Systems and methodologies related to 3-D imaging and viewing

An apparatus for generating a 3-D image, the apparatus comprising:

• a spatial light modulator capable of producing a pattern based on data representative of an image of an object, the data being obtained from an image of the object that is formed by interfering (i) an intensity beam reflected from the object and obtained through an imaging pupil and (ii) a reference beam, the imaging pupil and the reference beam forming separate features in a Fourier transform of the image, said separate features comprising a central lobe and side lobes;
• a light source disposed to illuminate the spatial light modulator so as to yield a projection beam;
• a mask configured to mask at least one portion of the projection beam such that a portion of the projection beam is selected;
• and
• projection optics configured to propagate the selected portion to an exit pupil so as to form a virtual 3-D image of the object when viewed at the exit pupil.

A method for generating a 3-D image, the method comprising:

• forming an image of an object on a sensor array;
• reproducing said image on a spatial light modulator;
• producing a projection beam by illuminating said spatial light modulator;
• and
• projecting a limited portion of said projection beam to an exit pupil so as to form a virtual 3-D image of the object when viewed by a viewer at the exit pupil, wherein said limited portion comprises only one side lobe of said beam.

A method for generating a 3-D image, the method comprising:

• processing image data by performing at least one of a digital spatial domain to spatial frequency domain transform, digital masking, or a digital spatial frequency domain to spatial domain transform;
• producing a pattern in a spatial light modulator that selectively modulates the phase of light using said processed data;
• illuminating the spatial light modulator so as to yield a projection beam;
• and
• propagating at least a portion of the beam to an exit pupil so as to form a virtual 3-D image of the object when viewed by a viewer at the exit pupil, wherein said portion of the beam comprises at least one of a center lobe or a side lobe of said beam.

A method for generating a 3-D image, the method comprising:

• forming an image of an object, the image including an interference of an intensity image of the object obtained through an imaging pupil and a reference beam, the imaging pupil and the reference beam forming separate features in a Fourier transform of the interference, said separate features comprising a central lobe and side lobes;
• transmitting data representative of the image;
• generating a projectable image based on the data;
• illuminating the projectable image so as to yield a projection beam;
• separating the projection beam spatially based on the separate features of the Fourier transform of the interference;
• masking the separated projection beam such that a selected portion of the projection beam is allowed to pass and the remaining portion is blocked;
• and
• projecting the selected portion to an exit pupil so as to form a virtual 3-D image of the object when viewed by a viewer at the exit pupil.