Hardware based interdigitation

• US 20050122395A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Inventors: Lipton, Lenny, Feldman, Mark H., Akka, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses

Abstract

A system and method for interdigitating multiple perspective views in a stereoscopic image viewing system. A lenticular sheet is affixed in intimate juxtaposition with a display area having a defined aspect ratio. The display area includes a plurality of scan lines each having a plurality of pixels, each pixel including subpixels. A map having the same resolution as the display is created to store values corresponding to each subpixel in the display area. Preferably, the map is generated beforehand and stored for later use through a lookup operation. A buffer stores a frame having n views, wherein each of the n views has the same aspect ratio as the display area. A plurality of masks is also created and stored. Each mask corresponds to a unique one of the n views and includes opaque areas and a plurality of transparent windows, each of which corresponds to a selected subpixel location. The n views are then interdigitated while applying the corresponding masks, and a value is assigned to each subpixel using the map.

Claims

1. A system for interdigitating stereoscopic views, comprising:

an image display unit having a display area with an aspect ratio, wherein the display area further includes a plurality of scan lines each having a plurality of pixels, each pixel being comprised of subpixels;

a lenticular sheet affixed in intimate juxtaposition with the display area;

an input buffer coupled to the display area and configured to store pixel data in n views, wherein each of the n views has the same aspect ratio as the display area;

a plurality of masks, one corresponding to each of the n views, each mask having an opaque area and a plurality of transparent windows, each window corresponding to a selected subpixel location; and

a software routine for interdigitating the n views while applying the corresponding mask.

2. A method for interdigitating multiple perspective views in a stereoscopic image viewing system having a display area and a lenticular sheet affixed in intimate juxtaposition with the display area, wherein the display area includes a plurality of scan lines each having a plurality of pixels, each pixel being comprised of subpixels, and wherein the display area has an aspect ratio, comprising:

creating a map having the same resolution as the display, wherein the map stores a value corresponding to each subpixel in the display area;

creating and storing a frame having n views, wherein each of the n views has the same aspect ratio as the display area;

creating and storing a plurality of masks, each mask corresponding to a unique one of the n views, each mask having an opaque area and a plurality of transparent windows, each window corresponding to a selected subpixel location; and

interdigitating the n views while applying the corresponding mask and using the map to assign a value to each subpixel.