Immersive augmentation for display systems

• US 7,071,897 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bronson, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/906,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20030016236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345/168, 345629-633, 345/698, 345/353, 353/30, 353/122, 434 43- 44, 348/115, 348/121
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT

Abstract

A display system is capable of displaying images of high resolution on a main screen, and augmentation images in augmentation regions located around the main screen. The viewing experience is enhanced by the presence of the augmentation images because of the increase in visual information conveyed to viewers. The augmentation regions lie outside of the foveal field of view of the viewers, so the augmentation images can be of lower resolution than the high resolution images. The use of lower resolution augmentation images reduces the cost of the display system.

Claims

1. A method of displaying images, comprising:

generating a high resolution display signal;

determining at least one of a motion, brightness or color characteristic from the high resolution display signal;

generating at least one augmentation display signal from the high resolution display signal using the at least one motion, brightness or color characteristic;

displaying a high resolution image using the high resolution display signal, comprising projecting the high resolution image onto a screen; and

displaying plural augmentation images onto a plurality of augmentation regions disposed around the screen, by;

projecting a first augmentation image onto a first augmentation region to the right of the screen,

projecting a second augmentation image onto a second augmentation region to the left of two screen, and

projecting a third augmentation image onto a third augmentation region that is outside a field of foveal view for viewers watching the screen and separate from the first and second augmentation regions, the third augmentation image being produced from an array of lights to convey motion information, but not images, to augment images displayed on screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the array of lights includes individually controlled white lights.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the array of lights includes an array of red, blue and green lights.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the array of lights is an array of white lights.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the array of lights has a resolution lower than the first and second augmentation images.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the array of lights produces ambient color, not imagery, to augment images on one of the first and second augmentation regions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising projecting a fourth augmentation image onto a fourth augmentation region that is outside the field of foveal view and separate from the first, second, and third augmentation regions, the fourth augmentation image conveying color and motion, but not images, to the viewers watching the screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third augmentation region is left of the first augmentation region, and the fourth augmentation region is right of the second augmentation region.

9. A display system, comprising:

a main screen;

a main projector, wherein the main projector is arranged to project images on the main screen;

a plurality of augmentation projectors, wherein the augmentation projectors are arranged to project augmentation images onto a plurality of augmentation regions disposed around the main screen, wherein the augmentation regions include (1) separate first and second augmentation regions for displaying images adjacent the main screen, and (2) a third augmentation region being outside a field of foveal view of viewers watching the main screen and displaying, at a resolution lower than the images in the first and second augmentation regions, color to convey motion but not images being produced from an array of lights to the viewers watching the main screen; and

a control, wherein the control is operatively connected to the main projector to provide high resolution display signals to the main projector, and operatively connected to the at least one augmentation projector to provide augmentation display signals to the at least one augmentation projector, the augmentation display signals being keyed to at least one of the color, motion, and brightness of the high resolution display signals.

10. The display system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the augmentation projectors includes:

an array of red, blue and green lights for projecting the color onto the third augmentation region.

11. The display of claim 10, wherein at least one of the augmentation projectors includes:

an array of white lights for projecting motion onto the third augmentation region.

12. The display system of claim 9, wherein the main screen is disposed on a front wall of a room, an augmentation region is disposed on a side wall to the left of the front wall, an augmentation region is disposed on a side wall to the right of the front wall, and an augmentation region is disposed on a ceiling above the front wall.

13. A display system, comprising:

a main screen;

a main projector, wherein the main projector is arranged to project images on the main screen;

at least one array, wherein the at least one array is arranged to display at least one augmentation image; and

a control, wherein the control is operatively connected to the main projector to provide high resolution display signals to the main projector, and operatively connected to the at least one array to provide augmentation display signals to the at least one array, the augmentation display signals generating (1) first augmentation images left of the main screen, (2) second augmentation images right of the main screen, and (3) an array of lights, outside a field of foveal view for viewers of the main screen, that conveys motion information without images to the viewers to augment the images projected on the main screen.

14. The display system of claim 13, wherein the array of lights are displayed at a location separate from the first and second augmentation images, and have a resolution lower than the first and second augmentation images.

15. The display system of claim 14, wherein the array of lights includes red, blue and green lights.

16. The display of claim 15, wherein the array of lights includes an array of white lights.

17. The display system of claim 13, wherein the main screen is disposed on a front wall of a room, an array is disposed on a side wall to the left of the front wall, an array is disposed on a side wall to the right of the front wall, and an array is disposed on a ceiling above the front wall.

18. A method of displaying images, comprising:

projecting an image at a high resolution onto a screen;

continuously extending said image from said screen to a first augmentation region that is right of the screen and to a second augmentation region that is left of the screen, said image being provided at a lower resolution in said first and second augmentation regions;

extending said image from said first augmentation region to a third augmentation region; and

extending said image from said second augmentation region to a fourth augmentation region, wherein said third and fourth augmentation regions are produced from an array of lights and have resolutions lower than resolutions of the first and second augmentation regions, wherein the array of lights produces lights in a peripheral area of viewers that is sensitive to motion in order to augment the high resolution image on the screen.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein action and scenery of the image at the high resolution extend into the first and second augmentation regions to supplement visual effects of the screen.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing the first and second augmentation regions in a peripheral visual zone separate from the screen.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the screen encompasses a field of foveal vision and the first and second augmentation regions augment visual effects in the field of foveal vision.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the image at the high resolution on the screen visually appears to be substantially continuous with the image at the lower resolution on the first and second augmentation regions.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising importing motion, brightness, and color of the image at the high resolution onto the image at the lower resolution.

24. A display system, comprising:

a main screen;

first and second augmentation regions adjacent the main screen; and

image generation means for generating a first image at a first resolution on the main screen and a second image at a second resolution on the first augmentation region and a third image at a third resolution on the second augmentation region, wherein the first resolution is higher than the second resolution, the second resolution is higher than the third resolution, the second image blends with the first image so the second image is substantially continuous with the first image from the main screen to the first augmentation region, and the third image is produced from an array of lights controlled to convey motion information, but not images, to viewers to augment images projected onto the main screen.

25. The display system of claim 24 wherein action and scenery of the first image extend into the second image.

26. The display system of claim 24 wherein:

the main screen encompasses a generally conical field of view surrounding a line of sight onto the main screen;

the augmentation region is located in a peripheral zone to the line of sight.

27. The display system of claim 24 further comprising plural additional augmentation regions, wherein the main screen is located in a field of foveal view, and the plural additional augmentation regions are located outside the field of foveal view.

28. The display system of claim 24 further comprising additional augmentation regions that display images at resolutions different than the first and second resolutions.