Projection system and method for etendu utilization

Abstract

We provide a projection system for etendu use. [Solution] The system includes a first light source configured to emit light, the light comprising a first etendue component and a second etendue component, the first etendue component having a lower etendue than the second etendue component; a first projection optical system configured to project a first image onto a screen; a second projection optical system configured to project a second image onto a screen; and an etendue splitter component. The etendue splitter component is configured to receive light from the light source, extract the first etendue component and the second etendue component from the light, provide the first etendue component to the first projection optical system, and provide the second etendue component to the second projection optical system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Related Applications] This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 21183142.5, filed on July 1, 2021, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 215,755, filed on June 28, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 160,374, filed on March 12, 2021, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] [Related Field] This application generally relates to projection systems and methods for driving projection systems.

Background Art

[0003] Digital projection systems typically use a light source and an optical system to project an image onto a screen or display. The optical system includes components such as mirrors, lenses, waveguides, optical fibers, beam splitters, diffusers, and spatial light modulators (SLMs). Some emerging imaging technologies use beam steering techniques achieved with phase modulation, tilted mirror devices, lift mirror / piston devices, etc. In such systems, the quality of the output image depends on the étendue of the light, which is a measure of the effective spatial and angular size of the light source.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to circuits, systems, and methods for projection displays that use both high and low étendue components of a light source.

[0005] In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a projection system for etendue utilization is provided, the projection system comprising: a light source configured to emit light, the light comprising a first etendue component and a second etendue component; a first projection optical system configured to project a first image onto a screen; a second projection optical system configured to project a second image onto a screen; and an etendue splitter component. The etendue splitter component is configured to receive light from the light source, extract the first etendue component and the second etendue component from the light, provide the first etendue component to the first projection optical system, and provide the second etendue component to the second projection optical system.

[0006] In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a projection system for etendue utilization is provided, the projection system comprising: a light source configured to emit first light having a first etendue amount; a projection device configured to project a first image onto a screen; and at least one optical component. The at least one optical component is configured to receive the first light, extract a second light having a second etendue amount lower than the first etendue amount, and provide the second light to the projection device.

[0007] In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a projection system for etendue utilization is provided, the projection system comprising: a light source configured to emit first light having a first etendue; and an etendue component configured to receive the first light and extract from the first light a second light having a second etendue and a third light having a third etendue, wherein the second etendue is lower than the first etendue and the first etendue is lower than the third etendue; the projection system comprising: a first light modulator configured to receive the second light, modulate the second light in a manner associated with a first image, and output the modulated second light; and a second light modulator configured to receive the modulated second light from the first light modulator, receive a third light from the etendue component, modulate the third light in a manner associated with a first image, further modulate the modulated second light, and output the modulated third light and the further modulated second light.

[0008] Other exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for etendu utilization within a projection system. The projection system is A light source configured to emit light, wherein the light comprises a first etendue component and a second etendue component, and the first etendue component has a lower etendue than the second etendue component; A first projection optical system configured to project a first image onto a screen, A second projection optical system configured to project a second image onto a screen, Etendance splitter component, Includes, The aforementioned method, The steps of receiving light from the light source, A step of extracting the first etendu component and the second etendu component from the light, The steps of providing the first etendue component to the first projection optical system, The steps of providing the second etendue component to the second projection optical system, Includes.

[0009] In other exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a non-temporary computer-readable medium for storing instructions is provided, The projection system is A light source configured to emit light, wherein the light comprises a first etendue component and a second etendue component, and the first etendue component has a lower etendue than the second etendue component; A first projection optical system configured to project a first image onto a screen, A second projection optical system configured to project a second image onto a screen, Etendance splitter component, Includes, When the instruction is executed by the processor of the projection system, The steps of receiving light from the light source, A step of extracting the first etendu component and the second etendu component from the light, The steps of providing the first etendue component to the first projection optical system, The steps of providing the second etendue component to the second projection optical system, The projection system is made to perform an operation that includes the following. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] These and other more detailed and specific features of various embodiments are further fully disclosed in the following description and with reference to the attached drawings.

[0011] [Figure 1] The following are block diagrams illustrating exemplary projection systems in various aspects of this disclosure.

[0012] [Figure 2] This disclosure illustrates various exemplary phase modulators.

[0013] [Figure 3A] The diagrams below illustrate exemplary phase optical modulators according to various aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 3B] Shows a diagram of an exemplary phase modulator according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 4] Shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary etendue splitter used in various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 5] Shows a cross-sectional view of another exemplary etendue splitter used in various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 6] Shows a cross-sectional view of another exemplary etendue splitter used in various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 7] Shows a cross-sectional view of another exemplary etendue splitter used in various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 8] Shows a graph comparing low and high etendue ratios compared to the illumination radius according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 9] Shows a block diagram of another exemplary projection system according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 10] Shows a block diagram of another exemplary projection system according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 11] Shows a block diagram of another exemplary projection system according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] This disclosure and its embodiments can be embodied in various forms, including computer-implemented hardware or circuits, computer program products, computer systems and networks, user interfaces and application programming interfaces, as well as hardware-implemented methods, signal processing circuits, memory arrays, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. This summary is intended merely to give an overall idea of ​​the various embodiments of this disclosure and does not limit the scope of this disclosure in any way.

[0023] The following description includes numerous details, such as circuit configuration, timing, operation, etc., to provide an understanding of one or more aspects of the present disclosure. It will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the application.

[0024] Furthermore, while this disclosure primarily focuses on examples of how various circuits are used in digital projection systems, it will be understood that this is merely one example of implementation. It will be further understood that the disclosed systems and methods can be used in any device that needs to project or display light, such as cinema, consumer and other commercial projection systems, head-up displays, and virtual reality displays.

[0025] Projection system

[0026] Figure 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary projection system 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In particular, Figure 1 shows the projection system 100, and the projection system 100 is A light source 101 configured to emit a first light 102, An etenduplicator component 103 is configured to receive a first light 102 and redirect the first light 102 or modify the first light to generate a first etendup component 412 and a second etendup component 414, A phase optical modulator (PLM) 105 is configured to apply spatially variable phase modulation to a first etendue component 412 and / or a second etendue component 414, thereby steering the first etendue component 412 and / or the second etendue component 414 and generating a third light 106, A first projection optical system 107 is configured to receive a third light 106, redirect or modify the third light 106, and thereby generate a fourth light 108, A filter 109 is configured to filter the fourth light 108 and thereby generate the fifth light 110, The projection system includes a second projection optical system 111 configured to receive the fifth light 110 and project the fifth light 110 as the sixth light 112 onto the screen 113. The projection system may further include an amplitude-based spatial light modulator (SLM) or other additional modulators 105', shown as dotted in Figure 1. Although the etendu-splitter component 103 is illustrated as being between the light source 101 and the PLM 105, in practice the etendu-splitter component 103 can be located at a separate location within the projection system 100, after the light source 101 (i.e., between the first projection optical system 107 and the filter 109, etc.). Furthermore, although the second etendu component 414 is illustrated as being delivered to the SLM 105', the second etendu component 414 can be delivered to other components of the projection system 100, such as the first projection optical system 107, the filter 109, or the second projection optical system 111. The second etendue component 414 can be modified by a third projection optical system 115, shown as a dotted line in Figure 1. The third projection optical system 115 may include an integrating rod or fly-eye array configured to homogenize the second etendue component 414. In some embodiments, the first etendue component 412 is supplied to the third projection optical system 115, and the second etendue component 414 is supplied to the PLM 105. By bypassing the PLM 105 with one component, the overall optical efficiency is increased.

[0027] The projection system 100 further includes a controller 114 configured to control various components of the projection system 100, such as a light source 101, a PLM 105, and / or an SLM 105'. In some embodiments, the controller 114 may, in addition or alternatively, control other components of the projection system 100, including but not limited to an etendus-splitter component 103, a first projection optical system 107, and / or a second projection optical system 111. The controller 114 may be one or more processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU) of the projection system 100. The etendus-splitter component 103, the first projection optical system 107, and the second projection optical system 111 may each include one or more optical components, such as mirrors, lenses, waveguides, optical fibers, beam splitters, diffusers, etc. The controller 114 may control the light source 101 to control its brightness (e.g., dimming) based on the image content. In some implementations, as will be described in more detail below, the etendu-splitter component 103 may be configured to dynamically split the first light 102 into a first etendu component 412 and a second etendu component 414 based on the image content. If present, the SLM 105' may be controlled by a controller 114. For example, the controller 114 can supply control signals to the SLM 105' to control the individual modulation elements of the SLM 105'. Except for the screen 113, the components shown in Figure 1 may be integrated into a housing to provide a projection device. Such a projection device may include additional components such as memory, input / output ports, communication circuits, and a power supply. The components may be further divided between two projectors. In some implementations, as will be described in more detail below, the first etendu component 412 and the second etendu component 414 are provided to separate projectors.

[0028] The light source 101 is, for example, a laser light source, an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), etc. Generally, the light source 101 is any light-emitting element that emits light. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the light source 101 may include a plurality of individual light-emitting elements, each corresponding to a different wavelength or wavelength band. The light source 101 may include fiber optical coupling, such as a single fiber coupled laser or direct coupling. The light source 101 emits light in response to an image signal provided by the controller 114. The image signal includes image data corresponding to a plurality of frames that are displayed sequentially. The image signal may originate from an external source via streaming or cloud-based methods, from the internal memory of the projection system 100, such as a hard disk, from removable media operably connected to the projection system 100, or from a combination thereof.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the controller 114 controls the PLM 105 that receives light from the light source 101. The PLM 105 performs spatially changing phase modulation on the light and directs the modulated light to the first projection optical system 107. The PLM 105 may be a reflective type in which the PLM 105 reflects incident light with a spatially changing phase. Alternatively, the PLM 105 may be a transmissive type in which the PLM 105 performs spatially changing phase on the light as it passes through the PLM 105. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the PLM 105 has a liquid crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) architecture. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the PLM 105 has a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) architecture, such as a digital micromirror device (DMD).

[0030] Figure 2 shows an example of a PLM105 implemented as a reflective LCOS PLM200, shown in a partial cross-sectional view. As shown in Figure 2, the PLM200 includes a silicon backplane 210, a first electrode layer 220, a second electrode layer 230, a liquid crystal layer 240, a cover glass 250, and a spacer 260. The silicon backplane 210 includes electronic circuits associated with the PLM200, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors. The first electrode layer 220 includes an array of reflective elements 221 arranged within a transparent matrix 222. The reflective elements 221 can be formed from any highly optically reflective material such as aluminum or silver. The transparent matrix 222 can be formed from any highly optically transparent material such as a transparent oxide. The second electrode layer 230 can be formed from any optically transparent conductive material such as a thin film of indium tin oxide (ITO). The second electrode layer 230 can be provided as a common electrode corresponding to a plurality of reflective elements 221 of the first electrode layer 220. In such a configuration, each of the plurality of reflective elements 221 is coupled to the second electrode layer 230 via its respective electric field, dividing the PLM 200 into arbitrary pixel element arrays. A pixel element can be the smallest addressable element of the PLM 200, such as each of the plurality of reflective elements 221. Thus, individual (or subset) of the plurality of reflective elements 221 can be addressed via electronic circuits located on the silicon backplane 210, thereby changing the state of the corresponding reflective element 221. A subset of pixels (pixel elements) can be coupled together (or grouped) for control purposes to change (e.g., lower) the inherent resolution of the PLM 200.

[0031] The liquid crystal layer 240 is positioned between the first electrode layer 220 and the second electrode layer 230 and contains multiple liquid crystals 241. The liquid crystals 241 are particles that exist in an intermediate phase between solid and liquid. That is, the liquid crystals 241 indicate a degree of directionality but not a degree of positionality. The direction that the liquid crystals 241 point to is called the "direction vector". The liquid crystal layer 240 modifies the incident light entering from the cover glass 250 based on the birefringence Δn of the liquid crystals 241, which can be expressed as the difference between the refractive index in the direction parallel to the direction vector and the refractive index in the direction perpendicular to the direction vector. From this, the maximum optical path difference can be expressed as the birefringence multiplied by the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 240. This thickness is set by the spacer 260 that seals the PLM 200 and ensures a set distance between the cover glass 250 and the silicon backplane 210. The liquid crystals 241 generally align along the electric field line between the first electrode layer 220 and the second electrode layer 230. As shown in Figure 2, the liquid crystal 241 near the center of the PLM200 is oriented in this way, but the liquid crystal 241 near the periphery of the PLM200 is not oriented in the absence of electric field lines. By addressing each of the multiple reflective elements 221 via a phase drive signal, the orientation of the liquid crystal 241 can be determined on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

[0032] Figures 3A and 3B show another example of the PLM105 implemented as a DMD300. Figure 3A shows a plan view of the DMD300, and Figure 3B shows a partial cross-sectional view of the DMD300. The DMD300 includes a plurality of square micromirrors 302 arranged in a two-dimensional rectangular array on a substrate 304. In some examples, the DMD300 may be a Texas Instruments digital light processor (DLP). Each micromirror 302 can correspond to one pixel of the final projected image and can be configured to tilt around a rotation axis 308 shown for one particular subset of the micromirrors 302 by electrostatic or other operation. The individual micromirrors 302 have a width 312 and are arranged with gaps of width 310 between them. The micromirrors 302 are formed or coated with any highly reflective material such as aluminum or silver, thereby specularly reflecting light. The gap between the micromirrors 302 may be absorbent so that the input light entering the gap is absorbed by the substrate 304.

[0033] Figure 3A explicitly shows only a few representative micromirrors 302, but in reality, the DMD 300 can include many more individual micromirrors, equal to the resolution of the projection system 100. In some examples, the resolutions are 2K (2048x1080), 4K (4096x2160), 1080p (1920x1080), consumer 4K (3840x2160), etc. Furthermore, in some examples, the micromirrors 302 are rectangular and arranged in a rectangular array, hexagonal and arranged in a hexagonal array, etc. In addition, Figure 3A shows a rotation axis 308 extending diagonally, but in some embodiments, the rotation axis 308 can extend vertically or horizontally.

[0034] As can be seen in Figure 3B, each micromirror 302 may be connected to the substrate 304 by a yoke 314 that is rotatably connected to the micromirror 302. The substrate 304 includes multiple electrodes 316. In the cross-sectional view of Figure 3B, only two electrodes 316 per micromirror 302 are visible, but in reality, each micromirror 302 can include additional electrodes. Although not specifically shown in Figure 3B, the DMD 300 may further include spacer layers, support layers, hinge components that control the height or orientation of the micromirrors 302, etc. The substrate 304 may include electronic circuits associated with the DMD 300, such as CMOS transistors and memory elements.

[0035] Regardless of the specific architecture used for the PLM, the PLM105 is controlled by the controller 114 to take on a specific phase configuration on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Thus, the PLM105 utilizes an array of individual pixels, such as a 960x540 array. The number of pixels in the array can correspond to the resolution of the PLM105. The maximum resolution can be determined by the point-spread function (PSF) of the light source 101 and the parameters of various optical components in the projection system 100. In some implementations, multiple PLM105s can be used in combination with each other. In such configurations, each modulator can have a different number of pixels (for example, the first PLM105 has more pixels than the second PLM105). Furthermore, the PLM105 may have fewer pixels than the SLM105'. Alternatively, the PLM105 may have the same number of pixels as or more than the SLM105'.

[0036] Light etend

[0037] Etendue is a measurement of the effective spatial and angular size of a light source, in mm. 2 *sr (steradian), M 2This relates to terms such as coefficients and beam parameter product (BPP). In beam steering-based projection systems, the minimum focal spot size (or pixel) of the projected image depends on the etendue level. Thus, the spot size increases with the etendue level, and higher etendue levels result in lower image quality (e.g., halos around bright objects, reduced maximum brightness, etc.). Therefore, such projection systems often require laser sources with low etendue levels.

[0038] When a fiber-coupled laser is used as the light source 101, the etendue is based on the fiber radius and solid angle at the fiber output, as defined in Equation 1 below:

number

[0039] The solid angle at the fiber output depends on the numerical aperture of the fiber, as defined in Equation 2 below:

number

[0040] Since etendue is directly dependent on the radius, any light source consists of multiple etendue components. For example, if you observe the center of a fiber-coupled laser and move along the radius toward the outer edge of the laser, the etendue measurement increases from low etendue to high etendue. Many projection systems, such as movie projection, require high laser power, which can result in high laser etendue. This high laser etendue leads to low projector efficiency and poor image quality. To utilize high laser power while efficiently using high etendue light to drive projection systems that require low etendue light, implement an etendue splitter component that divides the laser power into several etendue components with different etendue levels.

[0041] Figure 4 provides an etendu-splitter component 103, which includes a collimator 400, mirrors 402 (shown as first mirror segment 402a and second mirror segment 402b), a high etendu path 404, an expander 406, and a low etendu path 408. A light source 101 emits first light 102, which is received by the collimator 400. The collimator 400 aligns the first light 102 with collimated light 410. Mirrors 402 reflect a portion of the collimated light 410, which is projected toward the high etendu path 404 (e.g., the first etendu path) as a first etendu component 412 (e.g., the high etendu component). The remaining portion of the collimated light 410 is a second etendu component 414 (e.g., the low etendu component), which is received by the expander 406. The expander 406 expands the second etendu component 414 into an expanded second etendu component 416, which is then received by the low etendu pathway 408 (e.g., the second etendu pathway). In some embodiments, the second etendu component 414 may be provided directly to the low etendu pathway 408 without expansion.

[0042] The mirror 402 may be donut-shaped such that the central portion of the collimated light 410 becomes the second etendue component 414, resulting in the first etendue component 412 being donut-shaped. The first etendue component 412 contains a hole in its center, but is considered to have its own etendue equivalent to that of its compact counterpart. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the low etendue component may have a hole, while the high etendue component is compact. The center of the mirror 402 may be a circle, rectangle, square, etc. If the center of the mirror 402 is rectangular, the aspect ratio of the center of the mirror 402 matches the aspect ratio of the PLM 105. By matching the aspect ratio of the center of the mirror 402 to the aspect ratio of the PLM 105, less light is wasted and more of the second etendue component 414 is utilized. When the aspect ratio matches, uniform illumination is obtained for the PLM105, eliminating artifacts caused by uneven illumination that occur when the aspect ratio does not match, and improving image quality.

[0043] Furthermore, in some implementations, the mirror 402 can be dynamically adjusted to adjust the size and / or aspect ratio of its center based on the image content (for example, by moving parts of the mirror along a track or by electrically controlling the reflective properties of the mirror). Thus, the etendue splitter component 103 can be in several different states, each state having a different ratio of the first etendue component 412 to the second etendue component 414. In some configurations, the center of the mirror 402 (or the mirror reflecting the second etendue component 414) can have an aspect ratio substantially similar to that of the PLM 105 (or other optical modulator receiving the second etendue component 414). Here, substantially similar is understood to mean that if the widths of the centers of the mirror 402 and the PLM 105 are scaled to be the same, the height of the center of the mirror 402 will be within 10% of the height of the PLM 105.

[0044] Additional implementations of the etendu-splitter component 103 are possible. For example, a similar mirror 402 can be used on a smaller scale (e.g., in a pinhole of the mirror). In one embodiment, the high etendu path 404 includes a fiber that removes the donut shape and homogenizes the first etendu component 412. The first etendu component 412 can be homogenized by other means, such as integrating a rod, diffuser, or fly-eye optical system. In other embodiments, angle filtering of the beam can be achieved using a Fourier filter. Either the first etendu component 412 or the second etendu component 414 can be discarded based on image content and / or projector requirements. In such embodiments, the second etendu component 414 is reflected from the mirror, while the first etendu component 412 simply follows the high etendu path 404 or is manipulated by an additional optical system (such as an expander 406 or other lenses configured to manipulate the size of the first etendu component 412). In another embodiment, mirror 402 is a first mirror that reflects a first etendue component 412 at a first angle, and the center of mirror 402 includes a second mirror configured to reflect a second etendue component 414 at a second angle. Each embodiment may include modified or additional optics so that the first etendue component 412 and the second etendue component 414 are delivered in a desired form to a desired downstream component.

[0045] In one embodiment, a mirror can reflect the center of the collimated light 410 (e.g., an inverted mirror of mirror 402). Figure 5 provides an etendu-splitter component 103 according to such an embodiment. The etendu-splitter component 103 in Figure 5 includes a collimator 500, a mirror 502, a low etendu path 504, and a high etendu path 508. A light source 101 emits a first light 102 which is received by the collimator 500. The collimator 500 aligns the first light 102 with collimated light 506. Mirror 502 reflects a portion of the collimated light 506, which is projected toward the low etendu path 504 as a first etendu component 510 (e.g., a low etendu component). The remaining portion of the collimated light 506 is the second etendu component 512 (for example, the high etendu components shown as the first high etendu component 512a and the second high etendu component 512b). The second etendu component 512 enters the high etendu pathway 508. The first high etendu component 512a and the second high etendu component 512b may be homogenized as they move downstream, as described above.

[0046] Figure 6 provides an etenduplicator component 103 according to another embodiment. The etenduplicator component 103 of Figure 6 includes a first collimator 600, a second collimator 604, a first axicon 608a, and a second axicon 608b (collectively referred to as axicon 608). The first collimator 600 receives the first light 102. The first collimator 600 aligns the first light 102 to collimated light 602. The first collimated light 602 is received by the second collimator 604. The second collimator 604 aligns the first collimated light 602 to a second collimated light 614. The second collimated light includes a first etendu component 606 and a second etendu component 612. The second etendu component 612 can enter a high etendu path (not shown). The first etendu component 606 can be divided into two sections (first section 606a and second section 606b).

[0047] The first axicon 608a and the second axicon 608b may each be a flat upper axicon having a flat central section. The flat central section of the axicon 608 directs the first etendue component 606 to a low etendue path (not shown). The diameter of the flat central section of the axicon 608 can be changed to precisely correspond to the amount of light required for the low etendue path section of the projection system 100. The outer corner sections of the axicon 608 can refract the first etendue component 606 so that it can be easily directed to the low etendue path.

[0048] In some embodiments, etendue separation occurs directly at the light source 101. For example, Figure 7 provides an etendue splitter component 103 according to such an embodiment. The etendue splitter component 103 includes a mirror 706, a low etendue path 708, and a high etendue path 710. The light source 101 is an array of multiple light sources 712. The light source 101 projects a first light 700 consisting of a first etendue component 702 (e.g., a high etendue component) and a second etendue component 704 (e.g., a low etendue component). A first subset of the multiple light sources 712 can be configured to project the first etendue component 702, and a second subset of the multiple light sources 712 can be configured to project the second etendue component 704. The sources 712 selected for each subset can interleave each other. The first etendue component 702 enters directly into the high etendue path 708. The second etendue component 704 is reflected from the mirror 706 and enters the low etendue path 710. In other embodiments, additional optics can be placed in the light source 101 and the high etendue path 708 and / or the low etendue path 710.

[0049] Referring to Figure 8, the ratio of the second etendue path 414 to the existing first etendue path 412 (e.g., the ratio of low etendue to high etendue) varies based on the size of the collimated light 410, depending on the etendue of the light source 101, the amount of optical energy desired in each path, and the size of each modulator. Figure 8 provides a graph showing the relationship between the first etendue component 412 and the second etendue component 414 as the radius of the collimated light 410 increases while keeping the aperture size of the low etendue path in the filter constant. The size of the collimated light 410 can be selected based on the desired angle in SLM 105'. Furthermore, only a small portion of the power of the collimated light 410 reaches SLM 105', as provided by Equation 3.

number

[0050] Therefore, collimated light 410 (for example, R ill The size of the beam can be adjusted based on the desired image and projector requirements. Although Equation 3 defines a circular beam, other beam shapes and sizes (such as square or rectangular beams) can also be used, as mentioned above.

[0051] Driving a projector system with separate etendu components

[0052] The first etendu component 412 and the second etendu component 414 (or the extended second etendu component 416, hereinafter referred to as the equivalent) are provided in the high etendu path 404 and the low etendu path 408, respectively. The high etendu path 404 and the low etendu path 408 can each lead to separate projectors. For example, Figure 9 provides an exemplary projection system 900 including a first projector 902 and a second projector 904. The etendu-splitter component 103 is connected to the first projector 902 by the high etendu path 404, and the etendu-splitter component 103 is connected to the second projector 904 by the low etendu path 408. Both the first projector 902 and the second projector 904 may include components of the projection system 100 (shown in Figure 1), such as the PLM 105, the first projection optics system 107, the filter 109, the SLM 105', the second projection optics system 111, and / or the controller 114. Thus, the first projector 902 may include the first projection optics system, and the second projector 904 may include the second projection optics system. The first projector 902 and the second projector 904 may each have different capabilities. For example, the first projector 902 may be a standard DLP high etendu projector with a per-pixel light budget, while the second projector 904 may be a beam-steering low etendu projector with a global light budget. Furthermore, since the first projector 902 receives the first etendu component 412, the image projected onto the screen 113 by the first projector 902 includes or is based on the first etendu component 412. Therefore, the second projector 904 receives the second etendue component 414, and the image projected onto the screen 113 by the second projector 904 includes or is based on the second etendue component 414.

[0053] Each projector can utilize its respective etendue component in a different way. For example, the first projector 902 can use the high etendue path 404 to project a desired image component generated by a normal DLP (or amplitude modulator). On the other hand, the second projector 904 can use the low etendue path 408 to project a separate component of the desired image to achieve higher peak highlights using beam steering. The images are then projected onto the screen 113, overlapping each other. The first projector 902 and the second projector 904 may display the same image on the screen 113, but perform different optical operations on the first etendue component 412 and the second etendue component 414.

[0054] Figure 10 provides an additional exemplary projection system 1000 in which an etendu-splitter component 103 is located within a second projector 904. A low etendu path 408 is located within the second projector 904, and the second projector 904 is driven using a second etendu component 414. The first projector 902 receives a first etendu component 412 via a high etendu path 404. In an implementation where the light source 101 is fiber-coupled, the fiber size from the light source 101 may be smaller than the fiber of the first projector 902 (which is a high etendu projector). Therefore, since the first projector 902 does not require a small fiber, the efficiency of the system is improved by using a larger fiber in the high etendu path 404.

[0055] Figure 11 provides another exemplary projection system 1100 in which both a high etendue path 404 and a low etendue path 408 are located within the first projector 902. The first etendue component 412 (from the high etendue path 404) and the second etendue component 414 (from the low etendue path 408) are coupled for a single image output. The combination of the first etendue component 412 and the second etendue component 414 can occur anywhere in the projection system 1100 following the etendue splitter component 103. For example, both the first etendue component 412 and the second etendue component 414 can converge to the same modulator, such as SLM 105', or they can converge before a modulator, such as the first projection optical system 107. The coupling of the first etendue component 412 and the second etendue component 414 can be performed using any suitable technique for coupling optical paths, such as wavelength-based techniques or polarization-based techniques. An additional technique for coupling the optical paths is found in U.S. Patent No. 10,488,746, “Aperture Sharing for Highlight Projection,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. By recombining the first etendue component 412 and the second etendue component 414, the first light 102 is fully utilized to provide an image to the screen 113.

[0056] In other embodiments, two lights of two different wavelengths (e.g., different colors) can be supplied to two separate etenduplicator components. For example, the first light is split into a first etendup component and a second etendup component, and the second light is split into a third etendup component and a fourth etendup component. The first etendup component is coupled with the fourth etendup component, and the second etendup component is coupled with the third etendup component. Thus, lights of different wavelengths and polarization states are coupled while still efficiently utilizing their respective high and low etendup components.

[0057] In some embodiments, the projection system includes several different wavelengths, each provided to a color channel. Each color channel may include, for example, the components shown with respect to projection system 100. In this way, each color channel may include its own PLM 105 and / or its own SLM 105'. Furthermore, each color channel may include its own etendus splitter component 103. Alternatively, in some implementations, the same etendus splitter component 103 is shared by two or more color channels or all color channels.

[0058] While processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc., are described in this specification, it should be understood that such steps, etc., are described as occurring in a specific ordered sequence, but such processes may be performed in conjunction with described steps that are performed in an order different from that described in this specification. It should be further understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described in this specification may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes in this specification are provided for the purpose of illustrating specific embodiments and should not be considered as limiting the claims.

[0059] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Reading the above description will reveal many embodiments and applications beyond those provided. The scope should be determined without reference to the above description, but instead by reference to the attached claims, along with the entire equivalent scope of the claims granted. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technology discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In summary, it should be understood that this application is subject to modification and alteration.

[0060] All terms used in the claims are intended to give their broadest, most reasonable form and ordinary meaning so that they may be understood by those familiar with the art described herein. In particular, the use of singular articles such as “a,” “the,” and “said” should be read to refer to one or more of the elements shown, unless the claim expressly states the opposite limitation.

[0061] This summary of the disclosure is provided to enable readers to quickly assess the characteristics of the technical disclosure. It is understood that it is not to be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, it is found that in the prior detailed description, various features are grouped together into various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of the disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments incorporate more features than those expressly described in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the following claims, the subject matter of the invention lies in fewer features than all of a single disclosed embodiment combined. Accordingly, the following claims are incorporated herein into the detailed description, and each claim stands alone as separately claimed subject matter.

[0062] Various aspects of the present invention may be apparent from the enumerated example embodiments (EEE) listed below. (EEE1) A projection system for etendu utilization, wherein the projection system is A light source configured to emit light, wherein the light comprises a first etendue component and a second etendue component, and the first etendue component has a lower etendue than the second etendue component; A first projection optical system configured to project a first image onto a screen, A second projection optical system configured to project a second image onto a screen, Etendance splitter component, Includes, The aforementioned ethane splitter component is Receiving the light from the aforementioned light source, The first etendu component and the second etendu component are extracted from the light. The first etendue component is provided to the first projection optical system, The second etendue component is provided to the second projection optical system. A projection system configured in such a way. (EEE2) A projection system for EEE1, wherein the first projection optical system is configured to project a first image using a first etendue component, and the second projection optical system is configured to project a second image using a second etendue component. (EEE3) The projection system according to EEE1 or 2, wherein the etenduplicator component is reconfigurable to at least first and second states, in the first state, the etenduplicator component extracts a first portion of light as the first etendup component, and in the second state, the etenduplicator component extracts a second portion of light as the first etendup component, the second portion being larger than the first portion. (EEE4) The projection system according to EEE3, wherein the etenduplicator component includes a moving optical component and an actuator, the actuator being configured to move the moving optical component as part of reconfiguring the etenduplicator component to at least the first and second states. (EEE5) The projection system according to EEE3 or 4, wherein the etandus-splitter component includes an electrically controlled optical component and a controller, the controller being configured to adjust the electrically controlled optical component as part of reconfiguring the etandus-splitter component to at least the first and second states. (EEE6) The aforementioned ethane splitter component is A mirror configured to reflect the first etendue component and to allow the second etendue component to pass through, A projection system including any of the EEE1-5 described above. (EEE7) The projection system according to EEE6, wherein the mirror includes a center configured to pass the second etendue component, and the aspect ratio of the center is the same as the aspect ratio of a modulator configured to receive the second etendue component. (EEE8) The aforementioned ethane splitter component is A projection system according to any one of EEE1 to 7, comprising a first axicon and a second axicon, each configured to direct a portion of the first etendue component toward the first projection optical system. (EEE9) The projection system according to any one of EEE1 to 8, wherein the light source is an array of multiple sources, a first subset of the multiple sources is configured to project the first etendue component, and a second subset of the multiple sources is configured to project the second etendue component. (EEE10) A projection system for etendu utilization, wherein the projection system is A light source configured to emit first light having a first etendue amount, A projection device that can be configured to project a first image onto a screen, At least one optical component, Upon receiving the aforementioned first light, A second light having a second etendue amount lower than the first etendue amount is extracted. The projection device provides the second light, A configuration of at least one optical component, A projection system including (EEE11) The projection system according to EEE10, wherein the projection device includes an optical modulator having a first aspect ratio and receiving the second light, and the at least one optical component has a second aspect ratio substantially similar to the first aspect ratio. (EEE12) The projection system according to EEE10 or 11, wherein the at least one optical component is configured to split the first light into the second light and the third light, the third light having a third etendue amount higher than the first etendue amount, and the at least one optical component is configured to absorb at least a portion of the third light. (EEE13) A projection system according to any one of EEE10 to 12, further comprising a mirror configured to extract the second light by reflecting a portion of the first light. (EEE14) A projection system for etendu utilization, wherein the projection system is A light source configured to emit first light having a first etendue, An etendue component, wherein the etendue component is configured to receive a first light and extract from the first light a second light having a second etendue and a third light having a third etendue, wherein the second etendue is lower than the first etendue and the first etendue is lower than the third etendue, A first optical modulator configured to receive the second light, modulate the second light in a manner related to the first image, and output the modulated second light, A second optical modulator is configured to receive the second light modulated from the first optical modulator, receive the third light from the etendue component, modulate the third light in a manner related to the first image, further modulate the modulated second light, and output the modulated third light and the further modulated second light. A projection system including (EEE15) The projection system according to EEE14, further comprising at least one optical component configured to receive the output of the second optical modulator and project the first image onto a screen. (EEE16) The projection system according to EEE14 or 15, wherein the first optical modulator includes a beam steering device. (EEE17) A projection system according to any one of EEE14 to 16, wherein the first optical modulator includes a plurality of digital mirrors, and the second optical modulator includes a second plurality of digital mirrors. (EEE18) A projection system according to any one of EEE14 to 17, wherein the first optical modulator includes a MEMS array and the second optical modulator includes a DMD array. (EEE19) A projection system according to any one of EEE14 to 18, wherein the first optical modulator includes a larger number of pixels than the second optical modulator. (EEE20) A projection system according to any one of EEE14 to 19, wherein the first optical modulator and the second optical modulator include the same number of pixels. (EEE21) A method for utilizing etendue within a projection system is provided. The projection system is A light source configured to emit light, wherein the light comprises a first etendue component and a second etendue component, and the first etendue component has a lower etendue than the second etendue component; A first projection optical system configured to project a first image onto a screen, A second projection optical system configured to project a second image onto a screen, Etendance splitter component, Includes, The aforementioned method, The steps of receiving light from the light source, A step of extracting the first etendu component and the second etendu component from the light, The steps of providing the first etendue component to the first projection optical system, The steps of providing the second etendue component to the second projection optical system, A method that includes this. (EEE22) The etenduplicator component is reconfigurable to at least a first and a second state, in the first state, the etenduplicator component extracts a first portion of light as the first etendup component, and in the second state, the etenduplicator component extracts a second portion of light as the first etendup component, the second portion being larger than the first portion, according to the method of EEE21. (EEE23) The aforementioned etandus splitter component includes a moving optical component and an actuator, The aforementioned method, A step of moving the moving optical component as part of reconfiguring the ethane splitter component to at least the first and second states, The methods described in EEE22, including those mentioned above. A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium storing (EEE24) instructions, wherein, when executed by the processor of a projection system, the instructions cause the projection system to perform an operation including the method described in any of EEE21 to 23.

Claims

1. A projection system for etendu utilization, wherein the projection system is A light source configured to emit first light having a first etendu amount, A projection device that can be configured to project an image onto a screen, At least one optical component, Upon receiving the first light, A second light having a second etendue amount lower than the first etendue amount is extracted. The projection device is provided with the second light. A configuration of at least one optical component, A projection system including

2. The projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection device includes an optical modulator having a first aspect ratio and receiving the second light, and the at least one optical component has a second aspect ratio substantially similar to the first aspect ratio.

3. The projection system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one optical component is configured to split the first light into a second light and a third light, the third light having a third etendue amount higher than the first etendue amount, and the at least one optical component is configured to absorb at least a portion of the third light.

4. The projection system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a mirror configured to extract the second light by reflecting a portion of the first light.

5. A projection system for etendu utilization, wherein the projection system is A light source configured to emit first light having a first etendue, An etendue component, wherein the etendue component is configured to receive a first light and extract from the first light a second light having a second etendue and a third light having a third etendue, wherein the second etendue is lower than the first etendue and the first etendue is lower than the third etendue, A first optical modulator configured to receive the second light, modulate the second light in a manner related to the first image, and output the modulated second light, A second optical modulator is configured to receive the second light modulated from the first optical modulator, receive the third light from the etendue component, modulate the third light in a manner related to the first image, further modulate the modulated second light, and output the modulated third light and the further modulated second light. A projection system including

6. The projection system according to claim 5, further comprising at least one optical component configured to receive the output of the second optical modulator and project the first image onto a screen.

7. The projection system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the first optical modulator includes a beam steering device.

8. The projection system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the first optical modulator includes a plurality of digital mirrors, and the second optical modulator includes a second plurality of digital mirrors.

9. The projection system according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the first optical modulator includes a MEMS array and the second optical modulator includes a DMD array.

10. The projection system according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the first optical modulator includes a larger number of pixels than the second optical modulator.

11. The projection system according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the first optical modulator and the second optical modulator include the same number of pixels.

12. A method for utilizing etendue within a projection system, The projection system is A light source configured to emit first light having a first etendu amount, A projection device that can be configured to project an image onto a screen, At least one optical component, Upon receiving the first light, A second light having a second etendue amount lower than the first etendue amount is extracted. The projection device is provided with the second light. A configuration of at least one optical component, Includes, The aforementioned method, The steps include receiving the first light, A step of extracting a second light having a second etendue amount lower than the first etendue amount, The steps of providing the second light to the projection device, A method that includes this.

13. A method for utilizing etendue within a projection system, The projection system is A light source configured to emit first light having a first etendue, An etendue component, wherein the etendue component is configured to receive the first light and extract from the first light a second light having a second etendue and a third light having a third etendue, wherein the second etendue is lower than the first etendue and the first etendue is lower than the third etendue, A first optical modulator configured to receive the second light, modulate the second light in a manner related to the first image, and output the modulated second light, A second optical modulator is configured to receive the second light modulated from the first optical modulator, receive the third light from the etendue component, modulate the third light in a manner related to the first image, further modulate the modulated second light, and output the modulated third light and the further modulated second light. Includes, The aforementioned method, The steps include receiving the first light, A step of extracting a second light having a second etendue and a third light having a third etendue from the first light, wherein the second etendue is lower than the first etendue and the first etendue is lower than the third etendue, The steps of receiving the second light and A step of modulating the second light in a manner related to the first image, The steps include outputting the modulated second light, The steps include receiving the modulated second light and receiving the third light, The steps include modulating the third light in a manner related to the first image, and further modulating the modulated second light, A step of outputting the third light and the second light which has been further modulated, A method that includes this.

14. A non-temporary computer-readable medium storing instructions, wherein, when executed by a projection system, the instructions cause the projection system to perform the method according to any one of claims 12 to 13.

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