DISPLAY OF LIGHT FIELD IMAGE DATA USING A SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR AT A FOCAL LENGTH CORRESPONDING TO A SELECTED FOCUS DEPTH

• US 20140210823A1
• Filed: 11/09/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Francis J. Maguire
• Original Assignee: Francis J. Maguire
• Inventors: Maguire, Francis J. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/426
• 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 7/38 measured at different points on the optical axis , e.g. focussing on two or more planes and comparing image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/06 Ray-tracing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/50 Lighting effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/21 involving computational photography
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

A method and apparatus are shown that select a focus depth for digital light field image data that represents a scene having a plurality of objects at different focus depths, the selected focus depth corresponding to a layer of the digital light field image data at the selected focus depth, and display the layer of the digital light field image data by utilizing at least one spatial light modulator to present the layer of the digital light field image data at a focal length corresponding to the selected focus depth. A server is shown that communicates with at least one apparatus to facilitate performance of the method.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting a focus depth for digital light field image data that represents a scene having a plurality of objects at different focus depths, the selected focus depth corresponding to a layer of the light field image data at the selected focus depth, and

displaying the layer of the digital light field image data by an apparatus utilizing at least one spatial light modulator in the apparatus to present the layer of the digital light field image data at a focal length corresponding to the selected focus depth.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a plurality of focus depths and the apparatus presenting a corresponding plurality of layers of the light field image data at a corresponding plurality of focal lengths so as to represent the scene as a set of digital light field image data layers in a three dimensional representation of the plurality of objects in the scene.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of focus depths is preselected and successive sets of image data layers are presented cyclically at a set repetition rate by the apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the apparatus:

detecting eye gaze of a user and selecting the focus depth based on the detected eye gaze of the user, and

presenting a layer of the digital light field image data for the detected focus depth at a focal length corresponding to the selected focus depth.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising by the apparatus evaluating the scene and selecting the focus depth corresponding to a depth of an object judged to be in motion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital light field image data is a sequence of pictures in layered sets compressed on a layer level basis with pictures at a same level in successive sets grouped for decompression so that separate decompressions for picture sequences at each level are executable as parallel decompression processes.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

select a focus depth for light field image data that represents a scene having a plurality of objects at different focus depths, the selected focus depth corresponding to a layer of the digital light field image data at the selected focus depth, and

display the layer of the digital light field image data utilizing at least one spatial light modulator to present the layer of the digital light field image data at a focal length corresponding to the selected focus depth.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory including computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to select a plurality of focus depths and display the image data at a corresponding plurality of focal lengths so as to represent the scene as a set of image data layers in a three dimensional representation of the plurality of objects in the scene.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said plurality of focus depths is preselected and successive sets of image data layers are presented cyclically at a set repetition rate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a number of layers in one or more successive sets is varied during selected cyclic set repetition periods.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein an image characteristic of one or more separate layers is varied during selected cyclic set repetition periods.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

detect eye gaze of a user and select the focus depth based on a change in the detected eye gaze of the user, and

present the layer of the digital light field image data for the detected focus depth at the focal length corresponding to the selected focus depth.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

evaluate the scene and select the focus depth corresponding to a depth of an object judged to be in motion.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a user input device comprising a digital light field camera in the apparatus for providing said digital light field image data.

15. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display of the image data includes display of a portion of the displayed image data judged to include an object in motion with greater distinction than portions surrounding the portion judged to include an object in motion.

16. A method, comprising:

a server retrieving from a storage device on the server, in response to a request from a user apparatus, a signal comprising digital light field image data at a selected a focus depth that represents a scene having a plurality of objects at different focus depths, the selected focus depth corresponding to a layer of the light field image data at the selected focus depth, and

transmitting the retrieved signal to the user apparatus for display of the layer of the digital light field image data by the user apparatus utilizing at least one spatial light modulator in the user apparatus to present the layer of the digital light field image data at a focal length corresponding to the selected focus depth.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the server retrieving and transmitting to the user apparatus a digital light field data from plurality of focus depths for presentation by the user apparatus as a corresponding plurality of layers of the light field image data at a corresponding plurality of focal lengths so as to represent the scene as a set of digital light field image data layers in a three dimensional representation of the plurality of objects in the scene.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said plurality of focus depths is preselected and successive sets of image data layers are for presentation cyclically at a set repetition rate by the user apparatus.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the digital light field image data is a sequence of pictures in layered sets compressed on a layer level basis with pictures at a same level in successive sets grouped for decompression so that separate decompressions for picture sequences at each level are executable as parallel decompression processes.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the displaying includes displaying a portion of the displayed image data radially surrounding the at least one of the one or more objects to be displayed with less distinction to simulate human vision where objects surrounding an object at which visual attention is directed appear with less distinction than the object at which the visual attention is directed.