Combined visible and non-visible projection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10051209-B2
Application number	US-201414249212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2014
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A projection display system includes a visible light source coupled to project a visible image onto a screen. An infrared (IR) light source is coupled to project a non-visible IR image onto the screen. The non-visible IR image on the screen is independent of the visible image on the screen. The visible image and the non-visible IR image are overlapped and are displayed simultaneously on the screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A projection display system, comprising:
a visible light source coupled to project a visible image onto a screen, wherein the visible light source includes a first light source, a second light source, and a third light source, wherein the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source are optically coupled in series via a plurality of dichroic mirrors;
an infrared (IR) light source coupled to project a non-visible IR image onto the screen, wherein the non-visible IR image on the screen is independent of the visible image on the screen, and wherein the visible image and the non-visible IR image are overlapped and displayed simultaneously on the screen;
a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display panel, wherein the visible light source and the IR light source are coupled to illuminate the LCOS display panel;
a projection lens, wherein the visible light source and the IR light source are coupled to project the visible image and the non-visible IR image onto the screen through the projection lens; and
a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) disposed to receive light from the visible light source and the IR light source and coupled to reflect the received light to the LCOS display panel, wherein the LCOS display panel is coupled to reflect the received light through the PBS to the projection lens wherein the PBS is optically coupled between the plurality of dichroic mirrors and the LCOS display panel, and
wherein the non-visible IR image projected onto the screen with IR light comprises a non-visible IR structured light pattern to detect an object in front of the screen, and wherein the LCOS display panel includes a color filter array with red, green, blue, and IR color filters to project the visible image and the non-visible IR image onto the screen.

2. The projection display system of claim 1 further comprising:
an IR camera coupled to detect the non-visible IR image projected onto the screen by the IR light source; and
a computer coupled to the IR camera to analyze the non-visible IR image projected onto the screen by the IR light source.

3. The projection display system of claim 2 , wherein the computer is coupled to recognize a gesture of an object in front of the screen in response to an analysis of the non-visible IR image projected onto the screen by the IR light source for gesture recognition.

4. The projection display system of claim 1 wherein the first light source is a red color light source, wherein the second light source is a green color light source, wherein the third light source is a blue color light source, and wherein the visible image is a color visible image.

5. A projection display system, comprising:
a visible light source coupled to project a visible image onto a screen, wherein the visible light source includes a first light source, a second light source, and a third light source, wherein the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source are optically coupled in series via a plurality of dichroic mirrors;
an infrared (IR) light source coupled to project a non-visible IR image onto the screen, wherein the non-visible IR image on the screen is independent of the visible image on the screen, and wherein the visible image and the non-visible IR image are overlapped and displayed simultaneously on the screen;
a digital micro-mirror device (DMD), wherein the visible light source and the IR light source are coupled to illuminate the DMD;
a projection lens, wherein the visible light source and the IR light source are coupled to project the visible image and the non-visible IR image onto the screen through the projection lens; and
an expanding lens disposed to receive light from the visible light source and the IR light source, wherein the expanding lens magnifies the received light and is coupled to direct the magnified received light to the DMD, wherein the DMD is coupled to reflect the magnified received light to the projection lens, wherein the expanding lens is optically coupled between the plurality of dichroic mirrors and the DMD, and
wherein the non-visible IR image projected onto the screen with IR light comprises a non-visible IR structured light pattern to detect an object in front of the screen.

6. A projection display system, comprising:
a visible light source coupled to project a visible image onto a screen, wherein the visible light source comprises a red light source, a green light source, and a blue light source;
an infrared (IR) light source coupled to project a non-visible IR image onto the screen, wherein the non-visible IR image on the screen is independent of the visible image on the screen, and wherein the visible image and the non-visible IR image are overlapped and displayed simultaneously on the screen;
one or more liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display panels, wherein the visible light source and the IR light source are coupled to illuminate the one or more LCOS display panels; and
a projection lens, wherein the visible light source and the IR light source are coupled to project the visible image and the non-visible IR image onto the screen through the projection lens; and
a dichroic combiner cube optically coupled between the red light source, the green light source, and the blue light source;
a plurality of polarizing beam splitters (PBS) included a first PBS, a second PBS, and a third PBS, wherein the first PBS is optically coupled between the red light source and the dichroic combiner cube, wherein the second PBS is optically coupled between the green light source and the dichroic combiner cube, and wherein the third PBS is optically coupled between the blue light source and the dichroic combiner cube.

7. A projection display system, comprising:
a visible light source coupled to project a visible image onto a screen, wherein the visible light source comprises a red light source, a green light source, and a blue light source;
an infrared (IR) light source coupled to project a non-visible IR image onto the screen, wherein the non-visible IR image on the screen is independent of the visible image on the screen, and wherein the visible image and the non-visible IR image are overlapped and displayed simultaneously on the screen;
a plurality of liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display panels including a first LCOS display panel, a second LCOS display panel, a third LCOS display panel, and a fourth LCOS display panel, wherein the first LCOS display panel is optically coupled to the red light source, wherein the second LCOS display panel is optically coupled to the green light source, wherein the third LCOS display panel is optically coupled to the blue light source, and wherein the fourth LCOS display panel is optically coupled to the IR light source;
a dichroic combiner cube optically coupled between the first LCOS display panel, the second LCOS display panel, and the third LCOS display panel; and
a projection lens, wherein the visible light source and the IR light source are coupled to project the visible image and the non-visible IR image onto the screen through the projection lens.

8. A method, comprising:
projecting a visible image onto a screen of a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display panel with visible light from a visible light source, wherein the visible light source includes a first light source, a second light source, and a third light source, wherein the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source are optically coupled in series via a plurality of dichroic mirrors; and
simultaneously projecting a non-visible infrared (IR) image onto the screen with IR light using the LCOS display panel, wherein the non-visible IR image on the screen is independent of and overlaps the visible image on the s

Assignees

• Omnivision Tech Inc

Inventors

• Benmokhtar Benabdellah Youssef
• Sun Ruipeng

Classifications

• H04N9/3164 Primary

  using multiple light sources · CPC title

• G06F3/0421

  by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen · CPC title

• G02B27/1033

  having a single light modulator for all colour channels · CPC title

• H04N13/254

  in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects · CPC title

• G02B27/104

  for use with scanning systems (scanning systems G02B26/10) · CPC title