3D Fiber Plate Display Light Field Converter with Curved Focal Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light field projectors suffer from a narrow useful field of view (UFOV) due to their curved focal surfaces, leading to user discomfort and limited angular separation, which is not effectively addressed by existing stereoscopic and simple light field approaches.
Innovation Solution
A light field converter system utilizing a coherent fiber optic plate with a micro-lens array, where the lenslets have a focal surface conforming to the plate's surface, transforming 2D images into a 3D light field, providing a wide field of view and correcting color aberrations, and an inexpensive manufacturing method for key elements, along with a computationally efficient method to determine required 2D images for 3D image projection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a conventional light field projector uses a lenslet array with a curved focal surface, then the system can project 3D images, but the useful field of view is narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by using a ball lens to create a curved focal surface that matches the spherical geometry. This curved surface allows for an expanded useful field of view compared to conventional flat or simple curved surfaces, as the spherical geometry naturally distributes light rays across a wider angular range while maintaining focus quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fiber-optic face plate as an intermediary element between the lenslet array and the image display device. This face plate transfers images from the curved focal surface of the ball lens to a flat surface, enabling the system to achieve both the wide field of view provided by the curved surface and the manufacturing simplicity of a flat display interface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a stereoscopic display uses angular separation to create 3D effect, then the 3D perception is achieved, but the visual system experiences conflict between distance cues causing user discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of image projection from angular separation alone to a combination of angular separation and focal distance variation. By using a ball lens with a curved focal surface, different regions of the display provide different focal distances, allowing the visual system to receive consistent depth cues from both convergence and accommodation, thereby eliminating the visual conflict that causes discomfort.
3Area of stationary object
If a fiber-optic face plate is used to transfer images from a curved focal surface to a flat surface, then the field of view is expanded, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber-optic face plate serves as an intermediary that decouples the optical requirements (curved focal surface for wide FOV) from the manufacturing requirements (flat surface for easy fabrication). The face plate naturally guides light from the curved focal surface to the flat output surface through total internal reflection, achieving wide field of view without requiring complex curved manufacturing processes.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional light field projectors use a flat display surface, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the useful field of view remains narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces spherical curvature at the focal surface of the ball lens to expand the useful field of view, while maintaining a flat display surface for manufacturing simplicity. The curved focal surface naturally distributes light across a wider angular range, and the fiber-optic face plate preserves this wide FOV while providing a flat output surface that is easy to manufacture and interface with standard display technologies.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves a wide field of view and corrects chromatic aberrations, reducing user discomfort and improving the effectiveness of 3D image projection, while being cost-effective and computationally efficient.
Implementation Method 1
a coherent optical fiber plate including a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the optical fiber plate has a first surface and a second surface
Implementation Method 2
an array of lenslets arranged along the second surface, wherein the array of lenslets is configured to have a focal surface conforming to the second surface of the optical fiber plate. Wherein the light field converter is operable to transform pixels from each of the plurality of two-dimensional images into corresponding diverging rays
Data Source
AI summary
An image display device, including a light-emitting pixel array operable to emit a plurality of two-dimensional images each comprising a plurality of pixels; a light field converter comprising a coherent optical fiber plate including a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the optical fiber plate has a first surface and a second surface, and an array of lenslets arranged along the second surface, wherein the array of lenslets is configured to have a focal surface conforming to the second surface of the optical fiber plate; wherein the light field converter is operable to transform pixels from each of the plurality of two-dimensional images into corresponding diverging rays; wherein the diverging rays form virtual three-dimensional image in an image-forming region.