Glasses-free 3D display for multiple viewers with a resonant subwavelength lens layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9372349-B2
Application number	US-201114126736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2011
Priority date	Jun 30, 2011
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A light field display for providing continuous 3D images to viewers at multiple views is provided. The light field display includes a pixel layer having a plurality of pixel layer elements, a resonant subwavelength lens layer having a plurality of resonant subwavelength lenses and a circuit board connected to the pixel layer and the resonant subwavelength lens layer. Each resonant subwavelength lens in the resonant subwavelength lens layer is integrated with an element in the pixel layer. The element may be either a pixel or a subpixel, such that each image view may be provided per pixel or subpixel in the pixel layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light field display for providing continuous 3D images to viewers at multiple views, comprising:
a resonant subwavelength lens layer comprising a plurality of resonant subwavelength lenses;
a pixel layer comprising a plurality of pixel layer elements, each resonant subwavelength lens integrated with an element in the pixel layer, each pixel layer element including an active matrix array comprising a plurality of subpixels and an emitter array comprising a plurality of emitters, each subpixel electrically coupled to the emitter array by a via, each emitter in the emitter array positioned to cause light to arrive at the corresponding resonant subwavelength lens from a different set of directions than those of light from another emitter in the emitter array, the corresponding resonant subwavelength lens to output the light at an angle depending on the set of directions from which the light arrives,
wherein each emitter in the emitter array is narrower than a width of the pixel layer element, and
wherein the angle depends on the position of the emitter along the width of the pixel layer element; and

a circuit board connected to the pixel layer and the resonant subwavelength lens layer.

2. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein a resonant subwavelength lens comprises a high contrast subwavelength grating composed of posts that extend from a substrate having a planar surface.

3. The light field display of claim 2 , wherein the posts have varying dimensions and deflect transmitted light at a given angle.

4. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the resonant subwavelength lens layer including a plurality of posts of a higher refractive index material on a substrate of a relatively lower refractive index material.

5. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein each emitter has a horizontal position different than that of every other emitter in the emitter array.

6. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein a height of an emitter in the emitter array extends for a height of the pixel layer element.

7. The light field display of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of resonant subwavelength lenses includes a cylindrical lens.

8. A method to provide continuous 3D images to multiple viewers, comprising:
fabricating a resonant subwavelength lens layer comprising a plurality of resonant subwavelength lenses, the resonant subwavelength lens layer including a plurality of posts of a higher refractive index material on a substrate of a relatively lower refractive index material, wherein the plurality of posts are arranged in a hexagonal lattice;
fabricating a pixel layer comprising a plurality of pixel layer elements;
integrating each resonant subwavelength lens in the resonant subwavelength lens layer with a pixel layer element in the pixel layer; and
providing multiple images views to the multiple viewers, with an image view provided for each pixel layer element.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a pixel layer element comprises a pixel.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a pixel comprises an array of subpixels.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein a pixel layer element comprises a subpixel.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the pixel layer comprises a collimated backlight, a plurality of color filters, and a plurality of subpixels forming a plurality of pixels.

13. The method of 8 , wherein the pixel layer comprises an active matrix array, an emitter array, and a plurality of pixels.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein fabricating a resonant subwavelength lens layer comprises fabricating a high contrast subwavelength grating composed of a pattern of posts with varying dimensions that extend from a substrate having a planar surface and deflect transmitted light at a given angle.

15. A resonant subwavelength lens layer for use in a light field display having a pixel layer, the resonant subwavelength lens layer comprising:
a substrate having a planar surface; and
a plurality of resonant subwavelength lenses formed on the substrate, each resonant subwavelength lens integrated with an element in the pixel layer and having a high contrast subwavelength grating composed of a pattern of posts with varying dimensions that extend from the substrate and deflect transmitted light at a given angle to provide an image view per element in the pixel layer, the plurality of resonant subwavelength lenses including a plurality of groups of contiguous lenses, a resonant subwavelength lens in one of the plurality of groups to deflect collimated, normal incidence light in a direction substantially distinct from a direction another resonant subwavelength lens in the one of the plurality of groups deflects the collimated, normal incidence light.

16. The resonant subwavelength lens layer of claim 15 , wherein the posts include a higher refractive index material and the substrate includes a relatively lower refractive index material.

17. The resonant subwavelength lens layer of claim 15 , wherein each resonant subwavelength lens is to deflect collimated, normal incidence light into a small horizontal direction and a large vertical direction.

18. The resonant subwavelength lens layer of claim 15 , wherein a first resonant subwavelength lens is to deflect collimated, normal incidence light of a first color in a narrow direction, and wherein a second resonant subwavelength lens is to deflect collimated, normal incidence light of a second color in the narrow direction.

19. The resonant subwavelength lens layer of claim 15 , wherein the pattern of posts are arranged in a hexagonal lattice.

20. The resonant subwavelength lens layer of claim 15 , wherein the pattern of posts includes a repeated pattern of systematically increasing post diameter in a first direction.

Assignees

• Brug James A
• Fattal David A
• Kuo Huei Pei
• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Brug James A
• Fattal David A
• Kuo Huei Pei

Classifications

• H04N13/30

  Image reproducers (optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional [3D] effects G02B30/00) · CPC title

• G02B5/1809 Primary

  with pitch less than or comparable to the wavelength · CPC title

• H04N13/302

  for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays · CPC title

• G02B5/1842

  Gratings for image generation (G02B5/1847 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B30/27 Primary

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title