Hybrid laser excited phosphor illumination apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664892-B2
Application number	US-201414155009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2014
Priority date	Jan 14, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for generating blue color illumination for use in a projection system. Light from a blue laser light source is reflected off a dichroic filter sequentially onto different color emitting phosphor coated light non-transmissive segments and onto a cyan color emitting phosphor coated light transmissive segment of a rotating color wheel. The different color light and cyan color light emitted by the phosphor back to the filter is selectively transmitted by the filter along a projection path. Blue laser light and cyan color light emitted by the phosphor transmitted through the color wheel is directed along a wraparound optical path back to the filter for reflection along the projection optical path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for generating blue color illumination for use in a projection system, comprising:
a light source for providing blue laser light;
a color wheel having: segments of respective different color light emitting phosphors formed over light non-transmitting portions of the color wheel; and at least one segment of cyan color light emitting phosphor formed over a light transmitting portion of the color wheel;
a focusing lens; and
a dichroic filter for reflecting the blue laser light from the light source through the focusing lens onto the respective segments as the color wheel is rotated to: emit different color light, from the different color light emitting phosphors of the color wheel, back through the focusing lens to the dichroic filter; emit a first portion of cyan color light, from the cyan color light emitting phosphor of the color wheel, back through the focusing lens to the dichroic filter; emit a second portion of cyan color light, from the cyan color light emitting phosphor of the color wheel, through the light transmitting portion of the color wheel and continuing via a wraparound optical path back to the dichroic filter; and transmit blue laser light through the light transmitting portion of the color wheel and continuing via the wraparound optical path back to the dichroic filter;
wherein the dichroic filter is for: transmitting the different color light and at least some of the first portion of cyan color light, which are emitted back from the color wheel, to a projection optical path; and reflecting blue laser light and at least some of the second portion of cyan color light from the wraparound optical path to the projection optical path.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• King Philip Scott
• Pettitt Gregory Scott
• Khan Sajjad Ali

Classifications

• G02B26/008 Primary

  in the form of devices for effecting sequential colour changes, e.g. colour wheels · CPC title

• H04N9/3114

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

• H04N9/3158

  for controlling the spectrum · CPC title

• H04N9/3161

  using laser light sources (using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title