Three-dimensional (3d) electronic display

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) electronic displays provide different 3D views and employ one or both of an array of multibeam diffraction gratings arranged in offset rows and light valves having color filters. The displays include a plate light guide configured to guide light beams at a non-zero propagation angle, a multibeam diffraction grating configured to couple out a portion of the guided light beams as a plurality of light beams having different principal angular directions representing the different 3D views, and light valves configured to modulate the differently directed, coupled-out light beams. The multibeam diffraction grating may be a member of the array arranged in offset rows and the display may further include light valves having color filters. Alternately, the light valves include color filters and the display may further include the array of multibeam diffraction gratings arranged in offset rows.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A three-dimensional (3D) color electronic display, comprising:
 a plate light guide configured to guide light beams of different colors at different color-dependent propagation angles;   a multibeam diffraction grating at a surface of the plate light guide configured to diffractively couple out a portion of the guided light beams of each color as a separate plurality of coupled-out light beams of a respective different color, the coupled-out light beams of the respective different color separate pluralities having different principal angular directions representing different views of the 3D color electronic display; and   a plurality of light valves configured to modulate the coupled-out light beams of the respective different color separate pluralities, the light valves of the light valve plurality having color filters corresponding to the respective different colors of the coupled-out light beams.   
     
     
         11 . The 3D color electronic display of  claim 10 , wherein the principal angular directions of the coupled-out light beams is a function of the color-dependent propagation angle of the guided light beams. 
     
     
         12 . The 3D color electronic display of  claim 10 , wherein the different colors of the guided light beams comprise red, green and blue of a red-green-blue (RGB) color model, and wherein the color filters include a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter corresponding to the RGB color model, and wherein a view of the 3D color electronic display includes a red light beam, a green light beam and a blue light beam. 
     
     
         13 . The 3D color electronic display of  claim 10 , wherein the multibeam diffraction grating has a substantially rectangular shape with diffractive features comprising one or both of curved grooves in the plate light guide surface and curved ridges on the plate light guide surface. 
     
     
         14 . The 3D color electronic display of  claim 10 , wherein the multibeam diffraction grating is a member of an array of multibeam diffraction gratings arranged in a plurality of offset rows at the plate light guide surface, adjacent rows of the multibeam diffraction gratings being offset from one another in a row direction by about one half of a pitch of the multibeam diffraction gratings of the adjacent rows. 
     
     
         15 . The 3D color electronic display of  claim 14 , wherein a spacing between the adjacent rows of the multibeam diffraction gratings is about one half of the pitch of the multibeam diffraction gratings. 
     
     
         16 . The 3D color electronic display of  claim 10 , further comprising a light source having a plurality of optical emitters configured to emit the light beams of different colors, the light source being coupled to the plate light guide, wherein the optical emitters of the respective different colors are laterally offset from one another to determine the different color-dependent propagation angles of the different color guided light beams. 
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of 3D color electronic display operation, the method comprising:
 guiding within a plate light guide a plurality of light beams of different colors at different color-dependent propagation angles;   diffractively coupling out a portion of the guided light beams of each color as a separate plurality of coupled-out light beams of a respective different color using a multibeam diffraction grating at a surface of the plate light guide, the coupled-out light beams of the respective different color separate pluralities having different principal angular directions representing different views of the 3D color electronic display; and   modulating the coupled-out light beams of the respective different color separate pluralities using an array of light valves, the light valves of the light valve array having color filters corresponding to the respective different colors of the coupled-out light beams.   
     
     
         22 . The method of 3D color electronic display operation of  claim 21 , wherein the multibeam diffraction grating is a member of an array of multibeam diffraction gratings arranged in offset rows at the plate light guide surface, a first row of the multibeam diffraction gratings being offset in a row direction relative to a second row adjacent to the first row by about one half of a distance between the multibeam diffraction gratings in the adjacent offset rows, and wherein a spacing between the adjacent offset rows is about one half of the multibeam diffraction grating distance in the offset rows. 
     
     
         23 . The method of 3D color electronic display operation of  claim 21 , wherein the different colors of the guided light beams comprise red, green and blue of a red-green-blue (RGB) color model, and wherein the color filters include a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter corresponding to the RGB color model.