초록 ▼

A color separation device includes a first color separation member having a first polarization direction changing element and a second polarization direction changing element, and a first polarization separation element, and a second color separation member having a second polarization separation el

A color separation device includes a first color separation member having a first polarization direction changing element and a second polarization direction changing element, and a first polarization separation element, and a second color separation member having a second polarization separation element. Linearly polarized light may be made incident on the first color separation member so as to separate the light into reflected light and transmitted light, both lights having different colors and one of the different colors corresponding to one of three colors, and one of the lights may be made incident on the second color separation member so as to separate the one of the lights into further reflected light and further transmitted light, both further reflected light and further transmitted light corresponding to the other two of the three colors, respectively.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of imaging, said method comprising the steps of: a1) making linearly polarized light first incident on a first color separation member of a color separation device at an angle of approximately 45 degrees so as to separate the linearly polarized light into refle

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of imaging, said method comprising the steps of: a1) making linearly polarized light first incident on a first color separation member of a color separation device at an angle of approximately 45 degrees so as to separate the linearly polarized light into reflected light and transmitted light, both reflected light and transmitted light having different colors and one of the different colors corresponding to one of three colors; a2) making one of the reflected light and the transmitted light incident on a second color separation member of said color separation device so as to separate said one of the reflected light and the transmitted light into further reflected light and further transmitted light, both further reflected light and further transmitted light corresponding to the other two of the three colors, respectively; b1) receiving by a first light valve, a second light valve, and a third light valve, respectively, one of the three colors separated from the linearly polarized light by said color separation device; b2) generating by said first light valve, said second light valve, and said third light valve, respectively, image light corresponding to said one of the three colors; and c) combining by a color combining element the image lights formed with each of the three colors at said first light valve, said second light valve, and said third light valve, respectively, so that color image light can be generated, wherein, said first color separation member has a first polarization direction changing element, a second polarization direction changing element, each of said polarization direction changing element changing polarization directions of different predetermined wavebands of incident light in different modes, and a first polarization separation element that reflects or transmits the incident light according to the polarization directions of the incident light, said second color separation member has a second polarization separation element, and said first polarization separation element is supported between said first polarization direction changing element and said second polarization direction changing element. 2. The method of imaging as claimed in claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of: d1) applying to said first light valve illumination light that passes through said first polarization direction changing element, said first polarization separation element, and said second polarization direction changing element, respectively, and that is reflected by said second polarization separation element, and image light reflected from said first light valve is separated from the illumination light by said second polarization separation element so as to generate image light corresponding to a first color; d2) applying to said second light valve illumination light that passes through said first polarization direction changing element, said first polarization separation element, said second polarization direction changing element, and said second polarization separation element, respectively, and image light reflected from said second light valve is separated from the illumination light by said second polarization element so as to generate image light corresponding to a second color, the image light corresponding to the first color and the image light corresponding to the second color are also combined by said second polarization separation element; d3) applying to said third light valve illumination light that passes through said first polarization direction changing element, that is reflected by said first polarization separation element, that passes through said first polarization direction changing element again, and further passes through a third polarization separation element, and image light reflected from said third light valve is separated from the illumination light by said third polarization separation element so as to generate image light corresponding to a third color; and e) further combining combined image light corresponding to both the first color and the second color with the image light corresponding to the third color so that the color image light can be generated, wherein, said first light valve, said second light valve, and said third light valve are reflective light valves that control polarization directions. 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, said first polarization separation element, said second polarization separation element, said third polarization separation element, and said color combining element are arranged in the form of a cross. 4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, said first polarization separation element, said second polarization separation element, said third polarization separation element and said color combining element are arranged on orthogonal inclined surfaces of each of four right-angle prisms; and the orthogonal inclined surfaces of each of the four right-angle prisms are arranged to face one another so that said first polarization separation element, said second polarization separation element, said third polarization separation element, and said color combining element are integrated in the form of a block. 5. The method of imaging as claimed in claim 1, wherein, a third polarization direction changing element is provided on an outgoing optical path of the color image light generated by said color combining element so as to make polarization directions of the image lights corresponding to the first color, the second color, and the third color in the color image light coincide with one another. 6. A method of projection, said method comprising the steps of: a1) making linearly polarized light first incident on a first color separation member of a color separation device at an angle of approximately 45 degrees so as to separate the linearly polarized light into reflected light and transmitted light, both reflected light and transmitted light having different colors and one of the different colors corresponding to one of three colors; a2) making one of the reflected light and the transmitted light incident on a second color separation member of said color separation device so as to separate said one of the reflected light and the transmitted light into further reflected light and further transmitted light, both further reflected light and further transmitted light corresponding to the other two of the three colors, respectively; b1) receiving by a first light valve, a second light valve, and a third light valve, respectively, one of the three colors separated from the linearly polarized light by said color separation device; b2) generating by said first light valve, said second light valve, and said third light valve, respectively, image light corresponding to said one of the three colors; c) combining by a color combining element the image lights formed with each of the three colors at said first light valve, said second light valve, and said third light valve, respectively, so that color image light can be generated; f1) generating the color image light corresponding to the three colors; and f2) projecting said color image light onto a screen by a projection lens, wherein, said first color separation member has a first polarization direction changing element, a second polarization direction changing element, each of said polarization direction changing element changing polarization directions of different predetermined wavebands of incident light in different modes, and a first polarization separation element that reflects or transmits the incident light according to the polarization directions of the incident light, said second color separation member has a second polarization separation element, and said first polarization separation element is supported between said first polarization direction changing element and said second polarization direction changing element. 7. A method of color separation, said method comprising the step of: a) making linearly polarized light first incident on a color separation member at an angle of approximately 45 degrees so as to separate the linearly polarized light into reflected light and transmitted light, both reflected light and transmitted light having different colors and one of the different colors corresponding to one of three colors, wherein, said color separation member comprising a first polarization direction changing element, a second polarization direction changing element, each of said polarization direction changing elements changing polarization directions of different predetermined wavebands of incident light, and a polarization separation element that reflects or transmits the incident light according to polarization directions of the incident light, and said polarization separation element is supported between said first polarization direction changing element and said second polarization direction changing element. 8. The method of color separation as claimed in claim 7, wherein, said first polarization direction changing element and said second polarization direction changing elements are wavelength selective retarders.