Claims
- 1. A copy protection illumination system for illuminating a spatial light modulator comprising:
(a) a polychromatic light source; (b) uniformizing optics for homogenizing light from said polychromatic light source to provide a uniform illumination field; (c) relay optics; (d) dichroic optics; and (e) an interference modulation element located at a plane in an optical path located between said polychromatic light source and said spatial light modulator.
- 2. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein the polychromatic light source is a lamp.
- 3. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein the relay optics consists of one or more of the following:
(a) condenser relay optics for directing said uniform illumination field toward a dichroic separator (b) illumination relay optics for imaging and directing said light in colored light modulation channel towards said spatial light modulator.
- 4. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein the relay optics provides both an aperture stop or a plane conjugate to an aperture stop plane and an intermediate image plane conjugate to said spatial light modulator.
- 5. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said spatial light modulator is a transmissive liquid crystal device (LCD).
- 6. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said spatial light modulator is a reflective liquid crystal device (LCD).
- 7. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said spatial light modulator is a digital micromirror device (DMD).
- 8. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said interference modulation element is located at an intermediate image plane conjugate to said spatial light modulator.
- 9. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 8 wherein said interference modulation element is modulated in such a way that the interference modulation element, when averaged over time, modulates the light equally over the field.
- 10. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said interference modulation element is located at an aperture stop plane or a plane conjugate to an aperture stop plane.
- 11. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said interference modulation element is located between a conjugate image plane and an aperture stop or between a conjugate image plane and a conjugate aperture stop.
- 12. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said interference modulation element is a mechanical interference element.
- 13. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 12 wherein said interference modulation element is a shutter.
- 14. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said interference modulation element is an electro optical interference element.
- 15. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said interference modulation element is located in a single color channel.
- 16. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said interference modulation element operates at a frequency greater than 30 Hz.
- 17. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 16 wherein said frequency varies.
- 18. A copy protection illumination system as in claim 1 wherein said interference modulation element comprises a watermark.
- 19. A projector with camcorder defeat capability including a copy protection illumination system for illuminating a spatial light modulator comprising:
(a) a polychromatic light source; (b) uniformizing optics for homogenizing light from said polychromatic light source to provide a uniform illumination field; (c) relay optics; (d) dichroic optics; and (e) an interference modulation element located at a plane in an optical path located between said polychromatic light source and said spatial light modulator.
- 20. A copy protection imaging system comprising:
(a) a spatial light modulator; (b) image relay optics; (c) a dichroic combiner; (d) a projection lens; and (e) an interference modulation element located at a plane in an optical path located between said spatial light modulator and said projection lens.
- 21. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said spatial light modulator is a transmissive liquid crystal device (LCD).
- 22. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said spatial light modulator is a reflective liquid crystal device (LCD).
- 23. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said spatial light modulator is a digital micromirror device (DMD).
- 24. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said interference modulation element is located at an intermediate image plane conjugate to said spatial light modulator.
- 25. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 24 wherein said interference modulation element is modulated in such a way that the interference modulation element, when averaged over time, modulates the light equally over the field.
- 26. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said interference modulation element is located at an aperture stop plane or a plane conjugate to an aperture stop plane.
- 27. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said interference modulation element is located between a conjugate image plane and an aperture stop or between a conjugate image plane and a conjugate aperture stop.
- 28. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said interference modulation element is a mechanical interference elements.
- 29. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 28 wherein said interference modulation element is a shutter.
- 30. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 29 wherein said interference modulation element is an electro optical interference element.
- 31. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said interference modulation element is located in a single color channel.
- 32. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said interference modulation element operates at a frequency greater than 30 Hz.
- 33. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 32 wherein said frequency varies.
- 34. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein said interference modulation element comprises a watermark.
- 35. A copy protection imaging system as in claim 20 wherein correction means is applied to said spatial light modulators to correct for color non-uniformity across the field generated by spatially non uniform modulation by said spatial modulation interference elements.
- 36. A projector with camcorder defeat including a copy protection imaging system comprising:
(a) a spatial light modulator; (b) image relay optics; (c) a dichroic combiner; (d) a projection lens; and (e) an interference modulation element located at a plane in an optical path located between said spatial light modulator and said projection lens.
- 37. A projector with camcorder defeat for projecting a multicolor image onto a display surface comprising:
(a) a polychromatic light source; (b) uniformizing means for homogenizing light from said polychromatic light source to provide a uniform illumination field; (c) condenser relay optics for directing said uniform illumination field toward a dichroic separator, said dichroic separator providing colored light for a first, second, and third colored channel; (d) wherein each colored channel is similarly constructed and comprises:
(i) an illumination relay lens for imaging and directing said colored light in said colored channel towards; (ii) a spatial light modulator for forming a first image thereon; and (iii) an image relay lens for focusing and relaying a real image of said first image towards a dichroic combiner; (e) said dichroic combiner forming a multicolor image by combining said real image from said first colored channel, said real image from said second colored channel, and said real image from said third colored channel;, (f) a projection lens for projecting said multicolor image toward said display surface; and (g) an interference modulation element located at a plane in an optical path located between said polychromatic light source and said projection lens.
- 38. A projector as in claim 37 wherein at least one of said spatial light modulators is a transmissive liquid crystal device (LCD).
- 39. A projector as in claim 37 wherein at least one of said spatial light modulators is a reflective liquid crystal device (LCD).
- 40. A projector as in claim 37 wherein at least one of said spatial light modulators is a digital micromirror device (DMD).
- 41. A projector as in claim 37 wherein said interference modulation element is located at an intermediate image plane conjugate to said spatial light modulator.
- 42. A projector as in 41 wherein said interference modulation element is modulated in such a way that the interference modulation element, when averaged over time, modulates the light equally over the field.
- 43. A projector as in claim 37 wherein said interference modulation element is located at an aperture stop plane or a plane conjugate to an aperture stop plane.
- 44. A projector as in claim 37 wherein said interference modulation element is located between a conjugate image plane and an aperture stop or between a conjugate image plane and a conjugate aperture stop.
- 45. A projector as in claim 37 wherein said interference modulation element is a mechanical interference element.
- 46. A projector as in claim 45 wherein said mechanical interference element provides a watermark.
- 47. A projector as in claim 45 wherein said interference modulation element is a shutter.
- 48. A projector as in claim 37 wherein said interference modulation element is an electro optical interference element.
- 49. A projector as in claim 48 wherein said electro optical interference element provides a watermark.
- 50. A projector as in claim 37 wherein said interference modulation element is located in a single color channel.
- 51. A projector as in claim to 50 wherein said single color channel is a channel which has excess light for a desired white light color temperature when displayed.
- 52. A projector as in claim 37 wherein said interference modulation element operates at a frequency greater than 30 Hz.
- 53. A projector as in claim 52 wherein said frequency varies.
- 54. A projector as in claim 37 wherein said interference modulation element comprises a watermark.
- 55. A projector as in claim 37 wherein a first modulation interference element is located in the first of said color channels and a second modulation interference element is located in a second of said color channels.
- 56. A projector as in claim 55 wherein the first and second modulation interference elements are modulated sequentially.
- 57. A projector as in claim 56 where the modulation of said first and second modulation interference elements is performed randomly.
- 58. A projector as in claim 55 wherein the first and second modulation interference elements are modulated at different frequencies.
- 59. A projector as in claim 55 wherein the first and second modulation interference elements are modulated such that they are out of phase with each other.
- 60. A projector as in claim 37 wherein a first modulation interference element is located in one of said color channels and a second modulation interference element is located before said dichroic separator or after said dichroic combiner.
- 61. A projector as in claim 37 wherein correction means is applied to said spatial light modulators to correct for color non-uniformity generated by spatially non uniform modulation by said spatial modulation interference elements.
- 62. A method of creating temporal and spatial interference using an interference modulation element at a plane conjugate to a spatial light modulator in a digital projection system.
- 63. A method as in claim 62 wherein said interference modulation element is modulated in such a way that the interference modulation element, when averaged over time, modulates the light equally over the field.
- 64. A method as in claim 62 wherein correction means is applied to said spatial light modulators to correct for color non-uniformity generated by spatially non uniform modulation by said spatial modulation interference elements.
- 65. A method as in claim 62 wherein said interference modulation element is a mechanical interference element.
- 66. A method as in claim 65 wherein said mechanical interference element provides a watermark.
- 67. A method as in claim 65 wherein said mechanical interference element is a shutter.
- 68. A method as in claim 62 wherein said interference modulation element an electro optical interference element.
- 69. A method as in claim 68 wherein said electro optical interference element provides a watermark.
- 70. A method of creating temporal interference using an interference modulation element at an aperture stop plane or a plane conjugate to an aperture stop plane in a digital projection system.
- 71. A method as in claim 70 wherein said interference modulation element is a mechanical interference element.
- 72. A method as in claim 71 wherein said mechanical interference element provides a watermark.
- 73. A method as in claim 71 wherein said mechanical interference element is a shutter.
- 74. A method as in claim 70 wherein said interference modulation element an electro optical interference element.
- 75. A method as in claim 74 wherein said electro optical interference element provides a watermark.
- 76. A method of creating temporal and spatial interference using an interference modulation element at a plane in convergent or divergent space outside the depth of focus of the image plane or conjugate image plane in a digital projection system.
- 77. A method as in claim 76 wherein said interference modulation element is modulated in such a way that the interference modulation element, when averaged over time, modulates the light equally over the field.
- 78. A method as in claim 76 wherein correction means is applied to said spatial light modulators to correct for color non-uniformity generated by spatially non uniform modulation by said spatial modulation interference elements.
- 79. A method as in claim 76 wherein said interference modulation element is a mechanical interference element.
- 80. A method as in claim 79 wherein said mechanical interference element provides a watermark.
- 81. A method as in claim 79 wherein said mechanical interference element is a shutter.
- 82. A method as in claim 76 wherein said interference modulation element an electro optical interference element.
- 83. A method as in claim 82 wherein said electro optical interference element provides a watermark.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Reference is made to commonly-assigned applications copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. N 09/813,207 filed Mar. 20, 2001 entitled DIGITAL CINEMA PROJECTOR, by Kurtz et al.; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/050,309 filed Jan. 16, 2002, entitled PROJECTION APPARATUS USING SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR, by Cobb; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/131,871 filed Apr. 25, 2002 entitled PROJECTION APPARATUS USING SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR WITH RELAY LENS AND DICHROIC COMBINER, by Cobb; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/237,516 filed Sep. 9, 2002 entitled COLOR ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATORS USING MULTIPLE DOUBLE TELECENTRIC RELAYS, by Cobb, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein.