Electro-optical display system

Abstract

An electro-optical display system particularly for projecting an enlarged color television image on a screen in which the transmitted signals are converted into points of light modulated by a multiple Fabry-Perot interferometric or multiple electro-optical light modulator assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A display system for on-off switching or modulation of light separately and independently within each of a multiplicity of optical fibers, including a source of light,   a condensing system forming a small concentrated image of the light source,   a first fiber optics assembly having the fibers closely packed and parallel to each other other at one end where light is received from the light source image and having the fibers separated from each other at the other end, forming a multiplicity of small points of light,   a first optical system receiving light from the multiplicity of small points of light formed by the first fiber optics assembly and forming a multiplicity of small light point images,   an array of light modulators within a single body each separately controlled electrically or electronically and each receiving light from one of the multiplicity of small light point images formed by the first optical system,   a second optical system receiving light from the multiplicity of small points of light after modulation by the array of electrically or electronically controlled light modulators and forming a multiplicity of small light point images,   a second fiber optics assembly having the fibers separated from each other at one end to receive light from modulated light point images formed by said second optical system and having the fibers adjacent to each other at the other end of the assembly forming a multiplicity of modulated points of light.   
     
     
       2. A display system according to claim 1, wherein the array of light modulators within a single body comprises, a multiple interferometric light modulator assembly having a body of electrostrictive material optically polished to predetermined curvature and electrically conducting and optically coated on one surface and electrically insulating on an opposite parallel surface, a multiplicity of separate small discrete volumes of said electrostrictive material attached to and forming part of said body and each forming a Fabry-Perot interferometric light modulator, said volumes being partially separated from each other by narrow air slots extending from said polished conducting face of said electrostrictive material through the material to the opposite parallel insulating face, and a transparent optical element with two polished surfaces one adjacent to and accurately optically mated with said conductive surface on said electrostrictive material, coated with a semitransparent optical coating, and separated from said conductive surface on said electrostrictive material by a vacuum deposited spacer of thickness three wavelengths or less. 
     
     
       3. A display system according to claim 2, wherein the assembly is located within a cathode ray tube with the insulating surface positioned to receive electrical charge deposited by a moving electron beam controlled in spatial position to charge successively each of said multiplicity of separate small discrete volumes of electrostrictive material. 
     
     
       4. A display system according to claim 2, wherein the assembly is connected electrically to an electronic control circuit by separate wires connected to the insulating faces of all said separate small discrete volumes of electrostrictive material. 
     
     
       5. A display system according to claim 2, wherein the body is a circular disk, and the spacer is centrally located and close to but not intersecting said narrow air slots. 
     
     
       6. A display system according to claim 5, where in the assembly is located within a cathode ray tube with the insulating surface positioned to receive electrical charge deposited by a moving electron beam controlled in spatial position to charge successively each of said multiplicity of separate small discrete volumes of electrostrictive material in circular disposition. 
     
     
       7. A display system according to claim 5, wherein the assembly is connected electrically to an electronic control circuit by separate wires connected to the insulating faces of all said separate small discrete volumes of electrostrictive material in circular disposition. 
     
     
       8. A display system according to claim 1, wherein the array of light modulators within a single body comprises, a multiple electro-optic light modulator assembly having a body of electro-optic material of thickness small but finite compared to its length and breadth and with largest faces optically polished positioned between two polarizing elements to permit light transmitted by one polarizing element to enter and pass through the body of electro-optical material from one polished face to the other and thence through the other polarizing element, said optically polished faces of electro-optic material having affixed thereto arrays of electrodes positioned with respect to each other such that electrical potentials applied at predetermined points within the arrays will cause optical transmission of a multiplicity of separate small discrete volumes of electro-optic material to vary independently of each other according to the strength of the electric field applied to each.   
     
     
       9. A display system according to claim 8, wherein the assembly is located within a cathode ray tube with one optically polished surface with affixed electrode array positioned to receive electrical charge deposited by a moving electron beam controlled in spatial position to charge successively each of said multiplicity of separate small discrete volumes of electro-optic material. 
     
     
       10. A display system according to claim 9, wherein the optical fibers adjacent to each other at the other end of the second fiber optics assembly from a multiplicity of modulated points of light in a straight line. 
     
     
       11. A display system according to claim 10, for use with a source of color television video signals to create an optical image by enlarged projection onto a viewing screen, including the above described system duplicated twice to provide three duplicate light modulating systems forming three multiplicities of modulated points of light in identical straight lines and with red, green and blue filters respectively in the several systems,   a dichroic set of mirrors combining optically said three identical straight lines of modulated points of light into one straight line of points of light each including separately modulated red, green and blue components,   an electro-mechanical scanning and optical projection system to scan and enlarge optically said straight line of combined red, green and blue points of light across a viewing screen forming a large frame of 525 lines of colored points of light corresponding to the 525 lines in a television picture, and   electrical and electronic means to receive and process a color television signal to provide appropriate control voltages to each separate electro-optic light modulator of the assembly and to provide appropriate synchronous control voltages to said electromechanical optical scanning and projection system.   
     
     
       12. A display system according to claim 8, wherein the assembly is connected electrically to an electronic control circuit by separate wires connected to the arrays of electrodes controlling the electrical field within each of said multiplicity of separate small discrete volumes of electro-optic material. 
     
     
       13. A display system according to claim 12, wherein the optical fibers adjacent to each other at the other end of the second fiber optics assembly form a multiplicity of modulated points of light in a straight line. 
     
     
       14. A display system according to claim 13, for use with a source of color television video signals to create an optical image by enlarged projection onto a viewing screen, including the above described system duplicated twice to provide three duplicate light modulating systems forming three multiplicities of modulated points of light in identical straight lines and with red, green and blue filters respectively in the several systems,   a dichroic set of mirrors combining optically said three identical straight lines of modulated points of light into one straight line of points of light each including separately modulated red, green and blue components,   an electro-mechanical scanning and optical projection system to scan and enlarge optically said straight line of combined red, green and blue points of light across a viewing screen forming a large frame of 525 lines of colored points of light corresponding to the 525 lines in a television picture, and   electrical and electronic means to receive and process a color television signal to provide appropriate control voltages to each separate electro-optic light modulator of the assembly and to provide appropriate synchronous control voltages to said electromechanical optical scanning and projection system.   
     
     
       15. A display system according to claim 8, wherein the optical fibers adjacent to each other at the other end of the second fiber optics assembly form a multiplicity of modulated points of light in a straight line. 
     
     
       16. A display system according to claim 15, for use with a source of color television video signals to create an optical image by enlarged projection onto a viewing screen, including the above described system duplicated twice to provide three duplicate light modulating systems forming three multiplicities of modulated points of light in identical straight lines and with red, green and blue filters respectively in the several systems,   a dichroic set of mirrors combining optically said three identical straight lines of modulated points of light into one straight line of points of light each including separately modulated red, green and blue components,   an electro-mechanical scanning and optical projection system to scan and enlarge optically said straight line of combined red, green and blue points of light across a viewing screen forming a large frame of 525 lines of colored points of light corresponding to the 525 lines in a television picture, and   electrical and electronic means to receive and process a color television signal to provide appropriate control voltages to each separate electro-optic light modulator of the assembly and to provide appropriate synchronous control voltages to said electromechanical optical scanning and projection system.   
     
     
       17. A display system according to claim 1, wherein the optical fibers adjacent to each other at the other end of the second fiber optics assembly form a multiplicity of modulated points of light in a straight line. 
     
     
       18. A display system according to claim 17, for use with a source of color television video signals to create an optical image by enlarged projection onto a viewing screen, including the above described system duplicated twice to provide three duplicate light modulating systems forming three multiplicities of modulated points of light in identical straight lines and with red, green and blue filters respectively in the several systems,   a dichroic set of mirrors combining optically said three identical straight lines of modulated points of light into one straight line of points of light each including separately modulated red, green and blue components,   an electro-mechanical scanning and optical projection system to scan and enlarge optically said straight line of combined red, green and blue points of light across a viewing screen forming a large frame of 525 lines of colored points of light corresponding to the 525 lines in a television picture, and   electrical and electronic means to receive and process a color television signal to provide appropriate control voltages to each separate light modulator of the assembly and to provide appropriate synchronous control voltages to said electromechanical optical scanning and projection system. .Iadd. 19. An optical system for separately and independently modulating or on-off switching light in each of a multiplicity of separately propagated light ray bundles, including   an array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the array being such that light can be directed into and received at the input region of each optical fiber and light leaving the output region of each optical fiber emerges at a predesignated one of a set of predetermined separate positions propagated along a predesignated one of a set of predetermined separate directions,   optical means to receive light propagated from the output region of each optical fiber of the array and direct it to a prespecified one of a set of preselected separate locations, and   an arrangement of a multiplicity of light modulators within a single body, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region in which light can be modulated, and an output region from which modulated light can emerge, each light modulator of the arrangement being controlled separately electrically or electronically to modulate the received light, the disposition of the arrangement being such that the input region of each light modulator of the arrangement coincides with a preestablished one of the set of preselected separate locations and can receive light propagated from a prescribed optical fiber of the array through the optical means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 20. An optical system for separately and independently modulating or on-off switching light in each of a multiplicity of separately propagated light ray bundles, including   optical light source means,  optical condensing means receiving light emitted by and propagated from the optical light source means and concentrating it within a set of predelineated small regions,   an array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the array being such that light enters the input region of each optical fiber at one of the set of predelineated small regions and light leaving the output region of each optical fiber emerges at a predesignated one of a set of predetermined separate positions propagated along a predesignated one of a set of predetermined separate directions,   optical means receiving light from the output region of each optical fiber of the array and directing it to a prespecified one of a set of preselected separate locations, and   an arrangement of a multiplicity of light modulators within a single body, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region in which light can be modulated, and an output region from which modulated light can emerge, each light modulator of the arrangement being controlled separately electrically or electronically to modulate the received light, the disposition of the arrangement being such that the input region of each light modulator of the arrangement coincides with a preestablished one of the set of preselected separate locations and receives light propagated from a prescribed optical fiber of the array through the optical means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 21. An optical system for separately and independently modulating or on-off switching light in each of a multiplicity of separately propagated light ray bundles, including   an arrangement of a multiplicity of light modulators within a single body, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region in which light can be modulated, and an output region from which modulated light can emerge, each light modulator of the arrangement being controlled separately electrically or electronically to modulate the received light, the disposition of the arrangement being such that light can be directed into and received at the input region of each light modulator and light leaving the output region of each light modulator emerges at a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate positions propagated along a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate directions,   optical means to receive light propagated from the output region of each light modulator of the arrangement and direct it to a prespecified one of a set of preselected separate locations, and   an array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the array being such that the input region of each optical fiber of the array coincides with a preidentified one of the set of preselected separate locations and can receive light propagated from a preappointed light modulator of the arrangement through the optical means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 22. An optical system for separately and independently modulating or on-off switching light in each of a multiplicity of separately propagated light ray bundles, including   optical light source means,   optical condensing means receiving light emitted by and propagated from the optical light source means and concentrating it within a set of predelineated small regions,   an arrangement of a multiplicity of light modulators within a single body, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region in which light can be modulated, and an output region from which modulated light can emerge, each light modulator of the arrangement being controlled separately electrically or electronically to modulate the received light, the disposition of the arrangement being such that light enters and is received at the input region of each light modulator at one of the set of predelineated small regions and light leaving the output region of each light modulator emerges at a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate positions propagated along a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate directions,   optical means receiving light propagated from the output region of each light modulator of the arrangement and directing it to a prespecified one of a set of preselected separate locations, and   an array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the array being such that the input region of each optical fiber of the array coincides with a preidentified one of the set of preselected separate locations and receives light propagated from a preappointed light modulator of the arrangement through the optical   
     
     
        means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 23.  An optical system for separately and independently modulating or on-off switching light in each of a multiplicity of separately propagated light ray bundles, including a first array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the first array being such that light can be directed into and received at the input region of each optical fiber and light leaving the output region of each optical fiber emerges at a predesignated one of a first set of predetermined separate positions propagated along a predesignated one of a first set of predetermined separate directions,   first optical means to receive light propagated from the output region of each optical fiber of the first array and direct it to a prespecified one of a first set of preselected separate locations,   an arrangement of a multiplicity of light modulators within a single body, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region in which light can be modulated, and an output region from which modulated light can emerge, each light modulator of the arrangement being controlled separately electrically or electronically to modulate the received light, the disposition of the arrangement being such that the input region of each light modulator of the arrangement coincides with a preestablished one of the first set of preselected separate locations and can receive light propagated from a prescribed optical fiber in the first array through the first optical means, and light leaving each light modulator of the arrangement emerges at a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate positions propagated along a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate directions,   second optical means to receive light propagated from the output region of each modulator of the arrangement and direct it to a prespecified one of a second set of preselected separate locations, and   a second array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the second array being such that the input region of each optical fiber coincides with a preidentified one of the second set of preselected separate locations and can receive light propagated from a preappointed light modulator of the arrangement through the second optical means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 24. An optical system for separately and independently modulating or on-off switching light in each of a multiplicity of separately propagated light ray bundles, including   optical light source means,   optical condensing means receiving light emitted by and propagated from the optical light source means and concentrating it within a set of predelineated small regions,   a first array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the first array being such that light enters the input region of each optical fiber at one of the set of predelineated small regions and light leaving the output region of each optical fiber emerges at a predesignated one of a first set of predetermined separate positions propagated along a predesignated one of a first set of predetermined separate directions,   first optical means receiving light propagated from the output region of each optical fiber of the first array and directing it to a prespecified one of a first set of preselected separate locations,   an arrangement of a multiplicity of light modulators within a single body, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region in which light can be modulated, and an output region from which modulated light can emerge, each light modulator of the arrangement being controlled separately electrically or electronically to modulated the received light, the disposition of the arrangement being such that the input region of each light modulator of the arrangement coincides with a preestablished one of the first set of preselected separate locations and receives light propagated from a prescribed optical fiber in the first array through the first optical means, and light leaving each light modulator of the arrangement emerges at a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate positions propagated along a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate directions,   second optical means to receive light propagated from the output region of each modulator of the arrangement and direct it to a prespecified one of a second set of preselected separate locations, and   a second array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the second array being such that the input region of each optical fiber coincides with a preidentified one of the second set of preselected separate locations and can receive light propagated from a preappointed light modulator of the arrangement through   
     
     
        the second optical means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 25.  An optical system for separately and independently modulating or on-off switching light in each of a multiplicity of separately propagated light ray bundles, including an arrangement of a multiplicity of fixed points of light each on a different part of a surface of a single body, each of said different parts being controlled separately electrically or electronically to modulate the point of light thereon, the disposition of the arrangement being such that light leaving each modulated point of light emerges at a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate positions propagated along a preassigned one of a set of preselected separate directions,   optical means to receive light propagated from each modulated point of light of the arrangement and direct it to a prespecified one of a set of preselected separate locations, and   an array of a multiplicity of optical fibers, each having an input region at which light can enter and be received, a region through or along which light can be propagated internally, and an output region from which light can emerge, the disposition of the array being such that the input region of each optical fiber of the array coincides with a preidentified one of the set of preselected separate locations and can receive light propagated from a preappointed modulated point of light of the arrangement through the optical means. .Iaddend.