Systems for three-dimensional viewing and projection

• US 6,252,707 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: 3ality Incorporated
• Inventors: Kleinberger, Paul, Kleinberger, Ilan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, AUDREY Y
• Application Number:
  US09/101,984
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 359/462, 359/464, 359/465, 359/495, 348/55, 348/57, 348/58
• US Class Current: 359/465
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/23 using wavelength separation, e.g. using anaglyph techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/25 using polarisation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/30 involving parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/26 using polarised or coloured light separating different viewpoint images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays
• 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 13/315 the parallax barriers being time-variant
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/32 using arrays of controllable light sources; using moving apertures or moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/327 Calibration thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/334 using spectral multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/339 using spatial multiplexing H04N13/337 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 : with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 : using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/368 : for two or more viewers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/371 : for tracking viewers with different interocular distances; for tracking rotational head movements around the vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/373 : for tracking forward-backward translational head movements, i.e. longitudinal movements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/376 : for tracking left-right translational head movements, i.e. lateral movements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/38 : for tracking vertical translational head movements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 : for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/393 : the volume being generated by a moving, e.g. vibrating or rotating, surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/395 : with depth sampling, i.e. the volume being constructed from a stack or sequence of 2D image planes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 : Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 : Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

Systems for three-dimensional viewing and projection aimed at full-color flat-screen binocular stereoscopic viewing without the use of eyeglasses for the viewer. Light emanating from a display or projected thereat presenting a left image and a right image is directed only to the appropriate left or right eye of at least one viewer using various combinations of light polarizing layers and layers of light rotating means or color filters.

Claims

1. A system for three-dimensional viewing of a display, the display presents a frame divided into at least one first region presenting at least a part of a first image and at least one second region presenting at least a part of a second image, the system comprising a first and a second light polarizing layers each being divided into first subareas and second subareas, said second subareas being adjacent to said first subareas or being separated from said first subareas via opaque regions, said first subareas polarizing light in a first orientation, said second subareas polarizing light in a second orientation, said first layer being closest to the display, said second layer being between said first layer and a viewer, said first and second layers being in a distance from one another and said first and second subareas being distributed across and along said first and second layers such that light emanating from the at least one first region reaches one of the eyes of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the other eye, whereas light emanating from the at least one second region reaches the other eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the first eye, wherein at least one of said first and second light polarizing layers includes a light polarizing sublayer and a sublayer of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means, the system further comprising a multi-line controlling switching means, each of said multiple switchable light rotating means of each of said sublayers of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means being individually switched on and off by said multi-line controlling switching means, such that size of said first and second subareas is under control of said multi-line controlling switching means, such that the system is adjustable for accommodating various positions and distances of the viewer from the display.

2. A system for three-dimensional viewing as in claim 1, further comprising additional sublayers of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means being located between said first and second light polarizing layers and being controlled by said multi-line controlling switching means, such that the system is further adjustable for accommodating various positions and distances of the viewer from the display.

3. A system for three-dimensional viewing as in claim 1, further comprising means for sensing said position and said distance of the viewer relative to the display.

4. A system for three-dimensional viewing of a display, the display presents a frame divided into at least one first region presenting at least a part of a first image and at least one second region presenting at least a part of a second image, the system comprising a first and a second light polarizing layers each being divided into first subareas and second subareas, said second subareas being adjacent to said first subareas or being separated from said first subareas via opaque regions, said first subareas polarizing light in a first orientation, said second subareas polarizing light in a second orientation, said first layer being closest to the display, said second layer being between said first layer and a viewer, said first and second layers being in a distance from one another and said first and second subareas being distributed across and along said first and second layers such that light emanating from the at least one first region reaches one of the eyes of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the other eye, whereas light emanating from the at least one second region reaches the other eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the first eye, further comprising first mechanical means for translating said first and second light polarizing layers one relative to the other.

5. A system for three-dimensional viewing of a display, the display presents a frame divided into at least one first region presenting at least a part of a first image and at least one second region presenting at least a part of a second image, the system comprising a first and a second light polarizing layers each being divided into first subareas and second subareas, said second subareas being adjacent to said first subareas or being separated from said first subareas via opaque regions, said first subareas polarizing light in a first orientation, said second subareas polarizing light in a second orientation, said first layer being closest to the display, said second layer being between said first layer and a viewer, said first and second layers being in a distance from one another and said first and second subareas being distributed across and along said first and second layers such that light emanating from the at least one first region reaches one of the eyes of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the other eye, whereas light emanating from the at least one second region reaches the other eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the first eye, further comprising second mechanical means for translating any of said first and second light polarizing layers relative to the display.

6. A system for three-dimensional viewing of a display, the display presents a frame divided into at least one first region and at least one second region, the system comprising:

(a) a first and a second light polarizing layers each being divided into first subareas and second subareas, said first subareas polarizing light in a first orientation, said second subareas polarizing light in a second orientation, said first layer being closest to the display, said second layer being between said first layer and a viewer;

(b) a layer of on and off switchable light rotating means being between said light polarizing layers, such that when said layer of light rotating means is on, light passing through it is rotated, whereas when said layer of light rotating means is off, light passing through it is not rotated, said first and second layers being in a distance from one another and said first and second subareas being distributed across and along said first and second layers, such that when said layer of switchable light rotating means is off, light emanating from the at least one first region reaches one of the eyes of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the other eye and light emanating from the at least one second region reaches the other eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the first eye, whereas when said layer of switchable light rotating means is on, light emanating from the at least one first region reaches the other eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the first eye and light emanating from the at least one second region reaches the first eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the other eye; and

(c) a coordinating element for coordinating between rate of on and off switching of said layer of switchable light rotating means and between first and second portions of first and second images being presented on the regions of the frame, such that when said layer of switchable light rotating means is off, said first portion of said first image is presented on the at least one first region and said second portion of said second image is presented on the at least one second region, whereas when said layer of switchable light rotating means is on, said second portion of said first image is presented on the at least one second region and said first portion of said second image is presented on the at least one first region.

7. A system for three dimensional viewing as in claim 6, wherein each of said first and second light polarizing layers includes a light polarizing sublayer and a sublayer of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means, the system further comprising a multi-line controlling switching means, each of said multiple switchable light rotating means of each of said sublayers of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means being individually switched on and off by said multi-line controlling switching means, such that size of said first and second subareas is under control of said multi-line controlling switching means, such that the system is adjustable for accommodating various positions and distances of the viewer from the display.

8. A system for three-dimensional viewing as in claim 7, further comprising additional sublayers of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means being located between said first and second light polarizing layers and being controlled by said multi-line controlling switching means, such that the system is further adjustable for accompanying various positions and distances of the viewer from the display.

9. A system for three-dimensional viewing as in claim 6, further comprising mechanical means for translating said first and second light polarizing layers one relative to the other.

10. A system for three-dimensional viewing as in claim 6, further comprising mechanical means for translating any of said first and second light polarizing layers and said layer of on and off switchable light rotating means relative to the display.

11. A system for three-dimensional viewing as in claim 7, further comprising means for sensing said position and said distance of the viewer relative to the display.

12. A system for three-dimensional viewing of a display, the display presents a frame, the frame includes first subregions and second subregions distributed across and along the frame, the first subregions alternately present first and second picture elements of a left image and a right image, respectively, while at the same times, the second subregions alternately present corresponding second and corresponding first picture elements of the right image and the left image, respectively, the system comprising:

(a) a layer of shutter means including alternating first and second subareas being arranged across and along said layer, wherein in a first phase of operation, said first subareas are substantially opaque adn said second subareas are substantially transparent, whereas in a second phase of operation said first subareas are substantially transparent and said second subareas are substantially opaque, said layer of shutter means being in a distance from the display and said first and second subareas being distributed across and along said layer of shutter means, such that in said first phase of operation, light emanating from the first subregions reaches the one of the eyes of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the other eye and light emanating from the second subregions reaches the other eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the first eye, whereas in said second phase of operation, light emanating from the first subregions reaches the other eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the first eye and light emanating from the second subregions reaches the first eye of the viewer and is substantially blocked from the other eye; and

(b) a coordinating element coordinating between rates of selecting said first and second phases of operation and between alternately presenting the first and second picture elements of the left and right images in the first and second subregions, such that when said first phase of operation is selected, the first picture elements are presented in the first subregions and the second picture elements are presented in the second regions, whereas when said second phase of operation is selected, the second picture elements are presented in the first subregions and the first picture elements are presented in the second regions;

wherein said layer of shutter means includes a first and a second light polarizing sublayers and a sublayer of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means located between said first and said second light polarizing sublayers, said first and said second light polarizing sublayers and said sublayer of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means being located and operative such that in said first pse of operation, said first subareas are substantially opaque and said second subareas are substantially transparent, whereas in said second phase of operation said first subareas are substantially transparent and said second subareas are substantially opaque, the system further comprising a multi-line controlling switching means, each of said multiple switchable light rotating means of said sublayer of multiple on and off switchable light rotating means being individually switched on and off by said multi-line controlling switching means, such that size and position of said first and second subareas is under control of said multi-line controlling switching means, such that the system is adjustable for accommodating various positions and distances of the viewer from the display.

13. A system for three-dimensional viewing as in claim 12, further comprising additional layers of shutter means being between the display and a viewer and being controlled by said multi-line controlling switching means.

14. A system for three-dimensional viewing as in claim 12, further comprising means for sensing said position and said distance of the viewer relative to the display.