Patent ID: 6871957

Claim:
An autostereoscopic optical apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic virtual image to a first viewer and to a second viewer, wherein the stereoscopic virtual image is imaged to each viewer at a left viewing pupil and a right viewing pupil, the apparatus comprising: (a) a left image generation system for forming a curved left intermediate image; (b) a left projection system comprising a left ball lens segment, wherein the pupil of said left ball lens segment is substantially concentric with said curved left intermediate image, said left ball lens segment forming a real image of said curved left intermediate image; (c) a first beamsplitter disposed to direct said curved left intermediate image through a second beamsplitter and toward a focal surface of a curved mirror, said first curved mirror forming a virtual image of said curved left intermediate image thereby, and said curved mirror disposed to form: (i) through said first and second beamsplitters, a real image of the pupil of said left ball lens segment at the left viewing pupil of the first viewer; and (ii) through said second beamsplitter, a real image of the pupil of said left ball lens segment at the left viewing pupil of the second viewer; (d) a right image generation system for forming a curved right intermediate image; (e) a right projection system comprising a right ball lens segment, wherein the pupil of said right ball lens segment is substantially concentric with said curved right intermediate image, said right ball lens segment forming a real image of said curved right intermediate image; (f) said first beamsplitter disposed to direct said curved right intermediate image toward the focal surface of said second curved mirror, said curved mirror forming a virtual image of said curved right intermediate image thereby, and said curved mirror disposed to form: (i) through said second beamsplitter, a real image of the pupil of said right ball lens segment at the right viewing pupil of the second viewer; and (ii) through said second beamsplitter and said first beamsplitter, a real image of the pupil of said right ball lens segment at the right viewing pupil of the first viewer.