Sony patents projector tech that speeds up image updates
Sony describes a projector design that splits a single image frame into multiple smaller parts, or sub-images, to process them faster. The system uses a liquid crystal panel that switches between two electrical polarities to display these parts, allowing the projector to write new image data in a shorter time than usual.
In the filing’s own words
A projection display apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a display controller configured to generate, on the basis of a frame image, two or more sub-images out of multiple sub-images; a first optical system including a light source configured to emit light; a liquid crystal light valve configured to selectively perform first driving of driving multiple pixels by using a pixel voltage with a first polarity and second driving of driving the multiple pixels by using a pixel voltage with a second polarity, on the basis of each of the two or more sub-images, and modulate the light from the first optical system to thereby generate image light; a light shift device; and a second optical system. The liquid crystal light valve is configured to selectively perform the first driving or the second driving, on the basis of one of the two or more sub-images, in a predetermined driving cycle, and write multiple pixel voltages to the respective multiple pixels in a write period shorter than the driving cycle.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A projection display apparatus comprising: a display controller configured to generate, on a basis of a frame image, two or more sub-images that are some or all of multiple sub-images each including multiple pixel values arranged in a predetermined arrangement pattern in the frame image; a first optical system including a light source configured to emit light; a liquid crystal light valve including multiple pixels, and configured to selectively perform first driving of driving the multiple pixels by using a pixel voltage with a first polarity or second driving of driving the multiple pixels by using a pixel voltage with a second polarity, on a basis of each of the two or more sub-images, and modulate the light from the first optical system to thereby generate image light; a light shift device configured to shift the image light in an in-plane direction of an image, depending on image light of which sub-image out of the multiple sub-images the image light is; and a second optical system configured to project the image light processed by the light shift device, wherein the liquid crystal light valve is configured to selectively perform the first driving or the second driving, on a basis of one of the two or more sub-images, in a predetermined driving cycle, and write multiple pixel voltages to the respective multiple pixels in a write period shorter than the driving cycle.
Facts
- Company
- Sony (SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION)
- Official title
- PROJECTION DISPLAY APPARATUS
- Publication number
- US20260321171A1
- Application number
- 19483939
- Filed
- Apr 1, 2024
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 14
Classified under
G09G 3/007 Physics & computingG09G 3/002 Physics & computingG09G 3/3648 Physics & computingG03B 21/006 Physics & computingG09G 2300/0842 Physics & computingG09G 2310/08 Physics & computingMore from Sony in AR, VR & displays
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.