An image display device includes: a first display panel and a second display panel in which transmittance or reflectance of light is controlled on the basis of an image signal; and a light irradiation unit that irradiates the first display panel and the second display panel with light, wherein the first display panel and the second display panel are sequentially driven by image signals corresponding to a plurality of color light beams, and in a period in which one of the first display panel and the second display panel is driven by an image signal corresponding to any one of the plurality of color light beams, an image signal for driving the other display panel is switched.

Provided by the present technology is an illumination apparatus including a light source section, a phase modulation section, and a control section. The light source section has a light emitting element. The phase modulation section performs spatial light phase modulation on incident light from the light source section. The control section controls the phase modulation section in such a manner that a plurality of domains formed by dividing a phase modulation plane of the phase modulation section reproduces a light intensity distribution based on a common phase distribution determined on the basis of a Freeform method in a common region on a projection plane.

Projection systems and components thereof are described that are well suited to miniaturization. These systems and components may use one or more of the following features: a folded optical path, as in a reflective cavity or a beamsplitter; an illumination beam that is converging at the place where it impinges upon the spatial light modulator; a beamsplitter that uses opposed prisms of substantially different sizes; a beamsplitter whose obliquely disposed partial reflector defines a first rectangular reference space, and where at least a portion of the light source or at least a portion of the projector lens is disposed within such first rectangular reference space; a system in which a ratio of areas of the first rectangular reference space and a second rectangular reference space is within a specified range, where the second rectangular reference space is just large enough to encompass the optical components of the projector; a system in which the projector lens is small compared to the spatial light modulator.

Projection systems and components thereof are described that are well suited to miniaturization. These systems and components may use one or more of the following features: a folded optical path, as in a reflective cavity or a beamsplitter; an illumination beam that is converging at the place where it impinges upon the spatial light modulator; a beamsplitter that uses opposed prisms of substantially different sizes; a beamsplitter whose obliquely disposed partial reflector defines a first rectangular reference space, and where at least a portion of the light source or at least a portion of the projector lens is disposed within such first rectangular reference space; a system in which a ratio of areas of the first rectangular reference space and a second rectangular reference space is within a specified range, where the second rectangular reference space is just large enough to encompass the optical components of the projector; a system in which the projector lens is small compared to the spatial light modulator.

A projector includes a light source, a light modulation device configured to modulate light emitted from the light source, a polarization element arranged to one of a light incident side and a light exiting side of the light modulation device, a projection device configured to project the light modulated by the light modulation device, a casing in which the polarization element is arranged and whose inside is filled with a cooling liquid, and a circulation device configured to circulate the cooling liquid in the casing onto the polarization element. The cooling liquid circulates along a first direction on the light incident side of the polarization element. The cooling liquid circulates along a second direction opposite to the first direction on the light exiting side of the polarization element.

A projector includes: a projection unit projecting a projection image onto a projection surface where an object is located, the object defining a projection area where the projection image should be projected; an image pickup unit picking up an image of the projection surface and thus generating picked-up image information representing a picked-up image; an object detection unit detecting the object, based on the picked-up image information; and a projection control unit controlling a brightness of the projection image, based on a result of detection of the object.

An optical member includes a reflection-scattering unit that reflects and scatters light having a wavelength band which corresponds to at least a portion of a visible wavelength range, and transmits light having a wavelength band which corresponds to at least a portion of an infrared region, wherein rectilinear transmittance for the light having the wavelength band which corresponds to at least the portion of the infrared region is equal to or greater than 75%.

Projection systems and components thereof are described that are well suited to miniaturization. These systems and components may use one or more of the following features: a folded optical path, as in a reflective cavity or a beamsplitter; an illumination beam that is converging at the place where it impinges upon the spatial light modulator; a beamsplitter that uses opposed prisms of substantially different sizes; a beamsplitter whose obliquely disposed partial reflector defines a first rectangular reference space, and where at least a portion of the light source or at least a portion of the projector lens is disposed within such first rectangular reference space; a system in which a ratio of areas of the first rectangular reference space and a second rectangular reference space is within a specified range, where the second rectangular reference space is just large enough to encompass the optical components of the projector; a system in which the projector lens is small compared to the spatial light modulator.

A three-dimensional (3D) holographic display system includes a projector that generates an image with a form of spatially varying modulation on a light beam; holographic processor that performs a holographic method on the image generated by the projector; and memory device that stores holographic data generated in a process of performing the holographic method by the holographic processor. An amplitude of a light field is adaptively replaced by the holographic processor according to significance of respective areas of the image.

A cooling system for controlling the temperature of a light valve of a projection system, the light valve being illuminated by a light source, the cooling system including a first sensor for measuring a first temperature of a first part of the light valve, at least one active heating and/or cooling device to transfer heat between the light valve and a heat source and/or sink, a controller for controlling the temperature of the light valve with the at least one active heating and/or cooling device according to the first temperature with respect to a reference temperature. The cooling system further includes a sensor for determining the amount of light absorbed by the light valve, and where the controller is further configured to control the active heating and/or cooling device based on the amount of light absorbed by the light valve.