The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 08, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 20, 1998
Alan Sullivan, White Plains, NY (US);
Dimensional Media Associates, Inc., New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A multi-planar volumetric display system and method of operation generate volumetric three-dimensional images using a multi-surface optical device including a plurality of individual optical elements arranged in an array; an image projector for selectively projecting images on respective optical elements to generate a first volumetric three-dimensional image viewable in the multi-surface optical device; and a floating-image generator for projecting the first volumetric three-dimensional image to generate a second volumetric three-dimensional image viewable as floating in space at a location separate from the multi-surface optical device. The optical elements includes liquid crystal elements having a controllable variable translucency. An optical element controller controls the translucency of the liquid crystal elements, such that a single liquid crystal element is controlled to have an opaque light-scattering state to receive and display an image from the image projector; and the remaining liquid crystal elements are transparent to allow the viewing of the displayed image on the opaque liquid crystal element. The image projector projects the images into the multi-surface optical device to generate the entire first volumetric three-dimensional image at a rate greater than 35 Hz to prevent human-perceivable image flicker, so the image projector projects the images onto a respective optical element at a rate of at least 2 kHz. The image projector may include adaptive optics for rapidly focusing the images, or a plurality of laser light sources for projecting red, green, and blue laser light to generate and project the images in a plurality of colors.