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.

Dual and multi-modulator projector display systems and techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment, a projector display system comprises a light source; a controller, a first modulator, receiving light from the light source and rendering a halftone image of said the input image; a blurring optical system that blurs said halftone image with a Point Spread Function (PSF); and a second modulator receiving the blurred halftone image and rendering a pulse width modulated image which may be projected to form the desired screen image. Systems and techniques for forming a binary halftone image from input image, correcting for misalignment between the first and second modulators and calibrating the projector system—e.g. over time—for continuous image improvement are also disclosed.

An image display device is provided that allows easy adjustment of positional deviation in an optical axis direction of an optical modulation element from the outside. The image display device includes: a housing including an operation surface; an optical modulation element that is housed in the housing and that includes an image-forming surface that modulates light to form an image; a holding portion that movably holds the optical modulation element at least in a direction perpendicular to the image-forming surface; and an adjusting portion including at least one wire member, one end of the wire member being connected to the holding portion and the other end rotatably attached to the operation surface. Holding portion includes a movable portion that is moved in a direction perpendicular to the image-forming surface by the rotation of the other end of the wire member.

A light source apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a circuit substrate that has a first surface and a second surface provided at the side opposite from the first surface and has a first opening passing through the first and second surfaces, a first light emitter that is electrically coupled to the circuit substrate and emits first light having a first wavelength band, and a thermal diffuser provided at the second surface of the circuit substrate, and the first light emitter is provided at the thermal diffuser exposed in the first opening.

Light projection systems and methods may comprise combining light from two or more projectors. Each projector may be controlled so that the combined light output of the projectors matches a target for the projected light. In some embodiments optimization is performed to generate image data and control signals for each of the projectors. Embodiments may be applied in image projecting applications, lighting applications, and 3D stereoscopic imaging.

An image projector includes a spatial light modulator (SLM) with a two dimensional array of pixel elements controllable to modulate a property of light transmitted or reflected by the pixel elements. An illumination arrangement delivers illumination to the SLM. A collimating arrangement collimates illumination from the SLM to generate a collimated image directed to an exit stop. The illumination arrangement is configured to sequentially illuminate regions of the SLM, each corresponding to a multiple pixel elements. A controller synchronously controls the pixel elements and the illumination arrangement so as to project a collimated image with pixel intensities corresponding to a digital image.

An optical device includes a first optical system having an optical element, a second optical system having a lens and disposed at a reduction side of the first optical system, a first holding member holding the optical device, a second holding member holding the lens, and a movement mechanism configured to move the first holding member in optical axis directions. The optical element has a reflection surface. The first holding member has a first holding portion holding the optical element and a first coupling portion extending from the first holding portion to a second optical system side. The movement mechanism has a transport mechanism configured to move the first coupling portion along the optical axis directions, and a guide mechanism configured to guide the first holding member in the optical axis directions. The guide mechanism restricts rotation of the first holding member around the optical axis.

An image projector with a high optical efficiency projects an image at an arbitrary distance from an observer. The image projector includes an illumination module having at least one spatially coherent light source; a phase image generator with an array of optical phase shifting elements; an electronic image controller connected electrically to the phase image generator; and a waveguide which includes at least one embedded partial reflector. The waveguide may be positioned either between the illumination module and the waveguide, or between the waveguide and the observer. The phase image generator may include phase shifts for canceling speckle, correcting optical aberrations, and/or compensating interference caused by light rays having different optical path lengths.

A projection device, including an illumination light source, an electrochromic module, at least one light valve, and a projection lens, is provided. The illumination light source provides an illumination beam. The electrochromic module is disposed on a transmission path of the illumination beam. The electrochromic module includes at least one electrochromic element, and sequentially maintains or changes a wavelength of the illumination beam penetrating the at least one electrochromic element. The at least one light valve is disposed on the transmission path of the illumination beam transmitted by the electrochromic module to convert the illumination beam into an image beam. The projection lens is disposed on a transmission path of the image beam to project the image beam out of the projection device. The projection device and the use method thereof provided by the disclosure may change the color light output or the color space of a display image.

A projection image display device of the present disclosure includes a light source, an image forming element that forms an image, a color separating and combining unit that separates first illumination light and second illumination light, and combines first projection light and second projection light reflected by the image forming element, and a notch filter that is disposed between the light source and the color separating and combining unit. A first dichroic filter reflects the first illumination light and the first projection light. A first incident angle of the first illumination light with respect to the first dichroic filter is different from a second incident angle of the first projection light with respect to the first dichroic filter. The notch filter attenuates light in a first wavelength band including a boundary between a wavelength band of the first illumination light and a wavelength band of the second illumination light.