Dual ZScreen.RTM. projection

• US 20080143964A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Real D
• Inventors: Greer, Josh, Lipton, Lenny, Cowan, Matt
• Granted Patent: US 7,670,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/7
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/18 by simultaneous viewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/144 for flicker reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/315 the parallax barriers being time-variant
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/002 Eyestrain reduction by processing stereoscopic signals or controlling stereoscopic devices

Abstract

A system and method for projecting stereoscopic images using a multiple projector arrangement is provided. The design comprises transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left and right images and concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector left and right images. The first projector left image is transmitted by the first projector at substantially a same time as the second projector right image is transmitted by the second projector. Alternately, the design comprises transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left images alternating with first projector right images, and concurrently ransmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector left images alternating with second projector right images. A quasi-interlacing technique is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for projecting stereoscopic images using a multiple projector arrangement comprising a first projector and a second projector, the method comprising:

transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left and right images; and

concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector right and left images,

wherein the first projector left image is transmitted by the first projector at substantially a same time as the second projector right image is transmitted by the second projector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first field train and second field train are free of blank images.

3. The method of claim 1, further wherein the second projector left image is transmitted by the second projector at a later time and substantially a same instance as the first projector right image is transmitted by the first projector.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing images into first projector left images, first projector right images, second projector left images, and second projector right images, said dividing occurring before said transmitting.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an observer'"'"'s left eye perceives one first projector left image transmitted from the first projector followed by a second projector left image transmitted from the second projector.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising quasi-interlacing the images, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises deconstructing each image by dividing pixels in each image into two sub-images, each sub-image comprising a complementary series of regions comprising fewer pixels than in each image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises transmitting a first sub-image followed by transmitting a complementary second sub-image.

8. A method for projecting stereoscopic images using a multiple projector arrangement comprising a first projector and a second projector, the method comprising:

transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left images alternating with first projector right images; and

concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector left images alternating with second projector right images;

wherein said first projector transmits one first projector left image at a first time substantially identical to the second projector transmitting one second projector left image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first projector transmits one first projector right image at a second time substantially identical to the second projector transmitting one second projector right image.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein when the first projector left image is transmitted from the first projector and the second projector right image is transmitted from the right projector, an observer'"'"'s right eye does not perceive a significant part of the image.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising quasi-interlacing the images, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises deconstructing each image by dividing pixels in each combined image into two sub-images, each sub-image comprising a complementary series of regions comprising fewer pixels than in each image.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises transmitting a first sub-image followed by transmitting a complementary second sub-image.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising quasi-interlacing the images, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises deconstructing the left image and deconstructing the right image by dividing pixels in each of the left and right images into sub-images, each sub-image comprising a complementary series of regions comprising fewer pixels than in each right image and each left image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises transmitting a first sub-image followed by transmitting a complementary second sub-image.

15. A projection apparatus configured to projecting stereoscopic images, comprising:

a first projector configured to transmit a first field train, the first field train comprising first projector left and right images; and

a second projector configured to concurrently transmit a second field train, the second field train comprising second projector right and left images,

wherein the first projector left image is transmitted by the first projector at substantially a same time as the second projector right image is transmitted by the second projector.

16. The projection apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a connective element between the first projector and the second projector, the connective element configured to enable transmission of synchronization signals between the first projector and the second projector.

17. The projection apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first field train and second field train are free of blank images.

18. The projection apparatus of claim 15, wherein each first projector left image and each first projector right image occurs at least once in alternating succession in the first field train.

19. The projection apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a server arrangement configured to divide images into first projector left images, first projector right images, second projector left images, and second projector right images, and transmit said first projector left images and first projector right images to the first projector, and the second projector left images and second projector right images to the second projector.

20. The projection apparatus of claim 15, wherein an observer'"'"'s left eye perceives one first projector left image transmitted from the first projector followed by a second projector left image transmitted from the second projector.

22. The projection apparatus of claim 19, wherein the server arrangement is further configured to quasi-interlace the images, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises deconstructing each image by dividing pixels in each image into two sub-images, each sub-image comprising a complementary series of regions comprising fewer pixels than in each image.

21.