Direct projection multiplexed light field display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11575861-B2
Application number	US-202217680777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2021
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

A multiplexed light field projector device and a multiplexed light field display to output a light field image is described. The projector has a projector base with a projection optical system configured to output light rays to form a projected image, a collimating optical system configured for collimation of the projected image light rays to form a second projected image, which is directed to a display optical system to produce a light field image. Light field projector devices or alternative projector devices may be used individually or in combination with one or more other projectors which can be arranged to form a multiplexed direct projection light field display. The arrangement of projector devices may have an individual or shared display optical system.

First claim

We claim:

1. A light field display comprising:
a projector array comprising a plurality of projectors, each projector configured to receive image data and convert the image data into projected light, the projected light from each projector in the projector array forming a projected image comprising a plurality of pixels; and
a plurality of lens systems configured to receive the projected light generated by the projector array to form a multiplexed light field image, each of the plurality of lens systems comprising:
a collimating optical system positioned a throw-distance from the projector array to receive the projected light from the projector array;
a display optical system positioned to receive a diffused, collimated beam from the collimating optical system; and
a multiplexing device connected to the display optical system to shift the display optical system to provide a multiplexed light field output.

2. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the collimating optical system comprises a collimating lens array and a diffuser.

3. The light field display of claim 2 , wherein the diffuser is positioned between the collimating lens array and the display optical system.

4. The light field display of claim 2 , wherein the diffuser applies a point spread function to each individual pixel in the projected image, directing the pixel to a specific angle.

5. The light field display of claim 4 , wherein the point spread function is approximated as a Gaussian function.

6. The light field display of claim 2 , wherein the diffuser is an angular diffuser or engineered diffusing lenslet array.

7. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the collimating optical system comprises a collimating array of lenslets.

8. The light field display of claim 7 , wherein each projector in the projector array is positioned such that the distance between the projector and the collimating optical system creates a projected image equal in size to a single lenslet in the collimating array of lenslets.

9. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the collimating optical system is comprised of separate components.

10. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein each projector is a pico projector.

11. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the display optical system comprises at least one of a single lens, a lens array, a pinhole array, a metasurface, and a metalens.

12. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexing device is an actuator.

13. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexed light field output comprises two or more individual light field images.

14. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the multiplexing device shifts the display optical system along at least one of a first axis and a second axis.

15. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the light field display is housed in an enclosure.

16. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the collimating optical system and the display optical system fit within a lens enclosure.

Assignees

• Avalon Holographies Inc
• Avalon Holographics Inc

Inventors

• Peckham Jordan
• Webber Daniel
• Haas Wally

Classifications

• H04N13/354

  for displaying sequentially · CPC title

• H04N9/3141

  Constructional details thereof (details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14) · CPC title

• H04N9/3188

  Scale or resolution adjustment (scaling in general G06T3/40; resolution modifying circuits for displays in general G09G5/391) · CPC title

• H04N9/3111

  for displaying the colours sequentially, e.g. by using sequentially activated light sources (sequential projection in colour photography G03B33/08) · CPC title

• H04N9/3152 Primary

  for shaping the light beam (beam shaping per se G02B27/09) · CPC title