Patent ID: 7438419

Claim:
A color separation and/or synthesis system for receiving at least two incident light beams whose wavelengths are different from each other, comprising: a wavelength-splitting element that reflects light of one wavelength and transmits light of another wavelength; a polarization-transforming element that changes the direction of polarization of linearly polarized light of one wavelength and that is arranged adjacent and at least nearly parallel to the wavelength-splitting element; and a polarization-sensitive beam splitter that reflects light having one direction of linear polarization and transmits light having another direction of linear polarization; wherein the polarization-sensitive beam splitter is arranged adjacent and at least nearly parallel to the wavelength-splitting element; and the color separation and/or synthesis system operates on two linearly polarized light beams of different wavelengths that are incident on the color separation and synthesis system so that one of the linearly polarized light beams is emitted from the color separation and/or synthesis system linearly polarized in a direction that is different than its direction of polarization upon incidence on the color separation and/or synthesis system, and so that one of the linearly polarized beams is emitted from the color separation and/or synthesis system in a different direction than its direction of propagation upon incidence on the color separation and/or synthesis system.