Optical: systems and elements – Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels – By surface composed of lenticular elements
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-11
2004-09-07
Epps, Georgia (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels
By surface composed of lenticular elements
C359S623000, C349S095000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06788467
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an electro-optical device and an electronic device using the electro-optical device.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, electro-optical devices, such as projectors, can include a light source for emitting white light, a plurality of dichroic mirrors, R, G, and B liquid crystal light valves, a dichroic prism, and a projection lens. White light emitted from the light source can be separated into light beams of three colors, R (red), G (green), and B (blue) by a plurality of dichroic mirrors, and can further be modulated pixel by pixel by the R, G, and B liquid crystal light valves, thereby forming R, G, and B images. The R, G, and B images formed by the liquid crystal light valves are synthesized by the dichroic prism so as to form a color image. The image is projected (enlarged and projected) onto a screen (not shown) by the projection lens.
However, the above projector is large and the typical cost of the projector is high. In order to reduce the size and cost of the device, an integrated dichroic mirror type, a color grating (hologram color filter) type, a time sharing type (color sequential driving type), and the like have been proposed. All the above methods however have mixed advantages and disadvantages in terms of size reduction, quality, cost, light utilization efficiency, and the like. In particular, since the source light is projected (applied) from the side, size reduction is difficult, and the utilization efficiency of the light emitted from the light source is low.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electro-optical device which has the advantage in size reduction and which achieves a high utilization efficiency of light emitted from a light source. The present invention can provide an electro-optical device that includes a dot-like light source array in which a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting red light, a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting green light, and a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting blue light are arranged. The present invention can also include a microlens array in which a plurality of microlenses are arranged, and an optical modulation panel having a plurality of pixels for red light, a plurality of pixels for green light, a plurality of pixels for blue light, and a plurality of transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels. The electro-optical device can be configured so that the microlens array collects light from the light-emitting elements for emitting red light at the transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for red light, light from the light-emitting elements for emitting green light at the transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for green light, and light from the light-emitting elements for emitting blue light at the transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for blue light.
The present invention provides an electro-optical device that includes a dot-like light source array in which a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting red light, a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting green light, and a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting blue light are arranged, a microlens array in which a plurality of microlenses are arranged, and an optical modulation panel having a plurality of pixels for red light, a plurality of pixels for green light, a plurality of pixels for blue light, and a plurality of transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels. The light-emitting elements, the microlenses of the microlens array, and the pixels and the transmissive windows of the optical modulation panel being arranged so that the microlens array collects light from the light-emitting elements for emitting red light at the transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for red light, light from the light-emitting elements for emitting green light at the transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for green light, and light from the light-emitting elements for emitting blue light at the transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for blue light.
The present invention provides an electro-optical device that includes a dot-like light source array in which a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting red light, a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting green light, and a plurality of light-emitting elements for emitting blue light are arranged, a microlens array in which a plurality of microlenses are arranged, and an optical modulation panel having a plurality of pixels for red light, a plurality of pixels for green light, a plurality of pixels for blue light, and a plurality of transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels. The light-emitting elements, the microlenses of the microlens array, and the pixels and the transmissive windows of the optical modulation panel being arranged so that the microlenses of the microlens array collect light from the light-emitting elements for emitting red light at a plurality of transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for red light, collect light from the light-emitting elements for emitting green light at a plurality of transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for green light, and collect light from the light-emitting elements for emitting blue light at a plurality of transmissive windows corresponding to the pixels for blue light.
The present invention provides an electro-optical device according to the invention, wherein the light-emitting elements, the microlenses of the microlens array, and the pixels and the transmissive windows of the optical modulation panel are placed so that the microlenses of the microlens array collect light beams emitted from the light-emitting elements at the transmissive windows.
The present invention provides an electro-optical device according to any of (1) to (3) above, wherein the dot-like light source array includes a plurality of dot-like light source units, each of the dot-like light source units having at least one light-emitting element for emitting red light, at least one light-emitting element for emitting green light, and at least one light-emitting element for emitting blue light, and wherein the optical modulation panel includes an optical modulation unit array in which a plurality of optical modulation units are arranged, each of the optical modulation units having at least one pixel for red light and a corresponding transmissive window, at least one pixel for green light and a corresponding transmissive window, and at least one pixel for blue light and a corresponding transmissive window.
The present invention provides an electro-optical device described above, which is configured so that conditions given by the following equations are satisfied:
PL={Ps·Pa
/(
Ps+Pa
)}·
n
(
n
is a natural number)
La/Ls=Pa/Ps
where Ps represents the pitch of the dot-like light source units, Pa represents the pitch of the optical modulation units, PL represents the pitch of the microlenses of the microlens array, Ls represents the optical distance between the light-emitting elements and the microlens array, and La represents the optical distance between the microlens array and the transmissive windows of the optical modulation panel.
The present invention can provide an electro-optical device described above, wherein the pitch Ps of the dot-like light source units is greater than the pitch Pa of the optical modulation units.
The present invention can provide an electro-optical device described above, wherein the light-emitting elements are light-emitting diodes.
The present invention can provide an electro-optical device described above, wherein the light-emitting elements emit laser light.
The present invention can provide an electro-optical device described above, wherein the light-emitting elements are organic EL elements or inorganic EL elements.
The present invention can provide an electro-optical device described above, wherein the microlens array is a Fresnel microlens array.
The present
Miyamae Akira
Nagasaka Kimio
Epps Georgia
Harrington Alicia M.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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