- Number
- 9740169
- Published
- 2017-08-22
- Filed
- 2015-03-19
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Smithwick; Quinn Y.
- CPC
- G02B5/32; G03H1/0005; G02B6/34; G03H1/2294; G03H1/2645; G02B6/00
- Verdict
- High Hardware
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
A high-power illumination distribution system using a laser, spatial light modulator, and fiber optic array to feed multiple projectors for park show lighting.
Abstract
An illumination distribution system for distributing high power illumination to a set of projectors. The system includes a display element, such as a spatial light modulator (SLM), receiving light from a laser. The system includes a fiber optic array with connection locations for optical fibers. The system includes projectors that are each coupled to the fiber optic array at one or more of the connection locations with at least one optical fiber. The system includes a controller operating the display element at a first time to display a first hologram and at a second time to display a second hologram differing from the first hologram such that the laser light is split, with equal or unequal splitting ratios, into beams that are selectively directed to the connection locations of the fiber optic array (e.g., based on a 2D routing pattern used to generate the holograms).
Background
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS(1) FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a holographic high power illumination distribution system as described herein;(2) FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically illustrate generation of two different 2D holograms for use in feedinglaser output, in two different ways (which can be provided in a switched manner or time-multiplexed manner) to a fiber optic array;(3) FIG. 3 illustrates a 2D routing pattern for use as input to the 2D hologram generation process, with the 2D routing pattern providing different intensities or power levels to the subset of distribution fibers of a fiber optic array (e.g., providing an unequal splitting ratio to ends of optical fibers connected tothe fiber optic array);(4) FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate an exemplary holographic high power illumination distribution system in three different operating states (or first, second, and third times during switching operations between three different routing or distribution patterns); and(5) FIG. 5 is a flow diagram for a method of performing or providing distribution of high power illumination (e.g., distributing outputs of a laser farm to a plurality of projection devices).DETAILED DESCRIPTION(6) The inventor recognized that with the growing use of lasers in projection systems that there would be a growing trend to control costsand provide efficient cooling to use one or more lasers in a central location (or a “laser farm”) to provide high power illumination or laser light to distribut
Claims
1. An illumination distribution system for distributing light from a high power source, for use by two or more projectors for projecting images, comprising: a display element receiving light from a laser; a fiber optic array with a plurality of connection locations for optical fibers; a set of projectors that are each coupled to the fiber optic array at one or more of the connection locations with at least one optical fiber; and a controller operating the display element at a first time to display a first hologram and at a second time to display a second hologram differing from the first hologram, wherein during the first time the first hologram splits the received light from the laser into a number of beams that aredirected onto a first set of the connection locations to distribute the received light toa first subset of the projectors and wherein during the second time the second hologram splits the received light from the laser into a number of beams that are directed onto a second set of the connection locations differing from the first set of the connection locations to distribute the received light to a second subset of the projectors.
7. An illumination distribution system, comprising: a display element receiving light from a laser; a fiber optic array with a plurality of connection locations for optical fibers; a set of projectors that are each coupled to the fiber optic array at one or more of the connection locations with at least one optical fiber; and a controller operating the display element at afirst time to display a first hologram and at a second time to display a second hologram differing from the first hologram, wherein during the first time the first hologram splitsthe received light from the laser into a number of beams that are directed onto a first set of the connection locations, wherein during the second time the second hologram splits the received light from the laser into a number of beams that are directed onto a second set of the connection locations differing from the first set of the connection locations, and wherein the first and second holograms are blazed grating holograms.
9. An illuminationdistribution system, comprising: a display element receiving light from a laser; a fiber optic array with a plurality of connection locations for optical fibers; a set of projectors that are each coupled to the fiber optic array at one or more of the connection locations with at least one optical fiber; and a controller operating the display element at a first time to display a first hologram and at a second time to display a second hologram differing from the first hologram, wherein during the first time the first hologram splits the received light from the laser into a number of beams that are directed onto a first set of the connection locations, wherein during the second time the second hologram splits thereceived light from the laser into a number of beams that are directed onto a second set of the connection locations differing from the first set of the connection locations, and wherein the first and second holograms produce zero order light from the received collimated light and wherein the zero order light is directed to one of the connection locations, is reflected with a mirror back into the laser, or is captured and returned to an inlet ofthe laser.
10. A holographic illumination distribution apparatus, comprising: a spatial light modulator (SLM) with a surface receiving output from a laser source; memory storing aplurality of diffraction patterns each generated from a two-dimensional (2D) routing pattern for delivering light onto a fiber optic array; and a display control module, run by a processor, sequentially displaying a set of the diffraction patterns with the SLM, wherein, during display of each of the diffraction patterns, the received output from the laser source is split into beams that are directed onto the fiber optic array in a pattern matching one of the 2D routing patterns and wherein each of the diffraction patterns is a blazedgrating hologram.
12. A method for holographically distributing high power illumination from a source to a plurality of image display devices, comprising: during a first time period, displaying a first hologram on a spatial light modulator (SLM); directing laser-provided light onto the displayed first hologram; with the displayed first hologram, reflecting or refracting the laser-provided light into one or more beams that are provided to a fiberoptic array in a first 2D routing pattern associated with connection locations for a first set of optical fibers coupled to the fiber optic array; during a second time period, displaying a second hologram on the SLM; directing laser-provided light onto the displayed second hologram; and with the displayed second hologram, reflecting or refracting the laser-provided light into one or more beams that are provided to the fiber optic array in a second 2D routing pattern differing from the first 2D routing pattern and associated with connection locations for a second set of optical fibers coupled to the fiber optic array.