MULTIVIEW PROJECTOR SYSTEM

• US 20130342814A1
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Atkins, Robin A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,291,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0875 by means of one or more refracting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/33 involving directional light or back-light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/35 using reflective optical elements in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/36 using refractive optical elements, e.g. prisms, in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/142 Adjusting of projection optics
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/24 using apertured or refractive resolving means on screens or between screen and eye
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/322 using varifocal lenses or mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/403 the images being monoscopic

Abstract

A projector system includes an imaging device operable to direct light to a reflective screen, and an active light steering element placed in the light path between the imaging device and the screen. The steering element is operable to sequentially scan the light across the screen. The steering element may be used to temporally multiplex images at different viewpoints. The steering element enables trade-offs to be made between spatial, temporal, color and/or viewpoint resolutions of the images displayed by the imaging device.

Claims

1. A projector system comprising:

a reflective screen;

an imaging device operable to direct light from a light source toward the screen so that the light is reflected by the screen to a viewing area; and

a light steering element positioned in a light path between the imaging device and the screen, the steering element operable to steerably direct the light from the light source to selected locations on the screen.

2. A projector system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is operable to display images for multiple viewpoints, and for each image the steering element is operable to scan the light to locations on the screen such that the light is reflected by the screen to a corresponding viewpoint location.

3. A projector system according to claim 1, wherein the light steering element comprises two arrays of lenticular lenses, wherein at least one of the arrays is displaceable with respect to the other array in a direction parallel to the arrays.

4. A projector system according to claim 1, wherein the light steering element comprises a plurality of micromirrors.

5. A projector system according to claim 1, wherein the screen comprises a corrugated surface.

6. A projector system according to claim 5, wherein the corrugated surface comprises a lenticular pattern.

7. A projector system according to claim 1, comprising a resolution management system operable to control the light steering element so as to adjust spatial, temporal, color and/or viewpoint resolutions of images displayed by the imaging device.

8. An image processor configured to receive one or more input image signals, and based on the input image signals:

generate a first control signal for output to a projector, the first control signal driving the projector to display an image; and

generate a second control signal for output to an active light steering element positioned in a light path between the projector and a screen, the second control signal driving the light steering element to sequentially scan light for the image across the screen.

9. An image processor according to claim 8, wherein the image processor is further configured to:

generate the first control signal so as to drive the projector to display images for multiple viewpoints; and

generate the second control signal so as to drive the light steering element to scan the light for each image to locations on the screen such that the light is reflected by the screen to a corresponding viewpoint location.

10. An image processor according to claim 9, wherein the image processor is further configured to receive a position feedback signal from the light steering element, and based on the position feedback signal, determine or adjust the second control signal for subsequent images.

11. A projector system comprising:

a transmissive screen;

an imaging device operable to direct light from a light source toward the screen; and

a light steering element positioned in a light path between the imaging device and the screen, the steering element operable to steerably direct the light from the light source to selected locations on the screen.

12. A projector system according to claim 11, wherein the imaging device is operable to display images for multiple viewpoints, and for each image the steering element is operable to scan the light to locations on the screen such that the light is directed by the screen to a corresponding viewpoint location behind the screen.

13. A projector system according to claim 11, wherein the light steering element comprises two arrays of lenticular lenses, wherein at least one of the arrays is displaceable with respect to the other array in a direction parallel to the arrays.

14. A projector system according to claim 11, wherein the light steering element comprises a plurality of micromirrors.