Patent ID: 6157352
Filing Date: 2000-12-05
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
A scanning display for providing an image in response to an image signal containing image information, comprising:control electronics having an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal receiving the image signal, the control electronics being responsive to the image signal to produce a control signal at the output terminal;an optical source having a signal input coupled to the output terminal of the control electronics, the optical source being responsive to the control signal to output a modulated beam of light along a central path;a scanning assembly having a beam input positioned to receive the modulated beam of light, the scanning assembly being operative to deflect the received beam of light from the central path through a two dimensional periodic pattern of angles relative to the central path, each angle defining a respective optical path;imaging optics positioned to intercept the modulated beam of light, the imaging optics having an optical power selected to produce an image location at an image distance along each of the optical paths; anda diffractive beam expander positioned to intercept the modulated beam of light at the image distance for each of the optical paths, the beam expander producing a plurality of output beams from the modulated beam for each of the optical paths in the periodic pattern of optical paths, each of the output beams being directed along a vector that is a function of the corresponding angle defining its respective optical path.