Abstract: The invention relates to a display device for representing a three-dimensional scene, comprising a light source array, a lenticular system and a data display in this order, but not necessarily immediately following one another, and a corresponding method for representing a three-dimensional scene. The object thereof is to enlarge the observer region of a 3D display in such a way that this simultaneously provides a plurality of observers with the option of perceiving the 3D scene on the 3D display. This is achieved by an aforementioned display device with a multiplexing element, which follows the data display and can be used to distribute light incident from the data display into a plurality of angle segments, and by an aforementioned method, in which, in an additional step, a multiplexing element distributes the light coming from the data display in a plurality of angle segments.

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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A liquid-crystal device having at least one first electrode arranged in a first plane, and a plurality of second electrodes arranged in a second plane essentially parallel to the first plane, a liquid-crystal layer arranged between the first plane and the second plane, which liquid-crystal layer is formed to modify a property of light passing through the liquid-crystal layer, as a function of the level of an electrical voltage applied between one first electrode and one second electrode. The liquid-crystal device has electrodes formed and arranged in such that a transverse electric field can be generated in an intermediate region between neighboring second electrodes, which orientates the liquid crystals contained in the intermediate region to cause, directly an amplitude reduction of light passing through the intermediate region of the liquid-crystal device, which is greater than an amplitude reduction of the light passing through the liquid-crystal layer outside the intermediate region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lighting device having a planer optical fiber and at least one light source device for illuminating a controllable spatial light modulator, wherein the optical fiber comprises a light-conducting core and a cover coating, and the light modulator comprises a pixel matrix, the light source device is disposed on the side of the optical fiber, and the light emitted by at least one light source of the light source device propagates laminarly in the optical fiber. The lighting unit according to the invention is characterized in that the planar optical fiber comprises a deflecting coating having a selective polarization function for laminarly decoupling and deflecting the evanescent wave field of the light propagating in the optical fiber, wherein the thickness of the cover coating reduces in the direction of light propagation.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: In known light modulation means, complex phase and amplitude values for modulating light waves are implemented and modulated either separately by two different light modulation means or a light modulation means having two layers of double-refracting materials, leading to increased expenses for material and adjustment. A new device is disclosed that simplifies the modulation of light waves in phase and amplitude in a single light modulation means made of double-refracting material. In a device having regularly disposed, controllable light-modulated elements having a double-refracting material for complex modulation of coherent light waves, and a modulation controller controlling the force-induced alignment of the optical axes of the molecules of the double-refracting material, means are provided for independently aligning the optical axes of the molecules in the light-modulating elements in two dimensions. The alignment can take place by electrical, magnetic, or optical acting means.

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.

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.

Abstract: Spatial light modulator configured as a periodic structure of polymer grating layers arranged essentially at equal distances and intermediate spaces to form a periodic grating structure. The surfaces bounding the periodic grating structure have electrodes influencing the refractive index of the active optical medium by an electric field. The electrodes have a pixelated arrangement and can be driven independently of each other with an electrical voltage. The orientation layer thickness and grating period of the periodic grating structure are configured so that they do not correspond to the Bragg condition for the light from at least one light source, and so that for light from the at least one light source incident on the spatial light modulator the light fraction deviated owing to Bragg diffraction is less than the undeviated transmitted light fraction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a light modulator device with a spatial light modulator, a structured polariser means, a controllable polarisation means and a light wave multiplexing means. The spatial light modulator comprises discretely addressable modulator cells. Two modulator cells each are combined to form a modulation element. The modulator cells modulate light waves which are capable of generating interference of a propagating light wave field with holographic information in a spatially structured way such that a specifiable spatial distribution of object light points of a three-dimensional scene is holographically reconstructed. The modulator cells of each modulation element are adjacently arranged regarding the direction of propagation of the light wave field. The light which is modulated by adjacently arranged modulator cells is given different polarisation states by the structured polarizer means.

Abstract: A method for encoding computer-generated holograms in pixelated light modulators, the encoding area of which comprises a pixel matrix whose pixels are provided with a pixel form and a pixel transparency, wherein the encoding area contains a hologram made up of sub-holograms, to each of which is assigned an object point of the object to be reconstructed by the hologram. The corruption of the reconstruction of the hologram caused by the real pixel form and the pixel transparency is largely eliminated and the computing time for correction of the hologram is reduced. Each individual computer-generated sub-hologram is multiplied by a correction function, and only thereafter the corrected sub-holograms are added up to form a total hologram, the correction function being based on the reciprocal of the transform of the pixel function (e.g. 1/sinc) associated with the virtual observer window.

Abstract: A head-mounted display device for generating reconstructions of three-dimensional representations including a frame, in which at least one light source, at least one optical system and at least one encodable light modulator are situated, wherein the light modulator with an encoding of a wavefront of the three-dimensional representation in the encoding area is positioned at the place of an observer window defined in an observer plane or the light modulator with an encoding of a hologram of the wavefront of the three-dimensional representation in the encoding area is positioned in the region closely in front of the observer window for transforming the hologram into the observer window. When the light modulators are illuminated, complex wavefronts of the three-dimensional representation are situated in the observer window and the reconstruction of the three-dimensional representation is visible in a visual cone spanned by the observer window and the light modulator.

Abstract: A device for holographic reconstruction of three-dimensional scenes includes optical focusing means which directs sufficiently coherent light from light means to the eyes of at least one observer via a spatial light modulator that is encoded with holographic information. The device has a plurality of illumination units for illuminating the surface of the spatial light modulator; each unit comprises a focusing element, and a light means that emits sufficiently coherent light such that each of these illumination units illuminates one separate illuminated region of the surface, whereby the focusing element and the light means are arranged such that the light emitted by the light means coincides close to or at the observer eyes.

Abstract: A holographic projection display for reconstructing a 3D-scene and a coding method that indicates an improvement of the control value of coding through an iterative Fourier transformations-algorithm are disclosed. The display includes a reproduction system including at least two reproducing means. First reproduction means for reproducing the illuminating means and for the Fourier transformation of actual wave fronts modulated in the phase modulator follow a second reproduction means, that functions as a screen. The plane of the screen is a Fourier transformation plane for calculations with the iterative Fourier transformation-algorithm and the plane of the phase modulator is the other Fourier transformation plane.

Abstract: A holographic reconstruction system is disclosed with spatial light modulation means, modulating interferable light waves from light sources with at least one video hologram, comprising optical focusing means, focusing the modulated light waves with the reconstructed object light points for at least one eye position for the eyes of observers and controllable electro-optical deflector means, which direct the focused modulated light waves with the reconstructed light points to at least one eye position in order to reduce the aberrations. The reconstruction system has the optical focusing means in a field of focusing elements, wherein each focusing element is provided with at least one interferable light source. The electro-optical deflector means lie in the light path of the interferable light waves after the optical focusing mean and have at least one field of deflector elements, which has at least one separately controllable electro-optical deflector element for each focusing element.

Abstract: A 3D display device with controllable device for tracking visibility regions is disclosed, and includes a controllable device for tracking a visibility region, generated by way of superposition of light source images, in a observer plane of the display device. In preferred embodiments, the cladding of a waveguide comprises at least one material with optical properties of an anisotropic liquid, or at least two materials with optical properties of an isotropic liquid; a matrix arrangement of control electrodes defines multiple positions to be generated for local exit points in the cladding of the waveguide at which the total reflection is locally cancelled; and a system controller modifies positions of the output coupling points for superposing the output-coupled light through the lens array to the visibility region by displacing an output coupling point, or by switching off one output coupling point and switching on another one.

Abstract: A holographic reconstruction device is designed such that visible resolution of the reconstruction of a scene is matched to the resolution capability of the human eye, to the imaging properties of the reconstruction means used or to the resolution capability of the light modulation means used. A grid scale for the object points is generated by system control means in each case in a plane of intersection, which grid scale cannot be used to separately resolve adjacent object points in the plane of intersection, and the compilation of object points of the respective plane of intersection to form an object point group with adjacent object points which can be separately resolved is carried out. In holographic displays, the invention is used to reduce speckle patterns and reduce the number of the holograms of object points of the scene, which are to be calculated and coded, and the calculation complexity.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for reconstructing a 3D scene made of object points in a holographic display, wherein the reconstruction is visible from a visibility region. Visibility and/or covering of parts of the 3D scene corresponding to the real parameters is realized, with the reconstruction, for a viewer from every place of the visibility region. Processor means generate a spatial point matrix for defining the positions of individual object points, which are assigned predetermined intensity and phase values. Within the visibility region, a complex-value wave front for each single object point is calculated. The intensity values of the object points are multiplied with the associated visibility function, to determine a common modified wave front of the object points, transformed into the plane of a light modulator to calculate modified control values for the object points.

Abstract: Disclosed is a display for the holographic reconstruction of a three-dimensional scene using means which allow a reduction of speckle patterns. Speckle patterns result in the graining of a holographic reconstruction and worsen the quality thereof. The 3D scene is incoherently superimposed with itself chronologically or spatially in the eye of the observer. The modulated wave fronts of each reconstructed object point of the scene are shifted relative to themselves in the reconstruction beam path and superimposed in the eye of the observer. The shifting may occur one-dimensionally and two-dimensionally. Each object point is multiplied with itself in the eye of the observer in accordance with the number of the shifted wave fronts. The various speckle patterns over which the eye of the observer averages are also multiplied. Speckle patterns are reduced and the reconstruction quality is thus increased in holographic displays.