Spatial and temporal multiplexing display

• US 10,089,937 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wilson, Andrew D., Bathiche, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US12/819,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,025 Days
• Field of Search: 348 51, 348 46, 348 52, 348 43, 348 44
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/342 using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/32 using arrays of controllable light sources; using moving apertures or moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

Described is using a combination of which a multi-view display is provided by a combining spatial multiplexing (e.g., using a parallax barrier or lenslet), and temporal multiplexing (e.g., using a directed backlight). A scheduling algorithm generates different views by determining which light sources are illuminated at a particular time. Via the temporal multiplexing, different views may be in the same spatial viewing angle (spatial zone). Two of the views may correspond to two eyes of a person, with different video data sent to each eye to provide an autostereoscopic display for that person. Eye (head) tracking may be used to move the view or views with a person as that person moves.

Claims

1. A multi-view display comprising:

multiple light sources configured to generate light;

a parallax barrier or lenslet configured to direct the light to different directions depending on which of the multiple light sources are illuminated; and

a scheduling algorithm configured to direct the light to different viewing angles by selectively illuminating different light sources behind the parallax barrier or lenslet in different time slices, wherein the different viewing angles correspond to different views,

wherein the different views include a first view that is directed to a first viewing angle by illuminating a first light source behind the parallax barrier or lenslet during a first time slice and a second view that is directed to a second viewing angle by illuminating a second light source behind the parallax barrier or lenslet during a second time slice, wherein the first viewing angle is different than the second viewing angle.

2. The multi-view display of claim 1 wherein the different views includes a third view directed toward a first eye of a third person and a fourth view directed to a second eye of the third person.

3. The multi-view display of claim 1, further comprising:

an eye or head tracking component configured to track eye or head positions of a first person and a second person,

wherein the scheduling algorithm is configured to receive position data from the eye or head tracking component and to redirect one or more of the different views based on the position data.

4. The multi-view display of claim 3, wherein the eye or head tracking component comprises one or more cameras.

5. The multi-view display of claim 1, wherein the different views correspond to at least two different television programs displayed concurrently on the multi-view display.

6. The multi-view display of claim 1, further comprising:

a distribution mechanism configured to compute timing parameters based at least in part on a desired number of views,

wherein the scheduling algorithm is configured to use the timing parameters to generate the different views.

7. The multi-view display of claim 6, wherein the distribution mechanism computes the timing parameters for the different views based upon corresponding content.

8. The multi-view display of claim 6, wherein the distribution mechanism is configured to compute timing or resolution parameters, or both timing and resolution parameters, based upon a number of the different views that are generated.

9. The multi-view display of claim 6, wherein the distribution mechanism is configured to compute timing or resolution parameters, or both timing and resolution parameters, based upon preference data.

10. The multi-view display of claim 1, wherein the multiple light sources comprise multiple light emitting diodes or multiple liquid-crystal displays.

11. The multi-view display of claim 1, wherein the multi-view display has a given rating in hertz and different views are provided at hertz rates that are divisors of the given rating.

12. The multi-view display of claim 11, wherein the given rating is 480 hertz and the divisors are 120 hertz.

13. A system comprising the multi-view display of claim 1 and a computing environment comprising a hardware processor configured to execute the scheduling algorithm.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing environment comprises a gaming console.

15. The system of claim 13, embodied as a television set.

16. The multi-view display of claim 1, wherein the scheduling algorithm is further configured to concurrently display different shows to different viewers at different frame rates.

17. The multi-view display of claim 16, wherein the different shows displayed concurrently include a sporting event and a drama, and the scheduling algorithm is configured to concurrently show the sporting event at a higher frame rate than the drama.

18. The multi-view display of claim 1 having the lenslet, wherein the lenslet and the multiple light sources are positioned such that the lenslet directs the light to the first view when the first light source is illuminated and the lenslet directs the light to the second view when the second light source is illuminated.

19. The multi-view display of claim 1 having the lenslet, wherein the lenslet and the multiple light sources are positioned such that the lenslet directs the light to the first view and not the second view when the first light source is illuminated and the lenslet directs the light to the second view and not the first view when the second light source is illuminated.

20. The multi-view display of claim 1, wherein the scheduling algorithm is configured to selectively illuminate the light sources such that a first portion of an object is shown to a first person during a first time slice and a second portion of the object is shown to a second person during a second time slice, wherein the first portion of the object shown during the first time slice is not visible to the second person and the second portion of the object shown during the second time slice is not visible to the first person.