Display using bidirectionally scanned linear modulator

#Reference is made to commonly-assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/950,488, filed Dec. 5, 2007, entitled DISPLAY APPARATUS USING BILINEAR ELECTROMECHANICAL MODULATOR, by Agostinelli et al.; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/047,605, filed Mar. 13, 2008, entitled STEREOSCOPIC DISPLAY USING MULTILINEAR ELECTROMECHANICAL MODULATOR, by Marcus et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein.

#This invention generally relates to display apparatus using linear light modulators and more particularly relates to a display apparatus and method for forming stereoscopic images by scanning modulated light, one line at a time per color, across a display surface.

#Linear light modulators form images by a rapid, repeated sequence in which each single line of the image is separately formed and is directed to a screen or other display surface by reflection, or other type of redirection, from a scanning element. Types of linear light modulators that operate in this manner include devices such as grating light valve (GLV) designs, offered by Silicon Light Machines and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,579 (Bloom et al.), and elsewhere. Display systems based on GLV devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,553 (Bloom et al.).

#While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter of the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a stereoscopic display apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a scan sequence for conventional scanning by a scanning mirror;

#The present description is directed in particular to elements forming part of, or cooperating more directly with, apparatus in accordance with the invention. It is to be understood that elements not specifically shown or described may take various forms well known to those skilled in the art. Figures shown and described herein are provided in order to illustrate key principles of operation of the present invention and are not drawn with intent to show actual size or scale. Some exaggeration may be necessary in order to emphasize relative spatial relationships or principles of operation.

#In the following disclosure, the phrase “left-eye image” denotes the image formed by a display apparatus and intended for viewing by the left eye of the viewer. Likewise, the phrase “right-eye image” refers to the separate image that is intended for viewing from the right eye of the viewer. The terms “stereoscopic” and “3-D” are considered to be equivalent.

#In the context of the present invention, the term “spectral range” refers to a single wavelength or to a relatively narrow range of wavelengths of no more than about 40 nm. Spectral stereo vision separation embodiments project left- and right-eye images at different wavelengths for each primary color (red, green, or blue, conventionally referred to as R, G, or B) and use filter elements to separate the left- and right-eye image content for each color.