Local dimming of a laser light source for projectors and other lighting devices including cinema, entertainment systems and displays

摘要

Light from an array of laser light sources are spread to cover the modulating face of a DMD or other modulator. The spread may be performed, for example, by a varying curvature array of lenslets, each laser light directed at one of the lenslets. Light from neighboring and/or nearby light sources overlap at a modulator. The lasers are energized at different energy/brightness levels causing the light illuminating the modulator to itself be modulated (locally dimmed). The modulator then further modulates the locally dimmed lights to produce a desired image. A projector according to the invention may utilize, for example, a single modulator sequentially illuminated or separate primary color modulators simultaneously illuminated.

主权项

1. A method comprising the steps of:
energizing a first series of laser light sources at a plurality of energy brightness levels according to regions of an image; spreading laser lights from the first series so each illuminates an area on a modulator corresponding to the image regions (or region portions); redirecting light from one area of the modulator to another area of the modulator; energizing the modulator to cause the illuminating light on the modulator to be further modulated to produce the image; energizing a second series of laser light sources at a second plurality of energy brightness levels according to regions of the image; spreading laser lights from the second series so each illuminates an area on a second modulator corresponding to the image regions (or region portions); energizing a third series of laser light sources at a third plurality of energy brightness levels according to regions of the image; spreading laser lights from the third series so each illuminates an area on a third modulator corresponding to the image regions (or region portions); and energizing the second and third modulators to cause the illuminating light on the second and third modulators to be further modulated according to the image; and wherein the steps of energizing the first, second, and third series of laser light sources comprise calculating a luminance level for each image region and energizing each series of laser light sources with respect to the calculated luminance level; and the steps of energizing the first, second, and third modulators comprise energizing the first, second, and third modulators in accordance with the calculated luminance levels, capabilities of the laser light sources, spreading/mixing of light from adjacent and nearby light sources, and image data associated with the image so as to cause the laser lights to be further modulated in producing the image.