US 12,596,329 B2 · Holographic projector

Abstract

A holographic projector includes an illumination system arranged to illuminate a hologram displayed on the pixel area of a spatial light modulator to form a holographic wavefront, and further includes a waveguide including an input port arranged to receive the holographic wavefront and a pair of opposing surfaces arranged to waveguide the holographic wavefront. A first surface of the pair of opposing surfaces is partially reflective-transmissive such that a plurality of replicas of the holographic wavefront are emitted therefrom. The illumination system includes a light source arranged to emit diverging light and a first collimating lens arranged to collimate the light. The collimated light has a varying intensity profile, in at least one dimension. The illumination system is configured such that the pixel area is contained within an area delineated by the width of the intensity profile of the collimated light at half the maximum intensity of said intensity profile.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A holographic projector comprising:

an illumination system arranged to illuminate a hologram displayed, on the pixel area of a spatial light modulator (SLM) to form a holographic wavefront;
a waveguide comprising an input port arranged to receive the holographic wavefront and a pair of opposing surfaces arranged to waveguide the holographic wavefront therebetween, wherein a first surface of the pair of opposing surfaces is partially reflective-transmissive such that a plurality of replicas of the holographic wavefront are emitted therefrom;
wherein the illumination system comprises a light source arranged to emit diverging light and a first collimating lens arranged to collimate the light;
and
wherein the illumination system is configured such that the pixel area is contained within an area delineated by a width of the intensity profile of the collimated light at half the maximum intensity of said intensity profile, at the display plane.

2 more elements

A method of holographic projection comprising:

displaying a hologram at a display plane, on the pixel area of a spatial light modulator (SLM);
emitting diverging light from a light source;
collimating the light using a first collimating lens;
illuminating the displayed hologram with the collimated light, to form a holographic wavefront;
directing the holographic wavefront through a waveguide;
wherein the waveguide comprises an input port arranged to receive the holographic wavefront and a pair of opposing surfaces arranged to waveguide the holographic wavefront therebetween, wherein a first surface of the pair of opposing surfaces is partially reflective-transmissive such that a plurality of replicas of the holographic wavefront are emitted therefrom;
wherein the collimated light has a varying intensity profile, in at least one dimension;
the method further comprising:
arranging the first collimating lens and the SLM such that the pixel area is contained within an area delineated by a width of the intensity profile of the collimated light at half the maximum intensity of said intensity profile, at the display plane.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Holographic projector

Life of this patent

Holographic projector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20