Interactive holographic display device

• US 8,847,919 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Krah, Christoph Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Bukowski, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US13/019,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20120194477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/175, 359 1- 35
• 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 plurality of sub-deflection modulators each configured to deflect a beam of the one or more beams a deflection distance from a center of a micro lens, wherein the beam continues in a direction after deflection that is approximately parallel to an initial direction of the beam prior to deflection;

a lens assembly comprising a plurality of micro lenses having the micro lens configured to direct the one or more beams to form a holographic image of the object using a deflection angle, wherein the deflection distance controls where the lens assembly directs the one or more beams;

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

a processor configured to determine a location of the interactive object 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 collimating lens.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more beams are configured to be deflected relative to and parallel to a focal axis of one or more micro lenses of the plurality of micro lenses, in order to change a location to which the beam is directed by the lens assembly.

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

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

6. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more coherent light sources comprise 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.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the each of plurality of sub-deflection modulators includes one or more electrostatically controlled cells having a polymer-based material with a variable refractive index controlled by an electric field, wherein a variation of the refractive index changes the deflection distance.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lens assembly comprises a hydrophobic lens or an electro optical polymer.

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

10. The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the deflection angle comprises a plurality of sub-deflection angles.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor determines a sub-deflection angle of the plurality of sub-deflection angles in the x direction using the following equation:

12. The display apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor a sub-deflection angle of the plurality of sub-deflection angles in the y direction using the following equation:

13. 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;

determining one or more deflection angles of the one or more beams;

deflecting a beam of the one or more beams a deflection distance from a center of a micro lens, wherein the beam continues in a direction after deflection that is approximately parallel to an initial direction prior to deflection;

directing the one or more beams to form a holographic image of the object, wherein each beam of the one or more beams is deflected at a deflection angle of the plurality of deflection angles, wherein the deflection angle is based at least in part on a deflection distance and a surface function of a plurality of micro lenses including the micro lens;

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

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

14. The method of claim 13, wherein directing the one or more beams comprises:

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

steering the one or more beams with a second lens having the plurality of micro lenses.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein steering the one or more beams comprises steering a plurality of the one or more deflected beams using one micro lens of the second lens, wherein the plurality of the one or more deflected beams is associated with a plurality of desired viewing angles.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein deflecting the beam comprises causing the beam to deflect relative to and parallel to a focal axis of the micro lens.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising modulating at least one of the one or more beams with the obtained image data.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising modulating the obtained image data with an angle modulation function derived based on the deflection angle and a surface function of the micro lens.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein generating the one or more beams comprises generating the one or more beams using a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more beams comprises a red beam, a green beam and a blue beam.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein directing the one or more beams 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.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the directing the one or more beams comprises dynamically changing 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.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a plurality of deflection angles comprises determining a plurality of sub-deflection angles for each deflection angle of the plurality of deflection angles.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising determining a sub-deflection angle of the plurality of sub-deflection angles in the x direction using the following equation:

25. The method of claim 23, comprising determining a sub-deflection angle of the plurality of sub-deflection angles in the y direction using the following equation: