Head-mounted projection display using reflective microdisplays

1. A telecentric optical illumination system for use with a reflective microdisplay, comprising:

a source of optical radiation having a first polarization state;

a quarter wave optical retarder disposed at a location to receive the optical radiation and oriented to convert the polarization state of the received optical radiation to be circularly polarized;

a reflector having a reflector focal length associated therewith and disposed at a location to receive the circularly polarized optical radiation from the optical retarder and to reflect the received optical radiation back through the retarder;

a reflective microdisplay disposed one reflector focal length away from the reflector for receiving optical radiation from the reflector; and

a reverse telephoto projection lens, telecentric in image space, disposed in optical communication with the microdisplay, the microdisplay located at the back focal length of the projection lens,

wherein the ratio of the weight of the projection lens to the square of the F-number of the projection lens is less than 2 to 1.

2. The optical illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector is disposed one reflector focal length away from the source of optical radiation.

3. The optical illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector comprises a concave spherical surface.

4. The optical illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein the retarder is oriented with the fast axis of the retarder oriented at 45 degrees to the polarization direction of the first polarization state.

5. The optical illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein source of optical radiation comprises a LED.

6. The optical illumination system according to claim 1 , comprising a tapered light pipe disposed proximate the source of optical radiation.

7. The optical illumination system according to claim 6 , wherein the light pipe comprises a plurality of mirrors oriented in the shape of a truncated pyramid.

8. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 1 , wherein the overall length of the projection lens is no more than 85% larger than the effective focal length of the projection lens.

9. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 1 , wherein the back focal length of the projection lens is 40% larger than the effective focal length of the projection lens.

10. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 1 , wherein the projection lens comprises a diffractive optical element.

11. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 1 , wherein the projection lens comprises a final lens element disposed closest to the image plane, the final lens element comprising a diffractive optical element disposed thereon.

12. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 11 , wherein the final lens element includes an aspheric surface.

13. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 12 , wherein the diffractive optical element is disposed on the aspheric surface.

14. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 1 , wherein the projection lens comprises a plurality of optical elements, and at least two-thirds of the optical elements comprise plastic.

15. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 1 , wherein the projection lens comprises a lens group disposed on the object side of the stop of the projection lens, the lens group having an effective focal length two orders of magnitude larger than the effective focal length of the projection lens.

16. The head-mounted projection display system according to claim 1 , wherein the projection lens comprises a plurality of lens elements configured to have an overall length that is no more than two times the effective focal length of the projection lens.