Holographic MEMS operated optical projectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778477-B2
Application number	US-71315507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2007
Priority date	Mar 2, 2007
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A method forms an image with a reconfigurable array of mirrors. The method includes configuring the array by translating some of the mirrors such that distances of the mirrors of the array from a reference plane have a non-uniform spatial distribution. The method includes illuminating the configured array with a coherent light beam such that part of the light beam is reflected off the array and is projected on a planar viewing screen.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a light source comprising a plurality of coherent sources, each coherent source being configured to emit light of a different color than the remaining of the coherent sources;
a reconfigurable array of mirrors and MEMS actuators, each mirror being controlled by a corresponding one of the MEMS actuators that is able to translate the controlled mirror in a piston-like movement normal to the array; and
wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the mirrors with a time division color-multiplexed light beam; and
wherein the reconfigurable array is able to modulate a phase of a wavefront of the light beam in a spatially non-uniform and reconfigurable manner.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to vary the light beam between having a first color and having a second color at a frequency of greater than 20 Hertz.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , comprising a processor being configured to operate the MEMS actuators such that the mirrors of the array have a first spatial distribution of translations when the light beam has the first color and have a different second spatial distribution of translations when the light beam has the second color.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a planar viewing screen; and
wherein the apparatus is configured to form an image on the viewing screen such that a human would observe the image to be temporally constant and have a superposition of the colors of the coherent sources.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the viewing screen is able to non-specularly reflect light incident thereon.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a beam splitter located to redirect a light beam from the light source towards the reconfigurable array; and
a wave plate located between the beam splitter and the reconfigurable array.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 ,
wherein diameters of the mirrors are less than 20 times a center wavelength of light produced by the light source; and
wherein the processor is configured to operate the MEMS actuators such that the array forms a first image of a first color on a viewing screen and forms a second image of a second color on the viewing screen such that the first and second images have the same size.

Assignees

• Aksyuk Vladimir Anatolyevich
• Frahm Robert Eugene
• Lopez Omar Daniel
• Ryf Roland
• Alcatel Lucent Usa Inc

Inventors

• Aksyuk Vladimir Anatolyevich
• Frahm Robert Eugene
• Lopez Omar Daniel
• Ryf Roland

Classifications

• H04N9/3164

  using multiple light sources · CPC title

• H04N9/3111

  for displaying the colours sequentially, e.g. by using sequentially activated light sources (sequential projection in colour photography G03B33/08) · CPC title

• G03H2227/02

  Handheld portable device, e.g. holographic camera, mobile holographic display · CPC title

• G03H2225/24

  Having movable pixels, e.g. microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] · CPC title

• G03H2210/20

  2D object · CPC title