Holographic lenses with wide angular and spectral bandwidths for use in a color display device

A lens structure for spatially separating white light into component radiation wavebands centered on a plurality of discrete wavelengths, said white light making a discrete angle of incidence with respect to an input side of said lens structure and having a characteristic divergence angle, with said incidence and divergence angles falling within respective predetermined ranges, comprising:

• an optically transmissive substrate, and
• at least three holographic lens arrays that are responsive to radiation wavebands centered respectively on different colors,
• each of said lens arrays comprising a plurality of lateral holographic lenses, with each of said holographic lenses comprising a plurality of primary angularly customized holograms,
• said primary angularly customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and having respective acceptance angle ranges centered on respective discrete acceptance angles, said discrete acceptance angles being separated so that the acceptance angle ranges of said holograms partially overlap and the predetermined angle of incidence and divergence angle range of said white light fall within a cumulative acceptance angle range of said holograms.

A lens structure for spatially separating white light into component radiation wavebands centered on red, green and blue wavelengths, said white light making a discrete angle of incidence with respect to an input side of said lens structure and having a characteristic divergence angle, with said incidence and divergence angles falling within respective predetermined ranges, comprising:

• first, second and third holographic lens arrays that are responsive to radiation wavebands centered respectively on red, green and blue colors,
• each of said lens arrays comprising a plurality of lateral holographic lenses, with each of said holographic lenses comprising a plurality of primary angularly customized holograms, and
• an optically transmissive substrate for holding the holographic lenses of each array so that they are offset in staggered order from the lenses of each of the other arrays by approximately one-third the lens dimension along the offset,
• said primary angularly customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and having respective acceptance angle ranges centered on respective discrete acceptance angles, said discrete acceptance angles being separated so that the acceptance angle ranges of said holograms partially overlap and the predetermined angle of incidence and divergence angle ranges of said white light fall within a cumulative acceptance angle range of said holograms.

A high efficiency color display device for displaying selected elements of input optical radiation having a plurality of different waveband components, comprising:

• an area target array comprising a plurality of generally adjacent target areas respectively corresponding to predetermined waveband components of the input optical radiation, and
• an area lens assembly spaced from said target array and adapted to receive input optical radiation having an angle of incidence and a first divergence angle that falls within respective predetermined ranges, said lens assembly having, for each target area in the target array, a focuser which is optically aligned with said target area comprising a first set of primary angularly customized holograms that are responsive to input radiation within the waveband of its corresponding target area for converging said input radiation directly onto said area target array and for generally transmitting input radiation outside of said waveband, each of said focusers and corresponding target area being adapted to direct said converging input radiation after convergence with a second divergence angle for superimposed display, the focusers for the various wavebands being arranged in said lens assembly so that at least one focuser for each of the waveband components is disposed in the path of input radiation substantially across the area of said lens assembly, each focuser partially overlapping a focuser for each of the other waveband components,
• said primary angularly customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and having respective acceptance angle ranges centered on respective discrete acceptance angles, said discrete acceptance angles being separated so that the acceptance angle ranges of said holograms partially overlap and the predetermined angle of incidence and first divergence angle ranges of said input optical radiation fall within a cumulative acceptance angle range of said holograms.

A high efficiency color display device for displaying selected elements of input optical radiation having a plurality of different waveband components, comprising:

• a target array of transmissive light modulation cells comprising a plurality of generally adjacent target areas respectively corresponding to predetermined waveband components of the input optical radiation,
• an area lens assembly spaced from said target array and adapted to receive input optical radiation having an angle of incidence and a first divergence angle that falls within respective predetermined ranges, said lens assembly having, for each target area in the target array, a focuser which is optically aligned with said target area comprising a first set of primary angularly customized holograms that are responsive to input radiation within the waveband of its corresponding target area for converging said input radiation directly onto said area target array and for generally transmitting input radiation outside of said waveband, each of said focusers and corresponding target area being adapted to direct said converging input radiation after convergence with a second divergence angle for superimposed display, the focusers for the various wavebands being arranged in said lens assembly so that at least one focuser for each of the waveband components is disposed in the path of input radiation substantially across the area of said lens assembly, each focuser partially overlapping a focuser for each of the other waveband components,
• said primary angularly customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and having respective acceptance angle ranges centered on respective discrete acceptance angles, said discrete acceptance angles being separated so that the acceptance angle ranges of said holograms partially overlap and the predetermined angle of incidence and first divergence angle ranges of said input optical radiation fall within a cumulative acceptance angle range of said holograms, and
• a second area lens assembly spaced from said target array on the opposite side of said target array from said first lens assembly and adapted to receive said diverging input optical radiation and superimposed the waveband components of said optical radiation after said radiation has passed through said target array, said second lens assembly having, for each cell in the target array, a focuser which is optically aligned with said cell comprising a second set of primary angularly customized holograms that are responsive to input radiation within the waveband of its corresponding cell for focusing input radiation that has passed through said cell and for generally transmitting input radiation outside of said waveband, the focusers for the various wavebands being arranged in said second lens assembly so that at least one focuser for each of the waveband components is disposed in the path of input radiation substantially across the area of said lens assembly, each focuser partially overlapping a focuser for each of the other waveband components,
• each of said primary angularly customized holograms in said second set having respective acceptance angle ranges centered on respective discrete acceptance angles, said discrete acceptance angles being separated so that the acceptance angle ranges of said holograms partially overlap and the predetermined angle of incidence and second divergence angle ranges of said input optical radiation fall within a cumulative acceptance angle range of said holograms.

A lens structure for directing input optical radiation to a predetermined target, said radiation having a discrete wavelength that falls within a predetermined wavelength range, making a discrete angle of incidence with respect to an input side of said lens structure and having a characteristic divergence angle, with said incidence and divergence angles falling within respective predetermined ranges, comprising:

• an optically transmissive substrate, and
• at least three holographic lens arrays that are responsive to radiation wavebands centered respectively on different colors,
• each of said lens arrays comprising a plurality of lateral holographic lenses, with each of said holographic lenses comprising a plurality of primary spectrally customized holograms,
• said spectrally customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and being responsive to respective radiation wavebands centered about respective discrete wavelengths, with said discrete wavelengths separated so that the radiation wavebands of said holograms partially overlap and the predetermined wavelength range of said input radiation falls within cumulative radiation wavebands of said holograms.

A lens structure for spatially separating white light into component radiation wavebands centered on a plurality of discrete wavelengths, said white light making a discrete angle of incidence with respect to an input side of said lens structure and having a characteristic divergence angle, with said incidence and divergence angles falling within respective predetermined ranges, comprising:

• an optically transmissive substrate, and
• at least three holographic lens arrays that are responsive to radiation wavebands centered respectively on different colors,
• each of said lens arrays comprising a plurality of lateral holographic lenses, with each of said holographic lenses comprising a plurality of primary spectrally customized holograms,
• said primary spectrally customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and being responsive to respective radiation wavebands centered about respective discrete wavelengths, with said discrete wavelengths separated so that the radiation wavebands of said spectrally customized holograms partially overlap and define the radiation waveband of their respective lens.

A lens structure for spatially separating white light into component radiation wavebands centered on red, green and blue wavelengths, said white light making a discrete angle of incidence with respect to an input side of said lens structure and having a characteristic divergence angle, with said incidence and divergence angles falling within respective predetermined ranges, comprising:

• first, second and third holographic lens arrays that are responsive to radiation wavebands centered respectively on red, green and blue colors,
• each of said lens arrays comprising a plurality of lateral holographic lenses, with each of said holographic lenses comprising a plurality of primary spectrally customized holograms, and
• an optically transmissive substrate for holding the holographic lenses of each array so that they are offset in staggered order from the lenses of each of the other arrays by approximately one-third the lens dimension along the offset,
• said primary spectrally customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and being responsive to respective radiation wavebands centered about respective discrete wavelengths, with said discrete wavelengths separated so that the radiation wavebands of said spectrally customized holograms partially overlap and define the radiation waveband of their corresponding lens.

A high efficiency color display device for displaying selected elements of input optical radiation having a plurality of different waveband components, comprising:

• an area target array comprising a plurality of generally adjacent target areas respectively corresponding to predetermined waveband components of the input optical radiation, and
• an area lens assembly spaced from said target array and adapted to receive input optical radiation having an angle of incidence and a first divergence angle that falls within respective predetermined ranges, said lens assembly having, for each target area in the target array, a focuser which is optically aligned with said target area comprising a first set of primary spectrally customized holograms that are responsive to input radiation within the waveband of its corresponding target area for converging said input radiation directly onto said area target array and for generally transmitting input radiation outside of said waveband, each of said focusers and corresponding target area being adapted to direct said converging input radiation after convergence with a second divergence angle for superimposed display, the focusers for the various wavebands being arranged in said lens assembly so that at least one focuser for each of the waveband components is disposed in the path of input radiation substantially across the area of said lens assembly, each focuser partially overlapping a focuser for each of the other waveband components,
• said primary spectrally customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and being responsive to respective radiation wavebands centered about respective discrete wavelengths, with said discrete wavelengths separated so that the radiation wavebands of said spectrally customized holograms partially overlap and define the radiation waveband of their corresponding focuser.

A high efficiency color display device for displaying selected elements of input optical radiation having a plurality of different waveband components, comprising:

• a target array of transmissive light modulation cells comprising a plurality of generally adjacent target areas respectively corresponding to predetermined waveband components of the input optical radiation,
• an area lens assembly spaced from said target array and adapted to receive input optical radiation having an angle of incidence and a first divergence angle that falls within respective predetermined ranges, said lens assembly having, for each target area in the target array, a focuser which is optically aligned with said target area comprising a first set of primary spectrally customized holograms that are responsive to input radiation within the waveband of its corresponding target area for converging said input radiation directly onto said area target array and for generally transmitting input radiation outside of said waveband, each of said focusers and corresponding target area being adapted to direct said converging input radiation after convergence with a second divergence angle for superimposed display, the focusers for the various wavebands being arranged in said lens assembly so that at least one focuser for each of the waveband components is disposed in the path of input radiation substantially across the area of said lens assembly, each focuser partially overlapping a focuser for each of the other waveband components,
• said primary spectrally customized holograms partially offset from each other in a staggered order and being responsive to respective radiation wavebands centered about respective discrete wavelengths, with said discrete wavelengths separated so that the radiation wavebands of said spectrally customized holograms partially overlap and define the radiation waveband of their corresponding focuser, and
• a second area lens assembly spaced from said target array on the opposite side of said target array from said first lens assembly and adapted to receive said diverging input optical radiation and superimpose the waveband components of said optical radiation after said radiation has passed through said target array, said second lens assembly having, for each cell in the target array, a focuser which is optically aligned with said cell comprising a second set of primary spectrally customized holograms that are responsive to input radiation within the waveband of its corresponding cell for focusing input radiation that has passed through said cell and for generally transmitting input radiation outside of said waveband, the focusers for the various wavebands being arranged in said second lens assembly so that at least one focuser for each of the waveband components is disposed in the path of input radiation substantially across the area of said lens assembly, each focuser partially overlapping a focuser for each of the other waveband components,
• each of said primary spectrally customized holograms being responsive to respective radiation wavebands centered about respective discrete wavelengths, with said discrete wavelengths separated so that the radiation wavebands of said spectrally customized holograms partially overlap and define the radiation waveband of their corresponding focuser.