JP2008197390A - Projector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a projector finely adjusting color reproducibility and brightness on a projection image by arbitrarily changing the distribution of each color of light generated in a time-division manner. <P>SOLUTION: When the projector projects an image, a control part 10 appropriately controls color wheel drive parts 42, 45, 48 and 51, whereby respective color wheels 41, 44, 47 and 50 are rotated while maintaining relative positional relation between the second reflection filter of the color wheel 41 and the reflection filters of the color wheels 44, 47 and 50. By reflecting the light from the light source by the rotating color wheels 41, 44, 47 and 50 in such a way, the respective color light beams in red, green, blue and white are generated in a time-division manner, and the image is projected by using the generated light beams. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a projector that projects an image using white light from a light source.

  In the field of presentation or video projection, a projector that projects an image onto an external screen or wall by projecting light to the outside is used. Such a projector forms an image based on image data on an image device such as a liquid crystal panel or DMD (Digital Micromirror Device), and projects light reflected or transmitted by the image device to the outside. An image formed by an image of light whose color or intensity is spatially modulated is projected. In addition to a front projection projector that projects an image from the front onto an external screen or wall, the projector includes a screen for projecting an image, and a rear projection projector that projects an image from the back of the screen. Is also used. As a method of projecting a color image by such a projector, there is a method of projecting a color image by sequentially projecting images of three colors of red, green, and blue in time division.

  A projector that projects a color image in a time-sharing manner includes a disk-shaped color wheel in which three color filters that transmit red, green, and blue light are arranged around a rotation axis, and the light from the light source is transmitted to the rotating color wheel. By passing the light, three colors of light are generated in a time division manner. The projector irradiates the image device with light of three colors in a time-sharing manner by irradiating the image device with light that has passed through the color wheel. The image device forms an image for each color in synchronization with the rotation of the color wheel, and the image of each color is projected on an external screen or wall in a time-sharing manner by the light reflected by the image device or the light transmitted through the image device The A viewer who views the image projected by the projector recognizes that the image is a color image by combining the three color images projected in time division.

  As a color wheel provided in the projector, a color wheel having various configurations such as a color wheel having a white filter that transmits white light in addition to three color filters is used. In a projector using a color wheel having a white filter, white light is projected in a time-sharing manner in addition to light of three colors, so that the brightness of the projected image is improved. In many cases, the filters of the respective colors provided around the rotation axis of the color wheel are configured to have the same ratio (distribution) even when the distance from the center of the color wheel is long.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a projector having a color wheel configured such that the ratio (distribution) of each transmission part (filter) for transmitting light of each color varies depending on the distance from the rotation center of the color wheel. Has been. In the projector of Patent Document 1, the distribution of each time-divided color can be changed by appropriately changing the position where light from the light source is transmitted to a position at an appropriate distance from the rotation center of the rotating color wheel. . Therefore, for example, if the distribution of white light is increased, the luminance of the projection image can be increased, and if the distribution of red light is increased, the color reproducibility in the projection image can be improved. Moreover, in the projector of patent document 1, since the color reproducibility and brightness of the image to be projected can be dynamically changed even while the image is being projected, the viewer who views the image does not feel uncomfortable. It is possible to switch between an image projection that emphasizes luminance or an image projection that emphasizes color reproducibility.

Patent Document 2 discloses a projector having two or more color wheels as described above. In the projector of Patent Document 2, for example, the color reproducibility and brightness of the projected image are effectively improved by rotating the two color wheels at an appropriate phase.
JP 2005-107400 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-043854

  However, in the projectors of Patent Documents 1 and 2 as described above, the distribution of each time-divided color is fixed to some extent according to the color and shape of the filter provided on the color wheel, and changes only in stages. There are many cases where this is not possible. Therefore, there is a limit to the color reproducibility and brightness realized by a projector having such a color wheel.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to arbitrarily change the distribution of each color of light generated by time division, thereby enabling color reproducibility or brightness in a projected image. It is an object of the present invention to provide a projector that can make fine adjustment of the above.

  Another object of the present invention is to easily change the distribution of each color of light generated in a time division manner and maintain the changed distribution, so that an image using light whose distribution of each color is appropriately adjusted can be maintained. The object is to provide a projector capable of projection.

  The projector according to the present invention includes a light source, and a projector that projects the image to the outside using the white light from the light source, and a reflection filter that transmits the white light from the light source and a reflection that reflects light of different colors. A plurality of rotatable disc-shaped first color wheels each having a filter, a first reflection filter that reflects white light that has passed through a transmission filter included in each of the first color wheels, and light of a predetermined color are reflected. A rotatable disk-shaped second color wheel having a second reflection filter, and a projection means for projecting an image using the light reflected by the first color wheel and the second color wheel. To do.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of first color wheels each having a transmissive filter that transmits white light from a light source and a reflective filter that reflects light of different colors, and a transmissive filter included in each of the first color wheels are sequentially provided. An image is projected using light reflected by a second color wheel having a first reflection filter that reflects white light that has passed and a second reflection filter that reflects light of a predetermined color. Therefore, the white light from the light source is reflected by the respective reflection filters of the first color wheel, the first reflection filter and the second reflection filter of the second color wheel, so that the light of each color can be generated in a time division manner. It becomes.

  The projector according to the present invention includes a setting unit that sets a relative positional relationship between a reflection filter included in each of the first color wheels and a second reflection filter included in the second color wheel, and a position set by the setting unit. And control means for controlling the rotation of the first color wheel and the second color wheel while maintaining the relationship, and the projection means controls the first color wheel and the second color wheel whose rotation is controlled by the control means. An image is projected using the light reflected by.

  According to the present invention, the first color wheel and the second color wheel are rotated while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the reflection filter of each of the first color wheels and the second reflection filter of the second color wheel. An image is projected using the light reflected by the rotating first and second color wheels. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the distribution of each color of the light generated in a time division manner by reflecting the white light from the light source to the first color wheel and the second color wheel.

  The projector according to the present invention is characterized in that the positional relationship set by the setting means is variable.

  According to the present invention, since the relative positional relationship between the reflection filter included in each of the first color wheels and the second reflection filter included in the second color wheel is variable, the first color wheel and the second color wheel can be changed. By being reflected, it becomes possible to arbitrarily change the distribution of light of each color generated in a time division manner.

  In the projector according to the aspect of the invention, each of the reflection filter of the first color wheel and the second reflection filter of the second color wheel is a color filter that reflects any one of red, green, and blue light, and the control The first color wheel and the second color wheel that rotate under the control of the means are characterized in that light of each color of red, green, and blue is sequentially reflected in a time division manner.

  According to the present invention, each of the reflective filter of the first color wheel and the second reflective filter of the second color wheel is a color filter that reflects any of red, green, and blue light, and the rotating first color The light of each color of red, green, and blue is sequentially reflected in a time division manner by the wheel and the second color wheel, so that it is possible to generate light of each color of red, green, and blue from white light from the light source. .

  The projector according to the present invention is characterized in that the first color wheel and the second color wheel are arranged coaxially.

  According to the present invention, since the first color wheel and the second color wheel are coaxially arranged, the reflection filter included in each of the first color wheel can be obtained by appropriately shifting the first color wheel and the second color wheel. It is possible to easily change the relative positional relationship of the second reflection filter of the second color wheel.

  In the present invention, the white light from the light source is reflected by the plurality of first color wheels and the second color wheel, so that light of each color can be generated in a time-sharing manner, and an image is generated using the generated light. Project. Further, in the present invention, by rotating the first color wheel and the second color wheel while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the reflection filter of the first color wheel and the second reflection filter of the second color wheel, The white light is reflected by the first color wheel and the second color wheel, so that it is possible to maintain the distribution of each color of the light generated in a time division manner.

  In the present invention, by appropriately changing the relative positional relationship between the reflection filter of the first color wheel and the second reflection filter of the second color wheel, it is reflected by the first color wheel and the second color wheel. The distribution of each color of light generated by time division can be arbitrarily changed. Since the distribution of each color of light generated by time division can be arbitrarily changed, the degree of freedom of color tone that can be expressed in the projection image is widened, and fine adjustment is also possible. Therefore, depending on the usage of the projector, for example, when color reproducibility is more important as in the case of projecting a video, or when the brightness of the projected image needs to be increased as in the case of a presentation. Appropriate color reproducibility and image brightness can be achieved.

  In the present invention, the white light from the light source is reflected on the rotating first color wheel and the second color wheel, so that light of each color of red, green, and blue can be sequentially generated in a time division manner. By using the light of each color generated by the distribution, it is possible to achieve appropriate color reproducibility and brightness in the projected image.

  In the present invention, the first color wheel and the second color wheel, which are coaxially arranged, are appropriately shifted around the rotation axis, so that the relative reflection of the reflection filter of the first color wheel and the second reflection filter of the second color wheel is relative. The positional relationship can be easily changed. Therefore, it is possible to easily change the distribution of each color of light generated in a time division manner by being reflected by the first color wheel and the second color wheel.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main internal configuration example of a projector according to the present invention. A dashed line in the figure indicates light. The projector 100 according to this embodiment includes a light source 1, a condensing lens 2, a prism 3, a wheel unit 4, a condensing rod 5, a mirror 6, an image device 7, a projection lens 8, and the like.

  The light source 1 is composed of a discharge lamp such as a metal halide lamp or an ultra high pressure mercury lamp, and emits white light. The condensing lens 2 condenses the white light emitted from the light source 1 and emits it to the prism 3. The prism 3 reflects the light emitted from the condenser lens 2 to change the optical path and emits the light to the wheel unit 4.

  The wheel unit 4 includes a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 each provided with a transmission filter or a reflection filter, which will be described in detail later. The light incident from the prism 3 passes through the transmission filters of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50, or is reflected by the reflection filters, and the color light reflected by each reflection filter is generated in a time-sharing manner. 3 is emitted. The prism 3 emits the light incident from the wheel unit 4 to the condensing rod 5. The condensing rod 5 condenses the light emitted from the prism 3, and outputs the light to the mirror 6 after making the intensity distribution of brightness uniform. The mirror 6 reflects the light emitted from the condensing rod 5 to change the optical path and emits it to the image device 7.

  The image device 7 is composed of, for example, a DMD element, and is formed by two-dimensionally arranging a large number of micromirrors corresponding to the pixels in the image. In the image device 7, a minute mirror corresponding to a light emitting pixel reflects light in the direction of the projection lens 8, and a minute mirror corresponding to a non-light emitting pixel reflects light in a direction not incident on the projection lens 8. By doing so, a two-dimensional image is formed by the presence or absence of reflected light in the direction of the projection lens 8. The projection lens (projection means) 8 projects the light reflected by each DMD element of the image device 7 to the outside, thereby enlarging the image of each color light image formed on the image device 7 and externally. Project to a screen or wall. Based on the light of each color emitted from the wheel unit 4 in a time division manner, the projection lens 8 sequentially projects the image of each color in a time division manner, so that the viewer recognizes it as a color image.

The projector 100 further includes a device driving unit 9 that performs processing for forming an image on the image device 7, a control unit 10 using a microcomputer, an operation unit 11, and the like. The control unit 10 includes a light source 1, a device driving unit 9, an operation unit 11, color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 (see FIG. 2) of the wheel unit 4 and position sensors 43, 46, 49, 52 (FIG. 2). Etc.), and appropriately controls the operation of each part.
The projector 100 is configured so as to be able to acquire image data sent from an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer (PC) or a video reproduction device, and the control unit 10 acquires the data from an external device. The operation of each unit described above is controlled so that the image data is processed and an image based on the image data can be projected to the outside.

  The operation unit 11 includes various operation keys necessary for the user to operate the projector 100. When each operation key is operated by the user, the control unit 10 sends a control signal corresponding to the operated operation key. The control unit 10 executes processing corresponding to the acquired control signal. Note that the projector 100 may be configured to be remotely operated by a remote control device.

  Below, the structure of the wheel unit 4 is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of the wheel unit 4. In the wheel unit 4, four rotatable color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 formed in a disk shape are coaxially arranged with their rotation axes coinciding with each other. The wheel unit 4 includes a first color wheel drive unit 42, a second color wheel drive unit 45, a third color wheel drive unit 48, and a fourth color that control the rotation of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50. A wheel drive unit 51 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a color wheel drive unit) is included. Further, the wheel unit 4 detects the marks 41c, 44c, 47c, and 50c (see FIG. 3) that indicate the reference positions in the circumferential direction provided on the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50, respectively. , A second position sensor 46, a third position sensor 49, and a fourth position sensor 52 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a position sensor).

  Each of the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 includes a motor (not shown) for rotating the corresponding color wheel 41, 44, 47, 50 at a constant speed, and the corresponding color wheel 41, 44, 47, A control circuit for controlling the rotation speed of 50; The position sensors 43, 46, 49 and 52 optically detect the positions of the marks 41c, 44c, 47c and 50c provided on the corresponding color wheels 41, 44, 47 and 50, respectively.

  Based on the positions of the marks 41c, 44c, 47c, and 50c detected by the position sensors 43, 46, 49, and 52, the control unit 10 determines that the light incident from the prism 3 is the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50, respectively. The position where the light is incident is grasped. Further, the control unit 10 can know which color light is radiated to the image device 7 at each time point based on the position of the light incident on the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50. Therefore, the control unit 10 controls the operation of the device driving unit 9 in accordance with the rotation timing of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50, so that the image for each color based on the image data is transferred to the image device 7. It can be displayed by dividing.

  The configuration of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 will be described below. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing a configuration example of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50. The color wheel (second color wheel) 41 is formed in a fan shape with a central angle of 270 °, and is formed in a fan shape with a central angle of 90 ° and a first reflection filter 41b that reflects incident light. The second reflection filter 41a that reflects only the light of G (green) color among the emitted light is arranged around the central axis. The color wheel 41 is configured such that the motor of the first color wheel drive unit 42 is directly connected to the central axis, and is rotated by the motor at a rotational speed of 60 Hz, for example, with the central axis as the rotational axis. Further, the color wheel 41 is provided with a mark 41c at a connection portion between the first reflection filter 41b and the second reflection filter 41a on the inner peripheral edge. The mark 41c is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 3 as long as the first position sensor 43 can detect the mark 41c.

  The color wheel (first color wheel) 44 is formed in a fan shape with a central angle of 180 °, and is formed with a transmissive filter 44b that transmits incident light and a fan shape with a central angle of 180 °. A reflection filter 44a that reflects only R (red) light of the light is arranged around the central axis. Similarly to the color wheel 41, the color wheel 44 also has a motor of the second color wheel driving unit 45 directly connected to the central axis, and a mark 44c is provided at a connection portion between the transmission filter 44b and the reflection filter 44a on the inner peripheral edge. Yes.

  The color wheel (first color wheel) 47 is formed in a fan shape with a central angle of 180 °, and is formed with a transmissive filter 47b that transmits incident light and a fan shape with a central angle of 180 °. A reflection filter 47a that reflects only B (blue) light of the light is arranged around the central axis. Similarly to the color wheels 41 and 44, the color wheel 47 is also connected to the motor of the third color wheel drive unit 48 directly on the central axis, and a mark 47c is provided at the connection point between the transmission filter 47b and the reflection filter 47a on the inner periphery. It has been.

  The color wheel (first color wheel) 50 is formed in a fan shape with a central angle of 270 °, and is formed with a transmission filter 50b that transmits incident light and a fan shape with a central angle of 90 °. A reflection filter 50a that reflects only light of G color in the light is arranged around the central axis. Similarly to the color wheels 41, 44, 47, the color wheel 50 also has a motor of the fourth color wheel drive unit 51 directly connected to the central axis, and a mark 50 c is formed at the connecting portion of the inner peripheral transmission filter 50 b and the reflection filter 50 a. Is provided.

  In the wheel unit 4 configured as described above, the light incident from the prism 3 is first incident on the color wheel 50 and passes through the transmission filter 50b according to the rotation of the color wheel 50, or the color of G is reflected by the reflection filter 50a. Light is reflected. The light that has passed through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50 is incident on the color wheel 47, passes through the transmission filter 47b according to the rotation of the color wheel 47, or the light of B color is reflected by the reflection filter 47a.

  The light that has passed through the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47 is incident on the color wheel 44 and passes through the transmission filter 44b according to the rotation of the color wheel 44, or the R color light is reflected by the reflection filter 44a. The Further, the light that has passed through the transmission filter 44b of the color wheel 44 is incident on the color wheel 41, and light of all colors is reflected by the first reflection filter 41b according to the rotation of the color wheel 41, or the second reflection filter. The light of G color is reflected by 41a.

  The light reflected by the first reflection filter 41 b and the second reflection filter 41 a of the color wheel 41 passes through the transmission filter 44 b according to the rotation of the color wheel 44, and the light that has passed through the transmission filter 44 b and the reflection of the color wheel 44. The light of R color reflected by the filter 44 a passes through the transmission filter 47 b according to the rotation of the color wheel 47. The light having passed through the transmission filter 47b and the light of B color reflected by the reflection filter 47a of the color wheel 47 passes through the transmission filter 50b according to the rotation of the color wheel 50, and the light and color having passed through the transmission filter 50b. The light of G color reflected by the reflection filter 50 a of the wheel 50 is emitted to the prism 3.

  By using the wheel unit 4 having such a configuration, white light from the light source 1 that has passed through the condenser lens 2 and the prism 3 is virtually formed by the rotating color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50. A plurality of colors of red, green, blue, and white reflected by the color wheel are generated in a time-sharing order in accordance with the arrangement of the reflection filters 41a, 41b, 44a, 47a, and 50a. The light of each color generated by the wheel unit 4 enters the prism 3 in a time division manner.

  Below, the usage example of the wheel unit 4 which has four color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 as mentioned above is demonstrated. 4 to 6 are front views schematically showing usage examples of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50. FIG. In the following description, as shown in FIG. 3, the marks 41 c, 44 c, 47 c, and 50 c provided on the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 are replaced with the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50, respectively. The state at a position directly above the central axis is used as a reference.

  In FIG. 4 (a), the color wheel 41 is shifted 30 ° counterclockwise, the color wheel 44 is shifted 120 ° clockwise, the color wheel 47 is shifted 30 ° clockwise, and the color wheel 50 is moved to the reference position. The case where the wheel unit 4 is used is shown.

  In this case, the light incident on the color wheel 50 of the wheel unit 4 from the prism 3 is reflected by the reflection filter 50a according to the rotation of the color wheel 50, or passes through the transmission filter 50b. Since only the light that has passed through the transmission filter 50b is incident on the color wheel 47, no light is incident on the region 47ab of the reflection filter 47a and the region 47bb of the transmission filter 47b. Therefore, the light having passed through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50 is reflected by the region 47aa of the reflection filter 47a as the color wheel 47 rotates, or passes through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b.

  Since only the light that has passed through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b is incident on the color wheel 44, no light is incident on the region 44ab of the reflection filter 44a and the region 44bb of the transmission filter 44b. Therefore, the light that has passed through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47 is reflected by the region 44aa of the reflection filter 44a according to the rotation of the color wheel 44, or is reflected by the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b. pass.

Since only the light that has passed through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b is incident on the color wheel 41, no light is incident on the region 41ab and the first reflection filter 41b of the second reflection filter 41a. Therefore, the light having passed through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b of the color wheel 44 is reflected by the region 41aa of the second reflection filter 41a of the color wheel 41 as G light.
The light reflected by the color wheel 41 passes through the transmission filter 44b of the color wheel 44, and this light and the light reflected by the color wheel 44 pass through the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47. The light passing through the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47 and the light reflected by the color wheel 47 pass through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50, and the light and the light reflected by the color wheel 50 are emitted to the prism 3. The

  By using the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 in the above positional relationship, the color wheel shown at the right end of FIG. 4A can be virtually formed, and according to the rotation of the color wheel. Light of each color of green, blue, and red can be sequentially generated in a time division manner. In this case, each light of green, blue and red is generated with a distribution of 1: 1: 1. When the projector 100 projects an image, the control unit (setting unit) 10 appropriately sets the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 based on the detection results by the position sensors 43, 46, 49, 52. By controlling, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 are rotated at a constant speed while maintaining the relative positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 described above.

  FIG. 4B shows a case where the wheel unit 4 is used in a state where the color wheels 41, 47, 50 are at the reference positions and the color wheel 44 is shifted 90 ° clockwise. Also in this case, when the projector 100 projects an image, the control unit 10 appropriately sets the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 based on the detection results by the position sensors 43, 46, 49, 52. By controlling, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 are rotated at a constant speed while maintaining the relative positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 shown in FIG.

  In the case shown in FIG. 4 (b), the light incident on the color wheel 50 of the wheel unit 4 from the prism 3 is reflected by the reflection filter 50a according to the rotation of the color wheel 50, or the transmission filter. The light that has passed through 50 b and passed through the transmission filter 50 b is not incident on the region 47 ab of the reflection filter 47 a of the color wheel 47. Therefore, the light having passed through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50 is reflected by the region 47aa of the reflection filter 47a according to the rotation of the color wheel 47, or passes through the transmission filter 47b.

  Since only the light that has passed through the transmission filter 47b is incident on the color wheel 44, no light is incident on the region 44ab of the reflection filter 44a and the region 44bb of the transmission filter 44b. Therefore, the light having passed through the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47 is reflected by the region 44aa of the reflection filter 44a according to the rotation of the color wheel 44, or passes through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b.

  Since only the light that has passed through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b is incident on the color wheel 41, no light is incident on the region 41bb of the second reflection filter 41a and the first reflection filter 41b. Therefore, the light that has passed through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b of the color wheel 44 is reflected as it is by the region 41ba of the first reflection filter 41b of the color wheel 41. The light reflected by the color wheels 41, 44 and 47 sequentially passes through the transmission filters 44 b, 47 b and 50 b of the color wheels 44, 47 and 50, and is emitted to the prism 3 together with the light reflected by the color wheel 50.

  By using the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 in the above positional relationship, the color wheel shown at the right end in FIG. 4B can be virtually formed, and according to the rotation of the color wheel. Green, blue, red and white (W) light can be generated in time division. In this case, green, blue, red and white lights are respectively generated with a distribution of 1: 1: 1: 1. In this way, by causing white light to be interrupted between green, blue, and red light, the brightness of the projected image is increased and the appearance is brightened. Therefore, for example, when the projector 100 is used for a presentation in which the brightness of the projected image is more important than the color reproducibility, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 are in a positional relationship as shown in FIG. May be used.

  FIG. 5A shows a case where the wheel unit 4 is used in a state where the color wheels 41, 47, 50 are at the reference positions and the color wheel 44 is shifted 180 ° clockwise. Also in this case, when the projector 100 projects an image, the control unit 10 appropriately sets the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 based on the detection results by the position sensors 43, 46, 49, 52. By controlling, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 are rotated at a constant speed while maintaining the relative positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 shown in FIG.

  In the case shown in FIG. 5A, the light incident on the color wheel 50 of the wheel unit 4 from the prism 3 is reflected by the reflection filter 50a according to the rotation of the color wheel 50, or the transmission filter. The light that has passed through 50 b and passed through the transmission filter 50 b is not incident on the region 47 ab of the reflection filter 47 a of the color wheel 47. Therefore, the light having passed through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50 is reflected by the region 47aa of the reflection filter 47a according to the rotation of the color wheel 47, or passes through the transmission filter 47b.

  Since only the light that has passed through the transmission filter 47b is incident on the color wheel 44, no light is incident on the transmission filter 44b. Therefore, the light having passed through the transmission filter 47 b of the color wheel 47 is reflected by the reflection filter 44 a of the color wheel 44 and is not incident on the color wheel 41. The light reflected by the color wheels 44 and 47 sequentially passes through the transmission filters 47b and 50b of the color wheels 47 and 50, and is emitted to the prism 3 together with the light reflected by the color wheel 50.

  By using the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 in the above positional relationship, the color wheel shown at the right end of FIG. 5A can be virtually formed, and according to the rotation of the color wheel. Light of each color of green, blue, and red can be sequentially generated in a time division manner. In this case, each light of green, blue, and red is generated with a distribution of 1: 1: 2, and an image in which the red color included in the image is emphasized can be projected. Therefore, for example, color reproducibility is important, and when projecting an image with red emphasized, if each color wheel 41, 44, 47, 50 is used in a positional relationship as shown in FIG. Good.

  FIG. 5B shows the case where the wheel unit 4 is used with the color wheels 41 and 50 at the reference position, the color wheel 44 shifted 180 ° clockwise, and the color wheel 47 shifted 90 ° clockwise. Indicates. Also in this case, when the projector 100 projects an image, the control unit 10 appropriately sets the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 based on the detection results by the position sensors 43, 46, 49, 52. By controlling, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 are rotated at a constant speed while maintaining the relative positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 shown in FIG.

  In the case shown in FIG. 5B, the light incident on the color wheel 50 of the wheel unit 4 from the prism 3 is reflected by the reflection filter 50 a according to the rotation of the color wheel 50, or the transmission color filter. The light that has passed through 50b and has passed through the transmission filter 50b is not incident on the region 47bb of the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47. Therefore, the light that has passed through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50 is reflected by the reflection filter 47a as the color wheel 47 rotates, or passes through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b.

  Since only the light that has passed through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b is incident on the color wheel 44, no light is incident on the region 44ab of the transmission filter 44b and the reflection filter 44a. Therefore, the light having passed through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47 is reflected by the region 44aa of the reflection filter 44a of the color wheel 44 and is not incident on the color wheel 41. The light reflected by the color wheels 44 and 47 sequentially passes through the transmission filters 47b and 50b of the color wheels 47 and 50, and is emitted to the prism 3 together with the light reflected by the color wheel 50.

  By using the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 in the above positional relationship, the color wheel shown at the right end of FIG. 5B can be virtually formed, and according to the rotation of the color wheel. Light of each color of green, blue, and red can be sequentially generated in a time division manner. In this case, each light of green, blue, and red is generated with a distribution of 1: 2: 1, and an image in which blue contained in the image is emphasized can be projected. Therefore, for example, color reproducibility is important, and when projecting an image in which blue is emphasized, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 are used in a positional relationship as shown in FIG. Good.

  FIG. 6A shows a case where the color wheel 41 is shifted 90 ° counterclockwise, the color wheel 44 is shifted 90 ° clockwise, and the color wheel 47, 50 is used at the reference position. . Also in this case, when the projector 100 projects an image, the control unit 10 appropriately sets the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 based on the detection results by the position sensors 43, 46, 49, 52. By controlling, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 are rotated at a constant speed while maintaining the relative positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 shown in FIG.

  In the case shown in FIG. 6 (a), the light incident on the color wheel 50 of the wheel unit 4 from the prism 3 is reflected by the reflection filter 50a according to the rotation of the color wheel 50, or the transmission filter. The light that has passed through 50 b and passed through the transmission filter 50 b is not incident on the region 47 ab of the reflection filter 47 a of the color wheel 47. Therefore, the light having passed through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50 is reflected by the region 47aa of the reflection filter 47a according to the rotation of the color wheel 47, or passes through the transmission filter 47b.

  Since only the light that has passed through the transmission filter 47b is incident on the color wheel 44, no light is incident on the region 44bb of the transmission filter 44b and the region 44ab of the reflection filter 44a. Therefore, the light having passed through the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47 is reflected by the region 44aa of the reflection filter 44a according to the rotation of the color wheel 44, or passes through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b.

  Since only the light that has passed through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b is incident on the color wheel 41, no light is incident on the first reflection filter 41b. Therefore, the light having passed through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b of the color wheel 44 is reflected by the second reflection filter 41a of the color wheel 41. The light reflected by the color wheels 41, 44 and 47 sequentially passes through the transmission filters 44 b, 47 b and 50 b of the color wheels 44, 47 and 50, and is emitted to the prism 3 together with the light reflected by the color wheel 50.

  By using the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 in the positional relationship described above, the color wheel shown at the right end of FIG. 6A can be virtually formed, and according to the rotation of the color wheel. Light of each color of green, blue, and red can be sequentially generated in a time division manner. In this case, each light of green, blue, and red is generated with a distribution of 2: 1: 1, and an image in which green included in the image is emphasized can be projected. Therefore, for example, color reproducibility is important, and when projecting a video with an emphasized green color or when it is desired to improve the brightness of the projected image, each color has a positional relationship as shown in FIG. Wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 may be used.

  In FIG. 6B, the color wheel 41 is shifted 20 ° counterclockwise, the color wheel 44 is shifted 130 ° clockwise, the color wheel 47 is shifted 20 ° clockwise, and the color wheel 50 is moved to the reference position. The case where the wheel unit 4 is used is shown. Also in this case, when the projector 100 projects an image, the control unit 10 appropriately sets the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 based on the detection results by the position sensors 43, 46, 49, 52. By controlling, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 are rotated at a constant speed while maintaining the relative positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 shown in FIG.

  In the case shown in FIG. 6B, the light incident on the color wheel 50 of the wheel unit 4 from the prism 3 is reflected by the reflection filter 50a according to the rotation of the color wheel 50, or the transmission filter. The light passing through 50b and passing through the transmission filter 50b is not incident on the region 47ab of the reflection filter 47a and the region 47bb of the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47. Therefore, the light having passed through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50 is reflected by the region 47aa of the reflection filter 47a as the color wheel 47 rotates, or passes through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b.

  Since only the light that has passed through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b is incident on the color wheel 44, no light is incident on the region 44ab of the reflection filter 44a and the region 44bb of the transmission filter 44b. Therefore, the light that has passed through the region 47ba of the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47 is reflected by the region 44aa of the reflection filter 44a according to the rotation of the color wheel 44, or is reflected by the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b. pass.

  Since only light that has passed through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b of the color wheel 44 is incident on the color wheel 41, no light is incident on the region 41ab of the second reflection filter 41a and the region 41bb of the first reflection filter 41b. . Therefore, the light that has passed through the region 44ba of the transmission filter 44b of the color wheel 44 is reflected by the region 41aa of the second reflection filter 41a according to the rotation of the color wheel 41, or the first reflection filter 41b. Is reflected as it is by the region 41ba. The light reflected by the color wheels 41, 44 and 47 sequentially passes through the transmission filters 44 b, 47 b and 50 b of the color wheels 44, 47 and 50, and is emitted to the prism 3 together with the light reflected by the color wheel 50.

  By using the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 in the positional relationship described above, the color wheel shown at the right end of FIG. 6B can be virtually formed, and according to the rotation of the color wheel. Green, blue, red and white light can be sequentially generated in a time division manner. In this case, green, blue, red, and white lights are generated with a distribution of 11: 11: 11: 3, respectively.

  As described above, in the projector 100 of the present invention, the relative positional relationship between the reflection filters 41a, 41b, 44a, 47a, and 50a provided in the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 is appropriately changed. In the color wheel that is virtually formed as the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 rotate, the distribution of each color can be changed continuously. Therefore, for example, the brightness of the projected image can be increased by increasing the white ratio, and the color tone corresponding to the subtle preference of the viewer can be realized by arbitrarily changing the distribution of each color component. .

  Thus, for example, even when an image is projected onto a screen that is not a screen for projecting an image, such as a stack installation screen that combines a plurality of projector screens into a single screen, a wall, etc. An image can be projected with a color tone. This is particularly effective when an image is projected with good color reproducibility and brightness according to the color of the wall. Therefore, the projector 100 can be used in various places.

  The relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 can be changed by setting by the viewer via the operation unit 11, for example. Specifically, the viewer sets the brightness of the projection image and the distribution (ratio) of each color in the projection image via the operation unit 11, and the control unit 10 is input via the operation unit 11. Corresponding to each setting, the relative positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 is specified, and the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 are controlled so as to be the specified positional relationship. Well, according to the control from the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51, the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 are rotated while maintaining the positional relationship corresponding to the setting by the viewer. Can do.

  Further, for example, the positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 is registered in advance corresponding to each mode such as the presentation mode, the theater mode, the red enhancement mode, the green enhancement mode, the blue enhancement mode, and the control. The projector 100 may be configured to control the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, and 51 so that the unit 10 has a positional relationship corresponding to the mode selected by the viewer via the operation unit 11. . In this case, the viewer only has to select a desired mode, and it is not necessary to specify the detailed distribution of each color in the projection image, so that the operation burden can be reduced.

  Further, the projector 100 may be configured to automatically set the relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 according to the use environment of the projector 100. Specifically, a sensor that detects the brightness around the projector 100 is provided in the projector 100, and when the ambient brightness detected by the sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the control unit 10 controls the color wheel driving unit 42, The positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 may be changed so as to appropriately control 45, 48, and 51 and increase the brightness of the projected image. In this case, an image can be projected with appropriate brightness according to the brightness around the projector 100.

  Further, the projector 100 may be configured to automatically change the relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 according to the usage time of the light source 1. Specifically, the control unit 10 has a time measuring unit for measuring a predetermined time, and when the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 10 appropriately controls the color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, and 51 to thereby increase the brightness of the projected image. What is necessary is just to change the positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 so that it may increase. In this case, the brightness of the projected image can be maintained even when the light amount of the light source 1 decreases with the aging of the light source 1.

  Furthermore, the projector 100 may be configured to change the relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 in accordance with the image data of the image to be projected. Specifically, the image data to be projected includes reference information that is a criterion for determining the distribution of each color in the projection image, and is acquired when the control unit 10 acquires the image data to be projected. Based on the reference information included in the image data, the relative positional relationship of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 that is the distribution of each color indicated by the reference information is specified, and the specified positional relationship is obtained. The color wheel driving units 42, 45, 48, 51 may be appropriately controlled.

  In addition, the control unit 10 determines whether the image should emphasize color reproducibility or the image where the brightness of the image should be emphasized based on the image data itself to be projected, and according to the determination result. Thus, the relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 may be changed. With these configurations, it is possible to appropriately change the distribution of each color in the projection image according to the image data of the image to be projected.

  In the present embodiment, each of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 is provided with a reflection filter 41a, 41b, 44a, 47a, 50a having a shape as shown in FIG. It is not limited. Specifically, in FIG. 3, the second reflection filter 41a of the color wheel 41 and the reflection filter 50a of the color wheel 50 that reflect light of G color are formed in a fan shape having a central angle of 90 °, and R The reflection filter 44a of the color wheel 44 that reflects the light of the color B and the reflection filter 47a of the color wheel 47 that reflects the light of the color B are formed in a fan shape having a central angle of 180 °. However, for example, a reflection filter that reflects light of G color and a reflection filter that reflects light of R color are formed in a fan shape having a central angle of 180 °, and the reflection filter reflects light of B color. Is formed in a fan shape having a central angle of 90 °, a configuration may be adopted in which two reflection filters that reflect light of B color are used.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the color filters that reflect light of any color of R, G, B, and W are used for each of the reflection filters 41a, 41b, 44a, 47a, and 50a has been described. However, for example, a reflection filter that reflects light of a complementary color of yellow, magenta, or cyan may be mixed. In this case, the types of colors that can be expressed are increased, and the color reproducibility is improved. The arrangement order of the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 is not limited to the form shown in FIG.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the configuration using the wheel unit 4 in which the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 are coaxially arranged as shown in FIG. 2 has been described. However, light that has passed through the transmission filter 50b of the color wheel 50 is incident on the color wheel 47, and light that has passed through the transmission filter 47b of the color wheel 47 is incident on the color wheel 44 and has passed through the transmission filter 44b of the color wheel 44. Any arrangement that allows light to enter the color wheel 41 is not limited to the coaxial arrangement.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the image device 7 for forming an image is configured by DMD is shown. However, the image processing apparatus may be provided with other image devices such as a liquid crystal panel that can form an image for each color by time division. Further, in the present embodiment, the projector 100 has shown the form of a front projection method in which an image is projected onto an external screen or a wall or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and includes a transmissive screen (not shown). A rear projection system in which an image is projected onto the screen by projecting light from the rear surface with the projection lens 8 may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the four color wheel drive units 42, 45, 48, 51 are provided as the drive units for rotating the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the rotation of each color wheel 41, 44, 47, 50 may be controlled by one motor while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50. Specifically, a member for shifting each color wheel 41, 44, 47, 50 and maintaining the shifted state is attached to a connecting portion between one motor and each color wheel 41, 44, 47, 50. The color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 may be rotated by the motor while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50 by this member.

  In the present embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 can be arbitrarily changed continuously. However, the fixing corresponding to each pattern as shown in FIGS. Holes are provided in the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50, for example, lock pins are passed through the fixing holes provided in the color wheels 41, 44, 47, 50, and the color wheels 41, 44, You may comprise so that 47 and 50 may be rotated in the state fixed with the lock pin. In this case, the relative positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 can be changed only in stages, but the color wheel is maintained in a state in which the positional relationship between the color wheels 41, 44, 47, and 50 is reliably maintained. 41, 44, 47, 50 can be rotated.

It is a block diagram which shows the main internal structural examples of the projector of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structural example of a wheel unit. It is a front view which shows the structural example of a color wheel typically. It is a front view which shows the usage example of a color wheel typically. It is a front view which shows the usage example of a color wheel typically. It is a front view which shows the usage example of a color wheel typically.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Projector 1 Light source 4 Wheel unit 41, 44, 47, 50 Color wheel 42, 45, 48, 51 Color wheel drive part (control means)
7 Image device 8 Projection lens (projection means)
10 Control unit (setting means)

Claims (5)

In a projector that includes a light source and projects an image to the outside using white light from the light source,
A plurality of rotatable disk-shaped first color wheels each having a transmission filter that transmits white light from the light source and a reflection filter that reflects light of different colors, respectively;
A rotatable disk-shaped second color wheel having a first reflection filter that reflects white light that has passed through a transmission filter included in each of the first color wheels and a second reflection filter that reflects light of a predetermined color;
A projector comprising: projection means for projecting an image using light reflected by the first color wheel and the second color wheel. Setting means for setting a relative positional relationship between a reflection filter included in each of the first color wheels and a second reflection filter included in the second color wheel;
Control means for controlling the rotation of the first color wheel and the second color wheel while maintaining the positional relationship set by the setting means;
2. The projector according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit is configured to project an image using light reflected by the first color wheel and the second color wheel whose rotation is controlled by the control unit. The projector described.   The projector according to claim 2, wherein the positional relationship set by the setting unit is variable. Each of the reflective filter of the first color wheel and the second reflective filter of the second color wheel is a color filter that reflects any of red, green, and blue light,
The first color wheel and the second color wheel that rotate under the control of the control means are configured to sequentially reflect light of each color of red, green, and blue in a time-sharing manner. 3. The projector according to 3.   The projector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first color wheel and the second color wheel are arranged coaxially.

Images