Application Number: 00102630
Application Date: 2000.02.23
Publication Number: 1264842
Publication Date: 2000.08.30
Priority Information: 1999/2/23 JP 44659/99
International: G02F1/1335;G03B21/00;H04N9/31
Applicant(s) Name: Seiko Epson Corp.
Address:
Inventor(s) Name: Ito Yoshitaka
Patent Agency Code: 72001
Patent Agent: liang yong
Abstract An illumination system includes a light source that emits unpolarized light, a power variation optical relay system that changes the size of a light beam emitted by the light source, a superposition optical system that effects illumination of an illumination region by an incident light beam, a polarization conversion system that is provided at a selected position along a light path from the incident surface of the power variation optical relay system to the exit surface of the superposition optical system to convert an incident beam of unpolarized light to a light beam having linearly polarized components with one type of polarization direction and emits the converted light beam. The size of a light beam entering the polarization conversion system in a prescribed direction is reduced by the power variation optical relay system.