Spatial video display system

• US 5,448,287 A
• Filed: 05/03/1993
• Issued: 09/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrea S. Hull
• Original Assignee: Andrea S. Hull
• Inventors: Hull, Andrea S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US08/055,115
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 358/87, 358/89, 358/88, 358/93, 358/254, 395/119, 348/36, 348/47, 348/48, 348/52, 348/39
• US Class Current: 348/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

Blue Ring is a system for video display comprising a multiplicity of non-contiguous but simultaneous video images distributed in space so as to create the illusion that the viewer is inside moving action. It uses digital video playback technology currently in the form of videodisc machines with a microchip controller to achieve the degree of simultaneity necessary for the illusion of motion surrounding the observer.

Claims

1. A system for creating an illusion of action taking place in three dimensional space about a viewer using only discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous views comprising small portions of a total spherical or hemispherical representation of a three dimensional action scene, said system comprising:

a plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous video monitors disposed with substantial spacing about a viewer positioned at a central viewing point, said plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitors displaying a corresponding plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images, the spacing of said spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitors being such that not more than a first of said spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitors can be in the viewer'"'"'s cone of central foveal vision at one time and such that at least a second spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitor must be simultaneously in the viewer'"'"'s peripheral vision when the first spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitor is in the viewer'"'"'s cone of central foveal vision,

said plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images representing a plurality of discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous views of a single surrounding three dimensional action scene observed from substantially a single central camera location, each of said plurality of discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous views portraying action in each of a plurality of discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous spatial camera observation cones traced outward from said single central camera location,

each of said spatially dispersed and non-contiguous spatial camera observation cones corresponding in azimuth and elevation with and being substantially equal in size, shape, and orientation to each of a plurality of corresponding viewing cones, each of said viewing cones representing the volume in the space around the viewer traced from the central viewing point outward through each of the plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images displayed on each of the plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitors;

b. a plurality of digital video playback devices connected electronically to said plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous video monitors;

c. a plurality of digital video recordings disposed to play back on said plurality of digital video playback devices and containing recorded versions of said plural spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images, the entire plurality of recorded versions being edited for simultaneity corresponding to the synchronicity of events in the action scene, thereby enabling synchronized playback, by means of said plurality of digital video playback devices on said plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous video monitors, wherein an illusion of action taking place in space around the viewer is created; and

d. a programmable electronic controller which exactly synchronizes the display of said plural spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images from said plurality of digital video playback devices on said plurality of video monitors by means of a capability to address identified frames of said digital video recordings.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising sound production apparatus which receives timing signals from one or more of the digital video recordings.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising means for reproducing sound synchronously recorded on said digital video recordings.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plural images which are displayed are hand-animated or computer created images.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the plural monitors are arranged so that the display can be seen by plural viewers simultaneously.

6. A method of creating an illusion of action taking place in three dimensional space about a viewer using only discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous portions of a total spherical or hemispherical representation of a three dimensional action scene, said method comprising the steps of:

a. recording on a plurality of recording and playback media tracks a plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images representing a plurality of simultaneous discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous views of a single surrounding three dimensional action scene observed from a substantially single central camera location, each of said plurality of simultaneous discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous views encompassing action in each of a plurality of discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous spatial camera observation cones projecting outward from said single central camera location,

said plural simultaneous discrete spatially dispersed and non-contiguous views being chosen such that not more than a first of said plural spatially dispersed and non-contiguous spatial camera observation cones can at one time be in the central foveal vision of a simulated human observer located at said single central camera location and such that at least a second spatially dispersed and non-contiguous spatial camera observation cone must be simultaneously in the simulated human observer'"'"'s peripheral vision when the first spatially dispersed and non-contiguous view is in the simulated human observer'"'"'s central foveal vision,

each of said spatially dispersed and non-contiguous spatial camera observation cones corresponding in azimuth and elevation with and being substantially equal in size, shape, and orientation to each of a plurality of corresponding spatial viewing cones, each of said spatial viewing cones comprising the volume in the space around a viewer located at a central viewing point projecting out from the central viewing point through each of a plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous video display screens on a plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous video monitors disposed with a substantial spacing for viewing said spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images, the spacing of said spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitors being such that not more than a first of said spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitors can be in the viewer'"'"'s cone of central foveal vision at one time and such that at least a second spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitor must be simultaneously in the viewer'"'"'s peripheral vision when the first spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitor is in the viewer'"'"'s cone of central foveal vision;

b. editing said plurality of recording and playback media tracks into a plurality of approximately synchronized edited video tracks;

c. transferring said plurality of approximately synchronized edited video tracks to a plurality of digital video recording tracks, said digital video recording tracks containing digitally recorded versions of said plural spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images recorded in such a way as to permit addressing of each frame for playback;

d. playing back said digital video recording tracks on a plurality of digital video playback devices controlled by a programmable electronic controller which digitally synchronizes the playback of said plural spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images from said plurality of digital video playback devices by causing said playback devices to address identified frames of the digital video recording tracks so as to produce a plurality of exactly synchronized picture signals,

said controller synchronizing the picture signals for precise simultaneity of the images in accordance with the real or imagined simultaneity of events in the action scene;

e. transmitting electronically said plurality of exactly synchronized picture signals to said plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous video monitors, said plurality of spatially dispersed and non-contiguous monitors converting said plurality of exactly synchronized picture signals into a plurality of exactly synchronized spatially dispersed and non-contiguous images.

7. The method of claim 6 additionally comprising the step of producing sound from information recorded on said digital video playback devices.

8. The method of claim 6 additionally comprising the step of reproducing synchronized sound recorded with one or more of the digital video recordings.

9. The method of claim 6 additionally comprising the step of assembling a plurality of action scenes into a larger composite work.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the plural images which are displayed are hand-animated or computer created images.