THREE-DIMENSIONAL TELEVISION SYSTEM

• US 3,555,349 A
• Filed: 07/17/1968
• Issued: 01/12/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Munz Otto John
• Original Assignee: Munz Otto John
• Inventors: MUNZ OTTO JOHN
• Application Number:
  US04/745,613
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• US Class Current: 315/383
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/395 with depth sampling, i.e. the volume being constructed from a stack or sequence of 2D image planes

Abstract

A three-dimensional display device including a cathode ray tube having a plurality of spaced, parallel light and electron pervious display planes. Each of the display planes is divided into a plurality of display zones disposed in a two-dimensional array such that a line perpendicular to any display zone passes through a corresponding display zone in every display plane. Each of the display zones is provided with a single luminescent element of smaller area than that of the display zone. The luminescent elements on successive corresponding display zones are nonoverlapping so that substantially all of the luminescent elements are visible from one end of the plurality of display planes, and an electron beam from a gun disposed at one end of said plurality of display planes may readily impinge against selected ones of the luminescent elements in any one of said planes. The single display plane whose luminescent elements are to be excited at any given time is selected in accordance with a depth signal, and the elements to be excited are then selected by sweeping and modulating the beam.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional display device, comprising:

a cathode ray tube having more than two spaced, parallel, light and electron pervious display planes arranged in a three-dimensional array, each of said planes being provided with a plurality of display zones arrayed in a plurality of elongated arrays, corresponding zones in successive planes being in substantial alignment, each of said zones being provided with a single luminescent element having no dimension exceeding one-half the diameter of said display planes, said zones being otherwise substantially light and electron pervious, a normal to any one of said planes at any one of said elements passing through only said any one of said elements, whereby substantially all of said elements are visible from one side of said three-dimensional array and an electron beam may readily impinge against said elements from one side of said three-dimensional array, means for sweeping an electron beam in a scanning raster to scan across successive ones of said zones, the intensity of said beam being modulated so that the luminous intensity of each element impinged by said beam will correspond with the luminous intensity of the corresponding point in a three-dimensional image space, and means for insuring that only the ones of said elements on the one of said planes corresponding to this point in space may be caused to luminesce by said beam.

2. A three-dimensional display device as recited in claim 1 wherein said display planes comprise a plurality of spaced, parallel, light pervious frames.

3. A three-dimensional display device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said frames are formed of electron peRvious fine wire mesh, and said luminescent elements are provided on said mesh.

4. A three-dimensional display device as recited in claim 3 wherein said wire mesh is formed of conductive transparent wires.

5. A three-dimensional display device, comprising:

a cathode ray tube having a plurality of spaced, parallel, light and electron pervious display planes arranged in a three-dimensional array, each of said planes being provided with a plurality of display zones in a two-dimensional array, corresponding zones in successive planes being in substantial alignment, each of said zones being provided with a single luminescent element, said zones being otherwise substantially light and electron pervious, a normal to any one of said planes at any one of said elements passing through only said any one of said elements, whereby substantially all of said elements are visible from one side of said three-dimensional array and an electron beam may readily impinge against said elements from one side of said three-dimensional array and an electron beam may readily impinge against said elements from one side of said three-dimensional array, means for sweeping an electron beam in a scanning raster to scan across successive ones of said zones, the intensity of said beam being modulated so that the luminous intensity of each element impinged by said beam will correspond with the luminous intensity of a three-dimensional image in a corresponding point in space, and means for insuring that only the ones of said elements on the one of said planes corresponding to this point in space may be caused to luminesce by said beam, said display planes comprising a plurality of spaced, parallel, light pervious frames, said frames being formed of transparent sheets, a plurality of apertures being provided through said sheets at the positions of said zones, and means being provided for supporting said luminescent elements within said apertures.

6. A three-dimensional display device as recited in claim 5 wherein said means for supporting said elements comprises conductive filaments extending across said apertures.

7. A three-dimensional display device, comprising:

a cathode ray tube having a plurality of spaced parallel, light and electron pervious display planes arranged in a three-dimensional array, each of said planes being provided with a plurality of display zones in a two-dimensional array, corresponding zones in successive planes being in substantial alignment, each of said zones being provided with a single luminescent element, said zones being otherwise substantially light and electron pervious, a normal to any one of said planes at any one of said elements passing through only said any one of said elements, whereby substantially all of said elements are visible from one side of said three-dimensional array and an electron beam may readily impinge against said elements from one side of said three-dimensional array, means for sweeping an electron beam in a scanning raster to scan across successive ones of said zones, the intensity of said beam being modulated so that the luminous intensity of each element impinged by said beam will correspond with the luminous intensity of a three-dimensional image in a corresponding point in space, and means for insuring that only the ones of said elements on the one of said planes corresponding to this point in space may be caused to luminesce by said beam, said device further comprising a composite transparent support member, said support member having a plurality of projections presenting their ends to said electron beam, said projections being arranged in groups corresponding to said corresponding zones, the ends of said projections being so disposed that successive ones of said display planes include one of said projections from each group, said elements being located on said ends of said projections.

8. A three-dimensional display device, comprising;

a cathode ray tube having a plurality of spaced, parallel, light and electron pervious display plAnes arranged in a three-dimensional array, each of said planes being provided with a plurality of display zones in a two-dimensional array, corresponding zones in successive planes being in substantial alignment, each of said zones being provided with a single luminescent element, said zones being otherwise substantially light and electron pervious, a normal to any one of said planes at any one of said elements passing through only said any one of said elements, whereby substantially all of said elements are visible from one side of said three-dimensional array and an electron beam may readily impinge against said elements from one side of said three-dimensional array, means for sweeping an electron beam in a scanning raster to scan across successive ones of said zones, the intensity of said beam being modulated so that the luminous intensity of each element impinged by said beam will correspond with the luminous intensity of a three-dimensional image in a corresponding point in space, and means for insuring that only the ones of said elements on the one of said planes corresponding to this point in space may be caused to luminesce by said beam, said electron beam having a cross-sectional area at said zones of substantially the same size as said zones.

9. A three-dimensional display device as recited in claim 8 further comprising means responsive to a depth signal whose amplitude varies as the depth in space of said instantaneously scanned point of said image for inhibiting the luminescence of all of said elements except for the elements in the plane which corresponds to said depth in space.

10. A three-dimensional display device as recited in claim 8 further comprising a source of radio frequency oscillations, switch means normally coupling said oscillations to each of said planes to quench the luminescence of the ones of said elements disposed thereon, and means responsive to a depth signal whose amplitude varies as the depth in space of a point corresponding to an instantaneously scanned point of said image for operating the one of said switch means corresponding to the plane on which said instantaneously scanned point lies.

11. A three-dimensional display device as recited in claim 10 wherein said means responsive to a depth signal comprises a plurality of detectors each responsive to a different range of magnitudes for operating the switch means corresponding to one of said planes when the magnitude of said depth signal is within its range.