Display system and method for delivering multi-view content

• US 10,269,279 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Misapplied Sciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Misapplied Sciences, Inc.
• Inventors: Ng, Albert Han, Dietz, Paul Henry, Thompson, David Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdin, Shaheda A
• Application Number:
  US15/469,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20180277032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/046 with an emissive area and a light-modulating area combined in one pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0469 Details of the physics of pixel operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/068 for control of viewing angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/141 the light conveying information used for selecting or modulating the light emitting or modulating element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/025 with scanning or deflecting the beams in two directions or dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/32 using arrays of controllable light sources; using moving apertures or moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/351 for displaying simultaneously

Abstract

A display system includes one or more multi-view (MV) pixels, each configured to emit beamlets in different directions in a beamlet coordinate system. The display system includes an input node which receives a specification of multiple viewing zones located relative to the MV pixels in a viewing zone coordinate system, and a processor coupled to the input node. The processor associates multiple contents with the multiple viewing zones, respectively, and determines a mapping that translates between the viewing zone coordinate system and the beamlet coordinate system. For each of multiple images generated from the multiple contents, the processor, using the mapping, identifies a bundle of beamlets from each of the MV pixels directed to one viewing zone to form the image. The processor outputs control signaling that defines color and brightness of each of the beamlets in each bundle to project the corresponding image to the corresponding viewing zone. The MV pixels, in response to the control signaling, project the multiple images to the multiple viewing zones, respectively.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

one or more multi-view (MV) pixels, wherein each MV pixel is configured to emit beamlets in different directions in a beamlet coordinate system;

an input node which, in operation, receives a specification of multiple viewing zones for multiple viewers, respectively, located relative to the MV pixels in a viewing zone coordinate system; and

a processor which is coupled to the input node and which, in operation;

determines a mapping that translates between the viewing zone coordinate system and the beamlet coordinate system;

in response to the specification of the multiple viewing zones,

associates multiple contents with the multiple viewing zones, respectively; and

for each of multiple images generated from the multiple contents, using the mapping, identifies a bundle of beamlets from each of the MV pixels directed to one viewing zone to form the image, wherein the bundle of beamlets directed to one viewing zone to form one image for one viewer is different from the bundle of beamlets directed to another viewing zone to form another image for another viewer different from said one viewer; and

outputs control signaling for the MV pixels, the control signaling defining color and brightness of each of the beamlets in each bundle to project the corresponding image to the corresponding viewing zone;

wherein the MV pixels, in response to the control signaling from the processor, projects the multiple images to the multiple viewing zones, respectively.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein the image is selected from a group consisting of a static image, a stream of images, a text pattern, and a lighting pattern.

3. The display system of claim 1, wherein the processor associates the multiple contents with the multiple viewing zones by associating the multiple contents themselves with the multiple viewing zones or by associating multiple content descriptors of the multiple contents with the multiple viewing zones.

4. The display system of claim 1, comprising a user-interface device which, in operation, receives an operator specification of the multiple viewing zones and sends the specification of the multiple viewing zones to the input node.

5. The display system of claim 4, wherein the user-interface device includes a screen capable of displaying a viewing area and specifying the multiple viewing zones in the viewing area in response to one or both of graphical input and textual input.

6. The display system of claim 1, comprising a sensor configured to identify the multiple viewing zones and send the specification of the multiple viewing zones to the input node.

7. The display system of claim 6, wherein the sensor is configured to detect locations of multiple targets and specify the detected locations of the multiple targets as the multiple viewing zones.

8. The display system of claim 7, wherein the multiple targets include one or both of multiple viewers and multiple viewer surrogates.

9. The display system of claim 7, wherein,

the input node, in operation,

receives a new specification of new multiple viewing zones based on the detected locations of the multiple targets, which have moved, and

the processor, in operation:

associates the multiple contents with the new multiple viewing zones, respectively,

for each of the multiple images generated from the multiple contents, using the mapping, identifies a bundle of beamlets from each of the MV pixels directed to one new viewing zone to form the image, and

outputs new control signaling defining color and brightness of each of the beamlets in each bundle to project the corresponding image to the corresponding new viewing zone;

wherein the MV pixels, in response to the new control signaling, projects the multiple images to the new multiple viewing zones, respectively.

10. The display system of claim 9, wherein the multiple contents associated with the new multiple viewing zones are updated from the multiple contents, based on which the multiple images were previously projected to the multiple viewing zones.

11. The display system of claim 1, wherein the bundle of beamlets that form one image and the bundle of beamlets that form another image are mutually exclusive of each other.

12. The display system of claim 1, wherein each MV pixel is a projector having projector pixels that emit the beamlets in the different directions.

13. The display system of claim 1, wherein each MV pixel is a combination of a light source and a lens, wherein the lens is configured to split light from the light source into the beamlets in the different directions.

14. A display method comprising:

receiving a specification of multiple viewing zones located in a viewing zone coordinate system, wherein the multiple viewing zones are for multiple viewers, respectively, and positioned relative to one or more multi-view (MV) pixels, and each MV pixel is configured to emit beamlets in different directions in a beamlet coordinate system;

determining a mapping that translates between the viewing zone coordinate system and the beamlet coordinate system;

in response to the specification of the multiple viewing zones,

associating multiple contents with the multiple viewing zones, respectively; and

for each of multiple images generated from the multiple contents, using the mapping, identifying a bundle of beamlets from each of the MV pixels directed to one viewing zone to form the image, wherein the bundle of beamlets directed to one viewing zone to form one image for one viewer is different from the bundle of beamlets directed to another viewing zone to form another image for another viewer different from said one viewer;

generating control signaling for the MV pixels, the control signaling defining color and brightness of each of the beamlets in each bundle to project the corresponding image to the corresponding viewing zone; and

in response to the control signaling, projecting, from the MV pixels, the multiple images to the multiple viewing zones, respectively.

15. The display method of claim 14, wherein the step of associating the multiple contents with the multiple viewing zones includes associating the multiple contents themselves with the multiple viewing zones or associating multiple content descriptors of the multiple contents with the multiple viewing zones.

16. The display method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving the specification of the multiple viewing zones includes receiving the specification via a user-interface device capable of receiving an operator specification of the multiple viewing zones.

17. The display method of claim 16, wherein the user-interface device includes a screen capable of displaying a viewing area and specifying the multiple viewing zones in the viewing area in response to one or both of graphical input and textual input.

18. The display method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving the specification of the multiple viewing zones includes receiving the multiple viewing zones identified by a sensor.

19. The display method of claim 18, wherein the sensor is capable of detecting locations of multiple targets and specifying the detected locations of the multiple targets as the multiple viewing zones.

20. The display method of claim 19, comprising:

receiving a new specification of new multiple viewing zones based on the detected locations of the multiple targets, which have moved;

associating the multiple contents with the new multiple viewing zones, respectively;

for each of the multiple images generated from the multiple contents, using the mapping, identifying a bundle of beamlets from each of the MV pixels directed to one new viewing zone to form the image;

generating new control signaling defining color and brightness of each of the beamlets in each bundle to project the corresponding image to the corresponding new viewing zone; and

in response to the new control signaling, projecting, from the MV pixels, the multiple images to the new multiple viewing zones, respectively.

21. The display method of claim 20, comprising:

updating the multiple contents associated with the new multiple viewing zones from the multiple contents, based on which the multiple images were previously projected to the multiple viewing zones.

22. The display method of claim 14, wherein the image is selected from a group consisting of a static image, a stream of images, a text pattern, and a lighting pattern.