Radiation conditioning system

• US 6,940,653 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Parellel Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Actuality Systems, Inc. (Ellis Amalgamated LLC)
• Inventors: Napoli, Joshua, Oliver, David-Henry, Favalora, Gregg E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTINEZ, JOSEPH P
• Application Number:
  US10/324,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20030151821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 359/1, 359/11, 359/32, 359 22- 25, 359/619, 348/40, 348/41
• US Class Current: 359/619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/106 having diffraction gratings as scanning elements, e.g. holographic scanners holographic optical elements G02B5/32, holography G03H
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/268 Holographic stereogram
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2292 Using scanning means
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2210/454 into planes
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2225/31 Amplitude only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays

Abstract

A holographic imaging system and method includes a radiation source for generating radiation. A data base has a set of elements, each element is indicative of a trajectory of a light ray exiting a point in a recorded scene. A spatial light modulator is receptive of the radiation from the radiation source and the elements of the data base mapped to the spatial light modulator, thereby projecting from the spatial light modulator an optical signal in the nature of a two dimensional bitmap of the recorded scene. A diffractive optical element includes a set of basis fringes receptive of the projected optical signal from the spatial light modulator for diffracting the optical signal in a specified direction. A multiplexer is receptive of the elements of the data base for multiplexing the elements of the data base to the spatial light modulator. A timing device synchronizes multiplexing the elements of the data base to the spatial light modulator and diffracting the optical signal in a specified direction.

Claims

1. A holographic imaging system comprising:

a radiation source for generating radiation;

a data base comprising a set of spectrally decomposed scene elements, each element being indicative of a trajectory of a light ray exiting a point in a recorded scene;

a spatial light modulator receptive of the radiation from the radiation source and structured to map and display by elemental image projection, each of the elements of the data base individually in time via the spatial light modulator, thereby projecting from the spatial light modulator an optical signal in a time series of two dimensional bitmaps wherein the individual bitmaps are structured to each individually display a spectrally decomposed scene element of the recorded scene from the data base individually in time in the time series; and

a beam steering device receptive of the projected optical signal from the spatial light modulator for directing the optical signal in a specified direction to reconstruct the recorded scene.

2. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a beam expanding device receptive of the radiation from the radiation source for expanding the radiation.

3. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a collimating device receptive of the radiation from the radiation source for collimating the radiation.

4. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the beam steering device comprises a diffractive optical element.

5. The imaging system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the diffractive optical element comprises a diffraction grating.

6. The imaging system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the diffraction grating comprises a grating pattern having a spatial frequency defined by the mathematical equation:

 

f=A sin(x)+B 

 

wherein f is the spatial frequency of the grating pattern, A is scaling factor that determines the ratio of maximum to minimum diffraction grating frequencies, x is a spatial dimension and B is a carrier frequency offset factor.

7. The imaging system as set forth in claim 6 wherein x is linear dimension.

8. The imaging system as set forth in claim 6 wherein x is an angular dimension.

9. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a beam magnifier receptive of light from the beam steering device.

10. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a diffuser receptive of light from the beam steering device for diffusing the light.

11. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the data base comprises a set of elements derived from a record of the scene from at least one view point.

12. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the data base comprises a set of elements derived from a ray trace of a light ray exiting a point in the scene to a plane.

13. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

a multiplexer receptive of the element of the data base for multiplexing the elements of the data base to the spatial light modulator; and

a timing device for synchronizing the multiplexing of the elements of the data base to the spatial light modulator and the directing of the optical signal in a specified direction.

14. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the diffraction grating comprises a grating pattern defined by a set of basis fringes.

15. The imaging system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the data base is connected to remote spatial light modulator by way of a computer or communications network.

16. A holographic imaging system comprising:

a radiation source for generating radiation;

a data base comprising a set of elements, each element indicative of a trajectory of a light ray exiting a point in a recorded scene;

a spatial light modulator receptive of the radiation from the radiation source and the elements of the data base mapped to the spatial light modulator, thereby projecting from the spatial light modulator an optical signal in a time series of two dimensional bitmaps of the recorded scene wherein the individual bitmaps are structured to each individually display an element of the recorded scene from the data base individually in time in the time series;

a diffractive optical element including a set of basis fringes receptive of the projected optical signal from the spatial light modulator for diffracting the optical signal in a specified direction;

a multiplexer receptive of the elements of the data base for multiplexing the elements of the data base to the spatial light modulator; and

a timing device for synchronizing multiplexing the elements of the data base to the spatial light modulator and diffracting the optical signal in a specified direction.

17. A holographic imaging method comprising;

establishing a data base comprising a set of elements, each element indicative of a trajectory and an origin of a light ray exiting a point in a recorded scene;

mapping each element of the data base in a time series onto a spatial light modulator;

directing radiation onto the spatial light modulator;

projecting an optical signal from the spatial light modulator in a time series of two dimensional individual bitmaps wherein the individual bitmaps each individually display an element of the recorded scene from the data base individually in time in the time series;

diffracting the optical signal projected from the spatial light modulator with a set of basis fringes.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein establishing a data base comprises:

recording the scene from at least one view point; and

assigning a unique time designation to each of the view points of the recorded scene.

19. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein establishing a data base comprises:

examining the light field of the recorded scene; and

ray-tracing the trajectory and origin of a light ray exiting a point in the scene to a plane.

20. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein diffracting the optical signal comprises scanning the optical signal from the spatial light modulator with a diffraction grating having a grating pattern with a spatial frequency defined by the mathematical equation:

f=A sin(x)+B 

 

wherein f is the spatial frequency of the grating pattern, A is scaling factor that determines the ratio of maximum to minimum diffraction grating frequencies, x is a spatial dimension and B is an offset carrier frequency.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20 further comprising diffusing the scanned optical signal.

22. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein diffracting the optical signal comprises scanning the optical signal emanating from the spatial light modulator with a diffraction grating having a set of basis fringes.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22 wherein scanning the optical signal from the spatial light modulator comprises scanning the optical signal at a rotational rate of approximately one twentieth of a second per basis fringe.

24. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein projecting an optical signal from the spatial light modulator in the nature of a two dimensional bitmap of the recorded scene comprises projecting the bitmap at a rate of approximately 4,000 to 10,000 frames per second.

25. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein mapping each element of the data base onto a spatial light modulator comprises multiplexing the elements of the data base to the spatial light modulator.

26. The method as set forth in claim 17 further comprising synchronizing multiplexing the elements of the data base to the spatial light modulator and diffracting the optical signal projected from the spatial light modulator.