrate at least one communication processing module. The wireless communication module 1007 receives electromagnetic waves via an antenna, frequency modulates and filters the electromagnetic wave signals, and sends the processed signals to the processor 1001. The wireless communication module 1007 can also receive signals to be sent from the processor 1001, frequency modulate them, amplify them, and convert them into electromagnetic waves for radiation through the antenna.

[0158] In addition, in addition to being input through the video interface 1009, the video data decoded by the video module 1005 can also be received wirelessly through the wireless communication module 1007 or read from the internal memory 1002 or the external memory. For example, the display device 100 can receive video data from the terminal device or the in-vehicle entertainment system through the wireless local area network in the vehicle, and the display device 100 can also read the audio and video data stored in the internal memory 1002 or the external memory.

[0159] In addition, the circuit diagrams shown in the embodiments of the present application do not constitute a specific limitation on the display device 100. In other embodiments of the present application, the display device 100 may include more or fewer components than shown, or may combine or separate certain components, or may have different component arrangements. The components shown in the diagrams may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware.

[0160] In addition to providing the above functions, the display device 100 may also provide a broadcast receiving television function. For example, the display device 100 may be integrated into an Internet TV, a smart TV, or an Internet Protocol TV (IPTV).

[0161] The embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle, on which the display device 100 of the above embodiment is installed. The vehicle also includes a reflective element, which is used to reflect the imaging light formed by the display device 100 to a preset position.

[0162] For example, Figure 17 As shown, when the display device 100 is a head-up display device installed on a vehicle, the reflective element can be the windshield 201 of the vehicle, and the windshield 201 is used to receive imaging light emitted by the head-up display device, wherein the imaging light includes driving-related image information, and the windshield 201 reflects the imaging light to the eyes of the driver of the vehicle so that the driver of the vehicle 200 sees a virtual image of the driving-related image information.

[0163] See Figure 18 , Figure 18 This is a functional diagram of a vehicle 200 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle may include various subsystems, such as the sensor system 210, the control system 220, one or more peripheral devices 230 (one is shown as an example), the power supply 240, the computer system 250, and the display system 260 shown in the figure. The above subsystems can communicate with each other. The display system 260 may include the display device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle may also include other functional systems, such as an engine system that provides power to the vehicle, a cockpit, etc., which are not limited here by the present application.

[0164] The sensor system 210 may include a number of detection devices that can sense the information being measured and convert the sensed information into electrical signals or other required forms of information output according to certain rules. These detection devices may include a global positioning system (GPS), a vehicle speed sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a radar unit, a laser rangefinder, a camera, a wheel speed sensor, a steering sensor, a gear position sensor, or other components used for automatic detection, etc., and this application does not limit them.

[0165] Control system 220 may include several components, such as the steering unit, braking unit, lighting system, autonomous driving system, map navigation system, network timing system, and obstacle avoidance system shown in the figure. Control system 220 may receive information (such as vehicle speed and distance between vehicles) from sensor system 210 to implement functions such as autonomous driving and map navigation.

[0166] Optionally, the control system 220 may further include components such as a throttle controller and an engine controller for controlling the vehicle's speed, which is not limited in this application.

[0167] Peripheral devices 230 may include several components, such as a communication system, a touch screen, a user interface, a microphone, and a speaker. The communication system is used to enable network communication between the vehicle and other devices. In practice, the communication system may utilize wireless or wired communication technologies to enable network communication between the vehicle and other devices. Wired communication technologies may involve communication between the vehicle and other devices via network cables or optical fibers.

[0168] Power supply 240 represents a system that provides power or energy to the vehicle, and may include, but is not limited to, rechargeable lithium batteries or lead-acid batteries. In practical applications, one or more battery components in the power supply are used to provide the power or energy for starting the vehicle. The type and material of the power supply are not limited in this application.

[0169] Several functions of the vehicle can be controlled and implemented by a computer system 250. The computer system 250 may include one or more processors 2501 (one processor is shown as an example) and a memory 2502 (also referred to as a storage device). In practical applications, the memory 2502 may be internal to the computer system 250 or external to the computer system 250, for example, as a cache in the vehicle, although this application is not limited thereto.

[0170] Processor 2501 may include one or more general-purpose processors, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU). Processor 2501 may be configured to execute programs or instructions corresponding to programs stored in memory 2502 to implement corresponding vehicle functions. Processor 2501 may also be referred to as a domain controller.

[0171] The memory 2502 may include a volatile memory, such as RAM; the memory may also include a non-volatile memory, such as ROM, flash memory, HDD or solid-state drive SSD; the memory 2502 may also include a combination of the above types of memory. The memory 2502 can be used to store a set of program codes or instructions corresponding to the program codes, so that the processor 2501 can call the program codes or instructions stored in the memory 2502 to implement the corresponding functions of the vehicle. In the present application, a set of program codes for vehicle control can be stored in the memory 2502, and the processor 2501 can call the program code to control the safe driving of the vehicle. How to achieve safe driving of the vehicle is described in detail below in this application.

[0172] Optionally, in addition to storing program code or instructions, memory 2502 may also store information such as road maps, driving routes, and sensor data. Computer system 250 may integrate with other components in the vehicle functional framework diagram, such as sensors and GPS in the sensor system, to implement relevant vehicle functions. For example, computer system 250 may control the vehicle's direction or speed based on data input from sensor system 210, although this application is not limited thereto.

[0173] The display system 260 can interact with other systems within the vehicle. For example, it can display navigation information sent by the control system 220 or play multimedia content sent by the computer system 250 and the peripheral device 230. The specific structure of the display system 260 is described in detail in the above-mentioned embodiment of the display device and will not be further described here.

[0174] The four subsystems illustrated in this embodiment—sensor system 210, control system 220, computer system 250, and display system 260—are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In actual applications, a vehicle may combine several components within the vehicle according to different functions, thereby obtaining subsystems with corresponding functions. In actual applications, a vehicle may include more or fewer subsystems or components, and this application does not limit this.

[0175] The vehicles in the embodiments of this application may be known vehicles such as automobiles, airplanes, ships, and rockets, or may be new vehicles that will emerge in the future. The vehicles may be electric vehicles, fuel vehicles, or hybrid vehicles, such as pure electric vehicles, extended-range electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and new energy vehicles, and this application does not specifically limit these.

[0176] The technical effects that can be achieved by the display device and vehicle provided in the embodiments of the present application are the same as the technical effects that can be achieved by the image generating device 1 described in any of the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0177] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An image generating device, characterized in that: The image generating device includes a light source module, a light modulator, a projection module and a phase compensation device; The light source module is used to generate a first polarized light that is projected toward the light modulator; The light modulator is used to modulate the first polarized light into a modulated light beam; The projection module is used to project the second polarized light in the modulated light beam, wherein the first polarized light and the second polarized light are linearly polarized lights with polarization directions perpendicular to each other; The phase compensation device is arranged between the light source module and the projection module, and includes a phase compensation plate and a driving device; the driving device is used to drive the phase compensation plate to move; The phase compensation plate has at least two compensation states when driven by the driving device. In different compensation states, the phase compensation plate has different phase delays for the light path between the light source module and the projection module.

2. The image generating device according to claim 1, wherein The phase compensation plate includes at least two compensation parts, and the driving device drives the phase compensation plate to move so that any one of the compensation parts is located in the optical path between the light source module and the projection module.

3. The image generating device according to claim 2, wherein: The compensation portion of the phase compensation plate is arranged around a first axis, and the driving device is a rotation driving device that drives the phase compensation plate to rotate around the first axis; The first axis is parallel to the light propagation direction at the location of the phase compensation plate.

4. The image generating device according to claim 2, wherein: The compensation portion of the phase compensation plate is arranged along a first straight line, and the driving device is a linear driving device that drives the phase compensation plate to move along the first straight line; The first straight line is perpendicular to the light propagation direction at the location of the phase compensation plate.

5. The image generating device according to claim 1, wherein The phase compensation plate is a plate-shaped structure whose thickness direction is parallel to the second straight line, and the driving device is a rotation driving device that drives the phase compensation plate to rotate around the second axis; The second axis is perpendicular to the light propagation direction at the position of the phase compensator and is perpendicular to the second straight line; the second axis passes through the phase compensator.

6. The image generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The driving device includes a driving motor or a piezoelectric device.

7. The image generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The image generating device further includes a compensation controller electrically connected to the driving device and configured to control the movement of the driving device according to an external input signal and / or an automatic control signal.

8. The image generating device according to claim 7, wherein: The image generating device further includes a detection sensor configured to detect environmental information of the image generating device; and the compensation controller is configured to control the movement of the driving device according to the environmental information.

9. The image generating device according to claim 8, wherein: The environmental information of the image generating device includes at least one of the following: temperature or humidity.

10. The image generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The light modulator is liquid crystal on silicon, and the projection module includes a polarization beam splitter and a projection lens; The polarization beam splitter includes a first optical path and a second optical path formed by polarization splitting, wherein the first optical path is used to transmit the first polarized light, and the second optical path is used to transmit the second polarized light; The light source module and the silicon-based liquid crystal are respectively arranged opposite to two ends of the first light path; The projection lens and the silicon-based liquid crystal are respectively arranged opposite to two ends of the second optical path, and the polarization beam splitter is used to obtain the second polarized light from the modulated light beam emitted by the silicon-based liquid crystal, and project the second polarized light to the projection lens through the second optical path; The phase compensation device is arranged between the polarization beam splitter and the silicon-based liquid crystal.

11. The image generating device according to claim 10, wherein: The light source module includes a polarized light source, and the polarized light source is used to generate the first polarized light projected toward the polarization beam splitter; Alternatively, the light source module includes a non-polarized light source and a polarizer, the non-polarized light source is used to generate a light source beam projected toward the polarizer, and the light source beam is non-polarized light; the polarizer is used to obtain the first polarized light from the light source beam and project the first polarized light toward the polarization beam splitter.

12. The image generating device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The image generating device further includes a first polarizer disposed between the light source module and the polarization beam splitter, and / or a second polarizer disposed between the polarization beam splitter and the projection module; The transmission direction of the first polarizer is the same as the polarization direction of the first polarized light, and the transmission direction of the second polarizer is the same as the polarization direction of the second polarized light.

13. The image generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The light modulator is liquid crystal on silicon, the light source module includes a polarization beam splitter and a non-polarized light source, and the projection module includes the polarization beam splitter and a projection lens; The polarization beam splitter includes a first optical path and a second optical path formed by polarization splitting, wherein the first optical path is used to transmit the first polarized light, and the second optical path is used to transmit the second polarized light; The non-polarized light source and the silicon-based liquid crystal are respectively arranged opposite to the two ends of the first optical path; the non-polarized light source is used to generate a light source beam projected toward the polarization beam splitter, and the light source beam is non-polarized light; the polarization beam splitter is used to obtain the first polarized light from the light source beam emitted by the silicon-based liquid crystal, and project the first polarized light to the silicon-based liquid crystal through the first optical path; The projection lens and the silicon-based liquid crystal are respectively arranged opposite to two ends of the second optical path, and the polarization beam splitter is used to obtain the second polarized light from the modulated light beam emitted by the silicon-based liquid crystal, and project the second polarized light to the projection lens through the second optical path; The phase compensation device is arranged between the polarization beam splitter and the silicon-based liquid crystal.

14. The image generating device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that: The polarization beam splitter is a flat plate or prism polarization beam splitter.

15. The image generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The light modulator is a liquid crystal display device, and the light source module and the projection module are respectively arranged on both sides of the liquid crystal display device; the projection module includes an analyzer and a projection lens, and the analyzer is used to obtain the second polarized light from the modulated light beam emitted by the liquid crystal display device and project the second polarized light to the projection lens; The phase compensation device is arranged between the light source module and the liquid crystal display device, and / or between the projection module and the liquid crystal display device.

16. The image generating device according to claim 15, wherein: The light source module includes a polarized light source, and the polarized light source is used to generate the first polarized light projected toward the polarization beam splitter; Alternatively, the light source module includes a non-polarized light source and a polarizer, the non-polarized light source is used to generate a light source beam projected toward the polarizer, and the light source beam is non-polarized light; the polarizer is used to obtain the first polarized light from the light source beam and project the first polarized light onto the liquid crystal display device.

17. A display device, characterized in that: The apparatus comprises a processor and the image generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the processor is configured to control the image generating device to form imaging light.

18. A means of transport, characterized in that: The display device according to claim 17 is installed on the vehicle.

19. The vehicle according to claim 18, characterized in that The vehicle further includes a reflective element, the display device is configured to project imaging light onto the reflective element, and the reflective element is configured to reflect the imaging light.

Images