Implementations of a compressive light field projection system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the compressive light field projection system utilizes a pair of light modulators, such as digital micromirror devices (DMDs), that interact to produce a light field. The light field is then projected via a projection lens onto a screen, which may be an angle expanding projection screen that includes a Fresnel lens for straightening the views of the light field and either a double lenticular array of Keplerian lens pairs or a single lenticular, for increasing the field of view. In addition, compression techniques are disclosed for generating patterns to place on the pair of light modulators so as to reduce the number of frames needed to recreate a light field.

Disclosed by the present application are a laser projection device and projection display method thereof, belonging to the technical field of laser projection. The laser projection device may comprise: a light source, a light modulation device, and a projection lens. The light source is used for providing an illumination beam. The light modulation device is used for modulating the illumination beam, at least two illumination beams being incident on at least two light-reflecting surfaces of the light modulating device, the light-reflecting surface types of the at least two light-reflecting surfaces being different, and the at least two illumination beams after modulation being of different light intensity; the projection lens is used for projecting the modulated illumination beam for imaging. The described laser projection device improves the display of the projected image.

Projection systems and/or methods for efficient use of light by recycling a portion of the light energy for future use are disclosed. In one embodiment, a projection display system is disclosed comprising a light source; an integrating rod that receives light from said light source at a proximal end that comprise a reflective surface which may reflecting/recycle light down said integrating rod; of reflecting light down said integrating rod; a relay optical system, said relay optical system further comprising optical elements that are capable of moving the focal plane of the projector display system; and a modulator comprising at least one moveable mirror that reflects light received from the integrating rod in either a projection direction or a light recycling direction.

A novel high efficiency image projection system includes a beam-steering modulator, an amplitude modulator, and a controller. In a particular embodiment the controller generates beam-steering drive values from image data and uses the beam-steering drive values to drive the beam-steering modulator. Additionally, the controller utilizes the beam-steering drive values to generate a lightfield simulation of a lightfield projected onto the amplitude modulator by the beam-steering modulator. The controller utilizes the lightfield simulation to generate amplitude drive values for driving the amplitude modulator in order to project a high quality version of the image described by the image data.

A hybrid projector architecture combines steered light with unsteered light. In some embodiments the steered light is narrowband light and the unsteered light is broadband light. Splitting between the steered and unsteered light may be determined based on luminance level. For example, the unsteered light may contribute a large proportion of the light for luminance levels up to a threshold. The steered light may contribute an increasing proportion of the light as luminance values rise above the threshold.

A digital PSF for use in a dual modulation display. The invention allows the use of less than optimal point spread (PSF) functions in the optics between the pre-modulator and primary modulator of a dual modulation projection system. This technique uses multiple halftones per frame in the pre-modulator synchronized with a modified bit sequence in the primary modulator to produce a compensation image that reduces the errors produced by the sub-optimal PSF. The invention includes the application to dual modulation and dual modulated 3D viewing systems.

An apparatus for high dynamic range (HDR) modulation includes one or more lasers configured to transmit respective beams of laser light with a single color mode and a PLM optically coupled to the one or more lasers. The PLM is configured to modulate the laser light to produce a first modulated light. The apparatus also includes a phosphor optically coupled to the PLM and configured to receive at least a first portion of the first modulated light from the PLM and to emit a phosphor light with multiple color modes. At least one spatial light modulator (SLM) is also optically coupled to the phosphor and configured to modulate the multiple color modes in the phosphor light and the single color mode to project a second modulated light.

A projection system can include a first modulator including a plurality of pixels in a first modulator surface, a second modulator including a plurality of pixels in a second modulator surface, and an intermediate imaging optical unit, which images the first modulator surface onto the second modulator surface, wherein the intermediate imaging optical unit includes a first lens having a convex side and wherein the convex side of the first lens is a free-form surface, which is not spherical and not rotationally symmetric and does not exhibit any mirror symmetry.

A display system for a vehicle includes a display unit mounted to the vehicle and is selectively operable in a first mode as a holographic display and in a second mode as a mirror. Holographic images may include rear view images obtained from a camera or computer generated graphics. Holographic images are displayed at a virtual image plane behind the display to reduce the operator's eyes accommodation.

A novel projection system includes a base signal source, a highlight signal source, a base/highlight destination, and a shared optical element. A base signal provided by the base source and a highlight signal provided by the highlight source are combined by the shared optical element. In a particular embodiment, the base signal source and the highlight signal source each include a light source, a spatial light modulator, and optics, and the base/highlight destination includes optics and a spatial light modulator. In a more particular embodiment, the base signal source and the highlight source provide spatially modulated lightfields to the shared optical element. In another particular embodiment, the base signal and the highlight signal are modulated by the spatial light modulator of the base/highlight destination after being combined.