Viewing-angle-enhanced integral imaging by lens switching

Abstract

In spite of the many advantages of integral imaging, its narrow viewing angle has been a disadvantage. We propose a method to enhance the viewing angle of integral imaging by opening and shutting each lens in the array (i.e., the elemental lenses) sequentially. We prove our idea by using a mask that has a pattern of an on-off vertical array of apertures. Moving the mask prevents the aliasing of a neighboring lens. Thus image overlap or image flipping is reduced and the viewing angle of the system is increased.