Patents by Inventor Norbert Leister

Norbert Leister 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).

  • Patent number: 11914251
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Bo Kroll, Norbert Leister, Gerald Futterer, Robert Missbach, Stephan Reichelt
  • Patent number: 11835721
    Abstract: The invention relates to a display device for representing two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional objects or scenes. The display device comprises at least one illumination device for emitting sufficiently coherent light, at least one spatial light modulation device for modulating incident light, and at least one optical system. The at least one optical system is provided for multiple imaging of the at least one spatial light modulation device and for generating virtual viewing windows in accordance with the number of images of the at least one spatial light modulation device. The individual images of the at least one spatial light modulation device are combined with one another as segments and form a field of view. The field of view comprises at least one high-resolution holographic segment and at least one low-resolution holographic segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Norbert Leister, Bo Kroll
  • Patent number: 11754972
    Abstract: A method for encoding complex-valued signals of a computer-generated hologram into a phase-modulating optical element for the reconstruction of a three-dimensional object, and to a computer program product for encoding complex-valued signals of a computer-generated hologram, and to a holographic display for the reconstruction of a three-dimensional object. The object is to reduce the effort on encoding a complex-valued spatial distribution by an iteration method on the basis of phase encoding, so that the computer-generated hologram resulting therefrom can be represented more rapidly and with the same or an improved reconstruction quality. In particular, the convergence during the iterative optimization is intended to be accelerated. This is achieved by a method in which degrees of freedom of the hologram plane as well as the reconstruction plane are used for optimizing the iteration method for rapid convergence and maximization of the diffraction efficiency in the signal range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Stefan Reichelt, Norbert Leister, Anne Frauenhofer
  • Patent number: 11656494
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Norbert Leister, Stephan Reichelt
  • Publication number: 20230024541
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light modulation device having pixels. Essentially, the one half of the pixels are reflective and the other half of the pixels are transmissive. The reflective pixels are arranged in alternation with the transmissive pixels in the same substrate plane. The light modulation device also has a backplane, which has transistors and data lines for conducting signals to the pixels. Each pixel is assigned at least one transistor and at least two data lines. The transistors and the data lines of each adjacent pair of a reflective pixel and a transmissive pixel are arranged under the reflective pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Norbert LEISTER, Bo KROLL
  • Publication number: 20220357702
    Abstract: A method of computing a hologram by determining the wavefronts at the approximate observer eye position that would be generated by a real version of an object to be reconstructed. In normal computer generated holograms, one determines the wavefronts needed to reconstruct an object; this is not done directly in the present invention. Instead, one determines the wavefronts at an observer window that would be generated by a real object located at the same position of the reconstructed object. One can then back-transforms these wavefronts to the hologram to determine how the hologram needs to be encoded to generate these wavefronts. A suitably encoded hologram can then generate a reconstruction of the three-dimensional scene that can be observed by placing one's eyes at the plane of the observer window and looking through the observer window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Norbert LEISTER, Ralf HAUSSLER, Armin SCHWERDTNER
  • Patent number: 11493822
    Abstract: The invention relates to a diffractive optical element which comprises a first substrate and a second substrate, between which a liquid crystal layer is provided. The diffractive optical element also has strip-shaped electrodes on the first substrate and strip-shaped electrodes on the second substrate. The electrodes on the first substrate are arranged at an angle of greater than 50° relative to the electrodes on the second substrate. Furthermore, the electrodes on the first substrate and the electrodes on the second substrate are controllable in such a way that a defined out-of-plane field can be produced in a respective overlapping area of the electrodes on the first substrate with the electrodes on the second substrate. The diffractive optical element can be used in a display device for displaying preferably three-dimensional scenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Bo Kroll, Norbert Leister
  • Publication number: 20220326654
    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: June 20, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Gerald FUTTERER, Norbert LEISTER, Ralf HAUSSLER, Grigory LAZAREV
  • Patent number: 11460809
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods for computing holograms for holographic reconstruction of two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional scenes in a display apparatus, wherein a scene for reconstruction is broken down into object points and the object points are encoded as sub-holograms into at least one spatial light modulation device of the display apparatus. A reconstructed scene is viewed from a region of visibility. At least one virtual plane of the at least one spatial light modulation device is stipulated on the basis of a real plane of the spatial light modulation device. A computation of sub-holograms is performed in the at least one virtual plane of the at least one spatial light modulation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Bo Kroll, Norbert Leister
  • Publication number: 20220247982
    Abstract: The invention relates to a display apparatus which comprises an illumination device for emitting light, a spatial light modulation device for modulating incident light, an optical system and a control device. The optical system is provided for generating at least one image of the spatial light modulation device as a segment, where the optical system further comprises a deflection device for directing the image of the spatial light modulation device to a defined position in the field of view of a user. The control device is coupled to the illumination device and the deflection device and embodied to switch the illumination device on the basis of a control of the deflection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Bo KROLL, Norbert LEISTER, Jacob FUGAL, Robert MISSBACH
  • Patent number: 11397407
    Abstract: The invention relates to a holographic display device for representing a two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional scene. The holographic display device comprises at least one spatial light modulator device and an optical component. The at least one spatial light modulator device is provided in order to reconstruct the scene and in order to generate at least one virtual visibility region in an observer plane. The optical component is configured with at least two regions that have a different transparency to one another, the value of the transparency respectively lying between 0 and 1. Furthermore, the optical component is arranged in the display device in such a way that it provides filtering, to be carried out at least partially, of a diffraction order spot in at least one diffraction order inside the virtual visibility region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Norbert Leister, Ralf Haussler
  • Patent number: 11397406
    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: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Norbert Leister, Ralf Haussler, Gerald Futterer
  • Publication number: 20220229335
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Bo KROLL, Norbert LEISTER, Gerald FUTTERER, Robert MISSBACH, Stephan REICHELT
  • Patent number: 11392085
    Abstract: A method of computing a hologram by determining the wavefronts at the approximate observer eye position that would be generated by a real version of an object to be reconstructed. In normal computer generated holograms, one determines the wavefronts needed to reconstruct an object; this is not done directly in the present invention. Instead, one determines the wavefronts at an observer window that would be generated by a real object located at the same position of the reconstructed object. One can then back-transforms these wavefronts to the hologram to determine how the hologram needs to be encoded to generate these wavefronts. A suitably encoded hologram can then generate a reconstruction of the three-dimensional scene that can be observed by placing one's eyes at the plane of the observer window and looking through the observer window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Norbert Leister, Ralf Haussler, Armin Schwerdtner
  • Patent number: 11366426
    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: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Gerald Futterer, Norbert Leister, Ralf Haussler, Grigory Lazarev
  • Publication number: 20220179360
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for the three-dimensional representation of scenes comprising an illumination device and a spatial light modulation device for modulating incident light. A hologram is encoded into the spatial light modulation device and the hologram is composed of individual sub-holograms, in which an object point of an object of the scene to be reconstructed by the hologram is encoded in each case. The spatial light modulation device is illuminated with substantially coherent light by the illumination device in at least one illumination section. An amplitude distribution and a phase distribution for representing the scene and amplitude values and phase values derived therefrom are determined for encoding the spatial light modulation device. The amplitude of the light incident on the spatial light modulation device in the respective illumination section is set based on at least one parameter at least determined from the amplitude values in this illumination section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Norbert LEISTER, Grigory LAZAREV
  • Patent number: 11340457
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Norbert Leister, Bo Kroll, Gerald Futterer
  • Patent number: 11294246
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: SEEREAL TECHNOLOGIES S.A.
    Inventors: Bo Kroll, Norbert Leister, Gerald Futterer, Robert Missbach, Stephan Reichelt
  • Publication number: 20210278694
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Bo KROLL, Norbert LEISTER, Gerald FUTTERER, Robert MISSBACH, Stephan REICHELT
  • Publication number: 20210231996
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light modulation device for a complex-valued modulation of linearly polarized incident light, comprising a first light modulator, a subsequently arranged second light modulator and at least one polarizer, where the first light modulator and the second light modulator are configured as phase modulators, where a modulation axis of the first light modulator is aligned at an angle to the modulation axis of the second light modulator, and where the polarization direction of the light incident on the first light modulator and the polarization direction of the polarizer are respectively aligned at predetermined non-90° angles with respect to the modulation axis of the first light modulator and the modulation axis of the second light modulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventor: Norbert LEISTER