Patent ID: 6724546
Filing Date: 2004-04-20
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
A light converging optical system, in which light incident on a reflecting optical-spatial modulator element having a plurality of micro-mirrors respectively inclined at an inclination angle is converged, comprising:a converging lens changing light emitted from a light source into a first light flux having a first diverging angle corresponding to a first F-number; a light-intensity distribution uniformizing element changing the first light flux received from the converging lens into a plurality of second light fluxes respectively corresponding to the first F-number, equalizing intensities of the second light fluxes in an outgoing end plane and outputting the second light fluxes having uniform intensity distribution; and a relay optical system changing each second light flux output from the light-intensity distribution uniformizing element to a third light flux having a second diverging angle larger than the inclination angle of each micro-mirror of the reflecting optical-spatial modulator element and relaying the third light flux of the second diverging angle to the reflecting optical-spatial modulator element, wherein the relay optical system comprises: a first group of lenses producing a Fourier transformation plane in which position information indicating positions of rays of the second light fluxes in the outgoing end plane of the light-intensity distribution uniformizing element is transformed into diverging angle information indicating diverging angles of rays of light relative to an optical axis of the light-intensity distribution uniformizing element; a relay deformed diaphragm, disposed proximate the Fourier transformation plane produced by the first group of lenses, receiving the rays of light having the diverging angle information from the first group of lenses, intercepting a portion of the rays of light as an interference component in reflection by a micro-mirror set to an â€œonâ€  state in the reflecting optical-spatial modulator element, according to the diverging angle information; and a second group of lenses changing the rays of light passing through the relay deformed diaphragm to the third light fluxes of the second diverging angle and outputting the third light fluxes to the reflecting optical-spatial modulator element.