Stereographic projection system

A desktop projection system configured to project a stereographic image onto a viewing surface, the stereographic image including a left-eye image and a right-eye image configured to be perceived as a single three-dimensional image by a viewer, the projection system comprising:

• a body;
• a light source disposed within the body, the light source being configured to produce a beam of light;
• a beam splitter disposed within the body, the beam splitter being configured to split the beam of light into a left image beam and a right image beam;
• a left image-producing element disposed within the body, the left image-producing element being configured to produce the left-eye image when illuminated by the left image beam and to reflect the left image beam back toward the beam splitter;
• a right image-producing element disposed within the body, the right image-producing element being configured to produce the right-eye image when illuminated by the right image beam and to reflect the right image beam back toward the beam splitter;
• and
• a projection lens configured to project the left image beam and right image beam onto the viewing surface.

A projection system configured to project a stereographic image onto a viewing surface, the stereographic image being configured to be perceived as a single three-dimensional image by a viewer and including a left-eye image and a right-eye image, the projection system comprising:

• a light source configured to produce a beam of light;
• a projection lens configured to project the stereographic image onto the viewing surface;
• a polarizing beam splitter disposed optically between the light source and projection lens, the polarizing beam splitter being configured to split the beam of light into a polarized left image beam and a polarized right image beam;
• a left image-producing element disposed optically between the polarizing beam splitter and the projection lens, the left image-producing element being configured to produce the left eye image and to direct the left image beam back toward the polarizing beam splitter;
• and
• a right image-producing element disposed optically between the polarizing beam splitter and the projection lens, the right image-producing element being configured to produce the left-eye image and to direct the right image beam back toward the polarizing beam splitter.

A projection system configured to project a stereographic image onto a viewing surface, the stereographic image being configured to be perceived as a single three-dimensional image by a viewer and including a left-eye image and a right-eye image, the projection system comprising:

• a light source configured to produce a beam of light;
• an image engine configured to produce the left-eye image and the right-eye image in an alternating manner when illuminated by the beam of light;
• a polarizer configured to polarize the beam of light, thereby imparting a polarity to the beam of light;
• and
• a variable retarder configured to change the polarity of the beam of light in an alternating manner, the variable retarder having a first state and a second state and configured to be synchronized to the image source to be in the first state when the image source produces the left-eye image and to be in the second state when the image source produces the right-eye image.

A stereographic adaptor configured to be attachable to a projection system to impart stereographic projection capabilities to a non-stereographic projection system, the projection system including a light source configured to produce a beam of light and an image source configured to produce a left-eye image and a right-eye image in an alternating fashion from the entire beam of light when illuminated by the beam of light, the stereographic adaptor comprising:

• a frame;
• a polarizer disposed within the frame, the polarizer being configured to impart a polarity to the beam of light after the beam of light leaves the projection system;
• and
• a variable retarder positioned within the frame optically downstream of the polarizer, the variable retarder being configured to optically rotate the polarity of the beam of light in an alternating fashion, synchronized with the image source.