Illumination device for a projector comprising a light modulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10156715-B2
Application number	US-201715634660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

An illumination device for a light modulated projector includes a first and a second color wheel. A first filter surface of the first color wheel comprises at least three first surface sections arranged one behind the other, which protrude into an illumination beam path of the illumination device successively on rotation and in each case convey illumination radiation of a different partial range of the visible wavelength range. At least one of the first surface sections of the first filter surface conveys illumination radiation from the infrared range. A second filter surface of the second color wheel comprises a first surface segment which only conveys illumination radiation from the visible wavelength range and a second surface segment which only conveys illumination radiation from the infrared range. The first and second surface segments protrude into the illumination beam path successively on rotation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination device for a projector comprising a light modulator, the illumination device comprising:
an illumination beam path including an end, the illumination beam path configured to guide coupled-in illumination radiation with wavelengths from the visible wavelength range and from the infrared range up to the end such that the light modulator is illuminated;
a first colour wheel comprising a first filter surface;
a second colour wheel comprising a second filter surface;
a control unit controlling operation of the first and second color wheels and their respective first and second filter surfaces,
wherein the first filter surface and second filter surface are arranged one behind the other,
wherein each of the first and second filter surfaces are rotatable about an axis,
wherein the control unit is configured to operate the first and second filter surfaces such that a rotational frequency of the first filter surface is higher than a rotational frequency of the second filter surface,
wherein each of the first and second filter surfaces protrude only partly into the illumination beam path,
wherein the first filter surface comprises at least three first surface sections arranged one behind the other in a direction of rotation of the first colour wheel, the which at least three first surface sections protruding into the illumination beam path successively when the first filter surface is rotated and in each case convey illumination radiation of a different partial range of a visible wavelength range,
wherein at least one of the first surface sections of the first filter surface furthermore conveys illumination radiation from an infrared range,
wherein the second filter surface comprises a first surface segment which only conveys illumination radiation from the visible wavelength range and a second surface segment which only conveys illumination radiation from the infrared range, and
wherein the first and second surface segments are arranged one behind the other in the direction of rotation of the second colour wheel and protrude into the illumination beam path successively when the second filter surface is rotated.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the first filter surface is arranged upstream of the second filter surface.

3. The illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein the rotational frequency of the first filter surface is twice the rotational frequency of the second filter surface.

4. The illumination device according to claim 3 , wherein the first surface sections of the first filter surface convey red, blue and green light of the illumination radiation.

5. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the first filter surface is arranged downstream of the second filter surface.

6. The illumination device according to claim 5 , wherein the rotational frequency of the first filter surface is twice the rotational frequency of the second filter surface.

7. The illumination device according to claim 6 , wherein the first surface sections of the first filter surface convey red, blue and green light of the illumination radiation.

8. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second filter surfaces are transmissive filters.

9. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein a light-mixing rod is arranged between the first and second filter surfaces.

10. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second filter surfaces are annular.

11. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational frequency of the first filter surface is twice the rotational frequency of the second filter surface.

12. The illumination device according to claim 11 , wherein the first surface sections of the first filter surface convey red, blue and green light of the illumination radiation.

13. The illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface sections of the first filter surface convey red, blue and green light of the illumination radiation.

14. Illumination device according to claim 1 , in which the second colour wheel is provided such that it can be brought from its first position, in which a part of the second filter surface protrudes into the illumination beam path, into a second position, in which no part of the second filter surface protrudes into the illumination beam path.

15. A projector with a light modulator and an illumination device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Ag
• Zeiss Carl Jena Gmbh

Inventors

• Krause Axel
• Geissler Enrico
• Kraenert Juergen

Classifications

• H04N9/3114

  by using a sequential colour filter producing one colour at a time · CPC title

• F21V9/08

  for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light (with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40) · CPC title

• G03B21/204

  using secondary light emission, e.g. luminescence or fluorescence (using different colours G03B33/00; if related to video signals H04N9/3197) · CPC title

• H04N9/3126

  for spatial light modulators in series · CPC title

• G09B9/36 Primary

  Simulation of night or reduced visibility flight · CPC title