Claims
- 1. A method for forming a three dimensional image by providing components of the image in a series of frames to an image space, the method comprising:
scanning an image of a light shaping element over an image space wherein each of a plurality of zones of the light shaping element is projected to each of a plurality of zones of the image space; and selectively illuminating portions of the light shaping element zones during each of a plurality of frames during the scan, wherein each zone of the light-shaping element scatters the illumination and at least a portion of the scattered illumination provides a component of the three-dimensional image in the image space.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein during the scanning every zone of the light-shaping element is projected to every zone of the image space.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning the image of the light shaping element further comprises reflecting the scattered illumination off a scanning optic towards the image space.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising scanning the image of the light-shaping element in a first direction over the image space.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first direction is a vertical direction.
- 6. The method of claim 4, further comprising scanning the image of the light-shaping element in a second direction over the image space.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first direction is a vertical direction and the second direction is a horizontal direction.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein each zone of the light-shaping element scatters light into a predetermined trajectory.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein each predetermined trajectory is parallel to a horizontal plane.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the light-shaping element comprises a plurality of sections, and during the scanning each section is projected to a different depth plane in the image space.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein each zone of the light-shaping element diffusely scatters light.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein during the scanning each zone is projected to a different depth in the image space.
- 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising scattering the scattered illumination from the light-shaping element in a vertical direction at the image space to increase the vertical dimension of a viewing zone.
- 14. A three dimensional display system which forms a three-dimensional image by providing components of the image in a series of frames to an image space, the three-dimensional display comprising:
a spatial light modulator; a light-shaping element, which comprises a plurality of zones; a scanning optic, which projects an image of the light-shaping element to an image space, wherein during operation the scanning optic scans the image of the light-shaping element over the image space, and in each of a plurality of frames during the scan, the spatial light modulator selectively illuminates portions of the light-shaping element zones, and each zone scatters the illumination, wherein at least a portion of the illumination scattered by the light-shaping element provides a component of the three-dimensional image in the image space.
- 15. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a plurality of rows and columns of elements, and each row of elements corresponds to a zone of the light-shaping element.
- 16. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, wherein each element of the spatial light modulator corresponds to a zone of the light-shaping element.
- 17. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, wherein each zone of the light-shaping element scatters illumination from the spatial light modulator into a predetermined trajectory.
- 18. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, wherein each zone of the light-shaping element is a grating.
- 19. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, wherein the light-shaping element comprises a plurality of light shaping element sections, each light-shaping element section comprising a plurality of zones, wherein each light-shaping element section is positioned in a different plane along an axis.
- 20. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, wherein the light-shaping element diffusely scatters illumination from the spatial light modulator.
- 21. The three-dimensional display system of claim 20, wherein the light-shaping element comprises a diffusing screen, and the diffusing screen is placed at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to an optical axis.
- 22. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, wherein each of at least two zones of the light-shaping element are projected to a different depth plane in the light-shaping element image.
- 23. The three-dimensional display system of claim 19, wherein the scanning optic comprises a cylindrical polygonal scanner, which reflects light from the light-shaping element towards the image space.
- 24. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, further comprising a condensing lens, which focuses illumination from the light-shaping element onto the scanning optic.
- 25. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, further comprising a telecentric relay, which relays the image of the light-shaping element to the image space.
- 26. The three-dimensional display system of claim 14, further comprising a vertically diffusing screen positioned in the image space.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/245,786, filed on Nov. 3, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60245786 |
Nov 2000 |
US |