A direct-retina holographic projection system includes first and second spatial light modulators (SLMs) and a control module. The first SLM receives a beam of light and dithers the beam of light at a predetermined frequency to provide multiple instances of the beam of light. The second SLM receives the instances of the beam of light, displays an encoded phase hologram of a graphic image to be projected, and diffracts the instances of the beam of light to provide instances of the encoded phase hologram with the same graphic image but multiplied with dithered wavefronts. The control module: iteratively adjusts a parameter of the first SLM to generate the instances of the beam of light; and controls operation of the second SLM to, based on the instances of the beam of light, display multiple instances of the graphic image on a retina of an eye of a viewer.

An illumination device has a coherent light source that emits coherent light beam, and an optical device that diffuses the coherent light beam, wherein the optical device comprises a first diffusion region that diffuses the coherent light beam to illuminate a first area, and a second diffusion region that diffuses the coherent light beam to display predetermined information in a second area.

An illumination device has a coherent light source that emits coherent light beam, and an optical device that diffuses the coherent light beam, wherein the optical device comprises a first diffusion region that diffuses the coherent light beam to illuminate a first area, and a second diffusion region that diffuses the coherent light beam to display predetermined information in a second area.

A display engine arranged to generate patterns for display by a display device. The display engine is arranged to generate a pattern comprising a first pattern area comprising a first hologram of a first image for projection onto a first image plane and a first lens area of a first lens function having first optical power. The pattern further comprises a second pattern area comprising a second hologram of a second image for projection onto a second image plane and a first lens area of a second lens function having second optical power. The first optical power and the second optical power are different, such that the first image and second image are projected different distances from the pattern when the pattern is illuminated.

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.

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.

An illumination device for illuminating a spatial light modulator device. Sub-holograms are used for encoding a hologram into the spatial light modulator device. The Illumination device includes at least one light source for emitting light for illuminating the spatial light modulator device and a beam shaping unit. The beam shaping unit provides a flat-top plateau-type distribution of an absolute value of a complex degree of mutual coherence of the light in a plane of the spatial light modulator device to be illuminated. The flat-top plateau-type distribution of the absolute value of the complex degree of mutual coherence has a shape that is at least similar to a shape of the largest sub-hologram used for encoding of object points into the spatial light modulator device.

An illumination device for illuminating a spatial light modulator device. Sub-holograms are used for encoding a hologram into the spatial light modulator device. The Illumination device includes at least one light source for emitting light for illuminating the spatial light modulator device and a beam shaping unit. The beam shaping unit provides a flat-top plateau-type distribution of an absolute value of a complex degree of mutual coherence of the light in a plane of the spatial light modulator device to be illuminated. The flat-top plateau-type distribution of the absolute value of the complex degree of mutual coherence has a shape that is at least similar to a shape of the largest sub-hologram used for encoding of object points into the spatial light modulator device.

A holographic projector includes a spatial light modulator, a light receiving member and a driver. The spatial light modulator is arranged to receive and represent a computer-generated hologram and spatially modulate light incident on the spatial light modulator to form a holographic reconstruction in accordance with the computer-generated hologram. The light receiving member is arranged to receive spatially modulated light along an optical axis from the spatial light modulator and the holographic reconstruction is formed on the light receiving member. The driver is coupled to the light receiving member to move the light receiving member in a plane. The driver is configured to move the light receiving member while maintaining an orientation of the light receiving member relative to the spatial light modulator substantially constant.

A holographic projector includes a spatial light modulator, a light receiving member and a driver. The spatial light modulator is arranged to receive and represent a computer-generated hologram and spatially modulate light incident on the spatial light modulator to form a holographic reconstruction in accordance with the computer-generated hologram. The light receiving member is arranged to receive spatially modulated light along an optical axis from the spatial light modulator and the holographic reconstruction is formed on the light receiving member. The driver is coupled to the light receiving member to move the light receiving member in a plane. The driver is configured to move the light receiving member while maintaining an orientation of the light receiving member relative to the spatial light modulator substantially constant.