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United States Patent [w]

Jones

US005924783A [ii] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

5,924,783 Jul. 20,1999

[54] SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING CONTRAST IN PROJECTION DISPLAYS

[75] Inventor: Philip J. Jones, Ogbourne St. George, United Kingdom

[73] Assignee: Raychem Corporation, Menlo Park, Calif.

[21] Appl. No.: 08/900,089 [22] Filed: Jul. 24, 1997

Related U.S. Application Data

[51] Int. CI. G03B 21/14

[52] U.S. CI 353/97; 353/38

[58] Field of Search 353/31, 34, 37,

353/38, 97, 102; 349/5, 8, 61, 62

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

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FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

0 537 708 Al 4/1993 European Pat. Off G02F 1/1335

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OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Nagae et al, SID 95 Digest, pp. 223-226 (1995). Derwent Abstract WPI 93-071705/0 (abstract of JP 05-019345 (Matsushita Electric)).

Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 095, No. 010, Nov. 30, 1995 (abstract of JP 07/175016, Matsushita Electric).

Primary Examiner—-William Dowling

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Herbert G. Burkard; Yuan Chao

[57] ABSTRACT

An optical projection system has a display cell that is configured to project a display image in response to light striking the display cell. The system has a light source that is configured to project a beam of light and a lens array that is positioned to intercept the beam and generate multiple beamlets of the beam. An aperture assembly is positioned to intercept the beamlets and is configured to selectively control which portions of the images contained in the beamlets strike the display cell.

18 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets

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