Samsung may be working on a smartphone that can project holographic images in 3D, like in Star Wars films. The company have patented the technology with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The patent is for a smartphone display that uses a new type of spatial light modulator (SLM) to project images into the air.
Samsung 3D hologram smartphone
Samsung’s quest for a 3D hologram smartphone appears to be quite long. The company had previously filed a patent for a technology with the description ‘the hologram may show a stereoscopic image (3D image) in the air using interference of light’. It was, however, not clear how Samsung was going to make it work until another patent got published recently.
According to the new patent, the device will project a 3D image into the air through a relay lens that contains several microlens units. The lens itself will contain a new kind of SLM with a filter that ensures accurate image reproduction. The image is then projected as a beam out of the display and can be realized by using the intervention of light.
While thousands of tech patents never go into development, this one by Samsung is quite exciting. The company does seem to be mulling with the idea. It’s, however, unclear how far the South Korean giant is from actually implementing the new technology into its production line. Or maybe the company is only guarding the technology for future projects?
Nonetheless, it seems that it will be a matter of time before we will see the first smartphones with technology as patented by Samsung. After all, who doesn’t want a Star Wars phone? We’ve already seen an attempt at it earlier this year with the Red Hydrogen One. The smartphone, however, only shows 3D images on the display and doesn’t project.
