Apparatus, system, and method for displaying an image using a plate
An apparatus ( 110 ), system ( 100 ), and method ( 900 ) for displaying an image ( 880 ). Instead of using an expensive configuration of prisms ( 310 ) such as TIR prisms ( 311 ) or RTIR prisms ( 312 ) to direct light ( 800 ) to and from a DMD ( 324 ), a plate ( 340 ) with transmissive ( 374 ), reflective ( 372 ), and/or polarization ( 373 ) characteristics is used. The plate ( 340 ) can be implemented in a wide variety of different embodiments using a wide variety of different components and configurations.
1. A system for displaying an image comprised of a plurality of light to a viewer, said system comprising:
an illumination assembly that provides for generating a plurality of light; and
an imaging assembly that provides for creating said image from said plurality of light, said imaging assembly including:
a digital micro mirror device (DMD) that provides for modulating said light into said image; and
a plate that provides for reflecting a first portion of said light from said illumination assembly to said DMD and a second portion of said light transmitted through the plate and becoming lost light, and the plate further for directing said light from said DMD towards a display.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate includes an aperture.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate includes a plastic film.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said plastic film is a modulated film that modifies said light in forming said image, and wherein said modulated film generates a desired optical effect.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate is comprised of a plurality of films and wherein said plate is not comprised of a glass.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate includes a plurality of modulated films that provide for a dynamic aperture.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system is a visor apparatus that includes an eyepiece, and wherein said eyepiece includes said display.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate includes a plastic film with an adjustable diffractive gradient.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate includes a glass and a plastic film.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate has a reflectiveness that pertains to one of a full spectrum or a partial spectrum.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate has a reflectiveness between 40% and 60%, such that between 60% and 40% of light incident upon the plate becomes the lost light.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate provides for the polarization of said light.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate is a micro lens array.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate is a collapsible plate that collapses into a smaller volume of space.
15. A system for displaying an image comprised of a plurality of light to a viewer, said system comprising:
an illumination assembly that provides for supplying said plurality of light to an imaging assembly , wherein said illumination assembly includes a light source;
said imaging assembly that provides for modulating said light into at an interim image, said imaging assembly including:
a digital micro mirror device (DMD) that provides for modulating said light into said interim image; and
a plate that provides for reflecting a first portion of said light from said illumination assembly to said DMD and a second portion of said light transmitted through the plate and becoming lost light, and the plate further for directing said light from said DMD towards a projection assembly; and
said projection assembly providing for the display of said image on a display from said interim image.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said system is a VRD visor apparatus, and wherein said display is part of an eyepiece for said VRD visor apparatus.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein said plate includes a glass and a plurality of plastic films including a first plastic film on a first side of said glass and a second plastic film on a second side of said glass.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein said plate is includes an aperture and a plastic film, wherein said plastic film is a modulated film that modifies said light, and wherein said modulated film generates a desired optical effect.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein said plate includes a plurality of modulated films that provide for a dynamic aperture, and wherein said plate includes a plastic film with an adjustable diffractive gradient.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plate is a dynamic plate for which optical characteristics of transmissiveness, reflectiveness, and/or polarization are modified while the system is generating the images.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein said plate has a reflectiveness between 40% and 60%, such that between 60% and 40% of light incident upon the plate becomes the lost light.
22. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plate has a reflectiveness between 95% and 5%, such that between 95% and 5% of light incident upon the plate becomes the lost light.