Three-dimensional image display system

• US 6,999,110 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tetsuro Kobayashi
• Original Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shepard, Justin E.
• Application Number:
  US10/362,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20040001139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 348/51, 348/52
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/30 involving parallax barriers
• 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 13/32 using arrays of controllable light sources; using moving apertures or moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects

Abstract

A three-dimensional image display system utilizing both a light beam reproducing method and a shadowgraph multi-view parallax method, including a color filter is disposed on an observer side of a white-color point light source array, and, in an area apart from the color filter and white point light source, light beams emitted from the white-color point light source are selectively colored by the color filter for generating an image of each point of an object, while in the region in the vicinity of the point light source and the color filter, the light beams are selectively colored by the color filter so that image data reaching the eye from the white-color point light source through the color filter performs a view-dependent parallax stereoscopic display operation not only laterally but also vertically, and in the intermediate region, these two operations are mixed, so that a stereoscopic image is continuously formed.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional image display system utilizing both a light beam reproducing method and a shadowgraph multi-view parallax method, comprising:

a color filter disposed on an observer side of a white-color point light source array,

wherein light beams from the white-color point light source are selectively colored by the color filter so that a plurality of light beams corresponding to scattered light from each point of an object is generated so that an image of each point is formed in a region remote from the color filter and the white-color point light source,

light beams are selectively colored by the color filter for a portion in a vicinity of the white-color point light source and the color filter where a sufficient number of light beams cannot be reproduced so that image data reaching the observer from the white-color point light source through the color filter forms a view-dependent parallax stereoscopic display operation not only laterally but also vertically, and

these two operations are mixed in an intermediate region so that a stereoscopic image is continuously formed.

2. A three-dimensional image display system according to claim 1, wherein one or more lenses are disposed between the color filter and the observer to provide flexibility in visual appearance and/or filter design.

3. A three-dimensional image display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a lens is inserted between the white-color point light source array and the color filter to provide flexibility in visual appearance and/or filter design.

4. A three-dimensional image display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the white-color point light source array includes a combination of a white-color light source, a scatter plate and a pinhole array.

5. A three-dimensional image display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the color filter is a space modulating panel configured to dynamically control reproduced three-dimensional images.

6. A three-dimensional image display system having a wide visual angle, comprising:

a transparent medium with a refractive index of more than one inserted entirely or partially between a white-color point light source array and a color filter to broaden the three-dimensional image observable region by utilizing such nature that a light beam spreads out more outside such transparent medium due to refraction thereof,

wherein light beams are incident at laying angles from the adjacent white-color point light source into a section of the color filter, which serves to selectively color light beams from the white-color point light source for displaying three-dimensional images, and

harmful crosstalk images are totally reflected and prevented from exiting the medium, so that three-dimensional images may be observed from a wide visual angle while completely preventing a crosstalk image from being generated.

7. A three-dimensional image display system according to claim 6, wherein a lens or lenses are inserted between the color filter and an observer, and/or between the white-color point light source array and the color filter to provide flexibility in visual appearance and/or filter design.

8. A three-dimensional image display system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the white-color point light source array is substituted by a combination of a white-color light source, a scatter plate, and a pinhole array.

9. A three-dimensional image display system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the color filter is a space modulating panel capable of dynamic control of a liquid crystal panel configured to animate reproduced three-dimensional images.

10. A three-dimensional image display system comprising:

a transparent medium with a refractive index of more than one disposed between an image panel or a color filter and a parallax barrier, a slit, a pinhole array or a micro lens array,

wherein a three-dimensional image observable region is broadened by utilizing such nature that a light beam spreads out more outside the transparent medium due to refraction thereof so that a wide visual angle is achieved, and crosstalk images that appear when observing from the side are prevented from being generated by utilizing total reflection.