阅读说明：本技术 通过光导光学元件的硅基液晶照明器 (Liquid crystal on silicon illuminator with light guide optical element ) 是由 埃拉德·沙林 尤查·丹齐格 于 2018-07-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于采用比诸多传统实施方式更小(紧凑)的一配置的一图像光提供器的均匀光学照明器的系统,包括：一光导,具有：相互平行的一第一个外部的表面及一第二个外部的表面；及一第一反射面序列,其至少一部分为：数个平行、部分反射及偏振选择性的表面；具有处在相对于所述第一个外部的表面及所述第二个外部的表面的一倾斜角度；及位在所述第一个外部的表面与所述第二个外部的表面之间；及一前照式反射偏振旋转的图像调制器：被布署以空间地调制从所述第一个外部的表面被耦出的光；输出对应于一图像而被反射的光；且被布署使得所述被反射的光从所述第一个外部的表面通过所述第一反射面序列穿越所述光导到所述第二个外部的表面。(A system for a uniform optical illuminator for an image light provider in a configuration that is smaller (compact) than conventional implementations, comprising: a light guide having: a first exterior surface and a second exterior surface parallel to each other; and a first sequence of reflecting surfaces, at least a portion of which is: a plurality of parallel, partially reflective and polarization selective surfaces; having an angle of inclination relative to said first outer surface and said second outer surface; and between said first outer surface and said second outer surface; and a front-illuminated reflective polarization-rotating image modulator: is arranged to spatially modulate light coupled out from the first outer surface; outputting light reflected corresponding to an image; and is disposed such that said reflected light traverses said light guide from said first outer surface to said second outer surface through said first sequence of reflective surfaces.)

1. An optical system, characterized by: the method comprises the following steps:

(a) a light guide having:

(i) a first exterior surface and a second exterior surface parallel to each other; and

(ii) a first sequence of reflective surfaces, at least a portion of the first sequence of reflective surfaces being:

(A) a plurality of parallel, partially reflective and polarization selective surfaces;

(B) having an angle of inclination relative to said first outer surface and said second outer surface; and

(C) between said first outer surface and said second outer surface; and

(b) a front-illuminated reflective polarization-rotated image modulator:

(i) is arranged to spatially modulate light coupled out from the first outer surface;

(ii) outputting light reflected corresponding to an image; and

(iii) is arranged such that said reflected light traverses said light guide from said first outer surface to the second outer surface via said first sequence of reflective surfaces.

2. The optical system of claim 1, wherein: each of the plurality of reflective surfaces reflects at least a portion of light of a first polarization and transmits a remaining portion of the light of the first polarization and transmits light of a second polarization.

3. The optical system of claim 2, wherein: the reflectivity of the first polarization increases from one reflective surface in the first sequence of reflective surfaces to the subsequent other reflective surface.

4. The optical system of claim 2, wherein: light of the first polarization is coupled out from the first outer surface and the reflected light is light of the second polarization.

5. The optical system of claim 1, wherein: the first sequence of reflecting surfaces spreads the light coupled into the light guide such that it is uniformly coupled out of the first one of the outer surfaces.

6. The optical system of claim 1, wherein: the image modulator is a liquid crystal on silicon array.

7. The optical system of claim 1, wherein: the reflective surface is constructed, at least in part, using a technique selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a multilayer coating;

(b) a dielectric coating; and

(c) a wire grid.

8. The optical system of claim 7, wherein: the orientation of a principal axis of the plurality of reflective surfaces determines the reflectivity of the plurality of reflective surfaces.

9. The optical system of claim 1, wherein: the reflectivity of each of the plurality of reflecting surfaces is determined by a light incidence angle of the reflecting surface.

10. The optical system of claim 1, wherein: the first sequence of reflective surfaces is configured to produce light coupled out from the first one of the outer surfaces, the first sequence of reflective surfaces having a constant number of reflective surfaces that overlap in a line of sight toward a notional point of view at which light of the first one of the outer surfaces is coupled out.

11. The optical system of claim 1, wherein: further comprising:

(iii) a second sequence of reflective surfaces, at least a portion of the second sequence of reflective surfaces being:

(A) a plurality of parallel, partially reflective and polarization selective surfaces;

(B) having an angle of inclination relative to said first outer surface and said second outer surface; and

(C) between said first outer surface and said second outer surface;

wherein the reflective surfaces in the first sequence of reflective surfaces and the plurality of reflective surfaces in the second sequence of reflective surfaces are non-parallel with respect to each other.

12. The optical system of claim 11, wherein: each reflecting surface of the sequence of reflecting surfaces spans a coverage area as an area over which each reflecting surface of the sequence of reflecting surfaces is disposed, and wherein the coverage areas of both the first sequence of reflecting surfaces and the second sequence of reflecting surfaces at least partially overlap.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to optical illumination (optical illumination), and more particularly to uniform illumination of an image light provider.

Background

Referring to fig. 1, this shows a conventional implementation of an architecture for a luminaire. A light source 2L produces an unpolarized, uniformly illuminated input beam 4L. The unpolarized input beam 4L is polarized by a polarizer (polarizer)103 to produce a polarized, uniformly illuminated input beam 4P, assumed to be polarized S-pol (S-polarization). The polarized input light beam 4P is input to a Polarizing Beam Splitter (PBS)104 and acts as light 124 which is reflected by a polarization selective reflector 105 onto the Liquid Crystal On Silicon (LCOS) matrix 106. The LCOS matrix 106 is illuminated from the front of the LCOS, spatially modulating the reflected light into an image by changing the polarization of the illuminator, and reflecting the light as image light 126. The LCOS rotates the polarization of the reflected light from the S-pol of the light ray 124 to the P-pol of the white pixel in the light ray 126, while the polarization of the black pixel remains unchanged (remains S-pol). Light from white pixels having P-polarization in ray 126 passes through the polarization-selective reflector 105, while light from black pixels having S-polarization in ray 126 does not pass through the polarization-selective reflector 105. The P-pol light rays 126 then propagate toward projection optics 107 (typically a projection system, schematically depicted as a lens). The projection optics 107 perform collimation (collimation) and other functions as necessary for a particular application.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the teachings of this embodiment, there is provided an optical system comprising: a light guide having: a first exterior surface and a second exterior surface parallel to each other; and a first sequence of reflective surfaces, at least a portion of the first sequence of reflective surfaces being: a plurality of parallel, partially reflective and polarization selective surfaces; having an angle of inclination relative to said first outer surface and said second outer surface; and between said first outer surface and said second outer surface; and a front-illuminated reflective polarization-rotated image modulator: is arranged to spatially modulate light coupled out from the first outer surface; outputting light reflected corresponding to an image; and disposed such that said reflected light traverses said light guide from said first outer surface to said second outer surface through said first sequence of reflective surfaces.

In an alternative embodiment, each of the plurality of reflective surfaces reflects at least a portion of light of a first polarization and transmits a remaining portion of the light of the first polarization and transmits light of a second polarization.

In an alternative embodiment, the reflectivity of said first polarization increases from one reflecting surface in said first sequence of reflecting surfaces to the subsequent other reflecting surface.

In another alternative embodiment, light of the first polarization is coupled out from the first outer surface and the reflected light is light of the second polarization.

In another alternative embodiment, the first sequence of reflecting surfaces spreads the light coupled into the light guide such that it is coupled out uniformly over the first one of the outer surfaces.

In another alternative embodiment, the image modulator is a Liquid Crystal On Silicon (LCOS) array.

In another alternative embodiment, the reflective surface is constructed, at least in part, using a technique selected from the group consisting of: multi-layer coatings (multi-layer coatings), dielectric coatings (dielectric coatings), and wire-grid (wire-grid).

In another alternative embodiment, an orientation of a major axis of the plurality of reflective surfaces determines the reflectivity of the plurality of reflective surfaces.

In another alternative embodiment, the reflectivity of each of the plurality of reflective surfaces is dependent on an angle of incidence (angle light imprints) of the reflective surface.

In another alternative embodiment, the first sequence of reflective surfaces is configured to produce light coupled out from the first one of the outer surfaces, the first sequence of reflective surfaces having a constant number of reflective surfaces that overlap in a line of sight of a nominal observation point (nominal point of observation) at which light is coupled out toward the first one of the outer surfaces.

In another optional embodiment, further comprising: a second sequence of reflective surfaces, at least a portion of the second sequence of reflective surfaces being: a plurality of parallel, partially reflective and polarization selective surfaces; having an angle of inclination relative to said first outer surface and said second outer surface; and between said first outer surface and said second outer surface; wherein the reflective surfaces in the first sequence of reflective surfaces and the plurality of reflective surfaces in the second sequence of reflective surfaces are non-parallel with respect to each other.

In another alternative embodiment, each reflecting surface in the sequence of reflecting surfaces spans a footprint as an area over which each reflecting surface in the sequence of reflecting surfaces is disposed, and wherein the footprints of both the first sequence of reflecting surfaces and the second sequence of reflecting surfaces at least partially overlap.

Drawings

Embodiments are described herein, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

fig. 1 is a conventional implementation of an architecture for a luminaire.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an exemplary light guide optical element (LOE)903 configured for use with the current embodiments.

Fig. 3A and 3B are sketches of respective front and side views of an exemplary compact system for the optical illuminator 302.

FIG. 3C is a sketch of a first exemplary embodiment 300C of the source optics 300.

FIG. 3D is a sketch of a second exemplary embodiment 300D of the source optics 300.

FIG. 4A is a sketch of a side view of multiple reflective surfaces with uniform angular response.

FIG. 4B is a sketch of a side view of multiple reflective surfaces with different angular responses.

FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of a light guide with multiple non-overlapping reflective surfaces to illustrate the effect of variations in image uniformity.

FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of a light guide with multiple overlapping reflective surfaces to illustrate the effect of variation in image uniformity.

Fig. 5C is a sketch of a triple reflecting surface.

Fig. 6 is a sketch of an angular spatial configuration of the light guide 20.

Fig. 7 is a sketch of an angular spatial configuration of fig. 6 with improved energy extraction.

FIG. 8 is a graph of performance of the designed coating for the configuration of FIG. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sketch of an angular distribution of a configuration including the conical (or cylindrical lens) expansion of the second exemplary embodiment 300D.

FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram of a first alternative configuration for an optical illuminator 302A.

Fig. 10B and 10C are various sketches for respective side and front views of a second alternative configuration of the optical illuminator 302B.

Fig. 11A and 11B are reflection processes of the reflection surface in the plurality of light guides 10 and 20.

Detailed Description