IP Library Granted Patent US 12,405,522
Granted Patent B2
US 12,405,522 · App. 17/912,016 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Light source device and projector

Inventors: Sota Hirahara (Tokyo, JP); Masateru Matsubara (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SHARP NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
G03B21/204G03B21/2053G03B21/2073G03B21/208
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,405,522
App. No.
17/912,016
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light source device includes a first laser source and a diffusion element that diffuses light, the diffusion element being provided on an optical path of a first laser beam emitted by the first laser source. The diffusion element comprises, on an incident surface, a first lens array in which a plurality of first lens elements are arranged that divide the first laser beam into a plurality of light beams and further comprises, on an exit surface, a second lens array in which a plurality of second lens elements are arranged that each face a respective first lens element of the plurality of first lens elements and that each emit a light beam incident through the facing first lens element toward an imaging surface. Each second lens element forms a light source image in a different region on the imaging surface.

Claims (34)

1. A light source device comprising:

a first laser source; and

a diffusion element that diffuses light, the diffusion element being provided on an optical path of a first laser beam emitted by the first laser source,

wherein the diffusion element comprises, on an incident surface, a first lens array in which a plurality of first lens elements are arranged that divide the first laser beam into a plurality of light beams and further comprises, on an exit surface, a second lens array in which a plurality of second lens elements are arranged that each face a respective first lens element of the plurality of first lens elements and that each emit a light beam incident from the facing first lens element toward an imaging surface, wherein each second lens element forms a light source image in a different region on the imaging surface.

2. The light source device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the second lens elements forms a square light source image on the imaging surface.

3. The light source device according to claim 1 , further comprising an integrator to which the first laser beam is incident through the diffusion element and that equalizes an intensity distribution of the first laser beam,

wherein the entirety of the light beams emitted by each of the second lens elements is incident on the integrator.

4. The light source device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second laser source that emits a second laser beam;

a phosphor unit that receives the second laser beam emitted by the second laser source and emits fluorescent light; and

a colored light synthesizing unit that color-synthesizes the first laser beam emitted by the first laser source and the fluorescent light emitted by the phosphor unit into one optical path,

wherein the diffusion element is disposed on an optical path of the first laser beam between the first laser source and the colored light synthesizing unit.

5. The light source device according to claim 4 , wherein the first laser beam has the same color as the second laser beam.

6. The light source device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second laser source that emits a second laser beam;

an optical member that splits the first laser beam emitted by the first laser source into a first split light and a second split light and that integrates the first split light and the second laser beam emitted by the second laser source into one optical path;

a phosphor unit that receives light integrated into the one optical path to emit fluorescent light; and

a colored light synthesizing unit that color-synthesizes the second split light split by the optical member and the fluorescent light emitted by the phosphor unit into one optical path,

wherein the diffusion element is disposed on an optical path of the second split light between the first laser source and the colored light synthesizing unit.

7. The light source device according to claim 6 , wherein the optical member includes:

a retardation plate; and

a polarization beam splitter by which a first polarized light is reflected and through which a second polarized light that is different from the first polarized light is transmitted,

wherein the first laser beam emitted by the first laser source is incident to one surface of the polarization beam splitter through the retardation plate, and the polarization beam splitter splits the first laser beam into the first split light made of the first polarized light and the second split light made of the second polarized light.

8. The light source device according to claim 6 , wherein the first laser beam has the same color as the second laser beam.

9. A projector comprising:

the light source device according to claim 1 ;

a light modulator that modulates light emitted by the light source device to form an image; and

a projection lens that projects the image formed by the light modulator.

10. A light source device comprising:

a first laser source; and

a diffusion element that diffuses light, the diffusion element being provided on an optical path of a first laser beam emitted by the first laser source,

wherein the diffusion element comprises, on an incident surface, a first lens array in which a plurality of first lens elements are arranged that divide the first laser beam into a plurality of light beams and further comprises, on an exit surface, a second lens array in which a plurality of second lens elements are arranged that each face a respective first lens element of the plurality of first lens elements and that each emit a light beam incident from the facing first lens element toward an imaging surface,

wherein the first laser beam enters each first lens element of the first lens array and is then emitted from each second lens element of the second lens array, and

wherein each second lens element forms a light source image in a different region on the imaging surface.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jun 26, 2026
From: SHARP NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 075830/0213 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2022
From: HIRAHARA, SOTA; MATSUBARA, MASATERU
To: SHARP NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 061132/0854 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230140762A1 · May 4, 2023
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