Patent ID: 8064137

Claim:
A projector system, comprising: a projection optic designed and configured to project a real image of a source image into free space, said projection optic including: an optical axis extending through the source image when the projection optic is in operative relation to the source image; a circular polarizer located along said optical axis for polarizing randomly polarized light from the source image so as to create circularly polarized light having a handedness; a path-folding optic located along said optical axis and configured to: receive the circularly polarized light from a first direction along said optical axis; pass a first portion of the circularly polarized light as direct view light; reverse the handedness of a second portion of the circularly polarized light; and output reverse-handed circularly polarized light in a second direction opposite said first direction; wherein said path-folding optic includes a beamsplitter and a broadband reflector-polarizer; a direct view light extinguisher located along said optical axis for extinguishing the direct view light and passing said reverse-handed circularly polarized light in the second direction; and a converging element for focusing the second portion of the circularly polarized light so as to form a floating real image in the second direction along said optical axis; and a 3D projector designed and configured to provide the source image as a 3D floating image.