IP Library Granted Patent US 9,588,411
Granted Patent B2
US 9,588,411 · App. 14/462,138 · Granted Mar 7, 2017

Light source apparatus emitting visible light and image display apparatus using the same

Inventor: Hiroshi Kitano (Hyogo, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
G03B21/2073F21K2/00F21S10/007F21V9/00F21V9/08F21V13/06F21V13/08G02B26/008G03B21/16G03B21/204G03B21/2066G03B21/28G03B33/12H04N5/7416H04N9/3111H04N9/3114H04N9/3158H04N9/3161
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,588,411
App. No.
14/462,138
Granted
Mar 7, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light source apparatus includes: an excitation light source including a laser light source; a first wheel that is controlled to rotate, and includes, in a part of a surface thereof to be illuminated by excitation light emitted from the excitation light source, a phosphor layer to be excited by the excitation light; and a second wheel that is controlled to rotate, and includes a dichroic filter that outputs light having a desired wavelength component of each of fluorescence emitted from the phosphor layer of the first wheel and the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source.

Claims (35)

1. A light source apparatus, comprising:

an excitation light source that emits excitation light, comprising a laser light source;

a rotatable first wheel that comprises a phosphor layer that receives the excitation light and emits fluorescence upon excitation with the excitation light; and

a rotatable second wheel that comprises a dichroic filter that outputs a desired wavelength component of the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor layer and a desired wavelength component of the excitation light emitted by the excitation light source.

2. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a dichroic mirror that guides, to the rotatable second wheel, the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor layer and the excitation light emitted by the excitation light source.

3. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the excitation light source is a semiconductor laser light source that oscillates in a blue wavelength region.

4. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the phosphor layer of the rotatable first wheel is divided into three or more segments.

5. The light source apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

phosphor layers different from each other in type are provided in at east two of the segments.

6. The light source apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

phosphors included in the phosphor layers each emit fluorescence having light in a red, yellow, or green wavelength range as a main component.

7. The light source apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

no phosphor layer is provided in at least one of the segments, and the segment reflects the excitation light.

8. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the dichroic filter of the rotatable second wheel is divided into two or more segments; and

the two or more segments are different from each other in spectrum characteristics.

9. The light source apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the spectrum characteristics include any of a red selectivity, a green selectivity, a blue selectivity, and entire-visible-region transmission properties.

10. The light source apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

at least one of the two or more segments of the rotatable second wheel has a function of diffusing the excitation light.

11. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotatable first wheel and the rotatable second wheel are synchronously controlled with the same number of rotations.

12. The light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotatable first wheel and the rotatable second wheel are provided on a rotating body having the same rotating shaft.

13. An image display apparatus comprising:

a light source apparatus that outputs light;

a spatial light modulation device that forms signal light in accordance with a video signal;

an illumination optical system that guides the light from the light source apparatus to the spatial light modulation device; and

a projection optical system that projects the signal light formed by the spatial light modulation device onto a screen,

the light source apparatus including:

an excitation light source that emits excitation light, comprising a laser light source;

a rotatable first wheel that comprises a phosphor layer that receives the excitation light and emits fluorescence upon excitation with the excitation light; and

a rotatable second wheel that comprises a dichroic filter that outputs a desired wavelength component of the fluorescence emitted by the phosphor layer and a desired wavelength component of the excitation light emitted by the excitation light source.

Assignments (3)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 24, 2026
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC PROJECTOR & DISPLAY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 074988/0945 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Feb 24, 2026
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 074984/0429 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2016
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 038924/0897 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2011-063807 · Mar 23, 2011 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13426325 · Mar 21, 2012
Related Publication 20140354892A1 · Dec 4, 2014