Polygon Microlens Illumination System for Projection Devices

The patent applies asymmetry by changing the shape of microlenses from square to polygon with more than four sides (such as hexagon). This asymmetric change in shape allows the light spots to better fill the incident end of the light homogenizing element, reducing light energy loss while maintaining uniform light distribution. The patent specifically mentions that each microlens is designed as a polygon with more than four sides to resolve the mismatch between square light spots and the incident end geometry.

The patent changes the microlens shape from square to polygon with more than four sides, which improves light conversion efficiency by better filling the incident end of the light homogenizing element. The patent notes that while this increases manufacturing complexity slightly, it significantly improves light utilization efficiency, making the trade-off worthwhile for high-performance projection systems.

The patent resolves this contradiction by designing microlenses as polygons with more than four sides, which provides a better geometric match to the incident end shape of the light homogenizing element. This asymmetric design choice optimizes light energy utilization by minimizing peripheral light loss, while still allowing for design flexibility in terms of adjusting the number of sides and specific geometric parameters of the polygon.