Abstract: A system and method of capturing a stereoscopic pair of images for use in forming a 3-D image of an object at a desired perceived position in a scene projected onto a dome surface. The first one of the stereoscopic pair of images is captured when the object is offset to the right of the desired perceived position in the scene. The second one of the stereoscopic pair of images is captured when the object is offset to the left of the desired perceived position in the scene. In this manner, positive parallax can be captured in front of a viewer, upward in an arc through the zenith of the dome, and beyond to the back of the dome. The system and method allows scenes projected onto a dome surface to contain positive parallax, and therefore allows objects to appear to be located beyond the dome surface when viewed in 3-D stereo, which was previously not possible.

Abstract: A system and method of capturing a stereoscopic pair of images for use in forming a 3-D image of an object at a desired perceived position in a scene projected onto a dome surface. The first one of the stereoscopic pair of images is captured when the object is offset to the right of the desired perceived position in the scene. The second one of the stereoscopic pair of images is captured when the object is offset to the left of the desired perceived position in the scene. In this manner, positive parallax can be captured in front of a viewer, upward in an arc through the zenith of the dome, and beyond to the back of the dome. The system and method allows scenes projected onto a dome surface to contain positive parallax, and therefore allows objects to appear to be located beyond the dome surface.

Abstract: A display system able to reduce interpixel intensity gaps caused by the use of pulsed laser sources having relatively short optimum pulse duration. The interpixel intensity gaps are reduced by temporally offsetting multiple laser pulses for a display pixel during a corresponding pixel-scan period. The temporally offset pulses for the display pixel are then scanned to different locations on a viewing surface such that the display pixel has an improved intensity distribution. Additional reduction in the interpixel gaps may be accomplished by de-focusing the temporally offset pulses in a scan direction, increasing the duty cycle of the source lasers, and shifting the location of alternating frames on the viewing surface.

Abstract: An image display system for displaying a planar image on a curved viewing surface, such as a theater dome, with minimized image distortion. In order to display the image, a virtual surface, which is a representation of the curved viewing surface, is textured with the image using an angular distribution to thereby form a textured virtual image. The textured virtual image is then displayed onto the curved viewing surface.

Abstract: A calibration method for a grating light modulator includes calibrating light reflective ribbons on the modulator on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The method further includes performing a dark-state calibration and a bright-state calibration for each pixel. Once completed, the results of the dark-state calibration and the bright-state calibration may be combined to ensure a smooth transition between a dark state and a bright state for each pixel.

Abstract: A projection system that includes a singe light modulation device and a plurality of light sources of different wavelengths. Each wavelength of light is incident on the light modulation device at a spatially distinct location and a temporally distinct time. The use of a scanning mirror allows the projection system to sequentially form, in full-color, each of the columns or rows of an image. The projection system is characterized by the reduction of color separation or the rainbow effect due to the rendering of each column or row in full color.

Abstract: A shuttering system for a scanning projector having a laser source, a grating light valve light modulator, and a light steering scanner includes a feedback system interconnecting the scanner with the light modulator. The feedback system is configured to deactivate the light modulator in case of scanner malfunction, so as to redirect laser light away from the scanner.

Abstract: A method for displaying a stereo eye image on a curved surface is disclosed. A mathematical model of a computer generated scene having a vertex may be generated. A mono vertex vector may be calculated normal to the curved surface at the vertex location on the curved surface to a center of a viewer position. A left vertex may be calculated by applying a cross product to the vertex vector and a viewer's eye position vector. A right vertex may be calculated into the frame buffer by applying the cross product to the vertex vector and a negative viewer's eye position vector. The calculated points may be projected onto a curved surface for viewing.

Abstract: An illumination system for transforming at least one laser light beam having a non-uniform distribution in a first axis and a second axis to a beam having a substantially uniform distribution in the first axis while preserving the non-uniform distribution in the second axis. The transformed beam may be imaged as a line image onto a one-dimensional light modulation device. The illumination system may comprise a light tunnel having two sides that interact with the at least one laser light beam in the first axis and two sides that do not interact with the light in the second axis.

Abstract: A method for reducing the transport delay in a computer image generator. The first step is dividing a single frame buffer into a plurality of screen bins. Next is storing primitives in each screen bin the primitives touch. Then the screen bins are rendered by row from top to bottom. Finally, at least one rendered screen bin is displayed from the single frame buffer before the rendering of all the screen bins has completed for the frame buffer. Preferably the step of displaying of the screen bins rendered should be started when the rendering is at least ½ completed. In some cases, the step of displaying of the screen bins rendered can be started after at least one row of screen bins has completed rendering. A hardware interlock can be used to ensure that the rendering process does not advance past the display process.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for converting a frequency of a coherent light source. A birefringent nonlinear material is cut at an angle for critical phase matching to form a rectangular parallelepiped biased nonlinear crystal. The nonlinear crystal cut at a biased angle can be placed at an angle in a coherent light beam to enable the beam to be directed through the crystal over a substantially optimal phase matching path while minimizing back reflection of the coherent light beam to the coherent light source.

Abstract: An invisible scanning safety system for use with laser projection systems that includes sensors monitoring less than the entire laser accessible region such that the region monitored is reduced to almost the absolute minimum, to thereby prevent unwarranted stoppages or disturbances in projection. The system may also monitor a 360 degree region around the lens of the laser projector, a wedge-shaped region, a pyramid-shaped region or a chimney-shaped region.

Abstract: An optical actuator having an improved response time and an improved frequency operational range due to the reduced mass of a substrate coupled to an actuator and method of making the same. The optical actuator may be formed by adhering an uncoated substrate to the actuator using an epoxy. Once cured, any deformities and irregularities in a top surface of the substrate are removed. An optical coating is then applied to the top surface of the substrate. Once finished, the optical actuator may be used in a laser resonating cavity. Further, the optical actuator desirably may have a resonant frequency of about 150 kHz.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a high-resolution image using a scanned-column projector is disclosed. The method includes the operation of generating a time-varying line image. A further operation includes collimating the time-varying line image in at least one plane. An additional operation involves scanning the collimated time-varying line image using a scan mirror. A further operation includes projecting the scanned collimated time-varying line image onto a surface. The scanned collimated time-varying line image is projected with at least one imaging element.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for reducing visibility of image artifacts caused by diffractive elements in a laser projector having a structured diffractive device. At least two diffracted orders of light can be selected from light emitted from the structured diffractive device using a spatial light filter. The polarization of at least one of the selected diffracted orders can be changed with respect to another selected diffracted order. The selected diffracted order can be recombined to form an image having reduced visible image artifacts.

Abstract: A wide angle display system includes a linear array projector, a curved display surface, and an n-sides scanning mirror. The projector is configured to project an image along an optical axis to the scanning mirror. The scanning mirror continuously rotates about a rotational axis at a speed 1/n the refresh rate, so as to reflect and scan the image onto the display surface.

Abstract: A tunable fiber optic component providing environmental isolation, thermal tuning, and mechanical tuning and a method of tuning a fiber optic component using application of substantially simultaneous varying of temperature and mechanical strain is disclosed. A method of using a tunable fiber optic component, for example, a distributed feedback fiber laser, to compensate variations in an optical system, and a method of making a tunable fiber optic component are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method is provided for correlating imprecise source data in a local coordinate system to a precise global eyepoint position for a global coordinate system within which the local coordinate system is located. The method includes the step of identifying key correlation points for the local coordinate system which has modeling inaccuracies. Global coordinates are also identified for each of the key correlation points. Another step is computing delta values for each of the key correlation points that represent the difference between key correlation points' local system coordinates and the global coordinate system's coordinate values for the key correlation points. An additional step is modifying the global eyepoint position based on delta values for selected key correlation points as the global eyepoint position moves in relation to the local coordinate system within the global coordinate system.

Abstract: A tunable fiber optic component providing environmental isolation, thermal tuning, and mechanical tuning and a method of tuning a fiber optic component using application of substantially simultaneous varying of temperature and mechanical strain is disclosed. A method of using a tunable fiber optic component, for example, a distributed feedback fiber laser, to compensate variations in an optical system, and a method of making a tunable fiber optic component are also disclosed.

Abstract: A tunable fiber optic component providing environmental isolation, thermal tuning, and mechanical tuning and a method of tuning a fiber optic component using application of substantially simultaneous varying of temperature and mechanical strain is disclosed. A method of using a tunable fiber optic component, for example, a distributed feedback fiber laser, to compensate variations in an optical system, and a method of making a tunable fiber optic component are also disclosed.