Projector Lighting Uniformity via Segmented Collimator Lens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laser projectors face challenges in achieving preferred color uniformity due to difficulties in effectively mixing illumination and excitation beams, resulting in uneven projection images.
Innovation Solution
The projector employs a collimator lens divided into parts, dichroic lenses, and solid-state light sources to manage and mix different color beams, allowing for adjustable polarization states and reflection/passing rates to achieve symmetric or asymmetric intensity, ensuring uniform color distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional dichroic component and color wheel are used to generate illumination and excitation beams, then the projector structure is simplified, but the color uniformity of the projection picture deteriorates due to difficult beam mixing
Solution Approach 1:
The collimator lens is divided into multiple parts (first collimator lens and second collimator lens) with different functions. The first collimator lens processes the illumination beam while the second collimator lens processes the excitation beam, allowing separate optimization of each beam path for better mixing and uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
A beam combining prism is introduced as an intermediary component to efficiently mix the illumination beam and excitation beam. This prism combines the two beams in a controlled manner, achieving preferred color uniformity that cannot be obtained through simple direct projection.
2Device complexity
If a single collimator lens is used for both illumination and excitation beams, then the device complexity is reduced, but the beam mixing quality and color uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The collimator lens is segmented into multiple functional parts. The first collimator lens is dedicated to the illumination beam path while the second collimator lens is dedicated to the excitation beam path, enabling precise independent alignment and optimization of each beam.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-beam-path configuration to a multi-dimensional beam path configuration with separate optical paths for illumination and excitation beams, which then converge through the beam combining prism. This dimensional separation allows for better control and mixing of the beams.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for the adjustment of solid-state light sources and optical components to maintain uniform intensity and color distribution in projection images, even in the presence of mechanical errors, by optimizing the mixing of illumination beams.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the two first dichroic lenses is adapted to reflect a first base color beam and allow passing of a second base color beam and a third base color beam. The second dichroic lens is adapted to reflect parts of the second base color beam and the third base color beam
Implementation Method 2
The two first solid-state light sources respectively corresponds to the two first dichroic lenses, and is adapted to emit the first base color beam toward the two first dichroic lenses
Implementation Method 3
The collimator lens has a first part and a second part divided by an axle
Data Source
AI summary
A projector includes a collimator lens, a, a light transmission component and a solid-state light source. Amounts of the dichroic lens and the solid-state light source are plural. The dichroic lens and the light transmission component reflect beams with specific wavelength, and allow passing of beams with other wavelength. The solid-state light source emits the beams to the corresponding dichroic lens. The projector utilizes the dichroic lens and the light transmission component to pass the beams with different base color uniformly through the first part and the second part of the collimator lens. The projector further includes a polarized lens, a reflection lens and a phase retardation unit. The phase retardation unit transforms polarization of the beams, and the polarized lens reflects some polarized beams and allows passing of other polarized beams to combine a plurality of alignment modules for providing uniform illumination.