LCOS optical engine

Abstract

The present application discloses an LCOS optical engine, comprising: an illumination module, wherein the illumination module comprises an LED assembly and an illumination main body, the illumination main body has a light entry side and a light exit side, the LED assembly comprises a light-emitting center and an FPC flexible circuit board, the light-emitting center is located on the light entry side, and the illumination main body comprises a first housing; an imaging module located on the light exit side and mounted on the same central axis as the illumination main body, wherein the imaging module comprises a second housing; and an LCOS module mounted on a side end face where the first housing and the second housing are fixedly connected.

Description

An LCOS optical machine

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the Patent Office of China on November 16, 2023, with application number CN202311534002.4 and invention name “A LCOS optical machine”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of image transmission and display, and more specifically, to an LCOS optical machine. Background Art

[0003] LCOS is a liquid crystal display device that uses semiconductor silicon technology to control liquid crystals to project color images. Compared to traditional DLP and LCD technologies, LCOS offers higher resolution, higher brightness, and better color expression. LCOS is widely used in home theaters, commercial presentations, education, and training.

[0004] Existing LCOS optical engines come in many different forms, differentiated by their structure, and can be categorized as either integrated or split. To reduce the number of components and the complexity of the assembly process, integrated designs are often used. However, integrated LCOS optical engines require extremely high precision for each component, and their dimensions are also highly correlated. During production, this integrated design increases the difficulty of re-molding the optical engine components and performing in-process performance testing of the imaging section, resulting in low yield rates for the finished optical engine.

[0005] With regard to the above-mentioned related technical means, the integrated optical machine has the defects of low yield of the finished optical machine due to the difficulty in re-molding the components and the difficulty in performance testing.

[0006] Application Contents

[0007] The embodiment of the present application provides an LCOS optical engine, which can reduce the difficulty of mold repair and performance testing during the production process of the optical engine and improve the yield rate of the finished optical engine.

[0008] The LCOS optical engine provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0009] An LCOS optical engine, comprising:

[0010] A lighting module, comprising an LED assembly and a lighting body, the lighting body having a light-input side and a light-output side, the LED assembly comprising a light-emitting center and an FPC flexible circuit board, the light-emitting center being located on the light-input side and being fixed and electrically connected to the FPC flexible circuit board; the lighting body comprising a first housing;

[0011] An imaging module, the imaging module is located on the light-emitting side and is installed on the same central axis as the lighting body, the imaging module includes a second shell, and the first shell is fixedly connected to the second shell;

[0012] An LCOS module is installed on a side surface where the first shell and the second shell are fixedly connected.

[0013] Optionally, a connecting piece is provided at one end of the second shell away from the lighting body, and the connecting piece is integrally formed with the second shell; the connecting piece is provided with an inclined surface, and the inclined surface has an inclined angle for matching the waveguide when connecting the waveguide.

[0014] Optionally, the connecting member is provided with a protective glass, and the protective glass is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the connecting member.

[0015] Optionally, a first glue groove is provided at one end of the first shell facing the imaging module; a second glue groove is provided at one end of the second shell facing the lighting body, the straight line in the length direction of the first glue groove and the straight line in the length direction of the second glue groove are perpendicular to each other, and the first shell is fixedly connected to the second shell.

[0016] Optionally, the imaging module further includes a relay lens, a prism, a reflective lens, a first imaging lens and a second imaging lens, and the relay lens and the second imaging lens are both installed in the second shell and arranged in sequence along the optical path; the second shell is provided with a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole, the first mounting hole is located at the end face of the second shell close to the LCOS module and the first imaging lens is installed in the first mounting hole, the second mounting hole is located at the end face of the second shell away from the LCOS module and is arranged in alignment with the first mounting hole, and the prism and the reflective lens are installed in the second mounting hole.

[0017] Optionally, a plurality of the second imaging lenses are provided, and a spacer ring is provided between adjacent second imaging lenses, and two planes of the spacer ring are in contact with and press against adjacent second imaging lenses respectively.

[0018] Optionally, the LCOS module includes a third shell and an LCOS chip, the third shell is fixedly connected to the second shell and the first shell, the LCOS chip is fixedly installed on the third shell, and the LCOS chip is aligned with the first mounting hole.

[0019] Optionally, the lighting body further includes a first collimating lens and a second collimating lens, the first shell is provided with a first positioning hole and a positioning groove, the first collimating lens is located in the first positioning hole, the second collimating lens is located in the positioning groove, and the central axes of the first collimating lens and the second collimating lens coincide.

[0020] Optionally, the first shell is provided with a limiting groove, the light emitting center is located in the limiting groove, and the light emitting center and the center of the first collimating lens are located on the same straight line.

[0021] Optionally, the FPC flexible circuit board is provided with a metal reinforcement plate, and the metal reinforcement plate blocks the opening of the second mounting hole and the opening of the positioning groove.

[0022] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the embodiments of the present application have the following advantages:

[0023] 1. Separately setting up the various components of the optical machine, on the one hand, facilitates the mold modification of each component and improves the precision of each component; on the other hand, it can control the form of the lighting module and the imaging module, realize the process performance test of the two modules, and perform performance supervision separately during the production process, thereby improving the finished product yield of the optical machine; on the other hand, when assembling the lighting module and the imaging module, the optical axis of the imaging module can be automatically aligned with the optical axis of the lighting module, so as to improve the brightness uniformity of the optical machine and improve the dark corners of the optical machine.

[0024] 2. The lighting module can use the lighting body to complete the centering between the LED and the collimating lens, thereby improving the product brightness, brightness uniformity and color uniformity.

[0025] 3. The front end of the imaging module is integrated with the connector function. The setting of the inclined surface achieves perfect coordination with the waveguide angle, reducing the appearance of ghost images, inverted images and other defects in the whole machine picture. At the same time, the connector achieves perfect coordination with the waveguide angle, eliminating the need to develop additional brackets and reducing costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an LCOS optical engine disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG2 is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of an LCOS optical engine disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of an LCOS optical machine highlighting an LED component disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of an LCOS optical machine highlighting an illumination subject disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of an LCOS optical machine highlight imaging module disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of an LCOS optical machine protruding connector disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Explanation of Reference Numerals: 1. lighting module; 11. LED assembly; 111. light-emitting center; 112. flexible circuit board (FPC); 113. device placement area; 114. thermistor; 115. metal reinforcement plate; 12. lighting body; 121. light-incoming side; 122. light-outgoing side; 123. first housing; 1231. first adhesive groove; 1232. first positioning hole; 1233. second positioning hole; 1234. positioning groove; 1235. limiting groove; 124. first collimating lens; 125. second collimating lens; 126. light-homogenizing lens; 2. Imaging module; 21. Second housing; 211. Second adhesive groove; 212. L-shaped adhesive groove; 213. First mounting hole; 214. Second mounting hole; 22. Connector; 221. Inclined surface; 222. Protective glass; 23. Relay lens; 24. Prism; 25. Reflective lens; 26. First imaging lens; 27. Second imaging lens; 28. Spacer ring; 3. LCOS module; 31. Third housing; 32. LCOS chip; 33. Flexible circuit board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present application is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] An embodiment of the present application provides an LCOS optical engine.

[0035] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. In the embodiment of the present application, an LCOS optical machine includes an illumination module 1 for imaging illumination, an imaging module 2, and an LCOS module 3 for determining whether the polarization state of light at the corresponding pixel needs to be modulated based on the signal output by the processor. The illumination module 1 is installed on one side of the imaging module 2, and the LCOS module 3 is installed on the upper end surface of the imaging module 2 and the illumination module 1. The illumination module 1 and the imaging module 2 are set separately. On the one hand, it is convenient to perform mold repair on each component and improve the accuracy of each component; on the other hand, the form of the illumination module and the imaging module can be controlled to realize process performance testing of the two modules, and performance supervision can be carried out separately during the production process, thereby improving the finished product yield of the optical machine; on the other hand, the illumination module and the imaging module can automatically align the optical axis of the imaging module with the optical axis of the illumination module during assembly, thereby improving the brightness uniformity of the optical machine and improving the dark angle of the optical machine.

[0036] Referring to Figures 2 and 3 , the lighting module 1 includes an LED assembly 11 for providing a background light source and a lighting body 12 for adjusting the direction and intensity of light. The LED assembly 11 includes a light-emitting center 111 and an FPC flexible circuit board 112. The light-emitting center 111 is located at one end of the FPC flexible circuit board 112 and is fixed and electrically connected to the FPC flexible circuit board 112. The FPC flexible circuit board 112 is provided with a device placement area 113 and a thermistor 114. The thermistor 114 is electrically connected to the FPC flexible circuit board 112 and located to one side of the light-emitting center 111. The thermistor 114 is used to detect temperature. The device placement area 113 is located on the lower end surface of the FPC flexible circuit board 112, away from the light-emitting center 111. The device placement area 113 can be electrically connected to an output connector, resistors, capacitors, an LED driver IC, etc. In this embodiment, the FPC flexible circuit board 112 is set in an "L" shape, the light-emitting center 111 is located on the short side of the FPC flexible circuit board 112, the short side of the FPC flexible circuit board 112 is located on one side of the lighting body 12, and the device layout area 113 is located on the long side of the FPC flexible circuit board 112, and the long side of the FPC flexible circuit board 112 is located below the lighting body 12 and the imaging module 2.

[0037] Referring to Figures 2 and 4 , the lighting body 12 and the imaging module 2 are located on the same central axis. The lighting body 12 has a light-incoming side 121 and a light-outgoing side 122. The light-emitting center 111 is located on the light-incoming side 121, and the imaging module 2 is located on the light-outgoing side. Light emitted from the light-emitting center 111 enters the lighting body 12 through the light-incoming side 121, and then exits through the light-outgoing side 122 of the lighting body 12 and enters the imaging module 2. The lighting body 12 includes a first housing 123, which is generally rectangular. A first collimating lens 124, a second collimating lens 125, and a light homogenizing lens 126 are sequentially arranged within the first housing 123 along the optical path. The central axes of the first collimating lens 124, the second collimating lens 125, and the light homogenizing lens 126 coincide, and the first collimating lens 124, the second collimating lens 125, and the light homogenizing lens 126 are all vertically mounted side by side within the first housing 123. Specifically, the first housing 123 is provided with a first positioning hole 1232, a second positioning hole 1233, and a positioning slot 1234. The positioning slot 1234 is located between the first positioning hole 1232 and the second positioning hole 1233. The first positioning hole 1232 is located near the light-entering side 121. The first collimating lens 124 is fixedly mounted in the first positioning hole 1232, the second collimating lens 125 is inserted into the positioning slot 1234, and the homogenizing lens 126 is fixedly mounted in the second positioning hole 1233. Light enters from the light-entering side 121 and is adjusted in angle by the first and second collimating lenses 124, 125. The homogenizing lens 126 then disperses the light into multiple angles and recombines the light from these angles into a uniform light source, thereby reducing uneven brightness in the image and improving image quality. The material, refractive index, and dispersion coefficient of the first, second, and homogenizing lenses 124, 125, and 126 are determined based on actual application.

[0038] Furthermore, the first housing 123 is provided with a limiting groove 1235, which is located on the end surface of the first housing 123 facing the light-emitting center 111. The light-emitting center 111 is located within the limiting groove 1235 and is fixedly connected to the first housing 123. The central axis of the light-emitting center 111 coincides with the central axis of the first positioning hole 1232. After the first positioning hole 1232 is aligned with the light-emitting center 111, the first collimating lens 124 is assembled so that the light-emitting center 111 and the first collimating lens 124 are aligned. The first housing 123 ensures the alignment of the light-emitting center 111 and the first collimating lens 124, thereby improving the light efficiency.

[0039] Referring to Figure 2 , the imaging module 2 includes a second housing 21, which is generally rectangular in shape. The second housing 21 is fixedly connected to the first housing 123 and communicates with the interior of the first housing 123. The central axis of the first housing 123 coincides with the central axis of the second housing 21, and the first and second housings 123 and 21 are assembled in alignment. A first adhesive groove 1231 is provided on the end of the first housing 123 facing the illumination module 1, and a second adhesive groove 211 is provided on the end of the second housing 21 proximal to the first housing 123. The length of the first adhesive groove 1231 and the length of the second adhesive groove 211 are perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment, the first glue groove 1231 is located on the upper end surface of the first shell 123, and two second glue grooves 211 are provided. The two second glue grooves 211 are respectively located on the front end surface and the rear end surface of the second shell 21. The first shell 123 and the second shell 21 are fixed by injecting glue into the first glue groove 1231 and the second glue groove 211, thereby fixing the lighting body 12 and the imaging module 2. In other embodiments, bolts, snaps, etc. can also be used to achieve fixation, but the use of glue fixation in this embodiment can minimize the increase in the volume and weight of the optical machine.

[0040] Please refer to Figures 2 and 5. A relay lens 23, a prism 24, a reflective lens 25, a first imaging lens 26, and a plurality of second imaging lenses 27 are disposed in the second shell 21. The relay lens 23, the prism 24, and the second imaging lenses 27 are arranged in sequence along the optical path. The relay lens 23 is located at one end of the second shell 21 close to the first shell 123. The reflective lens 25 is glued to the prism 24 and is located directly below the prism 24. The first imaging lens 26 is located directly above the prism 24, and the reflective lens 25 and the first imaging lens 26 are arranged opposite each other. The relay lens 23 and multiple second imaging lenses 27 are all fixedly installed vertically and side by side in the second shell 21 and share the same central axis with the second shell 21; the multiple second imaging lenses 27 are arranged side by side in sequence and are located on the side of the prism 24 away from the relay lens 23. There are three second imaging lenses 27 (second imaging lens 271, second imaging lens 272 and second imaging lens 273), and a spacer ring 28 is provided between adjacent second imaging lenses 27. The two flat surfaces of the spacer ring 28 are in contact with and pressed against the second imaging lenses 27 respectively. In this embodiment, prism 24 is formed by laminating two beveled prisms (beveled prism 241 and beveled prism 242). The corresponding beveled surfaces of the beveled prisms are parallel and laminated together, and the included angle between the beveled surfaces of the two beveled prisms is 45°. A PBS film is coated or attached between beveled prisms 241 and 242. This film only allows light of one polarization state to pass through, while reflecting light of the other polarization state. Utilizing this characteristic of the PBS film, light of a specific polarization state can be selectively projected through imaging module 2. The size and thickness of spacer ring 28 are selected based on factors such as the material, refractive index, and Abbe number of the two first imaging lenses 26 and the plurality of second imaging lenses 27, respectively, based on actual application.

[0041] Furthermore, the second housing 21 is provided with a first mounting hole 213 and a second mounting hole 214. The first mounting hole 213 is located on the end face of the second housing 21 near the LCOS module, and the second mounting hole 214 is located on the end face of the second housing 21 away from the LCOS module and is aligned with the first mounting hole 213. Both the first mounting hole 213 and the second mounting hole are connected to the interior of the second housing 21. The first imaging lens 26 is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the first mounting hole 213. The reflective lens 25 is glued to the prism 24 and fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the second mounting hole 214. The front and rear faces of the second housing 21 are respectively provided with "L"-shaped adhesive grooves 212 to enhance the installation stability of the prism 24.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 2. The FPC flexible circuit board 112 is provided with a metal reinforcement plate 115. The metal reinforcement plate 115 is located on the upper end surface of the FPC flexible circuit board 112. The metal reinforcement plate 115 blocks the opening of the second mounting hole 214 on the same side as the positioning groove 1234 and the opening of the positioning groove 1234. The metal reinforcement plate 115 serves as an optical machine end cover, closing the second shell 21 and the first shell 123, replacing the conventional structural component optical machine end cover.

[0043] Please refer to Figures 1 and 6. A connector 22 is provided at one end of the second shell 21 away from the first shell 123. The connector 22 is integrally formed with the second shell 21, and the connector 22 is hollow. An inclined surface 221 is provided on the end face of the connector 22 away from the second shell 21. The inclined surface 221 has a tilt angle for matching the waveguide when connecting the waveguide. The inclined surface 221 of the connector 22 allows the imaging module 2 to be directly assembled with the waveguide and directly glued together, thereby achieving perfect matching with the waveguide angle without the need to develop additional brackets. The tilt angle of the inclined surface 221 is set according to actual use. The setting of the inclined surface 221 is used in conjunction with the waveguide to reduce or avoid the appearance of ghost images, inverted images and other undesirable phenomena in the entire screen. Furthermore, a protective glass 222 is provided at one end of the connector 22 close to the second shell 21. The protective glass 222 is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the connector 22 to protect the lens in the second shell 21.

[0044] Referring to Figures 1 and 2 , the LCOS module 3 is mounted on the upper surfaces of the imaging module 2 and the illumination body 12. The LCOS module 3 includes a third housing 31, an LCOS chip 32, and a flexible circuit board 33. The third housing 31 is fixedly connected to the first housing 123 and the second housing 21. The LCOS chip 32 is fixedly mounted on the third housing 31 and aligned with the first mounting hole 213. In this embodiment, the third housing 31 covers the first imaging lens 26, and the LCOS chip 32 is located directly above the first mounting hole 213. The third housing 31 is glued to the first housing 123 and the second housing 21.

[0045] The above are all preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals. It should be noted that the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down" used in the above description refer to directions in the accompanying drawings, and the terms "inward" and "outward" refer to directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively. Therefore, all equivalent variations based on the structure, shape, and principles of this application are intended to be within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An LCOS optical machine, wherein: include: A lighting module (1), the lighting module (1) comprising an LED component (11) and a lighting body (12), the lighting body (12) having a light-incoming side (121) and a light-outgoing side (122), the LED component (11) comprising a light-emitting center (111) and an FPC flexible circuit board (112), the light-emitting center (111) being located at the light-incoming side (121) and the light-emitting center (111) being fixed and electrically connected to the FPC flexible circuit board (112); the lighting body (12) comprising a first housing (123); An imaging module (2), the imaging module (2) being located on the light-emitting side (122) and being installed on the same central axis as the lighting body (12), the imaging module (2) comprising a second shell (21), the first shell (123) being fixedly connected to the second shell (21); An LCOS module (3), wherein the LCOS module (3) is mounted on a side end surface to which the first shell (123) and the second shell (21) are fixedly connected.

2. An LCOS optical machine according to claim 1, wherein: A connecting piece (22) is provided at one end of the second shell (21) away from the lighting body (12), and the connecting piece (22) is integrally formed with the second shell (21); the connecting piece (22) is provided with an inclined surface (221), and the inclined surface (221) has an inclined angle for matching the waveguide when the waveguide is connected.

3. An LCOS optical machine according to claim 2, wherein: The connecting piece (22) is provided with a protective glass (222), and the protective glass (222) is fixedly mounted on the inner wall of the connecting piece (22).

4. The LCOS optical engine according to claim 1, wherein: A first glue groove (1231) is provided at one end of the first shell (123) facing the imaging module (2); a second glue groove (211) is provided at one end of the second shell (21) facing the lighting body (12); a straight line along the length direction of the first glue groove (1231) and a straight line along the length direction of the second glue groove (211) are perpendicular to each other, and the first shell (123) is fixedly connected to the second shell (21).

5. The LCOS optical engine according to claim 1, wherein: The imaging module (2) further comprises a relay lens (23), a prism (24), a reflective lens (25), a first imaging lens (26) and a second imaging lens (27); the relay lens (23) and the second imaging lens (27) are both mounted in the second shell (21) and arranged in sequence along the optical path; the second shell (21) is provided with a first mounting hole (213) and a second mounting hole (214); the first mounting hole (213) is located at an end surface of the second shell (21) close to the LCOS module (3) and the first imaging lens (26) is mounted in the first mounting hole (213); the second mounting hole (214) is located at an end surface of the second shell (21) away from the LCOS module (3) and is arranged in alignment with the first mounting hole (213); the prism (24) and the reflective lens (25) are mounted in the second mounting hole (214).

6. The LCOS optical engine according to claim 5, wherein: A plurality of the second imaging lenses (27) are provided, and a spacer ring (28) is provided between adjacent second imaging lenses (27), and two planes of the spacer ring (28) are in contact with and pressed against adjacent second imaging lenses (27) respectively.

7. The LCOS optical engine according to claim 5, wherein: The LCOS module (3) comprises a third shell (31) and an LCOS chip (32); the third shell (31) is fixedly connected to the second shell (21) and the first shell (123); the LCOS chip (32) is fixedly mounted on the third shell (31), and the LCOS chip (32) is aligned with the first mounting hole (213).

8. The LCOS optical engine according to claim 5, wherein: The lighting body (12) further comprises a first collimating lens (124) and a second collimating lens (125); the first shell (123) is provided with a first positioning hole (1232) and a positioning groove (1234); the first collimating lens (124) is located in the first positioning hole (1232); the second collimating lens (125) is located in the positioning groove (1234); and the central axes of the first collimating lens (124) and the second collimating lens (125) coincide with each other.

9. The LCOS optical engine according to claim 8, wherein: The first shell (123) is provided with a limiting groove (1235), the light emitting center (111) is located in the limiting groove (1235), and the light emitting center (111) and the center of the first collimating lens (124) are located on the same straight line.

10. The LCOS optical engine according to claim 8, wherein: The FPC flexible circuit board (112) is provided with a metal reinforcement plate (115), and the metal reinforcement plate (115) blocks the opening of the second mounting hole (214) and the opening of the positioning groove (1234).

Images