A predetermined lighting pattern is projected on a surface to be illuminated and the lighting pattern is displaced on the surface to be illuminated. A laser beam generated by a laser light source is broadened by a magnifying lens so as to generate a divergent light. The divergent light is shaped by the collimation lens into a parallel illumination light, and the parallel illumination light is caused to be incident on an incident plane of a diffraction optical element which records a hologram image. A diffracted light from the diffraction optical element forms the lighting pattern as a hologram reconstructed image on the surface to be illuminated. By translating the collimation lens by a collimation-lens drive unit along a movement plane that is orthogonal to an optical axis of the laser beam, the lighting pattern can be displaced on the surface to be illuminated.

There is disclosed herein an image projector arranged to project an image onto a display plane. The image projector comprises a processing engine, a display device, an optical element and a light source. The processing engine is arranged to output a computer-generated diffractive pattern comprising a hologram of an image for projection and a lens function corresponding to a lens having a first optical power. The display device is arranged to display the computer-generated diffractive pattern. The optical element is disposed between the display device to the display plane. The optical element has second optical power. The light source is arranged to provide off-axis illumination of the display device in order to spatially-modulated light in accordance with the hologram and lens function. The lens function of the computer-generated diffractive pattern and the optical element collectively perform a hologram transform of the hologram such that a reconstruction of the image is formed on the display plane. The display device is tilted with respect to the optical element by a first angle greater than zero. The display plane is tilted with respect to the optical element by a second angle greater than zero. The second angle is less than the first angle.

Provided are an apparatus for displaying a holographic image and a method of controlling the apparatus. The apparatus for displaying the holographic image includes a controller, a light source, an optical system, a spatial light modulator, a filter, an electric optical scanner, a multi-channel projection optics, and a screen. The spatial light modulator modulates a light beam passing through the optical system according to a predetermined subframe sequence of holographic image frames, the filter performs spatial-angular filtering of the modulated light beam to exclude parasitic diffraction order components from the modulated light beam, and the electric optical scanner directs the modulated and filtered light beam towards a corresponding channel of the multi-channel projection optics and forms a plurality of viewing zones on a focal plane of a field lens provided in the screen.

The invention enables a desired projection pattern on a surface to be illuminated, and enables a projection position and/or a projection orientation of the projection pattern to be changed. A laser beam is shaped into a parallel light, and an incident surface of a diffraction optical element recording a hologram image is irradiated with the parallel light. A projection pattern of an arrow oriented in a predetermined direction is projected as a hologram reconstructed image on a surface to be illuminated. An optical-element drive unit rotates the diffraction optical element about a rotation axis in a rotation plane orthogonal to an optical axis of a parallel incident light. By means of the rotation, a geometric positional relationship of the diffraction optical element with respect to the surface to be illuminated is changed, whereby an orientation of the arrow projection pattern on the surface can be changed.

A holographic security or identification device (10) comprises an object, or a flexible substrate (12) configured to be conformable to a desired, curved shape; and a plurality of structures (14) formed on or in the object to have a desired curved configuration, or formed in or associated with the substrate and arranged to adopt a desired curved configuration when the substrate is conformed to a desired shape, wherein the plurality of structures (14) are configured to receive light (20) of a selected at least one wavelength or range of wavelengths and to produce, using the received light, a desired holographic image (22) for security or identification purposes when in the desired configuration.

Provided is a lighting device capable of safely illuminating a region to be illuminated having a first direction while making its edge sharp. A lighting device illuminates a region to be illuminated extending in a first direction and extending in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The lighting device includes a light source and a diffractive optical element having a first hologram component and a second hologram component both of which diffract light from the light source and direct the light to the region to be illuminated, wherein the diffracted light from the first hologram component illuminates the entire region of the region to be illuminated and the diffracted light from the second hologram component illuminates the entire region of the region to be illuminated.

The invention enables a desired projection pattern on a surface to be illuminated, and enables a projection position and/or a projection orientation of the projection pattern to be changed. A laser beam is shaped into a parallel light, and an incident surface of a diffraction optical element recording a hologram image is irradiated with the parallel light. A projection pattern of an arrow oriented in a predetermined direction is projected as a hologram reconstructed image on a surface to be illuminated. An optical-element drive unit rotates the diffraction optical element about a rotation axis in a rotation plane orthogonal to an optical axis of a parallel incident light. By means of the rotation, a geometric positional relationship of the diffraction optical element with respect to the surface to be illuminated is changed, whereby an orientation of the arrow projection pattern on the surface can be changed.

Projection displays include a highlight projector and a main projector. Highlights projected by the highlight projector boost luminance in highlight areas of a base image projected by the main projector. Various highlight projectors including steerable beams, holographic projectors and spatial light modulators are described.

There is provided a holographic projection system arranged to project light to a rectangular replay field. The holographic projection system comprises: a spatial light modulator, comprising an array of pixels, arranged to receive a computer-generated hologram and output spatially-modulated light forming a holographic reconstruction at the rectangular replay field, wherein each pixel is rectangular; and a light source arranged to illuminate the plurality of pixels to form the spatially-modulated light forming a holographic reconstruction at the replay field, wherein the rectangular replay field is spatially separated from the spatial light modulator and the aspect ratio of the rectangular replay field is substantially equal to the aspect ratio of each pixel but orthogonally orientated.

A projector arranged to project an image within a display area on a display plane. The image comprises a light feature. A light sensor is spatially separated from the display plane. In an aligned state, light forming the light feature of the image on the display plane is at least partially disposed around the light sensor. In the aligned state, substantially no light forming the light feature impinges on the light sensor. The aligned state defines a selected alignment between the display area and the display plane (i.e. a selected position of the display area on the display plane).