US 12,216,378 B2
Projection device and projection method
Koya Takata, Tokyo (JP); Hisashi Mizumoto, Tokyo (JP); and Fujio Okumura, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to NEC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/282,045
Filed by NEC Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Feb. 10, 2022, PCT No. PCT/JP2022/005240
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 14, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/201942, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 29, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-047566 (JP), filed on Mar. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0045303 A1, Feb. 8, 2024
Int. Cl. G02F 1/29 (2006.01); G02F 1/1335 (2006.01); G03B 21/00 (2006.01); G02F 1/13357 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/29 (2013.01) [G03B 21/005 (2013.01); G02F 1/1336 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A projection device comprising:
a light source configured to emit parallel light;
a spatial light modulator that has a modulation part that modulates a phase of the parallel light emitted from the light source;
a liquid crystal lens that includes a liquid crystal region on which modulated light modulated by the spatial light modulator is incident and that projects the modulated light incident on a lens region dynamically formed in the liquid crystal region as projection light; and
a controller including:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processor connected to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to:
cause the lens region to be formed at a desired position in the liquid crystal region of the liquid crystal lens;
set a phase image corresponding to the projection light projected toward a projection target, to the modulation part of the spatial light modulator; and
control the light source to emit the parallel light toward the modulation part to which the phase image is set,
wherein the light source is configured to switch between modulation schemes of the parallel light to be emitted, and
wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions to switch between the modulation schemes of the parallel light to be emitted from the light source in accordance with a use purpose.