Relay systems

Abstract

Relay systems may be incorporated into optical systems to direct light from at least one image source to a viewing volume. Light from a plurality of image sources may be directed by relay systems to a viewing volume. Some light from the plurality of image sources may be occluded by an occlusion system to reduce undesirable artifacts in when the relayed light from the plurality of image sources are observed in the viewing volume.

1 . An optical system, comprising
 a first input interface configured to receive light along a first set of light paths from a first image source, wherein the light from the first image source is operable to define a first image surface;   a second input interface configured to receive light along a second set of light paths from a second image source, wherein the light from the second image source is operable to define a second image surface; and   a relay system configured to direct the received light from the first and second image sources to a viewing volume, wherein at least one of the first and second image surfaces is relayed by the relay system into the viewing volume;   wherein at least one of the first and second image sources comprises a light field display, and the first set of light paths are determined according to a four-dimensional (4D) function defined by the light field display such that each light path from the light field display has a set of spatial coordinates and angular coordinates in a first four-dimensional coordinate system.   
     
     
         2 . The optical system of  claim 1 , wherein the other one of the at least one of the first and second image sources comprises: a 2D display surface, a stereoscopic display surface, an autostereoscopic display surface, a multi-view display surface, a volumetric 3D display surface, a second light field display surface, a surface of a real-world object emitting light, or a surface of a real-world object reflecting light. 
     
     
         3 . The optical system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the first and second image surfaces comprises: an image surface projected from a 2D display surface, an image surface projected from a stereoscopic display surface, an image surface projected from an autostereoscopic display surface, an image surface projected from a multi-view display surface, an image surface of a volumetric 3D display, a surface of a holographic object, a surface of a real-world object, or a relayed image of the surface of the real-world object. 
     
     
         4 . The optical system of  claim 1 , wherein the first image source comprises the light field display, and the first image surface comprises a surface of a holographic object; and further wherein the second image source comprises a 2D display surface, a stereoscopic display surface, an autostereoscopic display surface, a multi-view display surface, a volumetric 3D display surface, a second light field display surface, a surface of a real-world object emitting light, or a surface of a real-world object reflecting light. 
     
     
         5 . The optical system of  claim 4 , wherein the second image surface comprises an image surface projected from a 2D display surface, an image surface projected from a stereoscopic display surface, an image surface projected from an autostereoscopic display surface, an image surface projected from a multi-view display surface, an image surface of a volumetric 3D display, a surface of a holographic object, or a surface of a real-world object, or a relayed image of the surface of the real-world object. 
     
     
         6 . The optical system of  claim 1 , further comprising an occlusion system optically preceding at least one of the first and second input interface, the occlusion system configured to occlude a portion of light from at least one of the first and second image sources. 
     
     
         7 . The optical system of  claim 6 , wherein both the first and second image surfaces are relayed by the relay system into the viewing volume to define first and second relayed image surfaces, respectively, and wherein the occluded portion of the light corresponds to a relayed occluded portion of at least one of the first and second relayed image surfaces, the relayed occluded portion being observable in the viewing volume as being occluded by the other one of the first and second relayed image surfaces. 
     
     
         8 . The optical system of  claim 6 , wherein only one of the first and second image surfaces is relayed into the viewing volume to define a relayed image surface in the viewing volume, and wherein the occluded portion of the light corresponds to an occluded portion of the other one of the first and second image surface observable in the viewing volume as being occluded by the relayed image surface. 
     
     
         9 . The optical system of  claim 6 , wherein only one of the first and second image surfaces is relayed into the viewing volume to define a relayed image surface in the viewing volume, and wherein the occluded portion of the light corresponds to a relayed occluded portion of the relayed image surface, the relayed occluded portion being observable in the viewing volume as being occluded by the other one of the first and second image surfaces. 
     
     
         10 . The optical system of  claim 6 , further comprising an additional occlusion system optically preceding the other one of the at least one of the first and second input interface, the additional occlusion system configured to occlude a portion of light from the other one of the at least one of the first and second image sources. 
     
     
         11 . The optical system of  claim 6 , wherein the occlusion system comprises at least one occlusion layer. 
     
     
         12 . The optical system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one occlusion layer comprises one or more individually addressable elements. 
     
     
         13 . The optical system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more individually addressable elements comprise occlusion sites configured to block a portion of incident light or parallax barriers. 
     
     
         14 . The optical system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more occlusion layers comprises one or more transparent LED panels, transparent OLED panels, LC panels, or other panels operable to selectively occlude light. 
     
     
         15 . The optical system of  claim 12 , wherein
 light from the first image source defines a foreground surface in the viewing volume in front of a background surface defined by light from the second image source in the viewing volume, and;   the at least one occlusion layer is located in front of second image source and is operable to define an occlusion region having a size and shape scaled to that of the foreground surface so that an occluded portion of the background surface cannot be observed behind the foreground surface.   
     
     
         16 . The optical system of  claim 15 , wherein a distance between the at least one occlusion layer and the second image source is substantially equal to a distance between the foreground surface and the background surface. 
     
     
         17 . The optical system of  claim 15 , wherein the occlusion region defined by the at least one occlusion layer is relayed to the viewing volume to substantially coincide with the foreground surface. 
     
     
         18 . The optical system of  claim 15 , wherein optical system further comprises a controller operable to coordinate a movement of the occlusion region with a movement of an image surface in the viewing volume. 
     
     
         19 . The optical system of  claim 11 , wherein the relay system comprises a mechanical mechanism operable to impart a motion of the relay system relative to the at least one occlusion layer and the first and second image sources. 
     
     
         20 . The optical system of  claim 1 , wherein the relay system further comprises a controller operable to coordinate a movement of the relay system with a movement of an image surface defined in the viewing volume. 
     
     
         21 .- 505 . (canceled)