Multicolor illumination device using moving plate with wavelength conversion materials

Abstract

A multicolor illumination device using an excitation light source and a multi-segmented moving plate with wavelength conversion materials (e.g. phosphors) is disclosed. The exciting light source is a light emitting diode or a laser diode emitting in the UV and/or blue region. The wavelength conversion materials absorb the excitation light and emit longer wavelength light. Each segment of the moving plate contains a different wavelength conversion material or no wavelength conversion material. The plate is supported to move so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times. The plate may be a wheel or rectangular in shape and rotates or oscillates linearly. When the plate moves, light of different colors is generated sequentially in time by the different wavelength conversion materials in different segments of the plate. The multicolor illumination device may be used in a projector system having a microdisplay imager for image display.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:
 a light source for generating an excitation light;   a plate including two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light,   wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material,   wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light, and wherein the plate and the excitation light are moveable relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times; and   a dichroic element disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic element transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials.   
     
     
       2. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the light source is a solid-state light source. 
     
     
       3. The illumination device of  claim 2 , wherein the light source is a laser diode or a light emitting diode. 
     
     
       4. The illumination device of  claim 2 , wherein the light source includes multiple laser diodes, multiple light emitting diodes, or both laser diodes and light emitting diodes. 
     
     
       5. The illumination device of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 an optic fiber coupler or an optic fiber bundle for combining light generated by the laser diodes or light emitting diodes or both.   
     
     
       6. The illumination device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 focusing optics disposed between the light source and the plate.   
     
     
       7. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the plate is made of an optical transparent material. 
     
     
       8. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the plate has a round shape and is divided by radial lines into the two or more segments, and wherein the plate is supported to rotate about an axis. 
     
     
       9. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the plate includes two or more wavelength conversion materials. 
     
     
       10. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the wavelength conversion materials include phosphors or quantum dots. 
     
     
       11. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the wavelength conversion materials are doped into a material that forms the plate. 
     
     
       12. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the wavelength conversion materials are formed on a surface of the plate. 
     
     
       13. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the wavelength conversion materials are attached to a surface of the plate. 
     
     
       14. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the plate defines a groove and the wavelength conversion materials are located in the groove. 
     
     
       15. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the dichroic filter is a band-pass coating on the plate facing the light source. 
     
     
       16. The illumination device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an angle-selective reflecting layer located adjacent the wavelength conversion material on a side opposite to the light source, the angle-selective reflecting layer substantially transmitting light having an incident angle smaller than a predefined angle and substantially reflecting light having an incident angle larger than the predefined angle.   
     
     
       17. The illumination device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a reflector cup with an exit aperture disposed adjacent the wavelength conversion material, the exit aperture having an area smaller than an emission area of the wavelength conversion material.   
     
     
       18. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the segments of the plate are arranged linearly and the plate oscillates linearly. 
     
     
       19. The illumination device of  claim 18 , wherein the plate includes repeating sets of multiple wavelength conversion materials. 
     
     
       20. The illumination device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a reflective polarizer disposed adjacent the wavelength conversion material, the reflective polarizer transmitting light in one polarization state and reflecting light in another polarization state.   
     
     
       21. The illumination device of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a waveplate located between the reflective polarizer and the wavelength conversion layer.   
     
     
       22. The illumination device of  claim 21 , wherein the waveplate is a quarter-wave waveplate. 
     
     
       23. The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the light source includes a plurality of sources emitting at different wavelengths. 
     
     
       24. The illumination device of  claim 23 , wherein a first and a second source are located on one side of the plate, the device further comprising:
 a dichroic plate located between the sources and the wavelength conversion material to combine excitation light from the first and second sources, the dichroic plate transmitting the excitation light from the first source in one wavelength range and reflecting the excitation light from the second source in other wavelength range.   
     
     
       25. The An illumination device of  claim 23  for providing multicolor light, wherein a first and a second source are located on both side of the plate, the device further comprising:
 a light source for generating an excitation light, wherein the light source includes at least first and second sources emitting at different wavelengths; 
 a plate including two or more segments, wherein one or more of the two or more segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment of the plate contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment of the plate either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material, wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light, wherein the first and second sources are located on opposite sides of the plate, and wherein the plate and the excitation light are moveable relative to each other so that different segments of the plate are exposed to the excitation light at different times; 
 a dichroic element disposed between the wavelength conversion materials and the light source, the dichroic element transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials; and  
 a dichroic plate located between the second source and the wavelength conversion materials, the dichroic plate transmitting excitation light from the second source in one wavelength range and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion material. 
 
     
     
       26. The illumination device if  claim 1 , wherein the light source is driven by a pulse width modulated signal. 
     
     
       27. A method for generating multicolor light, comprising:
 generating an excitation light using a light source;   directing the excitation light onto a segment of a plate, the plate having two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material, the plate further including a dichroic filter disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic filter transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials; and   moving the plate and the excitation light relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times to generate emitted light of different colors.   
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 27 , wherein the light source is a laser diode or a light emitting diode. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 27 , wherein the wavelength conversion materials include phosphors or quantum dots. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 27 , wherein the plate further comprises
 an angle-selective reflecting layer located adjacent the wavelength conversion material on a side opposite to the light source, the angle-selective reflecting layer substantially transmitting light having an incident angle smaller than a predefined angle and substantially reflecting light having an incident angle larger than the predefined angle.   
     
     
       31. A method for generating multicolor light, comprising:
 generating an excitation light using a light source;   directing the excitation light onto a segment of a plate, the plate having two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material;   moving the plate and the excitation light relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times to generate emitted light of different colors;   projecting the light of different colors emitted from the wavelength conversion materials toward a display screen using a microdisplay imager;   modulating the light source;   controlling the relative movement of the plate and the light source, the microdisplay imager, and the modulation of the light source in a synchronized manner to generate an image on the display screen.   
     
     
       32. A method for generating a colored light, comprising:
 generating an excitation light using a light source;   directing the excitation light onto a segment of a plate, the plate having two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material;   moving the plate and the excitation light relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times to generate emitted light of different colors;   modulating the light source; and   controlling the relative movement of the plate and the excitation light and the modulation of the light source in a synchronized manner to generate a colored light.   
     
     
       33. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:
 one or more light sources each for generating an excitation light;   one or more optic fibers for transmitting the excitation light generated by the one or more light sources;   a plate including two or more segments, wherein one or more of the segments each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light,   wherein a first segment contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material,   wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light outputted by the optical fibers, and wherein the plate and the optical fibers are moveable relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times.   
     
     
       34. The illumination device of claim 25, wherein the first source and the second source are located on opposite sides of the plate.  
     
     
       35. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:
 a light source for generating an excitation light in a blue region;   a plate including one or more segments each containing a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein the wavelength conversion material of the segments is doped into the plate, wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light, and wherein the plate and the excitation light are moveable relative to each other so that the one or more segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times;   focusing optics disposed between the light source and the plate to focus the excitation light onto the plate; and   a dichroic element disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic element transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion material,   wherein a first segment of the plate contains a first wavelength conversion material which absorbs a first portion of the excitation light, emits a corresponding light having a first wavelength different from that of the excitation light, and transmits a second portion of the excitation light to produce a combined multi-color light of the corresponding light having the first wavelength and the second portion of the excitation light.    
     
     
       36. A method for generating multicolor light, comprising:
 generating an excitation light in a blue region using a light source;   directing the excitation light onto a segment of a plate, the plate having two or more segments, including focusing the excitation light into a light spot on the plate, one or more segments of the plate each containing a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light,   wherein the wavelength conversion material of the one or more segments is doped into the plate, the plate further including a dichroic filter disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, and the dichroic filter transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials; and   moving the plate and the excitation light relative to each other so that different segments of the plate are exposed to the excitation light at different times to generate emitted light of different colors,   wherein a first segment of the plate contains a first wavelength conversion material which absorbs a first portion of the excitation light, emits a corresponding light having a first wavelength different from that of the excitation light, and transmits a second portion of the excitation light to produce a combined multi-color light of the corresponding light having the first wavelength and the second portion of the excitation light.    
     
     
       37. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:
 a light source for generating an excitation light in a blue region, the light source including one or more laser diodes or light emitting diodes;   a plate including two or more segments, wherein one or more segments of the plate each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment of the plate contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment of the plate either contains a different wavelength conversion material which absorbs a portion of the excitation light and transmits a portion of the excitation light to produce a combined light or contains no wavelength conversion material, wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light, wherein the plate and the excitation light are moveable relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times, and   wherein the wavelength conversion material of the one or more segments is doped into the plate;   focusing optics disposed between the light source and the plate to focus the excitation light into a light spot onto the plate, the light spot being larger than a size of the light source; and   a dichroic element disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic element transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials.    
     
     
       38. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:
 a light source for generating an excitation light;   a plate including two or more segments,   wherein one or more segments of the plate each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light,   wherein a first segment of the plate contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment of the plate either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material,   wherein the wavelength conversion materials are doped into a material that forms the plate,   wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light, and   wherein the plate and the excitation light are moveable relative to each other so that different segments of the plate are exposed to the excitation light at different times; and   a dichroic element disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic element transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials.    
     
     
       39. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:
 a light source for generating an excitation light;   a plate including two or more segments,   wherein one or more segments of the plate each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light,   wherein a first segment of the plate contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment of the plate either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material,   wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light,   wherein the plate and the excitation light are moveable relative to each other so that different segments of the plate are exposed to the excitation light at different times, and   wherein the plate defines a groove and the wavelength conversion materials are located in the groove; and   a dichroic element disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic element transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials.    
     
     
       40. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:
 a light source for generating an excitation light, wherein the light source includes at least first and second sources emitting at different wavelengths;   a plate including two or more segments,   wherein one or more segments of the plate each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light,   wherein a first segment of the plate contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment of the plate either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material,   wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light,   wherein the plate and the excitation light are moveable relative to each other so that different segments are exposed to the excitation light at different times, and   wherein the first source and the second source are located on one side of the plate;   a dichroic plate located between the sources and the wavelength conversion material to combine excitation light from the first and second sources, the dichroic plate transmitting the excitation light from the first source in one wavelength range and reflecting the excitation light from the second source in another wavelength range; and   a dichroic element disposed between the wavelength conversion material and the light source, the dichroic element transmitting the excitation light and reflecting light emitted by the wavelength conversion materials.    
     
     
       41. An illumination device for providing multicolor light, comprising:
 one or more light sources each for generating an excitation light;   one or more optic fibers for transmitting the excitation light generated by the one or more light sources;   a plate including two or more segments,   wherein one or more segments of the plate each contains a wavelength conversion material capable of absorbing the excitation light and emitting light having wavelengths different from that of the excitation light, wherein a first segment of the plate contains a first wavelength conversion material, and a second segment of the plate either contains a different wavelength conversion material or contains no wavelength conversion material, wherein the wavelength conversion material of the segments is doped into the plate, wherein a part of the plate is disposed on an optical path of the excitation light outputted by the optical fibers, and wherein the plate and the optical fibers are moveable relative to each other so that different segments of the plate are exposed to the excitation light at different times.