Method and apparatus for selectively viewing captioning

• US 20040032379A1
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David P. Shelton, Jeremy C. Price
• Original Assignee: David P. Shelton, Jeremy C. Price
• Inventors: Shelton, David P., Price, Jeremy C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,119,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the selective display of motion picture subtitles. A liquid crystal display capable of forming alphanumeric images in one color on a background of a different color. The two colors are sufficiently similar so they are not able to be distinguished by the unaided eye of the viewer. A decoder, a microprocessor and a driver, for example, can be utilized to transfer coded information on standard motion picture film into appropriate subtitles which are then formed on a liquid crystal display. A color selective material is provided to a subclass of the viewers in the audience to enable the viewers in such subclass to distinguish the alphanumeric subtitles from the liquid crystal display background. This material could be provided in the form of glasses which extinguish either the alphanumeric images or the background, thereby either providing darkened letters on a light background or light letters on a darkened background. The subtitle projection and viewing apparatus and the method for its use can be utilized as a closed captioning system to permit the hearing impaired to view motion pictures in a mixed audience of hearing impaired and non hearing impaired individuals and view the dialog portion of the picture in subtitles while those individuals not wearing such wavelength selective glasses would not see the subtitles.

Claims

1. An apparatus for permitting the selective viewing of alphanumeric images comprising:

first laser producing means emitting a beam with a first wavelength and polarized, second laser producing means emitting a beam with a second wavelength and polarized, said wavelengths being close enough whereby the color difference cannot be distinguished by the unaided eye, polarizing beam splitting means for combining said first and second beams whereby they are combined and emitted in the same direction with orthogonal polarization orientation, liquid crystal display means for displaying a selected alphanumeric image having a first surface for receiving said combined beam and a second surface for outputting said beam and provided with polarizing means whereby only vertically polarized light is passed, lens means for projecting said light passed through said second surface on screen means, and viewing means comprising a wavelength selective filter which transmits only one

of said wavelengths.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the polarization of said beam emitted from said first lazer producing means is vertical.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the polarization of said beam emitted from said second lazer producing means is horizontal.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said laser producing means produce wavelengths in the yellow-green part of the visible spectrum.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said wavelength selective filter is a holographic notch filter.

6. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said viewing means include an eyeglass type frame.

7. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 further including third laser producing means emitting a beam with a third wavelength and vertically polarized with the wavelength of said second wavelength being about halfway between said first and third wavelength and is combined with the beam from said first laser producing means by dichroic beam splitting means and then the combined first and third beams are combined with the beam from said second laser producing means by said polarizing beam splitting means whereby the alphanumeric image is projected by the beams from said first and third laser producing means and the background is projected by the beam from said second laser producing means and the viewing means transmit only the beams projecting said image.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 3 further including third laser producing means emitting a beam with a third wavelength and vertically polarized with the wavelength of said second wavelength being about halfway between said first and third wavelength and is combined with the beam from said first laser producing means by dichroic beam splitting means and then the combined first and third beams are combined with the beam from said second laser producing means by said polarizing beam splitting means whereby the alphanumeric image is projected by the beams from said first and third laser producing means and the background is projected by the beam from said second laser producing means and the viewing means transmit only the beams projecting said image.

9. The method of projecting selectively viewable alphanumeric displays comprising the steps of providing a first laser beam with polarization, providing a second laser beam with polarization with the wavelength difference between the color of said first and second laser beam being small enough so as not to be distinguishable by the unaided eye, providing a polarizing beam splitter to combine said first and second beams, passing said combined beams through a liquid crystal display with input and output sides having the selected alphanumeric image inputted thereto, providing polarizing means at the output side thereof, providing lens means for projecting the resulting image to project such image onto a selected surface and providing viewing means comprising a wavelength selective filter which only transmits the wavelength projecting said image.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the polarization of said beam emitted from said first lazer producing means is vertical.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the polarization of said beam emitted from said second lazer producing means is horizontal.

12. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said laser producing means produce wavelengths in the yellow-green part of the visible spectrum.

13. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said wavelength selective filter is a holographic notch filter.

14. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said viewing means include an eyeglass type frame.

15. The method set forth in claim 9 further including the provision of third laser producing means emitting a beam with a vertically polarized third wavelength with the wavelength of said second wavelength being about halfway between said first and third wavelengths and combining same with the beam from said first laser producing means by dichroic beam splitting means and then combining the combined first and third beams with the beam from said second laser producing means by said polarizing beam splitting means whereby the alphanumeric image is projected by the beams from said first and third laser producing means and the background is projected by the beam from said second laser producing means and said viewing means only transmits those beams projecting said image.

16. The method set forth in claim 11 further including the provision of third laser producing means emitting a beam with a vertically polarized third wavelength with the wavelength of said second wavelength being about halfway between said first and third wavelengths and combining same with the beam from said first laser producing means by dichroic beam splitting means and then combining the combined first and third beams with the beam from said second laser producing means by said polarizing beam splitting means whereby the alphanumeric image is projected by the beams from said first and third laser producing means and the background is projected by the beam from said second laser producing means and said viewing means only transmits those beams projecting said image.

17. The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said viewing means transmits said first and third wavelengths.