Color reflective ferroelectric liquid crystal light valve with three spatial light modulators and increased light throughput
US6498632B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 27, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 24, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 27, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2202/40
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A color, high-throughput, ferroelectric liquid crystal-based light valve comprising a light input, a light output, a beam splitter, a color separator, reflective spatial light modulators, and a switchable half-wave plate. Light polarized parallel to a first direction is received through the light input. Light from the light input and reflected by the spatial light modulators is output from the light output. The reflective spatial light modulators are structured as a quarter-wave plates and each has a principal axis that switches through an angle &phgr;. The beam splitter has orthogonal directions of maximum transmissivity and maximum reflectivity, one of which is parallel to the first direction. The beam splitter is located and aligned relative to the light input, the light output, and the color separator to transmit or reflect the light from the light input towards the color separator, and to reflect or transmit, respectively, towards the light output the light reflected by each of the spatial light modulators and having a direction of polarization substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The switchable half-wave plate is located between the beam splitter and the color sep…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.