Autostereoscopic display

• US 5,311,220 A
• Filed: 06/10/1992
• Issued: 05/10/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dimension Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dimension Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Eichenlaub, Jesse B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/896,211
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 358/88, 358/3, 358/92, 345/6
• US Class Current: 348/55
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking

Abstract

An autostereoscopic display with an optical element inserted near the transmissive display has improved brightness of the display, and optionally has incorporated therein a head position sensing device capable of sensing the position of at least one observers head causing the light emitting regions of the device to move in response to data on the observer'"'"'s head position provided by the head sensing device.

Claims

1. An autostereoscopic display having (a) a surface which can generate or transmit regions of emitted light, (b) a transmissive display or reflective light valve display spaced apart from said surface, (c) an optical element located near said transmissive or reflective light valve display and being generally of the same dimensions as said display which focuses light from the light emitting regions on the first surface onto a plane spaced apart from said display, (d) means to cause the regions which emit light to blink on, then off, one after the other, and to continuously repeat the process, and (e) means to cause the image on said transmissive or reflective light valve display to change rapidly so that a different image can be shown each time a different light emitting region is turned on, the improvement being that of additionally providing:

an optical element located near said transmissive display and being generally of the same dimensions as said transmissive or reflective light valve display, which focuses light from the light emitting regions on the first surface onto a plane spaced apart from said display,

whereby improved brightness of the display is obtained.

2. The display of claim 1 where the light emitting regions consist of pairs of light emitting regions situated next to each, with members of each pair being situated along a horizontal line.

3. The display of claim 1 wherein the surface which can generate or transmit regions of emitted light is substantially parallel to the light valve.

4. The display of claim 1 where the light emitting regions consist of two sets and all members of one set are turned on, then off, at the same time, and then all the members of the second set are turned on, then off at the same time and the process is repeated continuously.

5. The display of claim 1 where the optical element is a fresnel lens.

6. The display of claim 1 where the transmissive display is an liquid crystal device.

7. The display of claim 1 where the light emitting surface is tilted with respect to the transmissive display and lens so that light from the emitting regions is focused onto a plane that is parallel to the floor of a room.

8. The display of claim 1 when used as a display for computer generated images.

9. The display of claim 1 when used as a display for television images.

10. The display of claim 1 where each light emitting region turns on and off three times, each time emitting a different color and the process is repeated continuously while the display is turned on.

11. The display of claim 10 where the three colors emitted are red, green and blue.

12. The display of claim 1 where the single lens is replaced by a lens sheet containing multiple lenses.

13. The display of claim 12 where the surface with light emitting regions is up close to the transmissive display and emits light from at least one pair of locations behind every lens of the lens sheet.

14. The display of claim 13 where the surface with light emitting locations is replaced by multiple surfaces with light emitting locations, one behind each lens or row of lenses and each surface being tilted so that light from the emitting locations on that surface is focused onto a plane that is parallel to the floor of a room.

15. The display of claim 1 where the optical element contains a mirror with a reflective surface situated near the transmissive display on the side of the transmissive display opposite the surface with light emitting regions.

16. The display of claim 15 where the mirror is a fresnel mirror.

17. The autostereoscopic display of any of claims 1 to 10 or 15 adapted to a head trackable or sensing the location of the observer'"'"'s head by additionally providing:

(1) a head position sensing device, and

(2) means to cause the light emitting regions on the first surface to move in response to data on the observer'"'"'s head position provided by the head sensor or tracker,

whereby the autostereoscopic image is transmitted through the focusing action of the optical element only in the direction of the viewer of said image.

18. The display of claim 17 where each pair of light emitting regions are moved and positioned in response to data from the head position sensor, so that light from one member of the pair is focused by the lens onto an observer'"'"'s left eye, and light from the other member of the pair is focused onto the observer'"'"'s right eye.

19. The display of claim 17 where the transmissive display displays an image of some scene with perspective appropriate to each observers'"'"'s eye location each time a light emitting region flashes on.

20. The display of claim 15 where the mirror is tilted with respect to the surface with light emitting regions.

21. The display of claim 20 where the light emitting surface, the transmissive display, and the mirror are positioned and tilted so that light from the light emitting regions is focused onto a plane which is parallel to the floor of a room.

22. The display of claim 21 wherein a second optical element is placed between the transmissive display and the optical element with the mirror which is hereby designated the third optical element, such that the second optical elements forms an image of the transmissive display on or close to the mirror.

23. The display of claim 22 wherein said optical element is placed between the surface with light emitting regions and a second optical element in such a manner that images of light emitting regions on the surface with light emitting regions are first imaged into a plane generally situated near the second optical element before being imaged into the viewing plane by the third optical element containing a mirror.

24. The display of claim 22 where the surface with light emitting regions and the optical elements and the transmissive display are tilted with respect to one another in such a manner that images of light emitting regions on the surface are imaged on to a plane that is situated roughly parallel to the floor of a room after light from them passes through the various optical elements.

25. The display of claim 24 wherein the surface with light emitting regions the transmissive display the second optical element and the first optical element are contained in a housing which forms a projector unit and which allows positioning of the elements with respect to each other and to the mirror by internal adjustments and by positioning of the projector unit as a whole with respect to the mirror.