JPH0736012A - Projector device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make the device simple in structure, small in size and high in the brightness of a displayed video and to remarkably improve availability by irradiating a mirror polarization type light modulator with light at different angles of incidence and angles of reflection in the same direction in accordance with two or more tilt angles. CONSTITUTION: Projected lights LR and LB in two colors are allowed to irradiate a first mirror polarization type light modulator 41RB for modulation in time-division according to video data in two colors with different angles of incidence and angles of reflection in the same direction. Also, a projected light LG in colors except two colors is irradiated on a second mirror polarization type light modulator 41G for modulation according to video data in colors except two colors. Then, effective reflected lights corresponding to the video data reflected on the first and second mirror polarization type light modulators 41RB and 41G are synthesized by synthesizing means 43G and 43RB. Thus, the device can be made simple in structure, small in size and high in the brightness of the display video.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Table of Contents] The present invention will be described in the following order. Field of Industrial Application Conventional Technology Problems to be Solved by the Invention Means for Solving the Problems (FIG. 6) Action (FIG. 6) Example (FIGS. 1 to 8) Effect of the Invention

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a projector device, and is suitable for application to, for example, a device for projecting a color image.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a projector device of this type, there is a projector device which individually displays red, green and blue components of image data on three CRTs (cathode ray tubes).
On the front surface of this projection type three-tube projector device, three CRTs in which red, green, and blue color filters and projection lenses are sequentially arranged on the image projection surface side are arranged.

The CRT is designed so that the red, green and blue components of the image data are directly projected onto the screen separately at the time of projection, whereby the projected light of the red, green and blue components projected from each CRT on the screen is projected. One image is formed by combining them, and a color image is projected as a whole.

Further, instead of the projection type three-tube type projector device, there is a reflection type three-tube type projector device in which three CRTs are arranged inside the box. In the case of this projector device, an optical path similar to that of the projection-type three-tube projector device is reflected and bent by a mirror arranged inside the box, and projection light is irradiated from the back surface to a frosted glass-like semitransparent screen.

As a result, each CR is displayed on the screen.
The projection lights of the red, green, and blue components emitted from T are combined to form one image, and a color image is projected as a whole. In the case of this reflection type three-tube type projector device, by bending the optical path to reduce the size and integrally forming the screen itself, it is possible to realize a smaller size projector device than the projection type three-tube type projector device. The usability of can be improved.

[0007]

However, in the projection type three-tube projector device or the reflection type three-tube projector device having such a configuration, a CRT is used as a light source and an image projected from the CRT is enlarged and displayed on the screen. Therefore, there is a problem in that it is inevitable that the entire device becomes large, and it is difficult to increase the brightness of the display image.

In order to solve such a problem, three liquid crystal panel plates are used as an image source in place of the CRT, each of the liquid crystal panel plates displays red, green and blue components, and one surface of the liquid crystal panel plate is displayed. There is a so-called liquid crystal projector device which irradiates light from the side and forms an image of the transmitted light on a screen through red, green and blue color filters, respectively.

In the case of this liquid crystal projector device, the entire device can be remarkably miniaturized as compared with a projector device which uses a CRT because a liquid crystal panel is used, but the liquid crystal panel plate itself has a low light transmittance and displays a display image. In terms of achieving high brightness, it has not been practically sufficient.

By the way, as a display system, a minute mirror surface element is arranged in a plane according to a pixel, and a mirror surface deflection type optical modulator utilizing the reflection of each mirror surface element (hereinafter referred to as a mirror light valve) is used. Those have been proposed (JP-A-60-179781, JP-A-3-40693, and JP-A-3-174112).

If a projector device for magnifying and projecting a color image can be formed by using this mirror light valve as an image source, the structure of the entire device can be simplified to the same scale as the liquid crystal projector device and can be downsized.
Further, it is considered that the display image can be significantly increased in brightness by improving the utilization efficiency of the light source as compared with the liquid crystal.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to propose a projector device which can be simply and miniaturized and which can enhance the brightness of a displayed image and remarkably improve its usefulness.

[0013]

In order to solve such a problem, in the present invention, a mirror surface element having a stable state in which each reflection surface has an inclination angle of three or more is arranged according to a pixel of image data, A specular deflection type optical modulator that is time-divisionally modulated according to image data of two or more colors, and a mirror surface that has different incident angles and reflection angles in the same direction according to two or more tilt angles. Providing two or more colors of projection light that illuminates the deflecting light modulator and a synthesizing unit that synthesizes effective reflected light according to the image data reflected by the mirror-deflecting light modulator, each of which is effective according to the image data. The reflected light was combined to display the video data.

Further, in the present invention, the mirror surface elements each having three stable states in which the inclination angles of the respective reflecting surfaces are stable are arranged according to the pixels of the image data, and are time-divisionally modulated according to the image data of two or more colors. First mirror-polarized optical modulator 4
1 RB and two color projection lights LR and L for irradiating the first specular deflection type optical modulator 41RB so that the incident angles are different and the reflection angles are in the same direction according to the two inclination angles.
B and a mirror surface element having two stable states in which the inclination angles of the respective reflecting surfaces are arranged according to the pixels of the image data, and are also modulated according to the image data of colors other than two colors. The projection light L of a color other than the two colors that illuminates the specular deflection type optical modulator 41G and the second specular deflection type optical modulator 41G.
G, and the first and second specular deflection type optical modulators 41RB, 4
The synthesizing means 43G and 43RB for synthesizing the effective reflected light corresponding to the image data reflected by 1G are provided, and the effective reflected light corresponding to the image data are synthesized to display the image data.

[0015]

The mirror-deflecting optical modulator, which is time-divisionally modulated according to the image data of two or more colors, is irradiated with projection light of two or more colors so that the incident angles are different and the reflection angles are in the same direction. Then, as a result, the effective reflection light corresponding to the image data reflected by the specular deflection type optical modulator is combined by the combining means, so that the size can be reduced easily and the display image can be increased in brightness.

Further, in the first specular deflection type optical modulator 41RB, which is time-divisionally modulated according to the image data of two colors, different incident angles and reflection angles are in the same direction.
A second specular deflection type optical modulator 4 which emits two colors of projection light LR and LB and is modulated by image data of colors other than two colors.
1G is irradiated with projection light LG of a color other than two colors, and as a result, the first and second specular deflection type optical modulators 41RB and 41G
By synthesizing the effective reflected light corresponding to the video data reflected by the synthesizing means 43G and 43RB, the size and size of the displayed image can be increased and the brightness of the displayed image can be increased.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(1) Overall Structure of Projector Device In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates three mirror light valves 2 corresponding to respective red, green and blue image data as a whole.
1 shows a projector device using R, 2G, 2B. 2 and 3 in which parts corresponding to those in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the projection light L1 emitted from the high-intensity white light source 3 is converted into parallel light through a condenser lens 4 while unnecessary UV rays are removed by a UV filter (not shown). The dichroic mirrors 6R and 6 for separation while being bent by the reflection mirror 5 of No. 1
It is incident on G and 6B.

Separation dichroic mirrors 6R, 6G,
6B is a procession light L2 consisting of white light in red,
The green and blue lights LR, LG and LB are separated. This red,
The green and blue lights LR, LG, LB are bent obliquely upward by the second reflecting mirrors 8R, 8G, 8B through the beam shaping cylindrical lenses 7R, 7G, 7B, respectively, and reflected by the mirror light valves 2R, 2G, 2B. The surface is illuminated.

The mirror light valves 2R, 2G and 2B are
According to the array of pixels of video data (for example, 768 x 576 pixels), a plurality of minute mirror surface elements each having, for example, about 17 [μm] angle are arrayed, and thereby, a half mirror element is formed.
A reflective surface having a size similar to that of an inch CCD (solid-state image sensor) is formed. The micro mirror surface element is arranged corresponding to each memory cell of the frame memory according to the array of pixels of the video data, and the tilt state of the corresponding micro mirror surface element is changed individually according to the state of each memory cell. Has been done.

Practically, each micro mirror element tilts + 10 ° as shown in FIG. 4A when the memory cell is in the on state, that is, effective as a pixel, with respect to the neutral state, and conversely, when the memory cell is in the off state, When it is invalid as a pixel, it is tilted by −10 ° as shown in FIG.
As a result, the reflected light reflected by the mirror surface with respect to the incident light is
It is switched so as to have an optical path difference of 20 ° between the effective reflected light necessary for forming an image and the invalid reflected light which is not effective.

In the case of the projector device 1, the image data for one frame of red, green and blue is set in the frame memories corresponding to the mirror light valves 2R, 2G and 2B, respectively, so that the effective reflected light is obtained. Red,
Green and blue image lights are formed. The red, green, and blue image lights are combined with corresponding dichroic mirrors 10R, 10G, 1 through the corresponding condenser lenses 9R, 9G, 9B.
A screen (not shown) which is guided to OB and is combined as color image light, and which is arranged outside the projector device 1 through the projection lens 11 separately.
Projected on top.

In the case of this projector device 1, the high-brightness white light source 3, the condenser lens 4, the first reflecting mirror 5, the separating dichroic mirrors 6R to 6B, the cylindrical lenses 7R to 7B, and the second reflecting mirror 8R. ~
The optical axes of the optical systems of the projection lights L1 and L2 reaching 8B, the condenser lenses 9R to 9B reflected by the mirror light valves 2R to 2B, and the dichroic mirror for synthesis 10R to.
10B, the optical axis of the effective reflected light reaching the projection lens 11 is arranged so as to be displaced by a predetermined height, whereby interference between the projection light and the effective reflected light and the invalid reflected light can be prevented in advance. It is done like this.

Further, in the projector device 1, the beam shape of the projection light is shaped by the cylindrical lenses 7R to 7B, whereby the second reflecting mirror 8 is formed.
Even if the light is reflected obliquely upward by R to 8B, the reflecting surfaces of the mirror light valves 2R to 2B can be illuminated with a uniform illuminance.

Here, in the projector device 1, the optical device shown in FIG.
The circuit portion shown in FIG. 5 in which the same reference numerals are assigned to the corresponding portions is provided. In this projector device 1, as a video signal to be displayed, a video signal S1 input as an RGB signal from a video device or a V signal from a personal computer or the like is used.
The video signal S2 sent corresponding to GA (video graphics arrey) and the video signal S3 of VGA pattern can be selected.

These video signals S1, S2, S3 are
Each of them is input to the video select circuit 21 and selected, and the resulting video signal S4 is converted into a digital video signal S5 by the analog-digital conversion circuit 22,
It is input to the gamma correction circuit 23. The test pattern signal S6 generated by the test pattern generation circuit 24 is input to the gamma correction circuit 23 as needed. As a result, the gamma correction circuit 23 performs gamma correction on the digital video signal S5 or the test pattern signal S6 according to the set gamma correction parameter S7, and sends the resulting digital video signal S8 to the reformatting circuit 25.

The re-format circuit 25 inputs the video signals S1 and RGB video signals S2 and S input as RGB signals.
The digital video signal S8 corresponding to 3 is, for example, mirror light valves 2R to 2B composed of 768 pixels × 576 lines.
The digital video signal S9 of red, green, and blue components obtained by performing re-formatting according to the arrangement of the mirror surface elements
R, S9B and S9G are sent to the corresponding frame memories 26R, 26G and 26B, respectively.

The frame memories 26R to 26B correspond to the mirror light valves 2R to 2B, respectively. The frame memories 26R to 2B are sequentially frame by frame in accordance with the control signal S10 input from the timing control circuit 27.
The contents of 6B are written in the mirror light valves 2R to 2B, whereby red, green and blue image lights are formed as effective reflected lights.

In the case of the projector device 1, the timing control circuit 27 uses the input video signals S1 to S3.
Using the system clock S12 generated by the clock generation circuit 28 in accordance with the phase control signal S11 based on the above, the frame memories 26R to 26B and the mirror light valve 2R are used.
The control signal S10 for controlling .about.2B is generated.

Further, in the projector device 1, when the power switch (not shown) is turned on, the AC power S13 is supplied to the power supply circuit 30 and the lamp drive circuit 31. Of these, the power supply circuit 30 supplies a predetermined DC power S14 to each circuit section to start the operation of the projector device 1. Further, the lamp drive circuit 31 drives the high-intensity white light source 3 to be turned on, so that the white light source 3 emits the projection light L1.

According to the configuration of the projector device 1,
Mirror light valves 2R, 2G, and 2B corresponding to red, green, and blue are used as image sources, and the mirror light valves 2R to 2B are driven by red, green, and blue video signals, respectively, and white light is emitted. By irradiating red, green, and blue projection lights that are separated into colors, and synthesizing the effective reflected lights for enlarged projection, it is possible to compare with a conventional projector using a CRT. Projector device 1 with significantly smaller size, lighter weight and simple structure
Can be realized.

Further, since the mirror light valves 2R-2B are designed to reflect the projection light,
As compared with the liquid crystal projector device, the utilization efficiency of light can be remarkably improved, and thus it is possible to realize the projector device which can be reduced in size and weight and which can increase the brightness of the displayed image.

(2) Projector device of the embodiment In FIG. 6 in which parts corresponding to those in FIG. 2 are assigned the same reference numerals, 40 indicates the projector device according to the present invention as a whole, and the projector device described above with reference to FIGS. Device 1
In place of the configuration using the three mirror light valves 2R to 2G, a mirror light valve 41RB for time-divisionally modulating red and blue image data and a mirror light valve 41G for modulating green are combined. It is configured.

That is, like the projector device 1 of FIG. 2, the projection light L1 emitted from the white light source 3 is emitted.
Is converted into parallel light through the condenser lens 4,
It is bent by the reflection mirror 5 and is incident on the separation dichroic mirrors 42G, 42R, 42B. The separation dichroic mirrors 6R, 6G, and 6B separate the projection light L2, which is white light, into green, red, and blue lights LG, LR, and LB, respectively. Of these, the green light LG is
The reflecting surface of the mirror light valve 41G is illuminated, and the red and blue lights LR and LG illuminate the mirror light valve 41RB at different incident angles.

The mirror light valves 42G and 42RB are
An array of video data pixels (eg 768
X 576)), a plurality of micro mirror elements are arranged. The micro mirror surface element is arranged corresponding to each memory cell of the frame memory according to the array of pixels of the video data, and the tilt state of the corresponding micro mirror surface element is changed individually according to the state of each memory cell. Has been done.

In practice, each micro mirror surface element of the mirror light valve 42G is tilted + 10 ° with respect to the neutral state when the memory cell is in the ON state, that is, effective as a pixel, as in the projector device 1 of FIG. On the contrary, when the memory cell is in the off state, that is, when the memory cell is invalid as a pixel, the memory cell is inclined by -10 °. As a result, the reflected light reflected by the mirror surface with respect to the incident light is switched so as to have an optical path difference of 20 ° between the effective reflected light necessary for forming an image and the invalid reflected light which is ineffective.

On the other hand, the mirror light valve 42R
In B, as shown in the principle of FIGS. 7 and 8, the tilt of the micro mirror surface element is at the center position and ± θ (for example, θ is 10
It is designed to take advantage of having three stable states with a slope of (in degrees). That is, when the minute mirror surface element is inclined to the red light source 3R side by θ, the condenser lens 4R
The red projection light LR made into parallel light by is reflected on the micro mirror surface element, and the projection lens 11
Through the screen 44.

Since it is possible to obtain a projection light amount proportional to the time when the micro mirror surface element on the mirror light valve 42RB is tilted by −θ, by controlling each micro mirror surface element independently, a red grayscale image can be obtained. Obtainable. On the other hand, even when the microscopic mirror element is inclined by θ toward the blue light source side, the grayscale image of blue can be obtained by the same operation as described above.

Such operations are alternately performed in a time division manner, and 1
By repeating several tens of times or more per second, it is possible to obtain a flicker-free red and blue grayscale image, and this image is combined with a green grayscale image displayed by one mirror light valve 42G for green. Dichroic mirror 4
By combining with 3G and 43RB, they are combined as projection light for full-color display. Thus, in this projector device 40, two mirror light valves 42G and 4
The color image can be enlarged and displayed by using 2RB.

As a result, in the projector device 40 of this embodiment, a color image can be displayed with a remarkably simple optical system configuration as compared with a configuration using three mirror light valves 2R-2B. In addition, a higher resolution can be obtained as compared with a case where red, green, and blue filters are arranged in a mosaic pattern on one mirror light valve to display a color image.

According to the above structure, the mirror light valve 4 is time-divisionally modulated according to the red and blue image data.
The red and blue projection light LRs so that the incident angles are different and the reflection angles are in the same direction in the two RBs.
And LB, resulting in a mirror light valve 42R
The effective reflected light corresponding to the image data reflected by B and the effective reflected light reflected by the mirror light valve 42G that is modulated by the green image data by irradiating the green projection light LG are combined with the dichroic for synthesis. Mirror 43G, 43R
By combining with B so that a color image can be displayed, it is possible to realize a projector device that can be simple and downsized and that can increase the brightness of the displayed image.

(3) Other Embodiments In the above-described embodiments, the mirror light valve having the three stable states of the mirror surface element being neutral and the inclination of ± θ is used as the mirror surface deflection type optical modulator. Although the case where the time-division modulation is performed according to the blue video data has been described, the colors to be modulated are not limited to this, and the red and green or the blue and green video data may be modulated, and further the complementary color is modulated. However, the effect similar to that of the above-described embodiment can be realized by modulating with two colors.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case of using the mirror deflection type optical modulator having three stable states has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the mirror plane deflection having four or more stable states. Type optical modulator may be used. In this case, the time-divisional modulation is performed according to the video data of three or more colors, and the projection lights of three or more colors corresponding to the video data are emitted at different incident angles according to the tilt angles of the respective stable states. By synthesizing the effective reflected light obtained as a result, the projector device can be realized with one mirror-deflecting optical modulator, and further, the size and size can be further reduced, and the usefulness can be remarkably improved.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, a mirror-deflecting optical modulator that is time-divisionally modulated according to image data of two or more colors has different incident angles and reflection angles in the same direction. As described above, by irradiating two or more colors of projection light and, as a result, synthesizing effective reflected light according to the image data reflected by the specular deflection type optical modulator by the synthesizing means, it is possible to simplify and downsize. A projector device capable of increasing the brightness of a display image can be realized.

The first specular deflection type optical modulator, which is time-divisionally modulated in accordance with the two-color image data, is supplied with two-color projection light so that the incident angles are different and the reflection angles are in the same direction. The second specular deflection type optical modulator, which is irradiated and is modulated with image data of a color other than two colors, is irradiated with projection light of a color other than two colors, and as a result, the first and second specular deflection type lights. By synthesizing the effective reflected light corresponding to the image data reflected by the modulator by the synthesizing means, it is possible to realize a projector device which can be made simple and downsized and which can increase the brightness of the displayed image.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a projector device using a mirror-polarized light modulator.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view for explaining an optical system of the projector device of FIG.

3 is a schematic rear view for explaining an optical system of the projector device of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the mirror surface element of the mirror surface deflection type optical modulator.

5 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the projector device of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view for explaining an optical system of a projector device according to the present invention.

7 is an optical system diagram for explaining the principle of two-primary-color display by a single plate in the projector device of FIG.

8 is an optical system diagram for explaining the principle of dual primary color display by a single plate as in FIG. 7.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 40 ... Projector device, 2, 41G, 41RB
...... Mirror light valve, 3 ...... High-intensity white light source, 4 ...
... condenser lens, 5 ... first reflecting mirror, 6,4
2G, 42R, 42B ... Separation dichroic mirror, 7 ... Beam shaping cylindrical lens, 8 ...
Second reflection mirror, 9 ... Condensing lens, 10, 43G,
43 RB ... Synthetic dichroic mirror, 11 ... Projection lens, 21 ... Video select circuit,
22 ... Analog-to-digital conversion circuit, 23 ... Gamma correction circuit, 24 ... Test pattern generation circuit, 25 ... Refformat circuit, 26 ... Frame memory, 27 ...
Timing control circuit, 28 ... Clock generation circuit, 30
...... Power supply circuit, 31 …… Lamp drive circuit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A mirror element having a stable state in which the inclination angle of each reflecting surface is three or more is arranged in accordance with a pixel of video data and is time-divisionally modulated in accordance with video data of two or more colors. Projection of two or more colors for irradiating the specular deflection type optical modulator and the specular deflection type optical modulator such that the incident angles are different and the reflection angles are in the same direction according to the two or more tilt angles. Light and a synthesizing means for synthesizing effective reflected light corresponding to the image data reflected by the specular deflection type optical modulator, and synthesizing effective reflected light corresponding to the image data, respectively, to obtain the image data. The projector device is characterized by displaying. 2. A first mirror element, in which each reflection surface has three stable states of inclination angle, is arranged according to a pixel of video data, and is modulated in time division according to video data of two colors. Two-color projection for irradiating the mirror-deflecting light modulator and the first mirror-deflecting light modulator such that the incident angles are different and the reflection angles are in the same direction according to the two tilt angles. A light and a mirror surface element having two stable states in which the inclination angles of the respective reflection surfaces are arranged according to the pixels of the image data, and are modulated according to the image data of colors other than the above two colors. And a projection light of a color other than the above two colors for irradiating the second mirror surface deflection type optical modulator, and the light reflected by the first and second mirror surface deflection type optical modulators. And a synthesizing means for synthesizing the effective reflected light corresponding to the image data. A projector device characterized in that the effective reflected lights corresponding to the above-mentioned image data are respectively synthesized to display the above-mentioned image data.