Apple patents glasses-free interactive holographic touchscreen display

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2014
Apple on Tuesday was granted a patent for an advanced device display that uses lasers, micro lenses and sensors to not only output a three-dimensional holographic image, but detect how a user interacts with it in real time.


Source: USPTO


As published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's U.S. PatentNo. 8,847,919 for an "Interactive holographic display device" relates to an advanced two-dimensional panel that can display three-dimensional images without the aid of spinning mirrors, steam or other mediums. Further, Apple's invention is capable of supporting touchscreen technology, meaning it might one day find use in an iPhone, iPad or other multitouch electronic.




The theory behind Apple's holographic display patent deals mainly with beams of light. For example, a computer rendering engine can generate multiple views of an on-screen object, each at varying angles. Using this information, a single light source can produce one or more beams of light that are directed through an LCD panel and lens assembly to form a holographic image operable to the location of the user.

The lens assembly is made up of micro lenses that each deflect emitted laser light at a specific angle in relation to the observer. By applying a modulation function to the light beam, the system can activate light beams at desired micro lens locations, while leaving other deactivated. With the beams deflected through the micro lens array, the system can create a three-dimensional illusion of the desired object.




Further, optical sensors disposed around the lens array are able to detect interaction with the displayed image by sensing reflected light bouncing off a user's finger. To increase accuracy, phase-shift between signals of modulated infrared lasers and incoming reflected light is used to triangulate finger positioning. This also enabled multitouch gesture support.

Single-finger gestures can be used to turn or move the holographic object, while two-finger pinch gestures can realize scale. Inertia data based on finger speed can also be applied to the generated image, lending a sense of mass to the holographic object.




The patent goes on to explain 3D mapping engines, a detailed overview of micro lens arrangements, descriptions of sensor operation and exemplary hardware setups.

Apple's holographic display patent was filed for in February 2011 and credits Christoph Horst Krah as its inventor.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22

    I can see it now. An Iphone with Princess Lea above it  : Ben Kenobi, you're our only hope!   The evil empire... Google and Microsoft, must fall to the republic of Apple ;-).

  • Reply 2 of 22
    I emailed this idea to Steve before he died. It was my idea, folks.

    TedWin
  • Reply 3 of 22
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member

    Bah... you call that innovation? Ha ha ha ha... get thee behind me Scamsung!

  • Reply 4 of 22
    That is the obvious future.
    Doing it well will be the gist. This is just one of many possible ways.
    Go Apple, go!
  • Reply 5 of 22

    Is this our chance to return to smaller iPhone hardware again?

  • Reply 6 of 22
    Looking at the size of the screen and sensors... we may see this on an Apple Watch.
  • Reply 7 of 22
    Interesting. Looks like the display would only work for one user. And the display would have to track the observer pretty closely to project the image properly. I wonder what the view angle tolerance is; that is, how big is the "sweet spot" where the image looks right.
  • Reply 8 of 22
    Can' wait for HomeKit to include J.A.R.V.I.S. support!

    [IMG]http://www.robotspacebrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IronManComputerDisplay.png[/IMG]
  • Reply 9 of 22
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    Before it eas announced I had hoped the ?Watch would display in 3D to replicate all the different timepiece-styles, making them look like hardware clocks.

    Maybe someday...
  • Reply 10 of 22
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    iqatedo wrote: »
    Bah... you call that innovation? Ha ha ha ha... get thee behind me Scamsung!

    Pffft!! that's not innovation!!

    if Samsung copied this and made a bigger version, now THAT would be innovation!!
  • Reply 11 of 22
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cali View Post





    Pffft!! that's not innovation!!



    if Samsung copied this and made a bigger version, now THAT would be innovation!!



    Ha ha ha, you actually read my post! I guess the white texting can quickly become tiresome.

     

    Regardless, according to Eric Schmidt, SS not only has this but had Princess Leia before George Lucas did. Shocking but not true!

  • Reply 12 of 22
    copeland wrote: »
    Is this our chance to return to smaller iPhone hardware again?

    Let's hope so.
  • Reply 13 of 22
    Amazon fire phone proved 3D was the next big thing. /s
  • Reply 14 of 22
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post



    Amazon fire phone proved 3D was the next big thing. /s



    For all 12 people. <img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" /><img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" /><img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" /><img class=" src="http://forums-files.appleinsider.com/images/smilies//lol.gif" /> 

     

    (P.S. Yes, I know his response was sarcastic... The whole /s, the post, and pretty much anyone with common sense were all dead give-aways... ????)

  • Reply 15 of 22
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by copeland View Post

     

    Is this our chance to return to smaller iPhone hardware again?




    It could only do so if the image it projected was larger than the surface of the screen.   But since anything it's going to project is going to have transparency (assuming it's at all similar to either holography or concepts of such devices), I don't think it's going to work well for web pages, email documents, etc.   And therefore, you'll still need a larger screen to read such documents effectively.   

     

    And let's not forget that this is just a patent.   It doesn't mean that a product is ever going to come out of it.

     

    I think iPhone sizes are much ado about nothing.   I looked at the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in-person yesterday and after doing so, my iPhone 5 screen suddenly seemed too small.   Also, I had no problem placing the Plus in the pocket of my khakis, although tight jeans might be another issue.   The 6 is such a small increment in size over the 5, I really don't understand why people have a problem with it.    And if the 6+ is too big for you, that's why the 6 (as well as the 5s and 5c) is available.   

  • Reply 16 of 22
    I was initially a physics major at a university in the 80s, with the hope of studying and doing research & development in holography. Unfortunately, calculus was my brick wall. But holography was always my first love as a career. I still to this day follow the advancements in the field, and this patent by Apple makes me very excited to see TRUE holographic devices and television, etc., (not faux 3-D that require special glasses) finally come to fruition. The vast amounts of computing power have limited the advance of this technology up until now. I wonder how long before this technology finally comes to market.

    As an old-time holography buff, I'm stoked! :-)
  • Reply 17 of 22
    Que Samsung's version of it in 3...2...
  • Reply 18 of 22
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by eckergus View Post



    Can' wait for HomeKit to include J.A.R.V.I.S. support!



    IronManComputerDisplay.png

    Hello, I'm Siri, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s younger sibling.

  • Reply 20 of 22
    I took time to read the patent for this. First, it is not holographic. There are no diffractive elements. It is, however autostereoscopic, which means that it does not require special glasses to see the 3D image. I don't think the inventor really knows what holographic really means.

    Another point, and the patent insists on this, is the use of coherent light. This device does not require coherent light. In fact, it would display better images with incoherent light (less speckling).

    The rest of the claims seam reasonable, though the device is pretty primitive. Think Lytro camera in reverse. It's amazing what the patent office will grant these days.
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