Patents by Inventor Gerald Futterer

Gerald Futterer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20200166754
    Abstract: A display device for representing two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional objects or scenes, having at least one spatial light modulation device having pixels for modulating light, at least one optical system, and at least one light guiding device. Light beams originating from the individual pixels of the spatial light modulation device are incident on the at least one light guiding device at different angles on average in relation to the surface of the at least one light guiding device and can be coupled therein, whereby a coupling angular spectrum is definable. The light beams propagating in the at least one light guiding device can be coupled out of the at least one light guiding device at different angles on average in relation to an observer region, whereby a decoupling angular spectrum is definable. The decoupling angular spectrum is enlarged in comparison to the coupling angular spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Norbert LEISTER, Bo KROLL, Gerald FUTTERER
  • Patent number: 10509364
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Bo Kroll, Norbert Leister, Stephan Reichelt, Gerald Futterer
  • Publication number: 20190278225
    Abstract: A three-dimensional light modulator, of which the pixels are combined to form modulation elements. Each modulation element can be coded with a preset discrete value such that three-dimensionally arranged object points can be holographically reconstructed. The light modulator is characterized in that assigned to the pixels of the modulator are beam splitters or beam combiners which, for each modulation element, combine the light wave parts modulated by the pixels by means of refraction or diffraction on the output side to form a common light beam which exits the modulation element in a set propagation direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Gerald FUTTERER, Norbert LEISTER, Ralf HAUSSLER, Grigory LAZAREV
  • Publication number: 20190271942
    Abstract: A holographic display with an illumination device, an enlarging unit and a light modulator. The illumination device includes at least one light source and a light collimation unit, the light collimation unit collimates the light of the at least one light source and generates a light wave field of the light that is emitted by the light source with a specifiable angular spectrum of plane waves, the enlarging unit is disposed downstream of the light collimation unit, seen in the direction of light propagation, where the enlarging unit includes a transmissive volume hologram realising an anamorphic broadening of the light wave field due to a transmissive interaction of the light wave field with the volume hologram, and the light modulator is disposed upstream or downstream of the anamorphic enlarging unit, seen in the direction of light propagation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventor: Gerald FUTTERER
  • Patent number: 10394189
    Abstract: The invention relates to a display device for holographic reconstruction. The display device comprises a spatial light modulator device having combined phase modulating pixels and amplitude modulating pixels, an illumination unit generating sufficiently coherent light and arranged to illuminate of the spatial light modulator device and a reflection plane. The device being arranged such that light enters the spatial light modulator device and passes both the phase modulating pixel and the amplitude modulating pixel of the spatial light modulator device. The light is reflected by the reflection plane in between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventor: Gerald Futterer
  • Patent number: 10295959
    Abstract: A holographic display with an illumination device, an enlarging unit and a light modulator. The illumination device includes at least one light source and a light collimation unit, the light collimation unit collimates the light of the at least one light source and generates a light wave field of the light that is emitted by the light source with a specifiable angular spectrum of plane waves, the enlarging unit is disposed downstream of the light collimation unit, seen in the direction of light propagation, where the enlarging unit includes a transmissive volume hologram realizing an anamorphic broadening of the light wave field due to a transmissive interaction of the light wave field with the volume hologram, and the light modulator is disposed upstream or downstream of the anamorphic enlarging unit, seen in the direction of light propagation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventor: Gerald Futterer
  • Publication number: 20190121291
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating holograms for encoding in a spatial light modulation device for a holographic display for representing a two- and/or three-dimensional scene. The two- and/or three-dimensional scene is decomposed into object points and encoded in a hologram, which is subdivided into subholograms, in the spatial light modulation device. The object points of the scene are encoded into encoding regions on the spatial light modulation device. A size and/or shape of the encoding region is selected in relation to a size and/or shape of a subhologram, assigned to the encoding region, in such a way that crosstalk of higher diffraction orders in a virtual visibility region is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Norbert LEISTER, Ralf HAUSSLER, Gerald FUTTERER
  • Publication number: 20190094803
    Abstract: The invention refers to an Illumination device for illuminating a spatial light modulator device. Sub-holograms are used for encoding a hologram into the spatial light modulator device. The Illumination device comprises at least one light source for emitting light for illuminating the spatial light modulator device and a beam shaping unit. The beam shaping unit provides a flat-top plateau-type distribution of an absolute value of a complex degree of mutual coherence of the light in a plane of the spatial light modulator device to be illuminated. The flat-top plateau-type distribution of the absolute value of the complex degree of mutual coherence has a shape that is at least similar to a shape of the largest sub-hologram used for encoding of object points into the spatial light modulator device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventor: Gerald FUTTERER
  • Publication number: 20190086598
    Abstract: The invention refers to an apparatus for generating two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional objects. The apparatus comprises at least one spatial light modulator device for modulating incident light and an optical system. The optical system is designed and arranged such that a segmentation of wave fields is provided in a plane, where the plane in which the segmentation of the wave fields is provided differs with a plane that comprises object points. Adjacent segmented wave fields do have a mutual overlap. The apparatus also comprises a scanning device which couples light waves into a beam expanding waveguide with outcoupling gratings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventor: Gerald FUTTERER
  • Patent number: 10234821
    Abstract: A three-dimensional light modulator, of which the pixels are combined to form modulation elements. Each modulation element can be coded with a preset discrete value such that three-dimensionally arranged object points can be holographically reconstructed. The light modulator is characterized in that assigned to the pixels of the modulator are beam splitters or beam combiners which, for each modulation element, combine the light wave parts modulated by the pixels by means of refraction or diffraction on the output side to form a common light beam which exits the modulation element in a set propagation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Gerald Futterer, Norbert Leister, Ralf Haussler, Grigory Lazarev
  • Patent number: 10168540
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Bo Kroll, Gerald Futterer, Norbert Leister, Stephan Reichelt, Ralf Haussler
  • Patent number: 9927571
    Abstract: An illumination device for illuminating at least one spatial light modulator device. At least one light source device with at least one light source illuminates the at least one spatial light modulator device; a light guiding element through which light emanating from the light source propagates; and at least one light decoupling element arranged on top or inside of the light guiding element. The at least one light decoupling element decouples of a wave field of the light which propagating in the light guiding element into the direction of the spatial light modulator device. The light guiding element has a refractive index which is lower than or at least equal to the refractive index of the at least one light decoupling element. The entrance angle of the wave field entering the light decoupling element is determined by the difference between the refractive indices according to a particular equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventor: Gerald Futterer
  • Publication number: 20170357098
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Bo KROLL, Gerald FUTTERER, Norbert LEISTER, Stephan REICHELT, Ralf HAUSSLER
  • Patent number: 9746684
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Bo Kroll, Gerald Futterer, Norbert Leister, Stephan Reichelt, Ralf Haussler
  • Publication number: 20160327906
    Abstract: The invention relates to a display device for holographic reconstruction. The display device comprises a spatial light modulator device having combined phase modulating pixels and amplitude modulating pixels, an illumination unit generating sufficiently coherent light and arranged to illuminate of the spatial light modulator device and a reflection plane. The device being arranged such that light enters the spatial light modulator device and passes both the phase modulating pixel and the amplitude modulating pixel of the spatial light modulator device. The light is reflected by the reflection plane in between.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventor: Gerald FUTTERER
  • Publication number: 20160313556
    Abstract: The invention relates to a display device, in particular a head-mounted display or hocular, having a spatial light modulator and a controllable light-deflecting device for generating a multiple image of the spatial light modulator, which consists of segments, the multiple image being produced at least with a predefinable number of segments which determines the size of a visible area within which a 3D-scene holographically encoded in the spatial light modulator can be reconstructed for observation by an eye of an observer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventor: Gerald FUTTERER
  • Publication number: 20160313695
    Abstract: A holographic display with an illumination device, an enlarging unit and a light modulator. The illumination device includes at least one light source and a light collimation unit, the light collimation unit collimates the light of the at least one light source and generates a light wave field of the light that is emitted by the light source with a specifiable angular spectrum of plane waves, the enlarging unit is disposed downstream of the light collimation unit, seen in the direction of light propagation, where the enlarging unit includes a transmissive volume hologram realising an anamorphic broadening of the light wave field due to a transmissive interaction of the light wave field with the volume hologram, and the light modulator is disposed upstream or downstream of the anamorphic enlarging unit, seen in the direction of light propagation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventor: Gerald FUTTERER
  • Patent number: 9406166
    Abstract: The invention relates to a display device, in particular a head-mounted display or hocular, having a spatial light modulator and a controllable light-deflecting device for generating a multiple image of the spatial light modulator, which consists of segments, the multiple image being produced at least with a predefinable number of segments which determines the size of a visible area within which a 3D-scene holographically encoded in the spatial light modulator can be reconstructed for observation by an eye of an observer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventor: Gerald Futterer
  • Patent number: 9395690
    Abstract: A holographic display with an illumination device, an enlarging unit and a light modulator. The illumination device includes at least one light source and a light collimation unit, the light collimation unit collimates the light of the at least one light source and generates a light wave field of the light that is emitted by the light source with a specifiable angular spectrum of plane waves, the enlarging unit is disposed downstream of the light collimation unit, seen in the direction of light propagation, where the enlarging unit comprises includes a transmissive volume hologram realizing an anamorphic broadening of the light wave field due to a transmissive interaction of the light wave field with the volume hologram, and the light modulator is disposed upstream or downstream of the anamorphic enlarging unit, seen in the direction of light propagation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventor: Gerald Futterer
  • Publication number: 20160202593
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Bo KROLL, Gerald FUTTERER, Norbert LEISTER, Stephan REICHELT, Ralf HAUSSLER