Patent · US Expired

Polarization separation element, a polarization conversion system, an optical element, and a projection display system

US6621533B2 · kind B2 · utility

16Cited by
3References
35Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 11, 2001
Grant dateSep 16, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 11, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B27/285
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides a polarization separation element comprising a first array of prisms having a wedge-shaped cross-section, and a second array of prisms also having a wedge-shaped cross section. One of the prism arrays is an array of birefringent prisms.The present invention also provides a polarization conversion system having a polarization separation element of the above type for directing light having a first polarization in a first direction and for directing light having a second polarization different from the first polarization in a second direction different from the first direction; and one or more polarization conversion elements for converting light having the first and second polarizations to light having a substantially common output polarization. The polarization conversion system of the invention is suitable for use in a projection display system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.