Stereoscopic image display

• US 20060038880A1
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sinclair, Michael J., Kang, Sing Bing, Starkweather, Gary K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,030,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/371 for tracking viewers with different interocular distances; for tracking rotational head movements around the vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/376 for tracking left-right translational head movements, i.e. lateral movements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/378 for tracking rotational head movements around an axis perpendicular to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/38 for tracking vertical translational head movements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes

Abstract

Stereoscopic image display is described. In an embodiment, a location of the eye pupils of a viewer is determined and tracked. An image is displayed within a first focus for viewing with the left eye of the viewer, and the image is displayed within a second focus for viewing with the right eye of the viewer. A positional change of the eye pupils is tracked and a sequential image that corresponds to the positional change of the eye pupils is generated for stereoscopic viewing. In another embodiment, an image is displayed for stereoscopic viewing and a head position of a viewer relative to a center of the displayed image is determined. A positional change of the viewer'"'"'s head is tracked, and a sequential image that corresponds to the positional change of the viewer'"'"'s head is generated for stereoscopic viewing.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic image display system, comprising:

an eye pupil acquisition system configured to determine a location of eye pupils of a viewer, the eye pupil acquisition system further configured to track a positional change of the eye pupils;

a first display system configured to display an image for viewing with a left eye of the viewer;

a second display system configured to display the image for viewing with a right eye of the viewer; and

image generation logic configured to generate a sequential image corresponding to the positional change of the eye pupils, the sequential image including a motion parallax depiction of the image for stereoscopic viewing.

2. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the image generation logic is further configured to generate the sequential image to include a rotational depiction of the image for stereoscopic viewing.

3. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the eye pupil acquisition system is further configured to determine the location of the eye pupils without a user attachable device.

4. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the eye pupil acquisition system is further configured to track a horizontal positional change of the eye pupils.

5. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the eye pupil acquisition system is further configured to track a vertical positional change of the eye pupils.

6. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the eye pupil acquisition system is further configured to track a rotational positional change of the eye pupils.

7. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first display system is further configured to display the image within a first focus for viewing with the left eye of the viewer; and

the second display system is further configured to display the image within a second focus for viewing with the right eye of the viewer.

8. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a display lens configured to display the image from the first display system and from the second display system for stereoscopic viewing.

9. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a Fresnel lens configured to display the image from the first display system and from the second display system for stereoscopic viewing.

10. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a display lens configured to project the image from the first display system within a first focus for viewing with the left eye of the viewer, and project the image from the second display system within a second focus for viewing with the right eye of the viewer.

11. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a Fresnel lens configured to project the image from the first display system within a first focus for viewing with the left eye of the viewer, and project the image from the second display system within a second focus for viewing with the right eye of the viewer.

12. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a display lens configured to display the image from the first display system and from the second display system for stereoscopic viewing, and wherein:

the first display system includes a first display device and a first projection lens to project the image from the first display device through the display lens;

the second display system includes a second display device and a second projection lens to project the image from the second display device through the display lens; and

the display lens projects the image from the first display device for viewing with the left eye of the viewer, and projects the image from the second display device for viewing with the right eye of the viewer.

13. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 1, wherein the eye pupil acquisition system includes:

a left camera configured to image infra-red light reflected from the eye pupils, the left camera including a left on-axis illumination source and a left off-axis illumination source, the left on-axis illumination source and the left off-axis illumination source each configured to alternately illuminate the eyes of the viewer;

a right camera configured to image the infra-red light reflected from the eye pupils, the right camera including a right on-axis illumination source and a right off-axis illumination source, the right on-axis illumination source and the right off-axis illumination source each configured to alternately illuminate the eyes of the viewer; and

viewer position logic configured to compare left camera images and right camera images that include the alternate illumination of the eyes of the viewer to determine the location of the eye pupils.

14. A method, comprising:

determining a location of eye pupils of a viewer;

displaying an image within a first focus for viewing with a left eye of a viewer;

displaying the image within a second focus for viewing with a right eye of the viewer;

tracking a positional change of the eye pupils of the viewer; and

generating a sequential image corresponding to the positional change of the eye pupils, the sequential image including a motion parallax depiction of the image for stereoscopic viewing.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising generating the sequential image to include a rotational depiction of the image for stereoscopic viewing.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein determining the location of the eye pupils of the viewer includes determining the location of the eye pupils without a user attachable device.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein tracking the positional change of the eye pupils of the viewer includes tracking a horizontal positional change of the eye pupils.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein tracking the positional change of the eye pupils of the viewer includes tracking a vertical positional change of the eye pupils.

19. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein tracking the positional change of the eye pupils of the viewer includes tracking a rotational positional change of the eye pupils.

20. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein:

displaying the image within the first focus includes displaying the image on a first display device and projecting the image through a display lens with a first projection lens for viewing with the left eye of the viewer; and

displaying the image within the second focus includes displaying the image on a second display device and projecting the image through the display lens with a second projection lens for viewing with the right eye of the viewer.

21. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein:

displaying the image within the first focus includes displaying the image on a first display device and projecting the image through a Fresnel lens with a first projection lens for viewing with the left eye of the viewer; and

displaying the image within the second focus includes displaying the image on a second display device and projecting the image through the Fresnel lens with a second projection lens for viewing with the right eye of the viewer.

22. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein tracking the positional change of the eye pupils of the viewer includes:

illuminating the eyes of the viewer with a first illumination source such that the eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the first illumination source;

capturing a first image set with a first camera and a second camera, a first camera image including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to a location of the eye pupils;

illuminating the eyes of the viewer with a second illumination source such that the eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the second illumination source;

capturing a second image set with the first camera and the second camera, a second camera image including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to the location of the eye pupils; and

comparing the first camera image and the second camera image to determine the location of the eye pupils.

23. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a stereoscopic image display device to perform the method as recited in claim 14.

24. An eye pupil tracking system, comprising:

a first illumination source configured to illuminate eyes such that eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the first illumination source;

a first camera configured to image retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to a location of the eye pupils;

a second illumination source configured to illuminate the eyes such that the eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the second illumination source, the second illumination source further configured to alternate illumination of the eyes with the first illumination source;

a second camera configured to image retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to the location of the eye pupils; and

viewer position logic configured to compare a first camera image and a second camera image to determine the location of the eye pupils.

25. An eye pupil tracking system as recited in claim 24, wherein both the first illumination source and the second illumination source include:

an on-axis illumination source configured to illuminate such that the eye pupils retroreflect the infra-red light; and

an off-axis illumination source configured to alternately illuminate such that the eye pupils do not retroreflect the infra-red light.

26. A method, comprising:

illuminating eyes with a left on-axis illumination source such that eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the left on-axis illumination source;

illuminating the eyes with a right off-axis illumination source such that the eye pupils do not retroreflect infra-red light from the right off-axis illumination source;

capturing a first image set with a left camera and a right camera, a left camera image including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to a location of the eye pupils;

illuminating the eyes with a left off-axis illumination source such that the eye pupils do not retroreflect infra-red light from the left off-axis illumination source;

illuminating the eyes with a right on-axis illumination source such that the eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the right on-axis illumination source;

capturing a second image set with the left camera and the right camera, a right camera image including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to the location of the eye pupils; and

comparing the left camera image and the right camera image to determine the location of the eye pupils.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, further comprising comparing the first image set and the second image set to further determine the location of the eye pupils.

28. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct an eye pupil tracking system to perform the method as recited in claim 26.

29. A method, comprising:

illuminating eyes with a first illumination source such that eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the first illumination source;

capturing a first image set with a first camera and a second camera, a first camera image including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to a location of the eye pupils;

illuminating the eyes with a second illumination source such that the eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the second illumination source;

capturing a second image set with the first camera and the second camera, a second camera image including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to the location of the eye pupils; and

comparing the first camera image and the second camera image to determine the location of the eye pupils.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, further comprising comparing the first image set and the second image set to further determine the location of the eye pupils.

31. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct an eye pupil tracking system to perform the method as recited in claim 29.

32. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a stereoscopic image display device to:

determine a location of eye pupils of a viewer;

display an image within a first focus for viewing with a left eye of a viewer;

display the image within a second focus for viewing with a right eye of the viewer;

track a positional change of the eye pupils of the viewer; and

generate a sequential image corresponding to the positional change of the eye pupils, the sequential image including a motion parallax depiction of the image for stereoscopic viewing.

33. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 32, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the stereoscopic image display device to generate the sequential image to include a rotational depiction of the image for stereoscopic viewing.

34. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 32, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the stereoscopic image display device to determine the location of the eye pupils without an input from a user attachable device.

35. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 32, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the stereoscopic image display device to track a horizontal positional change of the eye pupils.

36. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 32, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the stereoscopic image display device to track a vertical positional change of the eye pupils.

37. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 32, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the stereoscopic image display device to track a rotational positional change of the eye pupils.

38. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 32, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the stereoscopic image display device to:

illuminate the eyes of the viewer with a first illumination source such that the eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the first illumination source;

capture a first image set with a first camera and a second camera, a first camera image including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to a location of the eye pupils;

illuminate the eyes of the viewer with a second illumination source such that the eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light from the second illumination source;

capture a second image set with the first camera and the second camera, a second camera image including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to the location of the eye pupils; and

compare the first camera image and the second camera image to determine the location of the eye pupils.

39. A stereoscopic image display system, comprising:

means for determining a location of eye pupils of a viewer and for tracking a positional change of the eye pupils of the viewer;

means for displaying an image within a first focus for viewing with a left eye of a viewer;

means for displaying the image within a second focus for viewing with a right eye of the viewer; and

means for generating a sequential image corresponding to the positional change of the eye pupils, the sequential image including a motion parallax depiction of the image for stereoscopic viewing.

40. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 39, wherein the means for generating the sequential image further generates the sequential image to include a rotational depiction of the image for stereoscopic viewing.

41. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 39, wherein the means for tracking the positional change of the eye pupils tracks a horizontal positional change of the eye pupils.

42. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 39, wherein the means for tracking the positional change of the eye pupils tracks a vertical positional change of the eye pupils.

43. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 39, wherein the means for tracking the positional change of the eye pupils tracks a rotational positional change of the eye pupils.

44. A stereoscopic image display system as recited in claim 39, further comprising:

means for illuminating the eyes of the viewer such that the eye pupils retroreflect infra-red light;

means for capturing a first image set including retroreflected infra-red light which corresponds to a location of the eye pupils;

means for illuminating the eyes of the viewer such that the eye pupils do not retroreflect infra-red light;

means for capturing a second image set including reflected infra-red light; and

means for comparing the first image set and the second image set to determine the location of the eye pupils.