Variable Beam Expansion for Laser Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In laser projection systems, angularly separated laser light beams can result in uneven regions of incidence on scan mirrors, leading to brightness loss or reduced optical resolution due to mismatched angles and beam diameters, which existing technologies fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of optical relays with reflective surfaces having different optical prescriptions applies varying levels of beam expansion to angularly separated laser light beams, ensuring that their regions of incidence on scan mirrors are optimized in size and alignment, thereby maintaining brightness and resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If angularly separated laser light beams are used in laser projection systems, then multiple lasers can be integrated into a single projection system, but the regions of incidence on scan mirrors become uneven in size, leading to brightness loss and reduced optical resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different magnification levels to different laser beams based on their specific angles of incidence. Each laser beam receives a customized magnification treatment through the optical relay system, ensuring that the region of incidence for each beam is optimized individually. This local quality adjustment compensates for the angular separation effects and achieves uniform brightness across all projected beams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the magnification parameter for each laser beam according to its angle of incidence. By adjusting the magnification parameter dynamically for different beams, the system compensates for the uneven regions of incidence caused by angular separation, thereby maintaining uniform brightness and optical resolution across all projected images.
2Productivity
If angularly separated laser light beams are used, then multiple color channels can be projected simultaneously, but the regions of incidence on scan mirrors vary in size, reducing optical resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The optical relay system provides customized magnification for each laser beam path, ensuring that each beam achieves the appropriate region of incidence size on the scan mirror. This local optimization maintains high optical resolution for each color channel while enabling simultaneous projection of multiple beams.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical relay acts as an intermediary between the angularly separated laser beams and the scan mirror. It mediates the beam parameters by applying appropriate magnification to each beam, ensuring that all beams achieve uniform region of incidence sizes on the scan mirror, thereby maintaining optical resolution while enabling simultaneous multi-color projection.
3Illumination intensity
If different magnification levels are applied to angularly separated laser beams, then uniform regions of incidence are achieved on scan mirrors, but the optical system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The optical relay system is designed to handle multiple laser beams with different angles of incidence using a unified multi-functional architecture. A single optical relay unit performs magnification adjustment for all beams, eliminating the need for separate adjustment mechanisms for each beam. This universal design achieves brightness uniformity while minimizing system complexity.
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 approach ensures that the regions of incidence on scan mirrors are uniformly sized, preventing brightness loss and optimizing optical resolution by applying appropriate magnification to each beam, thus enhancing the overall performance of the laser projection system.
Implementation Method 1
optical relays with reflective surfaces having different optical prescriptions applies varying levels of beam expansion to angularly separated laser light beams
Data Source
AI summary
Display systems, such as near eye display systems or wearable heads up displays, may include a laser projection system having an optical engine and an optical scanner. Light output by the optical engine may be directed into the optical scanner as two angularly separated laser light beams. The angularly separated laser light beams typically have different angles of incidence on a second scan mirror of the optical scanner. Respectively different levels of magnification are applied to the beam diameter of each of the angularly separated laser light beams in a first dimension, such that the angularly separated laser light beams have respectively different beam diameters upon incidence at the second scan mirror. In some embodiments, the different beam diameters of the angularly separated laser light beams result in regions of incidence of each of the angularly separated laser light beams on the second scan mirror being equal or substantially similar.