Patent ID: 7165842

Claim:
An autostereoscopic optical apparatus for viewing a stereoscopic image comprising a left image to be viewed by an observer at a left viewing pupil and a right image to be viewed by the observer at a right viewing pupil, the apparatus comprising: (a) a left image generation system for forming a left curved intermediate image near a focal surface of a curved mirror, the left image generation system comprising: (i) a left image source for forming a left source image; and (ii) a left optical system comprising at least one lens for collecting light from the left image source and a left image folding surface for directing the collected light to form the left curved intermediate image, wherein the left optical system forms an exit pupil optically centered near a center of curvature of the left curved intermediate image; (b) a right image generation system for forming a right curved intermediate image near the focal surface of the curved mirror, the right image generation system comprising: (i) a right image source for forming a right source image; and (ii) a right optical system comprising at least one lens for collecting light from the right image source and a right image folding surface for directing the collected light to form the right curved intermediate image, wherein the right optical system forms an exit pupil optically centered near a center of curvature of the right curved intermediate image; (c) a center of curvature of the curved mirror placed substantially optically midway between the exit pupil of the left optical system and exit pupil of the right optical system; (d) a beamsplitter disposed between the focal surface and the center of curvature of the curved mirror, the curved mirror and beamsplitter cooperating to form, at the left viewing pupil: (i) a real image of the exit pupil of the left optical system; and (ii) an image of the left curved intermediate image that appears to be behind the curved mirror; the curved mirror and beamsplitter further cooperating to form, at the right viewing pupil: (i) a real image of the exit pupil of the right optical system; and (ii) an image of the right curved intermediate image that appears to be behind the curved mirror; and (e) a circular polarizer disposed between the beamsplitter and the left and right viewing pupils for conditioning the polarization of incident and output light.