Hologram printing method and apparatus using mask

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298713-B2
Application number	US-202017622952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2020
Priority date	Dec 2, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for printing a hologram by using a mask are provided. A method generates a hologram fringe pattern, splits the hologram fringe pattern on a hogel basis, generates the split hogels, masks a part of the generated hogel, and prints the masked hogel on a hologram medium. Accordingly, an empty space which occurs between hogels when a hologram is printed is prevented from being generated by using a mask, so that a fill factor can be effectively enhanced, and eventually, image quality of a hologram can be enhanced.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hologram printing method comprising:
generating a hologram fringe pattern;
splitting the hologram fringe pattern on a hogel basis;
generating the split hogels using a light modulator including a spatial light modulator (SLM);
masking a part of the generated hogel based on a result of using the light modulator after the light modulator is applied, wherein the masking comprises masking an edge portion except for a center portion of a hogel printing area; and
printing the masked hogel on a hologram medium, using beams which are centrally collected and an intensity of which decreases toward edges.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a size of the center portion is determined based on a distribution of beams used for printing hogels.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the masking comprises masking by using a mask which is disposed at a rear end of a spatial light modulator (SLM) for generating hogels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing comprises printing the masked hogel in close contact with an adjacent masked hogel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing comprises printing a portion of the masked hogel that is not covered by the mask on the hologram medium.

6. A hologram printing apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
generate a hologram fringe pattern, and split the hologram fringe pattern on a hogel basis;
generate the split hogels using a light modulator including a spatial light modulator (SLM);
mask a part of the generated hogel based on a result of using the light modulator after the light modulator is applied, wherein, for the masking, the processor is configured to mask an edge portion except for a center portion of a hogel printing area; and
print the masked hogel on a hologram medium, using beams which are centrally collected and an intensity of which decreases toward edges.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a size of the center portion is determined based on a distribution of beams used for printing hogels.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the beams used for printing the hogels are beams which are centrally collected and an intensity of which decreases toward edges.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein, for the masking, the processor is configured to mask by using a mask which is disposed at a rear end of a spatial light modulator (SLM) for generating hogels.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein, for the printing, the processor is configured to print the masked hogel in close contact with an adjacent masked hogel.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein, for the printing, the processor is configured to print a portion of the masked hogel that is not covered by the mask on the hologram medium.

Assignees

• Korea Electronics Technology

Inventors

• Hong Sung Hee
• Kim Young Min
• Hong Ji Soo
• Jeong Jin Soo

Classifications

• G03H2223/53

  Filtering the hologram information, i.e. the fringe pattern · CPC title

• G03H2001/0292

  by masking · CPC title

• G03H2001/0224

  Active addressable light modulator, i.e. Spatial Light Modulator [SLM] · CPC title

• G03H1/12

  Spatial modulation, e.g. ghost imaging · CPC title

• G03H1/02

  Details {of features involved during the holographic process; Replication of holograms without interference recording} · CPC title