Seereal Technologies S.a.

Sharp Corporation

Stephan Reichelt

Norbert Leister

Gerald Futterer

Bo Kroll

Robert Missbach

Ralf Haussler

Armin Schwerdtner

Hiromi Katoh

Naru Usukura

Yuichi Kanbayashi

Gerald FÜTTERER

The invention relates to a light modulation device for a display for representing two- and/or three-dimensional image content or image sequences. The light modulation device comprises a light modulator and a controller. The phase and/or the amplitude of a light wave field, which is substantially collimated, can be varied by means of the light modulator depending on the location of the light modulator. The light modulator can be actuated by means of the control device. According to the invention, in the direction of propagation of the light wave field, at least one diffracting unit is arranged downstream of the light modulator. The diffracting unit has a variable diffracting structure. By means of the diffracting structure, the light wave field varied by the light modulator can be diffracted in a variable and predeterminable manner. Further, the present invention relates to a display and a method for producing a light modulation device.

Light modulation device for a display for representing two- and/or three-dimensional image content

A device for combining light beams which interact with adjacently arranged pixels of a light modulator, having a beam splitting component, a beam combining component, and a beam superposition component. The beam splitting component is configured such that incident light beams are split into a first subbeam and a second subbeam so that the first subbeam propagates toward a first pixel of the light modulator and the second subbeam propagates toward a second pixel of the light modulator. The beam combining component is configured and arranged so that the first subbeam and the second subbeam are combined after interaction with pixels of the light modulator. The beam splitting component and the beam combining component are configured and arranged in such a way that a sum of optical path lengths of the first subbeam and the second subbeam is respectively constant for different angles of incidence.

Device for combining light beams which interact with adjacently arranged pixels of a light modulator

Light modulator device used for a display for the presentation of two- and/or three-dimensional image contents

Light modulator device for a display for representing two- and/or three-dimensional image content

The present invention relates to a device for combining light beams which interact with adjacently arranged pixels of a light modulator. The present invention furthermore relates to a device for beam combination and to a spatial light modulation device for complex-valued modulation. The invention relates to a device for beam combination, and to an optical arrangement of polarization-sensitive component parts which allows complex-valued modulation of a light field by means of a phase-modulating light modulator and a beam combiner, which is insensitive to changes in the incidence direction of the illumination wave. This document furthermore also relates to various arrangements of reflectively operating light modulators.

A light modulator, for a display for the presentation of two- and/or three-dimensional image contents or image sequences, includes two opposing substrates and electrodes. At least one liquid crystal layer is provided between the two substrates. An alignment means is provided on the substrate which faces the liquid crystal layer to set a predeterminable initial alignment of the liquid crystals. The orientation of the liquid crystals can be controlled in a given range through an electric field generated by the electrodes. The alignment means is controllable and can be controlled to modify the initial alignment of the liquid crystals. The alignment can be controlled such the orientation of the liquid crystals can be oriented outside the given range or so that the initial alignment of the liquid crystals can be set specifically for certain positions.

Light modulator for a display for displaying two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional image contents

For comfortable viewing of a 3-D scene at various viewing angles, a display having a large tracking range for a variable viewer distance is required. A controllable light-influencing element deflects light in coarse steps in a viewer range. Within said steps, the light is deflected by a further controllable light-influencing element continuously or with fine gradation. The light modulation device is suitable in holographic or autostereoscopic displays for guiding the visibility ranges of the image information to be displayed so as to follow the eyes of the viewers.

Combined light modulation device for tracking users

A controllable device for phase modulation of coherent light comprises a modulator matrix having a plurality of liquid crystal modulator cells each being adapted to modulate a phase value of light passing through a liquid crystal modulator cell depending on a voltage, which is applied to the liquid crystal modulator cell; at least one polarity area of said modulator matrix including at least one liquid crystal modulator cell; at least one storage unit for storing at least one pair of voltage values of which one has a positive and the other has a negative polarity for the liquid crystal modulator cells, whereby the pair of voltage values corresponds to a predetermined phase value; and a control unit for selectively applying one pair of voltage values to one liquid crystal modulator cell.

Controllable device for phase modulation of coherent light

The invention relates to apodization in a holographic direct view display. Known apodization functions are utilized/modified for an apodization mask such that the functions reduce the intensities of selected higher magnitudes of diffractions. The holographic direct view display comprises a controllable light modulator having modulator cells and modulating impinging coherent light into a phase and/or amplitude, and an array of apodization masks. The apodization masks have the same apodization function for a predetermined group of modulator cells, by means of which function a complex amplitude transparency can be set for the modulator cells. This transparency corresponds to an individually predefined course of intensity in a far field of the light modulator, wherein the predefined course of intensity includes a reducing of the light intensity of higher magnitudes of diffractions, and/or of the interfering light emitted by the light modulator.

Holographic direct view display having an apodization device

A directionally controlled illumination unit is disclosed that deflects light from activated illumination elements into visibility regions by a transmissive image reproduction means. The visibility regions are tracked by the eyes of different viewers to other positions in front of the display via a tracking unit and image control. To avoid a strong correlation of one pixel of the image reproduction means to a deflection element (electro-wetting cell) of a deflection means, the directionally controlled illumination unit comprises a two-dimensional illumination means in front of the image reproduction means arranged in a serial manner in the optical path and a deflection means containing at least one field having an arrangement of electro-wetting cells that can be discretely addressed in groups and adjusted with regard to their refractive behavior by the tracking unit and image control.

Directional illumination unit for autostereoscopic displays

A spatial light modulator for modulating light field amplitude comprises a surface relief grating adapted to act as a diffractive lens, where a material is used to fill at least one groove of a surface grating structure, such that a controllable refractive index birefringence of the material inside the surface relief grating is controlled by an electric field, which leads to a controllable intensity at a fixed focal point.

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Dresden, Germany

Stephan Reichelt