Method and apparatus for light recapture and sequential channel illumination

Abstract

A filter wheel having spirally shaped left and right channel 3D filters. The 3D filters are, for example, spectral separation filters. The filter is mounted, for example, close to an integrating rod output of a projector. The left and right channel filtered light scrolls across a modulation device which is energized with correspondingly scrolling left and right image data. In one embodiment, the integrating rod comprises mirrored surfaces to facilitate recycling of light reflected off the filter wheel. The filter wheel may be placed in a single or dual projector configuration. In one embodiment, the filters are fixed at the end of an integrating rod using “re-cycled” light to illuminate different channels of a projection system.

1 . A filter, comprising spirally shaped filters configured for use in left and right channels of a 3D projection system. 
   
   
       2 . The filter according to  claim 1 , wherein the spirally shaped filters comprise spectral separation filters. 
   
   
       3 . The filter according to  claim 2 , wherein the spectral separation filters comprise a set of first channel passbands configured to pass light, a set of second channel passbands configured to pass light, and a set of guard bands configured to block light between adjacent passbands of different channels. 
   
   
       4 . The filter according to  claim 3 , wherein the spectral separation filters further comprise at least one notch band between adjacent colors of a same channel configured to block light between the adjacent colors. 
   
   
       5 . The filter according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the spectral separation filters comprises three passbands of visible light, a first passband configured to pass only a first color of light, a second passband configured to pass two spectrum adjacent colors of light comprising the first color of light and a second color of light, and a third passband configured to pass two spectrum adjacent colors of light comprising the second color of light and a third color of light. 
   
   
       6 . The filter according to  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the passbands passing spectrum adjacent colors of light includes a notch that separates the spectrum adjacent colors and is not passed by the passband. 
   
   
       7 . The filter according to  claim 2 , wherein a first of the spectral separation filters comprises passbands of wavelengths of approximately 400 to 440 nm, 484 to 498 nm, 514 to 528 nm, 567 to 581 nm, and 610 to 623 nm. 
   
   
       8 . The filter according to  claim 2 , wherein one of the spectral separation filters comprises wavelengths of approximately 455 to 471 nm, 539 to 556 nm, and 634 to 700 nm. 
   
   
       9 . A method, comprising the steps of:
 illuminating a first portion of a light modulator with light having characteristics of a first channel of a 3D image; and   illuminating a second portion of the light modulator with light having characteristics of a second channel of a 3D image;   wherein the step of illuminating the first portion of the light modulator and the step of illuminating the second portion of the light modulator are performed simultaneously.   
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the step of illuminating comprises spinning spirally shaped filters in a light path of a projector. 
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the spirally shaped filters comprise spectral separation filters each including at least one set of primary passbands. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the spirally shaped filters comprise spectral separation filters 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising the step of re-cycling reflections from the spirally shaped filters. 
   
   
       14 . A projector, comprising a filter wheel comprising at least one set of spectrally separated spirally shaped filters. 
   
   
       15 . The projector according to  claim 14 , further comprising an integrating rod positioned between the filter wheel and a light source, wherein the integrating rod comprises a mirror configured to reflect portions of light not passed by a first of the spectrally separated filters and portions of light not passed by the second set of spectrally separated filters back toward the filters. 
   
   
       16 . The projector according to  claim 14 , further comprising light modulators positioned to simultaneously intercept light filtered by both of at least one set of the spectrally separated spirally shaped filters. 
   
   
       17 . The projector according to  claim 14 , further comprising light modulators positioned to simultaneously intercept light filtered by more than at least one set of the spectrally separated spirally shaped filters. 
   
   
       18 . The projector according to  claim 14 , wherein the projector is part of a system including at least one pair of spectrally separated eye filters. 
   
   
       19 . A filter, comprising filter segments each comprising spectral separation filters respectively configured for use in left and right channels of a 3D projection system. 
   
   
       20 . The filter according to  claim 19 , wherein the filter comprises a wheel filter and the segments comprise spectral separation filters that extend out radially on the wheel. 
   
   
       21 . The filter according to  claim 20 , wherein the filter is installed in a projection system comprising an integrating rod having a reflective aperture configured to re-cycle light reflected from the filter. 
   
   
       22 . The filter according to  claim 19 , wherein the filter comprises a wheel and the segments are spirally shaped and intermeshed on the wheel, and the filter is installed in a projection system comprising an integrating rod having a reflective aperture configured to re-cycle light reflected from the filter. 
   
   
       23 . A projection system, comprising a first projector configured to project at least a portion of first and second channel images and re-cycle portions of spectrum not used by a channel by re-directing the unused portions of spectrum to the other channel. 
   
   
       24 . The projection system according to  claim 23 , wherein the projector is configured to modulate light to be projected in a “dual-strip” manner. 
   
   
       25 . The projection system according to  claim 23 , further comprising a second projector configured to project at least a portion of the first and the second channel images and re-cycle portions of spectrum not used by a channel by re-directing the unused portions of spectrum to the other channel. 
   
   
       26 . The projection system according to  claim 25 , wherein images projected by the first projector are inversely synchronized with images projected by the second projector. 
   
   
       27 . A dual projection system, comprising a first projector and a second projector each configured to simultaneously project full color portions of first and second channel images and re-cycle portions of spectrum not used by a channel by re-directing the unused portions of spectrum to the other channel. 
   
   
       28 . The dual projection system according to  claim 27 , wherein the projectors are configured to modulate and project the images in a “dual-strip” manner. 
   
   
       29 . The dual projection system according to  claim 27 , wherein the unused portions of spectrum are re-directed to the other channel in the same projector. 
   
   
       30 . The dual projection system according to  claim 27 , wherein the re-directed portions of spectrum are re-directed by reflection from a filter having characteristics of the channel from which the spectrum is being re-directed. 
   
   
       31 . The dual projection system according to  claim 30 , wherein the filter is a filter wheel having filter sections wherein at least one filter section comprises characteristics of the first channel and at least one filter section comprises characteristics of the second channel. 
   
   
       32 . The dual projection system according to  claim 31 , wherein the filter sections comprise spirally shaped filter sections. 
   
   
       33 . The dual projection system according to  claim 31 , wherein the filter sections comprise radially extending filter sections. 
   
   
       34 . The dual projection system according to  claim 31 , wherein the filter sections are sized according to an amount of light available for each channel. 
   
   
       35 . The dual projection system according to  claim 27 , wherein the portions of the first and second channel images projected by the first projector are inversely synchronized with the portions projected by the second projector. 
   
   
       36 . The dual projector system according to  claim 35 , wherein the portions of the first and second channel images comprise scrolling portions. 
   
   
       37 . The dual projector system according to  claim 36 , wherein the scrolling portions scroll at a rate of approximately 1 scroll per frame.