Apparatus and method for presenting successive images
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising the steps of:
- providing, in response to a combined image and control signal (11), an image distance control signal (3) indicative of varying image distances, an image signal (8), and an image control signal (9);
providing, in response to the image signal (8) and the image control signal (9), successive input images (4);
providing, in response to the image distance control signal (3) and the successive input images (4), corresponding successive output images (2) at varying apparent distances for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation; and
monitoring (44,
46) at least one eye of a pair of eyes (19,20) of the viewer (16) in an image space (17) for providing the image distance control signal (36) indicative of varying image distances.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing, in response to successive image signals and a control signal, the successive images at various apparent distances. The relationship between accommodation and convergence may be preserved. The images may have a highly detailed component which has its image content changed according to changes in the direction of a monitored one or more visual axes. The images may be provided stereoscopically.
174 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method, comprising the steps of:
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providing, in response to a combined image and control signal (11), an image distance control signal (3) indicative of varying image distances, an image signal (8), and an image control signal (9); providing, in response to the image signal (8) and the image control signal (9), successive input images (4); providing, in response to the image distance control signal (3) and the successive input images (4), corresponding successive output images (2) at varying apparent distances for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation; and monitoring (44,
46) at least one eye of a pair of eyes (19,20) of the viewer (16) in an image space (17) for providing the image distance control signal (36) indicative of varying image distances. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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2. A method, comprising the steps of:
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providing, in response to a combined image and control signal (11), an image distance control signal (3) indicative of varying image distances, an image signal (8), and an image control signal (9); providing, in response to the image signal (8) and the image control signal (9), successive input images (4); and providing, in response to the image distance control signal (3) and the successive input images (4), corresponding successive output images (2) at varying apparent distances for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation; and monitoring at least one eye (62) of an observer (60) in an object space (20) for providing the image distance control signal indicative of varying image distances. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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3. Apparatus, comprising:
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means (10), responsive to a combined image and control signal (11), for providing an image distance control signal (3) indicative of varying image distances, an image signal (8), and an image control signal (9); means (7), responsive to the image signal (8) and the image control signal (9), for providing successive images (4); means (1) for providing, in response to the image distance control signal (3) and in response to the successive images (4), successive output images (2) at successive varying apparent distances for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation; and means (44,
46) for monitoring at least one eye of a pair of eyes (19,
20) of the viewer (16) in an image space (17) for providing the image distance control signal (40, 42,
36). - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 23)
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4. Apparatus, comprising:
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means (10), responsive to a combined image and control signal (11), for providing an image distance control signal (3) indicative of varying image distances, an image signal (8), and an image control signal (9); means (7), responsive to the image signal (8) and the image control signal (9), for providing successive input images (4); means (1) for providing, in response to the image distance control signal (3) and in response to the successive input images (4), successive output images (2) at successively varying apparent distances for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation; and means (76) for monitoring at least one eye (62) of an observer (60) in an object space (20) for providing the control signal (80) indicative of varying image distances. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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9. Apparatus, comprising:
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means (10), responsive to a combined image and the image control signal (9), for providing successive input images (4); means (1) for providing, in response to the image distance control signal (3) and in response to the successive input images (4), successive output images (2) at successively varying apparent distances for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation, wherein said means for providing successive input images includes means (18, 21, 22;
476;
502,
504) for providing additional successive input images; and
wherein saidmeans for providing, in response to the control image distance signal and in response to the additional successive input images, includes means for providing the additional successive input images at successive varying apparent distances for viewing by the viewer along a second visual axis of a second eye of the viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 26)
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12. Apparatus, comprising:
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an image source (7), responsive to an image signal (8) and to an image control signal (9), for providing successive input optical images (4); and means (1), responsive to the successive optical input images (4), and responsive to a distance control signal (3), for providing corresponding successive output optical images (2) at varying apparent distances, for viewing along a visual axis of an eye (5) with correspondingly varying accommodation; wherein said means (1) is responsive to the successive input optical images (4) and to the distance control signal (3) for providing the corresponding successive output optical images (2) at varying apparent distances for viewing by said eye with corresponding accommodation while providing a normal relationship between accommodation and convergence for said eye.
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13. Apparatus, comprising:
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an image source (7), responsive to an image signal (8) and to an image control signal (9), for providing successive input optical images (4); and means (1), responsive to the successive optical input images (4), and responsive to a distance control signal (3), for providing corresponding successive output optical images (2) at varying apparent distances, for viewing along a visual axis (6). of an eye (5) with correspondingly varying accommodations; wherein each optical image has nonuniform resolution comprising a lesser detailed component surrounding a highly detailed component, said lesser and highly detailed components together being simulative of retinal resolution for viewing by said eye along said visual axis wherein at least said highly detailed component changes position within each of said optical images according to sensed changes in direction of said visual axis of said eye. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. Apparatus, comprising:
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an image source (7), responsive to an image signal (8) and to an image control signal (9), for providing successive input optical images (4); means (1), responsive to the successive optical input images (4), and responsive to a distance control signal (3), for providing corresponding successive output optical images (2) at varying apparent distances, for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) with correspondingly varying accommodation; a second image source for providing additional successive input optical images of the object space in the image space for presentation to a second eye; and a second means, responsive to the additional successive input optical images, and responsive to a second distance control signal, for providing corresponding additional successive output optical images at varying apparent distances, for viewing along a visual axis of said second eye with correspondingly varying accommodation. - View Dependent Claims (17, 27, 28)
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19. A method, comprising the steps of:
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providing, in response to a combined image and control signal (11), an image distance control signal (3) indicative of varying image distances, an image signal (8), and an image control signal (9); providing, in response to the image signal (8) and the image control signal (9), successive input images (4); and providing in responsive to the image distance control signal (3) and the successive input images (4), corresponding successive output images (2) at varying apparent distances for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation; and providing, in response to the image distance control signal, the successive output images at the varying apparent distances for viewing by the viewer with a normal relationship between accommodation and convergence for the viewer.
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22. Apparatus, comprising:
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means (10), responsive to a combined image and control signal (11), for providing an image distance control signal (3) indicative of varying image distances, an image signal (8), and an image control signal (9); means (7), responsive to the image signal (8) and the image control signal (9), for providing successive input images (4); means (1) for providing, in response to the image distance control signal (3) and in response to the successive input images (4), successive output images (2) at successively varying apparent distances for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation; and means for providing, in response to the control signal, the corresponding successive output images at the varying apparent distances for viewing by the viewer with corresponding accommodation while providing a normal relationship between accommodation and convergence for the viewer.
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25. Apparatus, comprising:
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an image source (7), responsive to an image signal (8) and to an image control signal (9), for providing successive input optical images (4); means (1), responsive to the successive optical input images (4), and responsive to a distance control signal (3), for providing corresponding successive output optical images (2) at varying apparent distances in an image space; and eye monitoring means (44,
46) for monitoring at least one eye of a pair of eyes (19,
20) of the viewer (16) in the image space (17), for providing the distance control signal. - View Dependent Claims (31, 34, 35, 38, 39, 41, 44)
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29. Apparatus for using an eye monitoring signal from means (76) for eye monitoring, comprising:
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an image source (7), responsive to an image signal (8) and to an image control signal (9), for providing successive input optical images (4); and means (1), responsive to the successive optical input images (4), and responsive to a distance control signal (3), for providing corresponding successive output optical images (2) at varying apparent distances, for viewing along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) with correspondingly varying accommodation, wherein the apparatus is for location in an image space (22), wherein the distance control signal is provided by means (76) for monitoring at least one eye (62) of an observer (60) in an object space (20) separate from the image space and wherein said means for monitoring is likewise separate from said apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (32, 36, 40, 42)
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30. Apparatus, comprising:
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an image source (7), responsive to an image signal (8) and to an image control signal (9), for providing successive input optical images (4) in an image space (22); and means (1), responsive to the successive optical input images (4), and responsive to a distance control signal (3), for providing corresponding successive output optical images (2) at varying apparent distances in the image space, for passive viewing in the image space along a visual axis (6) of an eye (5) of a viewer with correspondingly varying accommodation, wherein the distance control signal is indicative of corresponding active viewing at correspondingly varying distances in an object space, said varying distances in the object space selected without monitoring any eye, and wherein said eye (5) of said viewer passively varies said accommodation in response to said successive output images (2) at said varying apparent distances in the image space. - View Dependent Claims (33, 37, 43)
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Specification