Patent ID: 7824037

Claim:
A method of imaging, said method comprising the steps of: a1) making linearly polarized light first incident on a first color separation member of a color separation device at an angle of approximately 45 degrees so as to separate the linearly polarized light into reflected light and transmitted light, both reflected light and transmitted light having different colors and one of the different colors corresponding to one of three colors; a2) making one of the reflected light and the transmitted light incident on a second color separation member of said color separation device so as to separate said one of the reflected light and the transmitted light into further reflected light and further transmitted light, both further reflected light and further transmitted light corresponding to the other two of the three colors, respectively; b1) receiving by a first light valve, a second light valve, and a third light valve, respectively, one of the three colors separated from the linearly polarized light by said color separation device; b2) generating by said first light valve, said second light valve, and said third light valve, respectively, image light corresponding to said one of the three colors; and c) combining by a color combining element the image lights formed with each of the three colors at said first light valve, said second light valve, and said third light valve, respectively, so that color image light can be generated, wherein, said first color separation member has a first polarization direction changing element, a second polarization direction changing element, each of said polarization direction changing element changing polarization directions of different predetermined wavebands of incident light in different modes, and a first polarization separation element that reflects or transmits the incident light according to the polarization directions of the incident light, said second color separation member has a second polarization separation element, and said first polarization separation element is supported between said first polarization direction changing element and said second polarization direction changing element.