System, apparatus and method for the recording and projection of images in substantially 3-dimensional format

• US 6,593,958 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stanley H. Kremen
• Original Assignee: Stanley H. Kremen
• Inventors: Kremen, Stanley H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philippe, Gims S.
• Application Number:
  US09/749,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20020047893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 348/91, 348/42, 348/40, 348/63, 348/68, 348/54, 348/59, 348/49, 348/52, 359/15, 359/19, 359/22, 359/28, 359/23, 359/32, 359/462, 359/463, 359/466, 352/60, 345/4-6, 345/419, 345/139, 345/98
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/35 using reflective optical elements in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1885 Arranged as a periodic array
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/26 Processes or apparatus specially adapted to produce multiple sub- holograms or to obtain images from them, e.g. multicolour technique
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0415 for recording reflection holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0439 for recording Holographic Optical Element [HOE]
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/12 Amplitude mask, e.g. diaphragm, Louver filter
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/19 Microoptic array, e.g. lens array

Abstract

A system for the production of a second three-dimensional image magnified from a first three-dimensional image in substantially the same proportions, including a first active optical system for creating from the three-dimensional image, a first two-dimensional array. The array is comprised of two-dimensional elemental images. The first active optical system has a number of elements which is equal to the number of elemental images in the array. The configuration of the elements of the first active optical system corresponds to the configuration of the elemental images in the array. The first array is magnified equally in all directions to create a second two-dimensional array comprised also of two-dimensional elemental images. A second active optical system reconstructs a second three-dimensional image that is a magnification of the first three-dimensional image. The second active optical system has an F-number equal to the F-number of the first active optical system. The number of elements in the second active optical system is equal to the number of elemental images in the array. The configuration of the elements in the second active optical system corresponds to the configuration of the elemental images in the array. All of the component parts of an equation for determining the F-number of the second active optical system are the same multiples of all of the component parts used for determining the F-number of the first active optical system, respectively. The multiple is equal to the selected magnification factor.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a hologram to be used in a system for recording and projection of images in substantially three-dimensional format, said method comprising the steps of:

producing a reference beam by passing diffuse coherent light from a laser through a first active optical system containing a plurality of image focusing means therein; and

producing an object beam by passing diffuse coherent light from said laser through a second active optical system containing a plurality of image focusing means therein of the same number and arrangement as the first active optical system, the F-number of each said focusing means of the second active optical system being the same as the F-number of the first active optical system, wherein all of the component parts of an equation used for determining the F-number of the second optical system are substantially the same multiples of all of the component parts used for determining the F-number of the first active optical system, respectively, said multiple being equal to the expected magnification of the three-dimensional image.