This application claims the priority benefit of China application 202110555408.5, filed on 2021 May 21. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
The invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to an illumination system and a projection device using the same.
The type of light source used in projection devices has evolved from ultra high pressure mercury lamps (UHP lamps), light emitting diodes (LEDs) to laser diodes (LDs) with the market demand for projection device brightness, color saturation, service life, non-toxic environmental protection, etc.
In a conventional projection device using a laser diode, the laser diode provides an excitation light beam to excite the phosphor layer on the phosphor wheel to generate a fluorescent light beam. However, due to the high coherence of the laser, the excitation light beam is prone to interference, resulting in randomly distributed laser speckles with mixed brightness and darkness.
The method currently used to reduce the laser speckles is to add a diffusion plate or change the focal length. Vibrating the diffusion plate may continuously change the position of a light spot, which reduces the laser speckles and improves the light uniformity. However, the use of diffusion plate makes it difficult to concentrate the light beam.
On the other hand, the use of a variable focus lens may also continuously change the position of the light spot, which reduces the laser speckles and improves the light uniformity. However, when the light beam needs to be kept in a plane wave (that is, parallel light) state, a single variable focus lens would destroy the wave front travel mode, resulting in poor imaging quality.
The information disclosed in this “BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION” section is only for enhancement understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, the information disclosed in this “BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION” section does not mean that one or more problems to be solved by one or more embodiments of the invention were acknowledged by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
The invention provides an illumination system, which may increase the light uniformity and reduce laser speckle.
The invention provides a projection device, which may increase the light uniformity and improve the imaging quality.
Other advantages and objects of the invention may be further illustrated by the technical features broadly embodied and described as follows.
In order to achieve one or a portion of or all of the objects or other objects, an illumination system provided in an embodiment of the invention includes an excitation light source, a first variable focus lens, a second variable focus lens, and a control unit. The excitation light source is adapted to provide an excitation light beam. The first variable focus lens is disposed on a transmission path of the excitation light beam. The second variable focus lens is disposed on the transmission path of the excitation light beam, and the first variable focus lens is located between the excitation light source and the second variable focus lens. The second variable focus lens is adapted to receive the excitation light beam exited from the first variable focus lens. The control unit is electrically connected to the first variable focus lens and the second variable focus lens, and is adapted to synchronously adjust focal lengths of the first variable focus lens and the second variable focus lens.
In order to achieve one or a portion of or all of the objects or other objects, a projection device provided in an embodiment of the invention includes a light valve, a projection lens and the above-mentioned illumination system. The above-mentioned illumination system further includes a wavelength conversion wheel, which is disposed on the transmission path of the excitation light beam passing through the second variable focus lens, and is adapted to convert the excitation light beam into a converted light beam. An illumination light beam includes the excitation light beam and the converted light beam. The light valve is disposed on a transmission path of the illumination light beam, and is adapted to convert the illumination light beam into an image light beam. The projection lens is disposed on a transmission path of the image light beam and is adapted to allow the image light beam to pass through.
In the illumination system of the embodiment of the invention, the control unit is electrically connected to the first variable focus lens and the second variable focus lens, and is adapted to synchronously adjust focal lengths of the first variable focus lens and the second variable focus lens. Therefore, when the excitation light beam passes through the first variable focus lens, a position of a light spot may be continuously changed due to the continuous change of the focal length, so that the laser speckle is reduced and the light uniformity is increased. At the same time, the excitation light beam passing through the first variable focus lens would be adjusted from parallel light to divergent light or convergent light due to the change in focal length. The focal length of the second variable focus lens is adjusted according to the current focal length of the first variable focus lens, so that the excitation light beam exited from the first variable focus lens and passing through the second variable focus lens may be adjusted back to parallel light to achieve an effect of light compensation. Since the projection device of the embodiment of the invention uses the above-mentioned illumination system, the light uniformity may be increased, and the imaging quality may be improved.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be further understood from the further technological features disclosed by the embodiments of the invention wherein there are shown and described preferred embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of modes best suited to carry out the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. The components of the invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations. As such, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. On the other hand, the drawings are only schematic and the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including”, “comprising”, or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected”, “coupled”, and “mounted” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. Similarly, the terms “facing”, “faces”, and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect facing, and “adjacent to” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass directly and indirectly “adjacent to”. Therefore, the description of “A” component facing “B” component herein may contain the situations that “A” component facing “B” component directly or one or more additional components is between “A” component and “B” component. Also, the description of “A” component “adjacent to” “B” component herein may contain the situations that “A” component is directly “adjacent to” “B” component or one or more additional components is between “A” component and “B” component. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The excitation light source 110 is, for example, a laser light source or other light sources that may provide an excitation light beam L with high coherence. In the embodiment, the excitation light beam L emitted from the excitation light source 110 is parallel light and is transmitted to the first variable focus lens 120.
Regarding the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130, the purpose of changing the focal length is achieved by changing a curvature of a film or an interface (changing the shape of the lens surface), or by changing the characteristics of a material itself. As shown in
Under the configuration of the embodiment, a distance D1 between the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130 is, for example, fixed, and a distance D2 between the excitation light source 110 and the first variable focus lens 120 is also fixed, for example. Since both the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130 may change the focal length, it is not necessary to change the focal length by moving back and forth on the transmission path of the excitation light beam L. Therefore, compared with the general lens used in the known illumination system, a volume of the illumination system 100 of the embodiment is smaller. When the distance D1 is fixed, the variables may also be reduced, and a quality of the excitation light beam L may be more stable.
On the other hand, the first variable focus lens 120 is confocal with the second variable focus lens 130, for example, but it is not limited thereto. A conjugate focus may be adjusted between the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130, between the excitation light source 110 and the first variable focus lens 120, or on a side of the second variable focus lens 130 facing away from the first variable focus lens 120. In another embodiment, the focus of the first variable focus lens 120 and the focus of the second variable focus lens 130 may be adjusted to be at different positions.
Specifically, the function of the first variable focus lens 120 is to continuously change the focal length, so that a position of a light spot generated by the excitation light beam L would be continuously changed after passing through the first variable focus lens 120, resulting in a reduction of laser speckle and an increase of light uniformity. The function of the second variable focus lens 130 is that when the excitation light beam L passing through the first variable focus lens 120 is adjusted from parallel light to divergent light or convergent light due to a change in focal length, the second variable focus lens 130 may adjust the excitation light beam L by changing its focal length, so that the excitation light beam L exited from the first variable focus lens 120 and passing through the second variable focus lens 130 is then adjusted back to parallel light to achieve an effect of light compensation. In this way, the light uniformity may be increased and the image quality may be maintained.
The first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130 should continuously change their focal lengths to achieve the effect of parallel light compensation. The control unit 140 in the embodiment is adapted to synchronously adjust the focal lengths of the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130. In order to meet the requirements of the invention, the control unit 140 preferably synchronously and respectively adjusts the focal lengths of the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130. The control unit 140 giving different signals to the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130 at different time sequences to synchronously change the form of the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130 to adjust the focal length will be described in detail below.
Referring to
It can be seen from the above that by synchronously and respectively adjusting the focal lengths of the first variable focus lens 120 and the second variable focus lens 130, the control unit 140 may enlarge or narrow the excitation light beam L while maintaining parallel light at different time sequences, so that the light spot position is continuously changed, thereby reducing the laser speckle and increasing the light uniformity.
The light valve 200 may be a transmissive light valve or a reflective light valve, in which the transmissive light valve may be a transmissive liquid crystal panel, and the reflective light valve may be a digital micro-mirror device (DMD), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a liquid crystal on silicon panel (LCoS panel), a transparent liquid crystal panel, an electro-optical modulator, a magneto-optic modulator, and an acousto-optic modulator (AOM), but not limited thereto. According to different design requirements, the quantity of light valve 200 may be one or more.
The projection lens 300 includes, for example, a combination of one or more optical lenses having diopter, such as various combinations of non-planar lenses including biconcave lenses, lenticular lenses, meniscus lenses, convex and concave lenses, plano-convex lenses, and plano-concave lenses. In an embodiment, the projection lens 300 may also include a planar optical lens. The invention does not limit the type and kind of projection lens 300.
The wavelength conversion wheel 150 includes a conversion region and an optical region (not shown). The optical region may be a reflection region or a transmission region. When the excitation light beam L is irradiated on the wavelength conversion wheel 150, the conversion region is adapted to convert the excitation light beam L into a converted light beam Lp, and a wavelength of the converted light beam Lp is different from a wavelength of the excitation light beam L. When the optical region is the reflection region, it is adapted to reflect the excitation light beam L, or when the optical region is the transmission region, it is adapted to allow the excitation light beam L to pass through. That is, the excitation light beam L leaving the wavelength conversion wheel 150 via the optical region is the excitation light beam Lr. The illumination light beam L1 includes the converted light beam Lp and the excitation light beam Lr. The illumination system 100 may further include other optical elements to transmit the illumination light beam L1 to the light valve 200.
Since the illumination system 100 may increase the light uniformity of the illumination light beam L1 and eliminate laser speckle, the projection device 10 using the illumination system 100 may also increase the light uniformity and improve the imaging quality of the image light beam L2 projected to the screen.
In summary, in the illumination system of the embodiment of the invention, the control unit is electrically connected to the first variable focus lens and the second variable focus lens, and is adapted to synchronously adjust focal lengths of the first variable focus lens and the second variable focus lens according to the time sequence. Therefore, when the excitation light beam passes through the first variable focus lens, a position of a light spot may be continuously changed due to the continuous change of the focal length, so that the laser speckle is reduced and the light uniformity is increased. At the same time, the excitation light beam passing through the first variable focus lens would be adjusted from parallel light to divergent light or convergent light due to the change in focal length. The focal length of the second variable focus lens is adjusted according to the current focal length of the first variable focus lens, so that the excitation light beam exited from the first variable focus lens and passing through the second variable focus lens may be adjusted back to parallel light to achieve an effect of light compensation. Since the projection device of the embodiment of the invention uses the above-mentioned illumination system, the light uniformity may be increased, and the imaging quality may be improved.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form or to exemplary embodiments disclosed. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its best mode practical application, thereby to enable persons skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use or implementation contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated.
Therefore, the term “the invention”, “The invention” or the like is not necessary limited the claim scope to a specific embodiment, and the reference to particularly preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention does not imply a limitation on the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention is limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Moreover, these claims may refer to use “first”, “second”, etc. following with noun or element. Such terms should be understood as a nomenclature and should not be construed as giving the limitation on the number of the elements modified by such nomenclature unless specific number has been given. The abstract of the disclosure is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure of any patent issued from this disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Any advantages and benefits described may not apply to all embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated that variations may be made in the embodiments described by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. Moreover, no element and component in the disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element or component is explicitly recited in the following claims. Furthermore, the terms such as the first variable focus lens, the second variable focus lens, and the first time sequence are only used for distinguishing various elements and do not limit the number of the elements.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202110555408.5 | May 2021 | CN | national |