| US 7,401,926 B2 | ||
| Space light modulating apparatus, projector including same, process for manufacturing microstructure element used in same, and microstructure element manufactured by the same process | ||
| Shunji Kamijima, Hara-mura (Japan); and Masatoshi Yonekubo, Hara-mura (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Jun. 05, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/806,953. | ||
| Application 11/806953 is a division of application No. 10/793866, filed on Mar. 08, 2004, granted, now 7,242,444. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2003-091327 (JP), filed on Mar. 28, 2003; application No. 2003-199462 (JP), filed on Jul. 18, 2003; and application No. 2003-407318 (JP), filed on Dec. 05, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0236670 A1, Oct. 11, 2007 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. G03B 21/00 (2006.01); G03B 21/14 (2006.01); G03B 21/28 (2006.01); G02B 27/10 (2006.01); G02F 1/1333 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 353—31 [353/33; 353/38; 353/81; 353/122; 359/619; 359/625; 349/5; 349/56; 349/95] | 13 Claims |
| 1. A space light modulating apparatus comprising:
a modulating unit that modulates incident light projected from a light source based on an image signal, and outputs modulated
light; and
a refracting unit that is disposed on an output-side of the modulating unit, and refracts the light from the modulating unit,
wherein
the modulating unit includes
a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix format; and
a light-shielding part placed between the pixels,
the refracting unit includes a group of prisms formed with a prism element that has at least a refracting surface, and further
includes a flat portion virtually parallel to a surface on which the pixels are formed,
light from one of the pixels is incident on at least a part of the group of prisms,
a direction of the refracting surface is such that a projection image of the pixels is guided onto a projection image of the
light-shielding part on a projection surface at a predetermined distance from the refracting unit, and
the refracting surface and a reference surface that is formed in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis make a predetermined
angle, wherein
the light transmitted through or reflected on the flat portion from among the light projected from the light source and incident
on the pixels propagates substantially straight to form the projection image,
when an area of one prism element of the group of prisms is defined as a unit area, a ratio between an area of the refracting
surface and the unit area corresponds to light intensity of the projection image of the pixels, and
a sum of intensities of light from the flat portion on the projection surface PW0 and a sum of intensities of light through the refracting surface on the projection surface PW1 satisfy an inequality PW0≧PW1.
|