MULTI-PLANAR VOLUMETRIC DISPLAY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION USING PSYCHOLOGICAL VISION CUES
First Claim
1. A system for displaying a volumetric three dimensional image of a three-dimensional scene having a virtual depth DV, comprising:
- (a) a controller for generating data representing a series of two dimensional slices at varying depths through said three dimensional scene;
(b) a multi-surface optical device having a physical depth DD including a plurality of optical elements; and
(c) an image projector responsive to said data for selectively projecting said series of two dimensional slices on respective optical elements of said multi-surface optical device to display a first volumetric three dimensional image viewable in the multi-surface optical device, wherein the virtual depth DV of said three dimensional scene is mapped to correspond to the physical depth DD of said multi-surface optical device; and
(d) a projector for projecting the first volumetric three dimensional image formed in the multi-surface optical device to generate a second volumetric three dimensional image viewable in a space outside of said multi-surface optical device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-planar volumetric display system and method generate volumetric three-dimensional images using a multi-surface optical device including a plurality of individual optical elements corresponding to a plurality of image depths. An image projector selectively projects images on respective optical elements to generate a volumetric three-dimensional image viewable in the multi-surface optical device. Psychological vision cues are added during generation of the three-dimensional image to enhance depth perception when viewing the three-dimensional image. A floating-image generator may project the three-dimensional image having enhanced depth to generate a second volumetric three-dimensional image viewable as floating in space.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A system for displaying a volumetric three dimensional image of a three-dimensional scene having a virtual depth DV, comprising:
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(a) a controller for generating data representing a series of two dimensional slices at varying depths through said three dimensional scene;
(b) a multi-surface optical device having a physical depth DD including a plurality of optical elements; and
(c) an image projector responsive to said data for selectively projecting said series of two dimensional slices on respective optical elements of said multi-surface optical device to display a first volumetric three dimensional image viewable in the multi-surface optical device, wherein the virtual depth DV of said three dimensional scene is mapped to correspond to the physical depth DD of said multi-surface optical device; and
(d) a projector for projecting the first volumetric three dimensional image formed in the multi-surface optical device to generate a second volumetric three dimensional image viewable in a space outside of said multi-surface optical device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for displaying a volumetric three dimensional image of a three dimensional scene, comprising:
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(a) a controller for generating data representing a series of two dimensional slices at varying depths through a selected portion of a three dimensional scene, said selected portion corresponding to a maximum virtual depth value ZMAX and minimum virtual depth value ZMIN;
(b) a multi-surface optical device including a plurality of optical elements arranged; and
(c) an image projector responsive to said data for projecting said series of two dimensional slices onto respective optical elements of said multi-surface optical device to display a first volumetric three dimensional image viewable in the multi-surface optical device, wherein the slice associated with said minimum virtual depth value ZMIN is projected onto a forward optical element of said multi-surface optical device, and the slice associated with said maximum depth value ZMAX is projected onto a rearward optical element of said multi-surface optical device, with remaining slices being projected onto respective optical elements therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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13. A method for generating a volumetric three dimensional image of a three dimensional scene, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating data representing a series of two dimensional slices at varying depths through a selected portion of said three dimensional scene, said selected portion corresponding a maximum depth value ZMAX and minimum depth value ZMIN; and
(b) projecting the series of two dimensional slices on respective optical elements of a multi-surface optical device to display a first volumetric three dimensional image viewable in said multi-surface optical device, wherein the slice corresponding to said minimum depth value ZMIN is projected onto a forward optical element of said multi-surface optical device, and the slice generated at said maximum depth value ZMAX is projected onto a rearward optical element of said multi-surface optical device, with remaining slices being projected onto respective optical elements therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A system for generating volumetric three dimensional images comprising:
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(a) a controller for rendering a three dimensional scene to provide at least one psychological vision cue and for generating a series of two dimensional slices through said rendered three dimensional scene;
(b) an optical device onto which said two dimensional slices can be projected; and
(c) an image projector for selectively projecting the series of two dimensional slices on said optical device to generate a first volumetric three dimensional image wherein said at least one psychological vision cue causes the apparent depth of said first volumetric three dimensional image to exceed the physical depth of said optical device.
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32. A method for generating a volumetric three dimensional images of a three dimensional scene, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) rendering said three dimensional scene so as to provide at least one psychological vision cue;
(b) generating image data corresponding to a set of two dimensional image slices through said three dimensional scene;
(c) providing said image data corresponding to said set of two dimensional slices of said three dimensional scene to an image projector; and
(d) selectively projecting each of said two dimensional slices from the image projector onto an optical device to generate a first volumetric three dimensional image, wherein said at least one psychological vision cue causes the apparent depth of said first volumetric three dimensional image to exceed the physical depth of said optical device. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46)
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45. A method for generating a volumetric three dimensional image using a multi-surface optical device comprising a plurality of optical elements, said method including the steps of:
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(a) rendering a three dimensional scene having a depth axis;
(b) generating data corresponding to a set of two dimensional image slices at varying depths through said three dimensional scene, each of said two dimensional image slices being defined by a plurality of tridels each having a depth coordinate (z);
(c) mapping the depth coordinate z of each of said tridels into a corresponding depth coordinate z′
within said multi-surface optical device;
(d) mapping the depth coordinate z′
of each of said tridels to at least one voxel having a depth coordinate k corresponding to one of said plurality of optical elements;
(e) selectively projecting said voxels at said depth coordinate k onto a corresponding optical element to generate a first volumetric three dimensional image viewable in the multi-surface optical device.
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Specification