JP3383013B2 - Projector equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Table of Contents] The present invention will be described in the following order. 2. Field of Industrial Use Means for Solving Problems to be Solved by the Prior Art Invention (FIG. 6) Action (FIG. 6) Example (1) Overall Configuration of Projector Device (FIGS. 1 to 5) (2) ) Projector device of the embodiment (FIGS. 1, 6 and 7) (3) Effect of the invention of another embodiment

[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 specular deflection type optical modulator 2 having a plurality of minute specular surface elements arranged according to pixels of video data is provided.
R, 2G, and 2B are irradiated with the illumination light L1, and the specular deflection type optical modulators 2R to 2B are modulated by image data,
In the projector device 1 for displaying a desired image 40 on the image display surface 41 by the effective reflected light of the specular deflection type optical modulators 2R to 2B according to the image data, the specular deflection type optical modulator 2R is used.
2B of effective reflected light to the position A immediately before the projection lens 11,
The relay lens means 9R, 9G, 9B for forming an image smaller than the aperture of the projection lens 11 and the projection lens driving means for moving the projection lens 11 parallel to the optical axes of the relay lens means 9R to 9B and vertically and horizontally. The projection lens 11 is provided so that the projection lens 11 is moved to adjust the display position of the image 40 on the image display surface 41.

[0014]

The relay lens means 9R, 9G, and 9B project the effective reflected light of the specular deflection type optical modulators 2R to 2B into the projection lens 11.
By forming an image smaller than the aperture of the projection lens 11 at the position A immediately before, even if the projection lens driving unit moves the projection lens 11 in parallel with the optical axes of the relay lens units 9R to 9B and vertically and horizontally. As a result, the display position of the image 40 on the image display surface 41 can be moved without causing any aberration, and as a result, compared to the case where the entire projector device 1 is moved to adjust the display position, it is much easier. The display position can be adjusted, and the usefulness can be significantly improved.

[0015]

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 Configuration of Projector Device In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes three mirror light valves 2 corresponding to respective image data of red, green and blue 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 by + 10 ° as shown in FIG. 4 (A) 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 effective reflected light is obtained. Red,
Green and blue image lights are formed. The red, green and blue image lights are respectively associated with relay lenses 9R, 9G and 9B.
Through dichroic mirrors for synthesis 10R, 10G,
The light is guided to 10B and is combined as color image light, which is enlarged and projected through a projection lens 11 onto a screen (not shown) arranged outside the projector device 1 at a distance.

In the case of the 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, and the cylindrical lenses 7R to 7B are passed through the second reflecting mirror 8R. ~
The optical axis of the optical system of the projection lights L1 and L2 reaching 8B, the relay lenses 9R to 9B reflected by the mirror light valves 2R to 2B, and the dichroic mirror for synthesis 10R.
˜10B, the optical axis of the effective reflected light reaching the projection lens 11 is displaced by a predetermined height, thereby preventing interference between the projection light and the effective reflected light and the invalid reflected light. It is designed to get you.

Furthermore, 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 RGB video signal S1 and the VGA video signals S2 and S.
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, and in accordance with the control signal S10 input from the timing control circuit 27, the frame memories 26R to 2 are sequentially frame by frame.
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 this 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 Here, in the case of this embodiment, the mirror light valves 2R-2
The effective reflected light reflected by B is applied to each relay lens 9
By means of R to 9B, a formed image is formed at a virtual image forming point A (FIG. 1) in the space immediately in front of the projection lens 11 with a size about twice as large. The magnification of the relay lens is selected so that the size of the image formed at the virtual image formation point A is smaller than the aperture of the projection lens 11.

The projection lens 11 can be moved up and down and left and right in parallel with the optical axis by a moving mechanism (not shown), and thus the projection lens 11 can be moved upward. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the display image 40U also moves upward with respect to the screen 41. If the projection lens 11 is moved downward from this state and the optical axes of the relay lenses 9R to 9B and the projection lens 11 are aligned with each other, FIG.
As shown in (B), the display image 40M is also displayed on the screen 41.
To the center position by moving downward.

When the projection lens 11 is further moved downward, the display image 40D also moves downward with respect to the screen 41, as shown in FIG. 6 (C). By moving the projection lens 11 vertically and horizontally as described above, the display position of the display image 40 on the screen 41 can be easily and arbitrarily selected as shown in FIG. 7 without moving the projector device 1 itself. be able to.

As described above, the relay lenses 9R to 9B can form a smaller image than the aperture of the projection lens 11 by forming the mirror light valves 2R to 2R.
This is because the size of G is smaller than that of a projector device using a conventional CRT or liquid crystal as an image source. As a result, even if the projection lens 11 is moved vertically and horizontally, the display position of the display image 40 on the screen 41 can be moved without causing aberration.

In practice, in a projector device using a CRT or liquid crystal as an image source, when an image is formed just before the projection lens in this way, the image source itself is NT.
Considering SC and HDTV, the size is about 2.5 to 5.5 inches, and the aperture of the projection lens and the size of the lens itself are correspondingly large, which is difficult to realize. Therefore, conventionally, a projection lens is used on the optical axis in consideration of the aberration of the lens, and the projector device itself is moved vertically and horizontally to adjust the display position of the image.

According to the above construction, the relay lens 9R,
In 9G and 9B, the effective reflected light of the mirror light valves 2R to 2B is formed on the position A immediately before the projection lens 11 as an image smaller than the aperture of the projection lens 11, so that the movement mechanism moves the projection light. Even if the lens 11 is moved parallel to the optical axes of the relay lenses 9R to 9B and vertically and horizontally, the display position of the display image 40 on the screen 41 can be moved without causing aberration.

As a result, the display position can be adjusted remarkably easily and surely as compared with the case where the entire projector device is moved to adjust the display position, and the usefulness can be remarkably improved. Positioning parts and the like for supporting the entire projector device are not necessary, and the projector device 1 that is smaller and simpler can be realized. Also, since a small lens can be used as a projection lens, for example, a ready-made standard lens used in a 35 [mm] camera or the like can be used, and a projection device having a high degree of freedom in setting the magnification, zoom ratio, etc. Can be realized.

(3) Other Embodiments In the above-mentioned embodiments, the mirror-deflecting optical modulator is used as a mirror-deflecting optical modulator depending on the arrangement of the pixels of the video data.
The case where an array of 768 × 576 micro mirror surface elements is used has been described, but the array of micro mirror surface elements is not limited to this, and various selections may be made. Even when microscopic mirror elements are arranged one-dimensionally and an image is formed by scanning the projection light, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be realized.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the specular deflection type optical modulators, which are driven according to the red, green and blue images respectively, are irradiated with the red, green and blue projection light, respectively, and their effective reflection is performed. Although the case where light is combined and enlarged is described, instead of this, a single specular deflection type optical modulator is sequentially driven in time division according to red, green and blue images,
In synchronization with this, a projector that combines the projection of red, green, and blue projection light in a time-sequential manner, and a projector that combines two or more colors with a single mirror-deflecting light modulator Even when applied to a device or the like, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be realized.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, the relay lens means forms the effective reflected light of the specular-deflection-type optical modulator as an image smaller than the aperture of the projection lens at the position immediately before the projection lens. Thus, even if the projection lens driving unit moves the projection lens parallel to the optical axis of the relay lens unit and vertically and horizontally, the display position of the image on the image display surface can be moved without causing aberration, Thus, as compared with the case where the entire projector device is moved to adjust the display position, it is possible to realize a projector device in which the display position can be remarkably easily adjusted and the usefulness can be remarkably improved.

[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 diagram for explaining adjustment of a display position in the projector device of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the adjustment of the display position in the projector device of the embodiment, similar to FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Projector device, 2 ... Mirror light valve,
3 ... High brightness white light source, 4 ... Condenser lens, 5 ...
... 1st reflection mirror, 6 ... separation dichroic mirror, 7 ... beam shaping cylindrical lens, 8 ...
Second reflection mirror, 9 ... Relay lens, 10 ... Synthesis dichroic mirror, 11 ... Projection lens, 21 ... Video select circuit, 22 ... Analog-digital conversion circuit, 23 ... Gamma correction circuit , 24 ……
Test pattern generation circuit, 25 ... Ref-format circuit, 26 ... Frame memory, 27 ... Timing control circuit, 28 ... Clock generation circuit, 30 ... Power supply circuit, 31 ... Lamp drive circuit.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Junichi Iwai 6-735 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation (72) Inventor Ken Matsui 6-735 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo In Sony Corporation (56) Reference JP-A-4-333015 (JP, A) US Patent 5231388 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 27/18 G02B 26/08

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A mirror-deflecting optical modulator having a plurality of micro-mirror elements arranged corresponding to pixels of image data is irradiated with illumination light, and the mirror-deflecting optical modulator is controlled by the image data. In a projector device that modulates and displays a desired image on an image display surface by the effective reflected light of the specular deflection type optical modulator according to the image data, the effective reflected light of the specular deflection type optical modulator is projected by a projection lens. Relay lens means for forming an image smaller than the aperture of the projection lens at an immediately previous position, and projection lens driving means for moving the projection lens parallel to the optical axis of the relay lens means and vertically and horizontally. A projector device characterized in that the projection lens driving means is used to move the projection lens to adjust the display position of the image on the image display surface. 2. The image includes illuminating red, green, and blue illumination light on the three specular-deflection-type light modulators, respectively, and at the same time, irradiating the three specular-deflection-type light modulators with the corresponding red, respectively. Modulate with green and blue video data, and
2. The projector according to claim 1, wherein the effective reflected lights of three colors of the three specular deflection type optical modulators corresponding to color image data are combined and displayed on the image display surface. apparatus. 3. The image is obtained by sequentially irradiating the specular-deflection-type modulator with illumination light of red, green, and blue in a time-division manner, and the specular-deflector-type optical modulator is used to illuminate the color of the illumination light. It is characterized in that it is modulated by red, green, and blue image data synchronized with, and is displayed on the image display surface by the effective reflected light of the specular deflection type optical modulator according to the image data. The projector device according to claim 1.