Apple patents glasses-free interactive holographic touchscreen display
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.
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.
Comments
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 ;-).
TedWin
Bah... you call that innovation? Ha ha ha ha... get thee behind me Scamsung!
Doing it well will be the gist. This is just one of many possible ways.
Go Apple, go!
Is this our chance to return to smaller iPhone hardware again?
[IMG]http://www.robotspacebrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IronManComputerDisplay.png[/IMG]
Maybe someday...
Pffft!! that's not innovation!!
if Samsung copied this and made a bigger version, now THAT would be innovation!!
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!
Let's hope so.
Amazon fire phone proved 3D was the next big thing. /s
For all 12 people.
(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... ????)
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.
As an old-time holography buff, I'm stoked! :-)
Can' wait for HomeKit to include J.A.R.V.I.S. support!
Hello, I'm Siri, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s younger sibling.
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.