Three-dimensional display systems

1. A method for forming a three dimensional image by providing components of the image in a series of frames to an image space, the method comprising:

scanning an image of a light shaping element over an image space wherein each of a plurality of zones of the light shaping element is projected to each of a plurality of zones of the image space; and

selectively illuminating portions of the light shaping element zones during each of a plurality of frames during the scan, wherein each zone of the light-shaping element scatters the illumination and at least a portion of the scattered illumination provides a component of the three-dimensional image in the image space;

wherein each zone of the light-shaping element scatters light into a predetermined trajectory.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein during the scanning every zone of the light-shaping element is projected to every zone of the image space.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning the image of the light shaping element further comprises reflecting the scattered illumination off a scanning optic towards the image space.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising scanning the image of the light-shaping element in a first direction over the image space.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first direction is a vertical direction.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising scanning the image of the light-shaping element in a second direction over the image space.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first direction is a vertical direction and the second direction is a horizontal direction.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each predetermined trajectory is parallel to a horizontal plane.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the light-shaping element comprises a plurality of sections, and during the scanning each section is projected to a different depth plane in the image space.

10. A method for forming a three dimensional image by providing components of the image in a series of frames to an image space, the method comprising:

scanning an image of a light shaping element over an image space wherein each of a plurality of zones of the light shaping element is projected to each of a plurality of zones of the image space; and

selectively illuminating portions of the light shaping element zones during each of a plurality of frames during the scan, wherein each zone of the light-shaping element scatters the illumination and at least a portion of the scattered illumination provides a component of the three-dimensional image in the image space;

wherein each zone of the light-shaping element diffusely scatters light.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein during the scanning each zone is projected to a different depth in the image space.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising scattering the scattered illumination from the light-shaping element in a vertical direction at the image space to increase the vertical dimension of a viewing zone.

13. A three dimensional display system which forms a three-dimensional image by providing components of the image in a series of frames to an image space, the three-dimensional display comprising:

a spatial light modulator;

a light-shaping element, which comprises a plurality of zones;

a scanning optic, which projects an image of the light-shaping element to an image space, wherein during operation the scanning optic scans the image of the light-shaping element over the image space, and in each of a plurality of frames during the scan, the spatial light modulator selectively illuminates portions of the light-shaping element zones, and each zone scatters the illumination, wherein at least a portion of the illumination scattered by the light-shaping element provides a component of the three-dimensional image in the image space.

14. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , wherein the spatial light modulator comprises a plurality of rows and columns of elements, and each row of elements corresponds to a zone of the light-shaping element.

15. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , wherein each element of the spatial light modulator corresponds to a zone of the light-shaping element.

16. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , wherein each zone of the light-shaping element scatters illumination from the spatial light modulator into a predetermined trajectory.

17. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , wherein each zone of the light-shaping element is a grating.

18. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , wherein the light-shaping element comprises a plurality of light shaping element sections, each light-shaping element section comprising a plurality of zones, wherein each light-shaping element section is positioned in a different plane along an axis.

19. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , wherein the light-shaping element diffusely scatters illumination from the spatial light modulator.

20. The three-dimensional display system of claim 19 , wherein the light-shaping element comprises a diffusing screen, and the diffusing screen is placed at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to an optical axis.

21. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , wherein each of at least two zones of the light-shaping element are projected to a different depth plane in the light-shaping element image.

22. The three-dimensional display system of claim 18 , wherein the scanning optic comprises a cylindrical polygonal scanner, which reflects light from the light-shaping element towards the image space.

23. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , further comprising a condensing lens, which focuses illumination from the light-shaping element onto the scanning optic.

24. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , further comprising a telecentric relay, which relays the image of the light-shaping element to the image space.

25. The three-dimensional display system of claim 13 , further comprising a vertically diffusing screen positioned in the image space.