Patent ID: 7226167

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 the focal surface of a curved mirror, the left image generation system comprising: (i) a left image source comprising an emissive or transmissive display for forming a left source image; (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 the 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 comprising an emissive or transmissive display for forming a right source image; (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 the center of curvature of the right curved intermediate image; (c) the 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 mirrored 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; (ii) an image of the right curved intermediate image that appears to be behind the curved mirror; and wherein the left image source is greater than four inches in diameter.