Abstract:
A multimedia projector (30) includes a light source (32) producing a nonuniform illumination pattern and a light integrating tunnel (110, 130) having parallelogram-shaped input and output apertures (132, 134) with an average diagonal dimension. The input and output apertures are spaced apart by a length dimension (136) that is less than five-times the average diagonal dimension of the apertures. A light pattern (150) propagating from the output aperture is substantially more uniform than a light pattern (146) propagating from a rectangular tunnel of the same length. Alternatively, a light pattern (164) propagating from the output aperture has substantially the same uniformity as the light pattern (146) propagating from a substantially longer rectangular tunnel.
Abstract:
In an image projector (8, 68), a light source (14) illuminates a plate-type polarizing beam splitter (40) that transmits P-polarized light rays and reflects S-polarized light rays (34). The P-polarized range light rays transmit through a green filter (841) and impinge on a first reflective LCD light valve (261). The S-polarized light rays strike a dichroic filter (48), which divides them into red and blue light rays (44, 46) that impinge on respective second and third LCD light valves (262, 263). Green light rays impinging on illuminated state pixels on the first LCD light valve are reflected with a 90 DEG polarization change and are reflected by the polarizing beam splitter toward the projection lens. Red and blue light rays impinging on illuminated state pixels on the second and third LCD light valves are reflected with a 90 DEG polarization change and transmit through the polarizing beam splitter toward the projection lens.