INTERACTIVE HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20120194477A1
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: KRAH, Christoph Horst
• Granted Patent: US 8,847,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/56 by projecting aerial or floating images
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A display apparatus configured to produce an interactive three-dimensional holographic image is disclosed. The display apparatus can include one or more coherent light sources configured to produce one or more beams, based on obtained image data of an object to display, and a lens assembly configured to direct the one or more beams to form a holographic image of the object. The lens assembly can include a collimating lens and a lens capable of beam steering one or more beams, including a micro-lens assembly with at least one micro-lens configured to generate a plurality of beams associated with a plurality of desired viewing angles. One or more optical sensors can be configured to obtain information regarding whether an interactive device interrupts the one or more beams, and a processor unit can determine a location of the interactive device with respect to the holographic image.

Claims

1. A display apparatus configured to produce an interactive three-dimensional holographic image, comprising:

one or more coherent light sources configured to produce one or more beams, based on obtained image data of an object to display;

a lens assembly configured to direct the one or more beams to form a holographic image of the object;

one or more optical sensors configured to obtain information regarding whether an interactive device interrupts the one or more beams; and

a processor unit configured to determine a location of the interactive device with respect to the holographic image, based on the obtained information from the one or more optical sensors.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly comprises:

a first lens receiving and collimating a plurality of beams; and

a second lens with a surface function capable of beam steering the one or more beams.

3. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second lens comprises a micro-lens assembly, such that at least one micro-lens is configured to generate a plurality of beams associated with a plurality of desired viewing angles.

4. The display apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more beams are maneuverable relative to and parallel to a focal axis of at least micro-lens, in order to change a deflection angle.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more beams is modulated with the obtained image data.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5, wherein the obtained image data is modulated with an angle modulation function derived based on at least one of a deflection angle and a surface function of the lens assembly.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more coherent light sources is a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

8. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more coherent light sources include a first light source generating a red beam, a second light source generating a green beam and a third light source generating a blue beam.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly includes one or more electrostatically controlled cells having a polymer-based material with a variable refractive index controlled by an electric field.

10. The display apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a beam steering unit configured to dynamically change a phase shift of at least one of the one or more beams, by changing the refractive index of at least one of the cells, to produce constructive interference between a plurality of beams.

11. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly includes one or more electrostatically controlled cells having using an electrowetting effect to change a relative position of a conductive element relative to a non-conductive liquid to modulate a refractive index.

12. The display apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a beam steering unit configured to dynamically change a phase shift of at least one of the one or more beams, by changing the refractive index of at least one of the cells, to produce constructive interference between a plurality of beams.

13. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly includes at least one of a hydrophobic lens and an electro optical polymer.

14. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display apparatus is incorporated within a computing system.

15. A method for producing an interactive three-dimensional holographic image, comprising:

generating one or more beams, based on obtained image data of an object to display;

directing the one or more beams to form a holographic image of the object;

obtaining information regarding whether an interactive device interrupts the one or more beams; and

determining a location of the interactive device with respect to the holographic image, based on the obtained information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the directing comprises:

receiving and collimating a plurality of beams with a first lens; and

steering the one or more beams with a second lens.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second lens comprises a micro-lens assembly, such that at least one micro-lens is configured to generate a plurality of beams associated with a plurality of desired viewing angles.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more beams are maneuverable relative to and parallel to a focal axis of at least micro-lens, in order to change a deflection angle.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

modulating at least one of the one or more beams with the obtained image data.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

modulating the obtained image data with an angle modulation function derived based on at least one of a deflection angle and a surface function of a lens.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the one or more beams is generated from a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more beams include a red beam, a green beam and a blue beam.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the directing comprises:

dynamically changing a phase shift of at least one of the one or more beams, by changing a refractive index of at least one of a plurality of electrostatically controlled cells having a polymer-based material with a variable refractive index controlled by an electric field, to produce constructive interference between a plurality of beams.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the directed comprises:

dynamically change a phase shift of at least one of the one or more beams, by changing the refractive index of at least one of a plurality of electrostatically controlled cells having using an electrowetting effect to change a relative position of a conductive element relative to a non-conductive liquid to modulate a refractive index, to produce constructive interference between a plurality of beams.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the holographic image is displayed by a computing system.