IP Library › Granted Patent US 12695851
Granted Patent B2
US 12695851 · App. 18/549,505 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Projector apparatus, light source device, and light source drive method

Inventor: Keita Mori (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
H04N9/312H04N9/3182
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12695851
App. No.
18/549,505
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A projector apparatus or a light source device includes: a first light source; a second light source, a wavelength of primary color light of the second light source being different from a wavelength of primary color light of the first light source; a phase modulation element to convert light amount distribution of the second light source light; and an amplitude modulation element on which both the first light source light and the second light source light that has passed through the phase modulation element are incident. The signal processing unit generates a drive signal for the amplitude modulation element based on a gamma curve in accordance with a ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light incident on the amplitude modulation element.

Claims (70)

1 . A projector apparatus, comprising:

a first light source configured to output first light source light;

a second light source configured to output second light source light, a wavelength of primary color light of the second light source being different from a wavelength of primary color light of the first light source;

an amplitude modulation element on which both the first light source light and the second light source light are incident, the amplitude modulation element being configured to perform amplitude modulation on incident light;

a signal processing unit configured to generate an amplitude modulation drive signal for the amplitude modulation element on a basis of a gamma curve in accordance with a ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element; and

a phase modulation element configured to convert light amount distribution of the second light source light,

wherein both the first light source light and the second light source light that has passed through the phase modulation element are incident on the amplitude modulation element.

2 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the phase modulation element

converts the incident light into outgoing light with a different beam density for each in-plane area in accordance with a phase pattern generated on the basis of a video signal.

3 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the amplitude modulation element is configured of a liquid crystal panel.

4 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the amplitude modulation element is configured of a digital micromirror device.

5 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein as the primary color light,

wavelengths of red light of the first light source and red light of the second light source are different from each other,

wavelengths of green light of the first light source and green light of the second light source are different from each other, and

wavelengths of blue light of the first light source and blue light of the second light source are different from each other.

6 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a first one of the first light source and the second light source is a laser light source, and a second one of the first light source and the second light source is configured of another light source device.

7 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the amplitude modulation drive signal is a signal for controlling a light amount of each pixel of the amplitude modulation element in accordance with a video signal, and

a control value of each pixel of the amplitude modulation element in accordance with a gradation value of each pixel in the video signal is generated on the basis of the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light.

8 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element for each frame of a video signal.

9 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the incident first light source light and second light source light for each pixel block obtained by splitting an in-plane part of the amplitude modulation element.

10 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the incident first light source light and second light source light for each pixel of the amplitude modulation element.

11 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining a gamma curve in accordance with a representative value of the ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element.

12 . The projector apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal for correcting a difference in white balances of the first light source and the second light source.

13 . A projector apparatus, comprising:

a first light source configured to output first light source light;

a second light source configured to output second light source light, a wavelength of primary color light of the second light source being different from a wavelength of primary color light of the first light source;

an amplitude modulation element on which both the first light source light and the second light source light are incident, the amplitude modulation element being configured to perform amplitude modulation on incident light; and

a signal processing unit configured to generate an amplitude modulation drive signal for the amplitude modulation element on a basis of a gamma curve in accordance with a ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element,

wherein the amplitude modulation drive signal is a signal for controlling a light amount of each pixel of the amplitude modulation element in accordance with a video signal, and

wherein a control value of each pixel of the amplitude modulation element in accordance with a gradation value of each pixel in the video signal is generated on the basis of the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light.

14 . The projector apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element for each frame of a video signal.

15 . The projector apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the incident first light source light and second light source light for each pixel block obtained by splitting an in-plane part of the amplitude modulation element.

16 . A projector apparatus, comprising:

a first light source configured to output first light source light;

a second light source configured to output second light source light, a wavelength of primary color light of the second light source being different from a wavelength of primary color light of the first light source;

an amplitude modulation element on which both the first light source light and the second light source light are incident, the amplitude modulation element being configured to perform amplitude modulation on incident light; and

a signal processing unit configured to generate an amplitude modulation drive signal for the amplitude modulation element on a basis of a gamma curve in accordance with a ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element, wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element for each frame of a video signal.

17 . A projector apparatus, comprising:

a first light source configured to output first light source light;

a second light source configured to output second light source light, a wavelength of primary color light of the second light source being different from a wavelength of primary color light of the first light source;

an amplitude modulation element on which both the first light source light and the second light source light are incident, the amplitude modulation element being configured to perform amplitude modulation on incident light; and

a signal processing unit configured to generate an amplitude modulation drive signal for the amplitude modulation element on a basis of a gamma curve in accordance with a ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element, wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the incident first light source light and second light source light for each pixel block obtained by splitting an in-plane part of the amplitude modulation element.

18 . A projector apparatus, comprising:

a first light source configured to output first light source light;

a second light source configured to output second light source light, a wavelength of primary color light of the second light source being different from a wavelength of primary color light of the first light source;

an amplitude modulation element on which both the first light source light and the second light source light are incident, the amplitude modulation element being configured to perform amplitude modulation on incident light; and

a signal processing unit configured to generate an amplitude modulation drive signal for the amplitude modulation element on a basis of a gamma curve in accordance with a ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element, wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining the gamma curve in accordance with the ratio between the incident first light source light and second light source light for each pixel of the amplitude modulation element.

19 . A projector apparatus, comprising:

a first light source configured to output first light source light;

a second light source configured to output second light source light, a wavelength of primary color light of the second light source being different from a wavelength of primary color light of the first light source;

an amplitude modulation element on which both the first light source light and the second light source light are incident, the amplitude modulation element being configured to perform amplitude modulation on incident light; and

a signal processing unit configured to generate an amplitude modulation drive signal for the amplitude modulation element on a basis of a gamma curve in accordance with a ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element, wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal by obtaining a gamma curve in accordance with a representative value of the ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element.

20 . A projector apparatus, comprising:

a first light source configured to output first light source light;

a second light source configured to output second light source light, a wavelength of primary color light of the second light source being different from a wavelength of primary color light of the first light source;

an amplitude modulation element on which both the first light source light and the second light source light are incident, the amplitude modulation element being configured to perform amplitude modulation on incident light; and

a signal processing unit configured to generate an amplitude modulation drive signal for the amplitude modulation element on a basis of a gamma curve in accordance with a ratio between the first light source light and the second light source light that are incident on the amplitude modulation element, wherein the signal processing unit

generates the amplitude modulation drive signal for correcting a difference in white balances of the first light source and the second light source.