Holographic image conversion method for making a controlled holographic grating

Claim 1

A method of converting an image into a hologram corresponding to said image comprising the steps of: (a) defining an organized set of pixels in an X and Y coordinate system to encompass an image wherein the image is encoded as digital words defining said set of pixels constituting said image, said step of defining including the sub-steps of: (1) representing each pixel location as X and Y coordinate values encoded as two digital words; (2) encoding a pixel optical density value for each pixel on a scale between black and white as a digital word; (3) encoding pixel color values for each pixel as up to three digital words based on three primary colors; wherein each of said pixels is defined by up to six digital words; (b) storing in a memory said digital words; (c) directing a laser beam onto a photosensitive surface in a sequence corresponding to said digital words representing said image to react with said photosensitive surface, said step of directing including the sub-steps of: (1) splitting the laser beam into four parts; (2) directing a first part of the laser beam to the photosensitive surface along a first pathway as a reference beam; (3) directing the second, third and fourth parts of the laser beam along second, third and fourth pathways, each of equal length to said first pathway; wherein the second, third and fourth beam parts respectively are coincident with the first beam part on the photosensitive surface at different times for a selected pixel and at different angles with respect to the photosensitive surface for said selected pixel; (d) modulating the four parts of said laser beam in accordance with the digital words corresponding to said selected pixel, said step of modulating including the sub-steps of: (1) modulating the first beam part based on at least one of said digital words corresponding to said selected pixel; and (2) separately modulating the second, third and fourth beam parts based on said three primary colors expressed as up to four of said digital words so that said second, third and fourth beam parts respectively are coincident on the photosensitive surface with said reference beam at different times for said selected pixel; (e) serially moving said photosensitive surface so as to redirect the laser beam to pixel locations successive to said selected pixel on the photosensitive surface in correspondence to said X and Y coordinate values representing pixel location; (f) repeating steps (c)-(e) for each successive pixel location so that a pattern is irradiated corresponding to said image; and (g) developing said photosensitive surface to form a hologram.

Claim 2

A method of converting an image into a hologram corresponding to said image comprising the steps of: (a) defining an organized set of pixels in an X and Y coordinate system to encompass an image wherein the image is encoded as digital words defining said set of pixels constituting said image, said step of defining including the sub-steps of: (1) representing each pixel location as X and Y coordinate values encoded as two digital words; (2) encoding a pixel optical density value for each pixel on a scale between black and white as a digital word; (3) encoding pixel color values for each pixel as up to three digital words based on three primary colors; wherein each of said pixels is defined by up to six digital words; (b) storing in a memory said digital words; (c) directing a laser beam onto a photosensitive surface in a sequence corresponding to said digital words representing said image to react with said photosensitive surface, said step of directing including the sub-steps of: (1) splitting the laser beam into four parts; (2) directing a first part of the laser beam to the photosensitive surface along a first pathway as a reference beam; (3) directing the second, third and fourth parts of the laser beam along second, third and fourth pathways, each of equal length to said first pathway; wherein the second, third and fourth beam parts respectively are coincident with the first beam part on the photosensitive surface at different times for a selected pixel and at different angles with respect to the photosensitive surface for said selected pixel; (d) modulating the four parts of said laser beam in accordance with the digital words corresponding to said selected pixel, said step of modulating including the sub-steps of: (1) modulating the first beam part based on at least one of said digital words corresponding to said selected pixel; and (2) separately modulating the second, third and fourth beam parts based on said three primary colors expressed as up to four of said digital words so that said second, third and fourth beam parts respectively are coincident on the photosensitive surface with said reference beam at different times for said selected pixel; (e) serially moving said photosensitive surface so as to redirect the laser beam to pixel locations successive to said selected pixel on the photosensitive surface in correspondence to said X and Y coordinate values representing pixel location; (f) repeating steps (c)-(e) for each successive pixel location so that a pattern is irradiated corresponding to said image; and (g) developing said photosensitive surface to form a hologram.

Claim 13

A method of converting an image into a hologram corresponding to said image comprising the steps of: (a) defining an organized set of pixels in an X and Y coordinate system to encompass an image wherein the image is encoded as digital words defining said set of pixels constituting said image, said step of defining including the sub-steps of: (1) representing each pixel location as X and Y coordinate values encoded as two digital words; (2) encoding a pixel optical density value for each pixel on a scale between black and white as a digital word; (3) encoding pixel color values for each pixel as a plurality of digital words based on a predetermined plurality of colors; wherein each of said pixels is defined by a plurality of digital words; (b) storing in a memory said digital words; (c) directing a laser beam onto a photosensitive surface in a sequence corresponding to said digital words representing said image to react with said photosensitive surface, said step of directing including the sub-steps of: (1) splitting the laser beam into a first beam part and a plurality of other beam parts; (2) directing said first beam part to the photosensitive surface along a first pathway as a reference beam; (3) directing each of the other beam parts along respective different pathways, each of equal length to said first pathway; wherein said other beam parts respectively are coincident with the first beam part on the photosensitive surface at different times for a selected pixel at different angles with respect to the photosensitive surface for said selected pixel; (d) modulating the other beam parts of said laser beam in accordance with the digital words corresponding to said selected pixel, said step of modulating including the sub-steps of: (1) modulating the first beam part based on at least one of said digital words corresponding to said selected pixel; and (2) separately modulating the other beam parts based on said plurality of predetermined colors expressed as a plurality of said digital words so that said other beam parts respectively are coincident on the photosensitive surface with said reference beam at different times for said selected pixel; (e) serially moving said photosensitive surface so as to redirect the laser beam to pixel locations successive to said selected pixel on the photosensitive surface in correspondence to said X and Y coordinate values representing pixel location; (f) repeating steps (c)-(e) for each successive pixel location so that a pattern is irradiated corresponding to said image; and (g) developing said photosensitive surface to form a hologram.

Claim 14

A method of converting an image into a hologram corresponding to said image comprising the steps of: (a) defining an organized set of pixels in an X and Y coordinate system to encompass an image wherein the image is encoded as digital words defining said set of pixels constituting said image, said step of defining including the sub-steps of: (1) representing each pixel location as X and Y coordinate values encoded as two digital words; (2) encoding a pixel optical density value for each pixel on a scale between black and white as a digital word; (3) encoding pixel color values for each pixel as a plurality of digital words based on a predetermined plurality of colors; wherein each of said pixels is defined by a plurality of digital words; (b) storing in a memory said digital words; (c) directing a laser beam onto a photosensitive surface in a sequence corresponding to said digital words representing said image to react with said photosensitive surface, said step of directing including the sub-steps of: (1) splitting the laser beam into a first beam part and a plurality of other beam parts; (2) directing said first beam part to the photosensitive surface along a first pathway as a reference beam; (3) directing each of the other beam parts along respective different pathways, each of equal length to said first pathway; wherein said other beam parts respectively are coincident with the first beam part on the photosensitive surface at different times for a selected pixel at different angles with respect to the photosensitive surface for said selected pixel; (d) modulating the other beam parts of said laser beam in accordance with the digital words corresponding to said selected pixel, said step of modulating including the sub-steps of: (1) modulating the first beam part based on at least one of said digital words corresponding to said selected pixel; and (2) separately modulating the other beam parts based on said plurality of predetermined colors expressed as a plurality of said digital words so that said other beam parts respectively are coincident on the photosensitive surface with said reference beam at different times for said selected pixel; (e) serially moving said photosensitive surface so as to redirect the laser beam to pixel locations successive to said selected pixel on the photosensitive surface in correspondence to said X and Y coordinate values representing pixel location; (f) repeating steps (c)-(e) for each successive pixel location so that a pattern is irradiated corresponding to said image; and (g) developing said photosensitive surface to form a hologram.

Claim 18

A method of converting an image into a hologram corresponding to said image comprising the steps of: (a) defining an organized set of pixels in an X and Y coordinate system to encompass an image wherein the image is encoded as digital words defining said set of pixels constituting said image, said step of defining including the sub-steps of: (1) representing each pixel location as X and Y coordinate values encoded as two digital words; (2) encoding a pixel optical density value for each pixel on a scale between black and white as a digital word; (3) encoding pixel color values for each pixel as a plurality of digital words based on a predetermined plurality of colors; wherein each of said pixels is defined by a plurality of digital words; (b) storing in a memory said digital words; (c) directing a laser beam onto a photosensitive surface in a sequence corresponding to said digital words representing said image to react with said photosensitive surface, said step of directing including the sub-steps of: (1) splitting the laser beam into a first beam part and a plurality of other beam parts; (2) directing said first beam part to the photosensitive surface along a first pathway as a reference beam; (3) directing each of the other beam parts along respective different pathways, each of equal length to said first pathway; wherein said other beam parts are coincident with the first beam part on the photosensitive surface in a predetermined time sequence for a selected pixel and at different angles with respect to the photosensitive surface for said selected pixel; (d) modulating the other beam parts of said laser beam in accordance with the digital words corresponding to said pixel, said step of modulating including the sub-steps of: (1) modulating the first beam part based on at least one of said digital words corresponding to said selected pixel; and (2) separately modulating the other beam parts based on said plurality of predetermined colors expressed as a plurality of said digital words so that said other beam parts are coincident on the photosensitive surface with said reference beam in a predetermined timed sequence for said selected pixel; (e) serially moving said photosensitive surface so as to redirect the laser beam to pixel locations successive to said selected pixel on the photosensitive surface in correspondence to said X and Y coordinate values representing pixel location; (f) repeating steps (c)-(e) for each successive pixel location so that a pattern is irradiated corresponding to said image; and (g) developing said photosensitive surface to form a hologram.

Claim 19

A method of converting an image into a hologram corresponding to said image comprising the steps of: (a) defining an organized set of pixels in an X and Y coordinate system to encompass an image wherein the image is encoded as digital words defining said set of pixels constituting said image, said step of defining including the sub-steps of: (1) representing each pixel location as X and Y coordinate values encoded as two digital words; (2) encoding a pixel optical density value for each pixel on a scale between black and white as a digital word; (3) encoding pixel color values for each pixel as a plurality of digital words based on a predetermined plurality of colors; wherein each of said pixels is defined by a plurality of digital words; (b) storing in a memory said digital words; (c) directing a laser beam onto a photosensitive surface in a sequence corresponding to said digital words representing said image to react with said photosensitive surface, said step of directing including the sub-steps of: (1) splitting the laser beam into a first beam part and a plurality of other beam parts; (2) directing said first beam part to the photosensitive surface along a first pathway as a reference beam; (3) directing each of the other beam parts along respective different pathways, each of equal length to said first pathway; wherein said other beam parts are coincident with the first beam part on the photosensitive surface in a predetermined time sequence for a selected pixel and at different angles with respect to the photosensitive surface for said selected pixel; (d) modulating the other beam parts of said laser beam in accordance with the digital words corresponding to said pixel, said step of modulating including the sub-steps of: (1) modulating the first beam part based on at least one of said digital words corresponding to said selected pixel; and (2) separately modulating the other beam parts based on said plurality of predetermined colors expressed as a plurality of said digital words so that said other beam parts are coincident on the photosensitive surface with said reference beam in a predetermined timed sequence for said selected pixel; (e) serially moving said photosensitive surface so as to redirect the laser beam to pixel locations successive to said selected pixel on the photosensitive surface in correspondence to said X and Y coordinate values representing pixel location; (f) repeating steps (c)-(e) for each successive pixel location so that a pattern is irradiated corresponding to said image; and (g) developing said photosensitive surface to form a hologram.