Granted Patent B2

US 12,587,621 · App. 18/249,158 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Inventors: Dirk Maes (Bissegem, BE); Dries Jan Doornaert (Wevelgem, BE); Kurt Albert Callewaert (Oostnieuwkerke, BE)

Assignee: BARCO N.V.

H04N9/3194H04N9/3152H04N9/3161H04N9/3167

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . An optical system configured to monitor a state of a diffuser, the optical system comprising:

the diffuser,

a light source emitting at least one light beam,

a projector,

a transmissive or reflective spatial light modulator of the projector, a sampler, a detection system,

and an analyzer; and

wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the diffuser, the at least one light beam comprises at least one bundle of rays of light exiting the diffuser being for illumination of the transmissive or reflective spatial light modulator of the projector,

the optical system further comprising the sampler configured to sample the at least one light beam exiting the diffuser and to re-direct the light beam sample towards the detection system, wherein the detection system is configured to receive the light beam sample and is coupled to an analyzer configured to generate a signal when an anomaly is detected in a distribution of a light intensity in a cross-section of the light beam sample, wherein the anomaly is detected as a decrease in intensity ratio between a peripheral position and a central position of the at least one bundle of rays or wherein the anomaly is detected as a change in full width at half maximum (FWHM), and

wherein the optical system is configured to have the at least one light beam incident on an aperture in an aperture plane and wherein the sampler is configured to sample a light distribution in the aperture in the aperture plane, and the aperture is filled with light and the optical system is configured to have all rays of light that exit the diffuser with a same angle ending up at a same point in the aperture.

2 . The optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system is configured to image the diffuser onto the transmissive or reflective spatial light modulator and is configured to be bi-telecentric or wherein the optical system is minimally configured to be object space telecentric.

3 . The optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the detection system comprises one or more detectors, or

wherein the detection system comprises a detector selected from a pair of light sensors, photo-sensor(s), photodiode(s), photoresistor(s), phototransistor(s), a linear array of photo-sensors, and an array of N columns and M lines of photo-sensors, or

wherein the detection system has a first and a second light detector or a first and a second light sensor and the optical system is configured to have the light beam incident on the first and second light detectors or the first and second light sensors, and

wherein the analyzer is configured to calculate a ratio of a first light intensity measured at a position of the first light detector or first light sensor and of a second light intensity measured at the position of the second light detector or the second light sensor, which ratio is indicative that the anomaly has been detected in the distribution of the light intensity in the cross-section of the light beam sample.

4 . The optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal is an alarm signal, and in response to the generation of the signal, the optical system is configured to reduce an intensity of the light beam from the light source, or to reduce highlighting or to block or to deflect the light beam or to shut down the light source.

5 . The optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the cross-section is an attenuated copy of a cross-section of the at least one light beam in the aperture.

6 . The optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the projector has a projection lens and the detection system is configured to evaluate the distribution of light in an exit pupil of the projection lens.

7 . The optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the sampler is positioned between an exit surface of the diffuser and the transmissive or reflective spatial light modulator.

8 . The optical system according to claim 1 , wherein the sampler is a semi-transparent mirror whereby a majority of light incident on the sampler is transmitted towards the reflective or transmissive spatial light modulator.

9 . An optical apparatus comprising:

a transmissive or reflective spatial light modulator of a projector,

a diffuser,

a depolarizer installed at an aperture plane so that a light beam transmitted to the transmissive or reflective spatial light modulator of the projector has no preferential polarization direction, a sampler configured to sample the light beam exiting the diffuser and to re-direct the light beam sample towards a detection system, wherein light that is sampled with the sampler before the depolarizer, has one polarization direction for a base illumination and an orthogonal polarization direction for steered highlight illumination; and

a polarizer installed in the detection system is configured to block the sampled base illumination while allowing the sampled highlight illumination to pass or vice versa.

10 . The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the detection system comprises one or more detectors selected from a photo-sensor, a pair of light sensors, photodiode(s), photoresistor(s), phototransistor(s), a linear array of photo-sensors, and an array of N columns and M lines of photo-sensors.

11 . The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the detection system is coupled to an analyzer configured to generate a signal when an anomaly is detected in a distribution of the light intensity in a cross-section of the light beam sample.

12 . The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a 3D polarization switcher in front of a lens, wherein a base image to be projected and highlights of an image to be projected undergo equal transmission.

13 . The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , comprising a polarizer positioned between the sampler and the detection system, and wherein when shaped light and base light are combined based on their respective polarization, the polarizer is configured to separate the shaped light and the base light before the light reaches the detection system.

14 . The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the sampler samples a light distribution in an aperture in an aperture plane.

15 . The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a coherent light source configured to illuminate the diffuser by at least one light beam, the at least one light beam comprising at least one bundle of rays of light exiting the diffuser being for illumination of the transmissive or reflective spatial light modulator of the projector, wherein the detection system is coupled to an analyzer configured to generate a signal when an anomaly is detected in the distribution of the light intensity in a cross-section of the light beam sample.

16 . The optical apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the signal is an alarm signal and in response to the generation of the signal, the optical apparatus is configured to reduce an intensity of the light beam from the coherent light source, or to reduce highlighting or to block or to deflect the light beam or to shut down the light source.

17 . The optical apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the cross-section is an attenuated copy of a cross-section of the at least one light beam in the aperture.

18 . The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the detection system is configured to evaluate the distribution of light in an exit pupil of the projector.

19 . The optical apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the sampler is positioned between an exit surface of the diffuser and the transmissive or reflective spatial light modulator.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (21)