Autostereoscopic display and spatial light modulator

United States Patent [w]

Woodgate et al.

US005917562A [ii] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

5,917,562 Jun. 29,1999

[54] AUTOSTEREOSCOPIC DISPLAY AND SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR

[75] Inventors: Graham John Woodgate, Oxfordshire;

Jonathan Harrold, Oxford; David
Ezra; Basil Arthur Omar, both of
Oxfordshire; Edward Peter Raynes,

Oxford, all of United Kingdom

[73] Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, Japan

[21] Appl. No.: 08/573,155

[22] Filed: Dec. 15, 1995

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data

Dec. 16, 1994 [GB] United Kingdom 9425607

Oct. 13, 1995 [GB] United Kingdom 9521054

[51] Int. CI.6 G02F 1/1335; G02F 1/136;

G02B 27/22; G02B 27/26

[52] U.S. CI 349/15; 349/46; 349/96;

349/98; 359/462; 359/465

[58] Field of Search ;358/88, 89, 90,

358/91, 92; 348/51, 57, 58, 59, 60; 349/15, 96, 98; 359/462, 464, 465; H04N 13/00, 13/04, 15/00

[56] References Cited

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Primary Examiner—-William L. Sikes
Assistant Examiner—Toan Ton

An autostereoscopic display of the invention includes: an illumination source for producing light of a first polarization and light of a second polarization different from the first polarization; a spatial light modulator for modulating the light of the first polarization and the light of the second polarization from the illumination source; and an optical system for directing the light of the first polarization to a first viewing region and the light of the second polarization to a second viewing region, wherein the spatial light modulator includes: a first polarization adjusting member for transmitting the light of the first polarization and substantially preventing transmission of the light of the second polarization; a second polarization adjusting member for transmitting the light of the second polarization and substantially preventing transmission of the light of the first polarization; and first and second groups of picture elements optically aligned with the first and second polarization adjusting member, respectively.

51 Claims, 25 Drawing Sheets