Direct projection light field display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536878-B2
Application number	US-202117363230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2021
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A direct projection light field display comprising an array of projectors for direct projection of a light field. The overall design and incorporation of additional optics achieve the optimal light distribution and small pixel size to produce a high definition, 3D display. The architecture of the direct projection light field display has low a brightness requirement for each projector, resulting in an increased projector density, decreased system, and a decreased power requirement, while producing a high-definition light field.

First claim

We claim:

1. A light field display comprising:
an array of light projectors, each projector emitting light from a pixel along a ray path;
a first lens system comprising:
a first lens subsystem comprising a collimating array; and
a second lens subsystem comprising a diffusing array, and

a second lens system comprising a display lens,
wherein light output from the display lens forms the light field.

2. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the collimating array in the first lens subsystem is an array of collimating lenslets.

3. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the second lens system is positioned to receive a diffused, collimated beam from the first lens system.

4. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the collimating array reduces divergence of the light output emitted from the projector array.

5. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the light output from the first lens subsystem is collimated.

6. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein each projector is positioned at a distance to the first lens subsystem to create a projected image equal in size to a single lenslet in the first lens subsystem.

7. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the diffusing array imparts a point spread function on each pixel in the image.

8. The light field display of claim 7 , wherein the point spread function directs each pixel to a specific angle.

9. The light field display of claim 7 , wherein the point spread function is described by a Gaussian function with a Full-Width at Half Maximum characterized by one or more parameters of the light field display.

10. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the diffusing array in the second lens subsystem is a diffuser screen or an engineered diffuser array.

11. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the diffusing array in the second lens subsystem has a circular Full Width Half Maximum at an angle equivalent to an intensity profile of a light output beam through the lens system.

12. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the display lens in the second lens system is a microlens array.

13. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the display lens comprises a metasurface or gradient index lens material.

14. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the display lens comprises an optical structure to distribute light from each pixel in each projector according to a plenoptic sampling function.

15. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters of the light field display comprise one or more of a hogel pitch, a pixel pitch, and a focal length of the second lens system.

16. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein each projector in the array of light projectors comprises an adjustment element for adjustment of a direction of each projector.

17. The light field display of claim 1 , further comprising a housing, wherein the projector array and plurality of lens systems are arranged in the housing.

Assignees

• Avalon Holographies Inc
• Avalon Holographics Inc

Inventors

• Peckham Jordan
• Webber Daniel

Classifications

• G02B30/27 Primary

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title

• G02B27/18

  for optical projection, e.g. combination of mirror and condenser and objective {(photographic, cine and overhead projectors G03B21/00; photographic projection printing G03B27/32; photolithographic projectors G03F7/20; projection television H04N5/74; colour projection television H04N9/31)} · CPC title

• G02B3/0062 Primary

  Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between · CPC title

• H04N13/307

  using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses · CPC title