Patent ID: 6433934
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An illumination system for use in imaging systems, said illumination system for producing an area of illumination for a light modulator along a slow axis direction and a fast axis direction, said illumination system comprising:a plurality of laser diode emitters arranged in an array, each of said laser diode emitters for producing illumination in a slow axis direction and in a fast axis direction; a first array of first microlenses, each of said first microlenses corresponding to one of said laser diode emitters, and for collimating illumination in the slow axis direction; a second array of second microlenses, each of said second microlenses corresponding to one of said first microlenses and each being arranged to receive illumination from one of said first microlenses, said first microlenses for producing a non-overlapped near field image in the slow axis direction; and a slow axis collimating lens for collimating illumination in the slow axis direction in the formation of a far field image in the slow axis direction on a light modulator.