Multi-layered, three-dimensional display

• US 6,721,023 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ELOP Electro-Optics Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: ELOP Electro-Optics Industries Limited
• Inventors: Rumbak, Hanan, Weiss, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDEK, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US09/689,820
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 349/86, 349/87, 349/88, 349/89, 349/90, 349/91, 349/92, 349/93, 349/94
• US Class Current: 349/87
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/52 the 3D volume being constructed from a stack or sequence of 2D planes, e.g. depth sampling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1347 Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/388 Volumetric displays, i.e. systems where the image is built up from picture elements distributed through a volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/393 the volume being generated by a moving, e.g. vibrating or rotating, surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/395 with depth sampling, i.e. the volume being constructed from a stack or sequence of 2D image planes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-layered imaging device for three-dimensional image display, including a plurality of two-dimensional layers superposed in the third dimension, each of the layers having two major surfaces and at least one peripheral edge, the layers being made of a material selected from the group of non-conventional, polarizer-free liquid crystal materials including polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLC) and derivatives and combinations thereof, wherein the exposure of at least one of the layers to illumination allows the transmission of light with minimal losses, facilitating utilization of a maximal number of layers for imaging a three-dimensional display.

Claims

1. A multi-layered imaging device for a real-volume depth three-dimensional image display, comprising:

a plurality of two-dimensional spatial light display layers superposed in the third dimension, each of said layers having two major surfaces and at least one peripheral edge, said layers being made of a material selected from the group of non-conventional, polarizer-free liquid crystal materials including polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLC) and derivatives and combinations thereof,

means for selectively intrinsically illuminating each of said layers for forming an image of a three dimensional display.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said derivatives are selected from the group of nematic curvilinear aligned phases (NCAP), polymer stabilized cholesteric textures (PSCT), guest-host (GH) dichroic or pleochroic LC'"'"'s, or combinations thereof, such as GH dichroic PDLCs and their derivatives.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for illuminating is disposed adjacent to a major surface of said at least one layer for illuminating said surface.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for illuminating is disposed adjacent to at least one edge of said at least one layer.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said layers are made of rigid or semi-rigid material.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said layers are made of flexible material.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said device is composed of at least one folded substrate layer cell.

8. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said device is composed of a rolled or spiral substrate layer cell.

9. The device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a flexible spacer.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising 3D depth-magnifying optics.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said layers comprise at least three substrates having two stacked subpixel cells per layer.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said subpixel cells comprises a dichroic or pleochroic GH LC, and said cells are oriented in mutually orthogonal directions.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each layer is electronically connected to a computer controlled module for simultaneously driving same layer, thereby forming an image for a three-dimensional display.