Motion picture subtitle system and method

• US 20040027539A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beaufort California Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Theater Systems LP
• Inventors: Plunkett, Bradley J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,741,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 352/90
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/32 Details specially adapted for motion-picture projection with film moving continuously through the gate G03B41/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles

Abstract

In a motion picture subtitle system a shutter such as a mechanical dowser, LCLV, or E/O diffuser is inserted in the optical path between the supplemental projector and the motion picture screen and synchronized to the projection of the subtitles to reduce visual artifacts and enhance the cinematic presentation. A controller is arranged to receive the subtitles from a storage medium, to provide the subtitles to the supplemental projector in synchronism with the projection of the motion picture, and to alternately cause the shutter to pass the modulated light beam during an “on” state in synchronism with the motion picture so the subtitles are superimposed at desired times on desired portions of the motion picture and cause the shutter to attenuate the light beam during an “off” state.

Claims

1. A system for superimposing subtitles on a motion picture projected from a primary projector, comprising:

A supplemental projector separate from the primary projector and arranged to modulate a light beam during an “

on”

state to superimpose subtitles on said motion picture,

A shutter positioned in the supplemental projector'"'"'s optical path to alternately pass and attenuate the light beam, and

A controller arranged to receive said subtitles from a storage medium, to provide the subtitles to said supplemental projector in synchronism with the projection of said motion picture, and to alternately cause said shutter to pass said modulated light beam during said “

on”

state in synchronism with the motion picture so said subtitles are superimposed at desired times on desired portions of said motion picture and cause said shutter to substantially attenuate said light beam during an “

off”

state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental projector comprises a digital projector that includes a high intensity lamp that projects the light beam and a modulator array that modulates the light beam with said subtitles.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the modulator comprises one of a LCD array or a MEMS mirror array.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the shutter comprises one of a mechanical dowser, an LCLV, or an E/O diffuser.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the shutter is an E/O device that is characterized by a translucent state in which light is substantially diffused, a transparent state in which light is substantially passed, and a plurality of intermediate transmission states therebetween.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the E/O device is an E/O diffuser that comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) material.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at the onset of an “

on”

state the controller ramps the shutter'"'"'s transmission from the translucent state through at least one of said intermediate transmission states to the transparent state.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the ramp from the translucent state to the transparent state takes at least 100 ms.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein each subtitle is stored with brightness control data, which is a measure of the scene brightness in the motion picture coincident with the each said subtitle, said controller being responsive to the brightness control data to control the shutter'"'"'s transmission and adjust the brightness of the superimposed subtitle.

10. The system of claim 5, further comprising at least one sensor that measures the scene brightness, said controller being responsive to the scene brightness to control the shutter'"'"'s transmission and adjust the brightness of the superimposed subtitle.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the brightness of each subtitle is adjusted in accordance with the scene brightness in the motion picture coincident in time with each said subtitle.

12. A system for superimposing subtitles on a motion picture projected from a primary projector, comprising:

A supplemental projector separate from the primary projector and arranged to modulate a light beam during an “

on”

state, to superimpose subtitles on said motion picture,

An electro-optic diffuser positioned in the supplemental projector'"'"'s optical path to alternately pass and diffuse the light beam, and

A controller arranged to receive said subtitles from a storage medium, to provide the subtitles to said supplemental projector in synchronism with the projection of said motion picture, and to alternately cause said electro-optic diffuser to pass said modulated light beam during the “

on”

states in synchronism with the motion picture so said subtitles are superimposed at desired times on desired portions of said motion picture and cause said electro-optic diffuser to diffuse said light beam during an “

off”

state.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the electro-optic diffuser is characterized by a translucent state in which light is substantially diffused, a transparent state in which light is substantially passed, and a plurality of intermediate transmission states therebetween.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the electro-optic diffuser comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) material.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at the onset of an “

on”

state the controller ramps the electro-optic diffuser'"'"'s transmission from the translucent state through at least one of said intermediate transmission states to the transparent state.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the ramp from the translucent state to the transparent state takes at least 100 ms.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein each subtitle is stored with brightness control data, which is a measure of the scene brightness in the motion picture coincident with the each said subtitle, said controller being responsive to the brightness control data to control the electro-optic diffuser'"'"'s transmission and adjust the brightness of the superimposed subtitle.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising at least one sensor that measures the scene brightness, said controller being responsive to the scene brightness to control the electro-optic diffuser'"'"'s transmission and adjust the brightness of the superimposed subtitle.

19. A system for superimposing subtitles on a motion picture projected from a primary projector, comprising:

A supplemental projector separate from the primary projector and arranged to modulate a light beam during an “

on”

state to superimpose subtitles on said motion picture,

An electro-optic shutter characterized by a variable transmission between a translucent state and a transparent state, said electro-optic shutter being positioned in the supplemental projector'"'"'s optical path to alternately diffuse and pass the light beam, and

A controller arranged to receive said subtitles from a storage medium, to provide the subtitles to said supplemental projector in synchronism with the projection of said motion picture, and to alternately cause said electro-optic shutter to pass said modulated light beam during the “

on”

state in synchronism with the motion picture so said subtitles are superimposed at desired times on desired portions of said motion picture and cause said electro-optic shutter to diffuse said light beam during “

off”

states, said controller being responsive to scene brightness of said motion picture to control the transmission of the electro-optic shutter thereby adjusting the brightness of the superimposed subtitle to the scene brightness.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the E/O shutter is an E/O diffuser that comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) material.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein each subtitle is stored with brightness control data, which is a measure of the scene brightness in the motion picture coincident with the each said subtitle.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising at least one sensor that measures the scene brightness.

23. A method of superimposing subtitles on a motion picture, comprising:

projecting a primary light beam modulated with a motion picture onto a screen,

projecting a supplemental light beam toward the screen,

in synchronism with the motion picture, modulating the supplemental light beam with a desired subtitle at the desired time; and

in synchronism with the presence and absence of said subtitles, respectively, opening a shutter to pass the modulated supplemental light beam to superimpose the subtitle onto a desired area of the screen in syncrhonism with the motion picture, and closing the shutter to substantially diffuse the unmodulated supplemental light beam.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising, controlling the opening of the shutter to perceptibly ramp the transmission of the shutter, hence perceptibly ramp the brightness of the superimposed subtitle.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the ramping of the transmission takes at least 100 ms.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein each subtitle is stored with brightness control data, which is a measure of the scene brightness in the motion picture coincident with each said subtitle, further comprising adjusting the transmission of the shutter in accordance with the brightness control data to adjust the brightness of the superimposed subtitle.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising,

sensing the scene brightness of the projected motion picture, and

adjusting the transmission of the shutter in accordance with the brightness control data to adjust the brightness of the superimposed subtitle.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the shutter comprises a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) material.