Aperture sharing for highlight projection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11619873-B2
Application number	US-202117352907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2021
Priority date	Nov 14, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A novel projection system includes a base signal source, a highlight signal source, a base/highlight destination, and a shared optical element. A base signal provided by the base source and a highlight signal provided by the highlight source are combined by the shared optical element. In a particular embodiment, the base signal source and the highlight signal source each include a light source, a spatial light modulator, and optics, and the base/highlight destination includes optics and a spatial light modulator. In a more particular embodiment, the base signal source and the highlight source provide spatially modulated lightfields to the shared optical element. In another particular embodiment, the base signal and the highlight signal are modulated by the spatial light modulator of the base/highlight destination after being combined.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for generating images, comprising:
modulating a first lightfield by a first modulator to form a base modulated lightfield;
modulating a second lightfield by a second modulator to form a highlight modulated lightfield;
combining the base modulated lightfield and the highlight modulated lightfield by a shared optical element to form a combined lightfield; and
modulating the combined lightfield by a third modulator to form an imaging lightfield.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step of combining comprises:
directing the base modulated lightfield by a first portion of the shared optical element; and
directing the highlight modulated lightfield by a second portion of the shared optical element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared optical element comprises a relay aperture, and the relay aperture comprises:
an aperture configured to direct the base modulated lightfield through the aperture; and
a reflective surface configured to receive and reflect the highlight modulated lightfield.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared optical element comprises a beam combining prism, and the beam combining prism comprises a surface configured to transmit the base modulated lightfield and reflect the highlight modulated lightfield.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared optical element comprises an annular aperture, and the annular aperture comprises:
an aperture configured to direct the base modulated lightfield through the aperture; and
a reflective surface centered within the aperture, the reflective surface configured to receive and reflect the highlight modulated lightfield.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the aperture is circular or rectangular, and the reflective surface is circular or rectangular.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing the combined lightfield towards the third modulator by optics.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating by a first light source the first light field directed towards the first modulator; and
generating by a second light source the second light field directed towards the second modulator.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the highlight modulated lightfield has a low spatial frequency compared to the base modulated lightfield.

Assignees

• Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp

Inventors

• Pertierra Juan P
• Richards Martin J
• Lippey Barret
• Wainwright Nathan Shawn
• Jackson John David

Classifications

• G03B21/2033

  LED or laser light sources · CPC title

• G03B21/005

  Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto · CPC title

• G03B21/26 Primary

  Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image · CPC title

• H04N9/3182

  Colour adjustment, e.g. white balance, shading or gamut (white balance per se H04N9/73; control of amplitude of colour signals H04N9/68; colour control circuits for displays in general G09G5/02, G09G3/2003, G09G3/3607) · CPC title

• H04N9/3164

  using multiple light sources · CPC title