Patent ID: 6959990

Claim:
A prism assembly for use with projection systems, comprising: a prism having a first side TIR surface with a critical angle, a second side TIR surface with a critical angle, and a third side; a display panel mounted in close proximity to said third side of said prism; incoming illumination entering through said first side of said prism, striking said second TIR surface on said second side of said prism at an angle greater than that of the critical angle of said second TIR surface, reflecting from said second TIR surface to the active surface of said display panel; reflected light from ON pixels of said display panel passing through said prism, striking said first TIR surface on said first side of said prism at an angle greater than the critical angle of said first TIR surface, and reflecting out of said prism through said second side of said prism along a projection path; light reflected from OFF pixels of said SLM striking said first TIR surface on said first side of said prism at an angle less than the critical angle of said TIR surface, passing through said first side of said prism into an optical heat sink; and light reflected from flat-pixels, flat surfaces and edges in, around, and under said pixels of said SLM striking said first TIR surface on said first side of said prism at an angle less than the critical angle of said TIR surface, passing through said first side of said prism into an optical heat sink.