A novel projection system includes first and second light sources (e.g., sets of lasers), a spatial light modulator (SLM) that receives light from the first light source, and a beam steering device that receives light from the second light source and steers the light to highlight regions of the SLM. The SLM then modulates the light from both light sources to generate a highlighted imaging beam which can then be projected on a viewing surface. The highlighted imaging beam can represent a highlighted 2D image or a highlighted left- or right-eye view of a 3D image. The projection system thus improves peak brightness in the displayed highlighted images without incorporating a separate highlight projector or other expensive equipment. Methods for highlighting projected images are also described.

A display apparatus includes at least one light source per eye, the at least one light source being operable to emit a light beam; at least one beam scanning arrangement per eye, the at least one beam scanning arrangement being configured to direct the light beam towards a projection surface, and to sweep the light beam according to a scanning pattern, the scanning pattern being substantially in a form of a spiral; and a processor configured to control the at least one light source and the at least one beam scanning arrangement to draw at least a first region of an input image over the projection surface, wherein a resolution of the first region of the input image is to vary as a function of an angular distance from a centre of the spiral.

A novel projection system includes first and second light sources (e.g., sets of lasers), a spatial light modulator (SLM) that receives light from the first light source, and a beam steering device that receives light from the second light source and steers the light to highlight regions of the SLM. The SLM then modulates the light from both light sources to generate a highlighted imaging beam which can then be projected on a viewing surface. The highlighted imaging beam can represent a highlighted 2D image or a highlighted left- or right-eye view of a 3D image. The projection system thus improves peak brightness in the displayed highlighted images without incorporating a separate highlight projector or other expensive equipment. Methods for highlighting projected images are also described.

An optical apparatus has a laser source to direct modulated light toward a scan mirror and objective lens that define a focal surface. Pupil relay optics relay a first pupil at the scan mirror to a second pupil at an eye lens, the pupil relay optics defining an optical axis extending between pupils and having a curved mirror that transmits substantially half of the modulated beam and that has a first center of curvature at the first pupil and a first polarizer in the path of light from the scan mirror to reflect incident light of a first polarization and first angle toward the curved mirror surface and transmit incident light of an orthogonal polarization and second angle, wherein the pupil relay optics direct the modulated light beam twice to the first polarizer, and wherein the modulated light incident the second time is collimated and directed toward the second pupil.

A scanning beam display system includes an optical module, an image control module, and a display screen on which optical beams are scanned. The optical module includes a vertical adjuster placed in the optical paths of the beams to control and adjust positions of the optical beams along a generally vertical direction on the display screen, and a control unit configured to receive control instructions for the vertical adjuster and to control the vertical adjuster to be at one of a predetermined number of orientations to place the scanning optical beams at a corresponding distinct position on the display screen. The control unit is further configured to apply an adjustment offset to each orientation of the vertical adjuster such that each immediately vertically adjacent pair of beam footprints projected on the display screen resulting from the plurality of positions have a vertical overlap that is larger than a first threshold.

A novel projection system includes first and second light sources (e.g., sets of lasers), a spatial light modulator (SLM) that receives light from the first light source, and a beam steering device that receives light from the second light source and steers the light to highlight regions of the SLM. The SLM then modulates the light from both light sources to generate a highlighted imaging beam which can then be projected on a viewing surface. The highlighted imaging beam can represent a highlighted 2D image or a highlighted left- or right-eye view of a 3D image. The projection system thus improves peak brightness in the displayed highlighted images without incorporating a separate highlight projector or other expensive equipment. Methods for highlighting projected images are also described.

A display apparatus includes at least one light source per eye, the at least one light source being operable to emit a light beam; at least one beam scanning arrangement per eye, the at least one beam scanning arrangement being configured to direct the light beam towards a projection surface, and to sweep the light beam according to a scanning pattern, the scanning pattern being substantially in a form of a spiral; and a processor configured to control the at least one light source and the at least one beam scanning arrangement to draw at least a first region of an input image over the projection surface, wherein a resolution of the first region of the input image is to vary as a function of an angular distance from a centre of the spiral.

A multi-beam scanning system and methods of operating the same to compensate for distortion are provided. Generally, the method involves illuminating a spatial light modulator including SLM pixels arranged in parallel, each pixel including a multiple address pixels. Drive signals including image data are provided to the pixels to generate beams of modulated light reflected therefrom, which is scanned to a linear swath of a two-dimensional imaging plane using a collimate lens, a scan mirror moved about a first axis, and an imaging lens. The swath is scanned across the imaging plane in a direction orthogonal to a long axis of the swath by moving the scan mirror about a second axis. To compensate for distortion along the long axis of the swath compensated image data is provided to at least some of the address pixels generating beams of modulated light distal from an optical axis of the imaging lens.

A novel projection system includes first and second light sources (e.g., sets of lasers), a spatial light modulator (SLM) that receives light from the first light source, and a beam steering device that receives light from the second light source and steers the light to highlight regions of the SLM. The SLM then modulates the light from both light sources to generate a highlighted imaging beam which can then be projected on a viewing surface. The highlighted imaging beam can represent a highlighted 2D image or a highlighted left- or right-eye view of a 3D image. The projection system thus improves peak brightness in the displayed highlighted images without incorporating a separate highlight projector or other expensive equipment. Methods for highlighting projected images are also described.

There is provided a technique that enables efficient and uniform laser marking. A laser marker includes a laser light source, an illumination optical system, a spatial light modulator, a projection optical system, and a scanning unit. The laser light source emits laser light. The illumination optical system shapes the laser light into a line-shaped parallel beam. The spatial light modulator includes a plurality of modulation components arranged along a long-axis direction, and modulates the parallel beam into a line-shaped modulated beam using the plurality of modulation components. The projection optical system guides the modulated beam to an object. The scanning unit scans the surface of the object with the modulated beam.