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US 4,041,476 AGranted
Method, medium and apparatus for producing three-dimensional figure product
OwnerWyn Kelly Swainsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method, apparatus and product in which a three-dimensional figure is formed in situ in a medium having two active components by causing two radiation beams to intersect in the media. The dissimilar components are selected to respond to the simultaneous presence of the beam and to either react or to produce reactants which render the intersection of the beams physically sensible or distinguishable. The beams trace surface elements of the figure to be produced.
Claims72
A method of generating a three-dimensional pattern in a volume of material comprising the steps of:
- a. generating control signals specifying the coordinate positions of a plurality of points within a volume of material which is capable of undergoing a change in optical properties in response to energy level changes within said volume, and
- b. generating in response to said control signals energy level changes which cooperate within said volume at selected locations therein corresponding to said coordinate positions to produce the simultaneous visual display of said plurality of points.
A method of generating a pattern containing three-dimensional information in a medium of material comprising the steps of:
- a. producing control signals specifying the coordinate positions of a plurality of points of a three-dimensional pattern;
- and
- b. generating, in response to said control signals and within a medium of material which is capable of undergoing a change in optical properties in response to energy level changes within said medium, energy level changes which cooperate within said medium to produce therein an optical pattern representing a three-dimensional display of said plurality of points.
A method of generating a three-dimensional pattern in a volume of material comprising the steps of:
- a. generating at least two radiations within respective ones of two distinct wavelength ranges, which radiations cause the volume of material to undergo a change in optical properties so as to exhibit at least two discernibly different states, and
- b. directing said two radiations into said volume of material to cooperate at selected locations corresponding to the coordinate positions of a plurality of points to produce the simultaneous visual display of said plurality of points.
A three-dimensional pattern generator comprising:
- a. a medium which is capable of undergoing a change in optical properties in response to energy level changes within said medium;
- b. means for generating within said medium said changes in energy levels;
- and
- c. computing and control means for receiving input data specifying the coordinate positions of a plurality of points of a three-dimensional pattern and for computing control signals from said data, said generating means being responsive to said control signals to cause said changes in energy levels to cooperate within said medium to produce therein an optical pattern representing the three-dimensional display of said three-dimensional pattern.
1 more element
A three-dimensional pattern generator comprising:
- a. a volume of material which is capable of undergoing a change in optical properties in response to energy level changes within the said volume,
- b. directional means for generating within said volume said changes in energy levels, and
- c. computing and control means for receiving input data specifying the coordinate positions of a plurality of points and computing therefrom control signals, said directional means being responsive to said control signals to cause said changes in energy levels to cooperate within said volume of material at selected locations therein corresponding to the coordinate positions of said plurality of points.
A three-dimensional pattern generator comprising:
- a. a volume of material which is capable of undergoing a change in optical properties so as to exhibit at least two discernibly different states and responsive to radiation having at least two distinct radiation states to produce said change in optical properties,
- b. radiation means for generating at least two radiations having respective ones of said radiation states,
- c. means for directing the radiations from said radiation means into said volume of material wherein said material is caused to pass between said two discernibly different states under the cooperative effect of said two radiations, and
- d. computing and control means for receiving input data specifying the coordinate positions of a plurality of points, and computing therefrom direction control signals, said directing means being responsive to said direction signals to direct said two radiations from said radiation means within said volume of material to cooperate at selected locations corresponding to the coordinate positions of said plurality of points.
1 more element
A method of generating a three-dimensional pattern within a volume of photoreversible photochromic material which may be caused to pass from a substantially clear optical state to a darkened optical state upon the application of darkening radiation and also which may be caused to pass from the darkened optical state into a substantially clear optical state by application of bleaching radiation, comprising the steps of:
- scanning a bleaching radiation beam having a sharp intensity cut off at its trailing edge through at least a portion of said volume of material, and
- passing a darkening radiation beam through the volume of material flooded with the bleaching radiation beam to the trailing edge thereof, whereby darkened spots may be successively formed in various preselected locations within said volume where the darkening radiation beam intersects with the trailing edge of the bleaching radiation beam.
A three-dimensional display system, comprising:
- a volume of photoreversible photochromic material having at least two discernibly different optical states wherein said material may be caused to pass from a substantially clear optical state to a darkened optical state by application of darkening optical electromagnetic radiation within a first range of wavelengths, and wherein said material may be caused to pass from a darkened optical state to a substantially clear optical state by application of bleaching optical electromagnetic radiation within a second distinct band of wavelengths, and
- display means cooperatively associated with said volume of material for simultaneously applied to said volume radiation intensity of both darkening and bleaching radiation to generate darkened spots in at least two preselected locations within said volume.
A three-dimensional display system, comprising:
- a volume of photoreversible photochromic material having at least two discernibly different optical states wherein said material may be caused to pass from a substantially clear optical state to a darkened optical state by application of darkening optical electromagnetic radiation within a first range of wavelengths, and wherein said material may be caused to pass from darkened optical state to a substantially clear optical state by application of bleaching optical electromagnetic radiation within a second distinct band of wavelengths, and
- display means cooperatively associated with said volume of material for simultaneously applying to said volume radiation intensity of both darkening and bleaching radiation to generate a darkened spot at a preselected location within said volume.
A three-dimensional pattern generator, comprising:
- A volume of material having at least two discernibly different non-radiation emissive states and responsive to radiation intensity within at least two distinct wavelength ranges, wherein said material passes from a first to a second of said stages upon application of radiation within a first of said distinct wavelength ranges, and wherein said material passes from the second to the first of said states upon application of radiation within a second of said distinct wavelength ranges, and
- pattern generation means cooperatively associated with said volume of material for simultaneously applying controlled levels of radiation intensity within the first and second of said distinct wavelength ranges to generate a discernible spot at a preselected location within said volume of material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.