Patent ID: 7123417

Claim:
A method of forming an image, the method comprising: individually modulating a plurality of portions of light applied to a spatial light-modulation element according to control signals, the spatial light-modulation element having a plurality of pixel portions which are two-dimensionally arranged; applying the light to said spatial light-modulation element by a light source; passing the plurality of portions of the light modulated by said plurality of pixel portions through a first image-forming optical system; passing the plurality of portions of the light through a plurality of microlenses, the plurality of microlenses comprising a microlens array arranged in a vicinity of an image-forming plane of the first image-forming optical system, and the plurality of microlenses arranged in correspondence with the plurality of pixel portions, respectively; passing the plurality of portions of the light, which have passed through the plurality of microlenses, through a second image-forming optical system; and forming, on a predetermined surface, an image represented by the plurality of portions of the light modulated by the spatial light-modulation element, wherein each of said first and second image-forming optical systems is a magnified-image-forming optical system which forms an image with a magnification power greater than one.