Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for displaying three-dimensional objects by individually diffracting different colors of light are provided. In one aspect, a system includes a display having a plurality of display elements and an optical device configured to diffract a plurality of different colors of light to the display. The optical device is configured such that, when the plurality of different colors of light is incident on the optical device, the optical device separates light of individual colors of the different colors while suppressing crosstalk between the different colors.

A LIDAR system for scene surveying comprises a spatial light modulator for displaying a diffractive pattern comprising a hologram of a light footprint, and a light source for illuminating the diffractive pattern to form a holographic reconstruction of the light footprint on a holographic replay plane in the scene. The light footprint comprises an array of light features. The system comprises a display driver for controlling the spatial light modulator and changing the diffractive pattern with time. The diffractive pattern is changed with time such that each light feature of the array of light features scans a respective sub-area of the scene. The system comprises a detection system having a plurality of light detecting elements and that is configured such that each light detecting element detects light from a respective individual field of view within the scene. Each sub-area of the scene contains a plurality of individual fields of view.

A method for light detection and ranging comprises a forming a first light pattern within a region of a scene by holographic projection. The first light pattern comprises n light spots arranged in a regular array. A light return signal is received from each light detection element of an array of light detection elements directed at the region of the scene. The intensity of the light return signals is assessed. If the light return signals do not meet at least one signal validation criterion, a second light pattern is formed within the region of the scene by holographic projection. The second light pattern comprises m light spots arranged in a regular array, wherein m ≠ n. A time-of-flight in association with each light spot of the second light pattern is then determined.

A LIDAR system comprises a spatial light modulator for displaying a diffractive pattern comprising a hologram of a structured light pattern that is projected onto a scene. The structured light pattern comprises an array of light spots and a light source for illuminating the diffractive pattern to form a holographic reconstruction of the light pattern. A detection subsystem comprises light detection elements that detect light from a respective individual field of view (FOV) of the scene and output a respective detected light signal. A first subset of the individual FOVs are illuminated by a light spot of the light pattern and a second subset are not illuminated by the light spot. The system comprises a processor for identifying noise in a first detected light signal, relating to an individual FOV of the first subset, using a second detected light signal, relating to an individual FOV of the second subset.

Provided is a holographic display apparatus including a light source configured to emit light; a spatial light modulator configured to sequentially generate hologram patterns for modulating the light and to sequentially reproduce frames of hologram images based on the hologram patterns; and a controller configured to provide hologram data signals to the spatial light modulator, the hologram data signals being used to sequentially generate the hologram patterns. The controller is configured to further provide, to the spatial light modulator, diffraction pattern data signals for forming periodic diffraction patterns for adjusting locations of the hologram images to be reproduced on a hologram image plane, the diffraction pattern data signals being configured to move the periodic diffraction patterns on the spatial light modulator along a predetermined direction for each of the frames.

A holographic projector comprises an image processing engine, a hologram engine, a display engine and a light source. The image processing engine is arranged to receive a source image for projection and generate a plurality of secondary images from a primary image based on the source image. The source image comprises pixels. Each secondary image may comprise fewer pixels than the source image. The plurality of secondary images are generated by sampling the primary image. The hologram engine is arranged to determine, such as calculate, a hologram corresponding to each secondary image to form a plurality of holograms. The display engine is arranged to display each hologram on the display device. The light source is arranged to Illuminate each hologram during display to form a holographic reconstruction corresponding to each secondary image on a replay plane. The primary image is selected from the group comprising: the source image and an intermediate image

Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for reconstructing three-dimensional objects with display zero order light suppression are provided. In one aspect, a method includes illuminating a display with light, a portion of the light illuminating display elements of the display, and modulating the display elements of the display with a hologram corresponding to holographic data to diffract the portion of the light to form a holographic scene corresponding to the holographic data, and to suppress display zero order light in the holographic scene. The display zero order light can include reflected light from the display.

There is provided a driver for a spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator comprises [m×n] pixels. The driver is arranged to receive input holograms each comprising [x×y] pixels, wherein m≥x and n≥y. The driver is further arranged to drive the spatial light modulator to display thereon output holograms each comprising [m×n] pixels by tiling each input hologram onto the pixels of the spatial light modulator to form an output hologram corresponding to each input hologram using a tiling scheme. The driver is arranged to use a first tiling scheme to display a first output hologram and a second tiling scheme to display a second output hologram. Each output hologram comprises a plurality of tiles of the input hologram. Each tiling scheme defines the size of each tile and the position of each tile on the pixels of the spatial light modulator.

The present invention provides an imaging method for an image, including the following steps: step 1: receiving image data, the image data including an image main data and image characteristic data; and step 10: processing the image main data according to the image characteristic data, generating the holographic image and outputting the holographic image. The present invention provides an imaging method and a data generation method for a holographic image, and an apparatus that include each characteristic element of the holographic image and can further improve the efficiency of each link in storage, transmission and conversion.

A display system (300) comprising an optical system and a processing system. The optical system comprising a spatial light modulator (380), a light source, a Fourier transform lens, a viewing system (320, 330) and a processing system. The spatial light modulator is arranged to display holographic data in the Fourier domain, illuminated by the light source. The Fourier transform lens is arranged to produce a 2D holographic reconstruction in the spatial domain (310) corresponding to the holographic data. The viewing system is arranged to produce a virtual image (350) of the 2D holographic reconstruction. The processing system is arranged to combine the Fourier domain data representative of a 2D image with Fourier domain data representative of a phase only lens to produce first holographic data, and provide the first holographic data to the optical system to produce a virtual image.