Patent US 5,627,554

A segmented direct volume display device includes a volume containing a medium, two mutually orthogonal matrices of light guns capable of providing light beams, each matrix outputting light at different wavelengths, a unit for generating images in the volume by selectively activating the light guns, an image being formed at the intersection of two beams, one from each of the two matrices, and a unit for displaying images in different colors in different segments of the volume. The segmented direct volume display device may further include, on display planes of the volume, a filter for blocking out light output from the light guns while allowing viewing of the image. The segmented direct volume display device may also include individual filters, external to the volume, for each segment. The individual filters block out light from images in other segments while allowing viewing of a generated image within a corresponding segment. The selective activation of the light guns may be in response to data from many different sources.