US 6,982,829 B1
Prism assembly with cholesteric reflectors
Arthur Berman, San Jose, Calif. (US)
Assigned to LightMaster Systems, Inc, Cupertino, Calif. (US)
Filed on Aug. 22, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/646,291.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/405462, filed on Aug. 23, 2002.
Int. Cl. G02B 5/30 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 359—495 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A prism assembly, comprising:
an input beam splitter comprising an input face, a first exit face, and a second exit face;
a processing beam splitter comprising an input face and an exit face, wherein the input face of the processing beam splitter is coupled to the first exit face of the input beam splitter;
a cholesteric based beam splitter comprising an input face and an exit face, wherein the input face of the cholesteric based beam splitter is coupled to the second exit face of the input beam splitter; and
an output beam splitter having a first input face, a second input face, and an output face, wherein the first input face of the output beam splitter is coupled to the exit face of the processing beam splitter and the second input face of the output beam splitter is coupled to the exit face of the cholesteric beam splitter
wherein:
the cholesteric beam splitter comprises a dual cholesteric layer configured to,
direct a first part of a light beam entering the input face of the cholesteric based beam splitter to a first processing face of the cholesteric beam splitter,
direct a second part of the light beam entering the input face of the cholesteric based beam splitter to a second processing face of the cholesteric beam splitter, and
direct light beams emanating from the first and second processing faces to the exit face of the cholesteric based beam splitter.