Autostereoscopic display

• US 7,123,287 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philip A. Surman
• Original Assignee: Philip A. Surman
• Inventors: Surman, Philip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILIPPE, GIMS S
• Application Number:
  US10/964,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20050117016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 348/51, 348/47, 348/59, 348/42, 348/54, 359/463, 250/201.8
• US Class Current: 348/51
• 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 13/312 the parallax barriers being placed behind the display panel, e.g. between backlight and spatial light modulator [SLM]
• 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 13/354 for displaying sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/368 for two or more viewers
• 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 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

A multi-viewer autostereoscopic display system having a viewing field across which the system is capable of steering exit pupils, in each of which a viewer is capable of viewing an image for a selected eye. The system comprises an image forming device for generating an image by selective attenuation of radiation, an array of optical elements for projecting radiation towards the image forming device, and an array of radiation output positions for outputting radiation into the array of optical elements. Sets of radiation output positions respectively extend over a horizontal width associated with an optical element and have selectable positions such that an exit pupil is formed in a selected part of the viewing field. Each set of radiation output positions has an associated aperture for limiting the horizontal extent of the light projected from the radiation output positions. The apertures have a horizontal extent which is less than the horizontal width of the associated set of radiation output positions.

Claims

1. An autostereoscopic display system having a viewing field across which the system is capable of steering exit pupils, in each of which a viewer is capable of viewing an image for a selected eye,

wherein the system comprises an image forming device for generating an image by selective attenuation of radiation, an array of lens elements for projecting radiation beams towards said image forming device, an array of radiation output positions for outputting radiation into said array of lens elements, and an array of apertures located between said lens elements and said radiation output positions,

wherein a plurality of different sets of radiation output positions are provided, each different set corresponding with a different one of said lens elements and extending over a given horizontal extent, the radiation output positions being selectable such that an exit pupil is formed in a selected part of the viewing field by selection of at least one radiation output position from each of the plurality of sets of radiation output positions,

wherein said array of apertures includes a plurality of apertures, each said aperture being located between a respective set of radiation output positions and the corresponding lens element and limiting the horizontal extent of a radiation beam projected towards said image forming device from the lens element after being output from one of the radiation output positions, each said aperture having a horizontal width which is less than the horizontal extent of the corresponding set of radiation output positions.

2. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein said apertures have a horizontal transmissivity profile which is graduated at the edges thereof, to provide overlap between radiation passing through different apertures in the radiation projected towards the image forming device.

3. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 2, wherein said horizontal width is defined by the width of the aperture at half maximum transmissivity.

4. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein said lens elements comprise refractive lens elements.

5. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 4, wherein said lens elements are arranged in a configuration in which at least two elements overlap in a vertical direction.

6. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein the apertures are arranged such that the radiation projected towards the image forming device has a substantially uniform intensity in a horizontal direction.

7. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming device comprises a planar element having areas which are selectively actuable to transmit radiation.

8. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming device is arranged to form images for a left eye and a right eye respectively in separate rows.

9. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a vertical diffusing and/or vertical refracting element located between the image forming device and the viewing field.

10. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein the system includes a first set of apertures arranged to transmit radiation for a left eye image and a second set of apertures arranged to transmit radiation for a right eye image.

11. An autostereoscopic display system according to any of claims 1, wherein the system is arranged to transmit images in a field sequential operation, wherein image frames for a left eye image and for a right eye image respectively are formed on said image forming device alternately in synchronism with selection of radiation output positions for left eye and right eye exit pupils respectively.

12. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein the system is arranged to simultaneously select a plurality of radiation output positions from each said set of radiation output positions to form a plurality of exit pupils at a plurality of different viewer positions.

13. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein said radiation output positions are selectable such that an exit pupil is steerable in the viewing field to alter a horizontal angle of the exit pupil with respect to the image forming device by variation of the selected output positions.

14. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein said radiation output positions are selectable such that an exit pupil is steerable in the viewing field to alter a distance of the exit pupil from the image forming device by variation of the selected output positions.

15. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein said radiation output positions are arranged in a planar configuration.

16. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein said radiation output positions are arranged in curved configurations centred on respective apertures.

17. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein said lens elements are arranged to project radiation via said apertures using total internal reflection.

18. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 1, wherein said aperture width is less than a quarter of the extent of the corresponding set of radiation output positions.

19. An autostereoscopic display system according to claim 18, wherein said aperture width is less than an eighth of the extent of the corresponding set of radiation output positions.

20. An autostereoscopic display according to claim 1, wherein said lens elements are arranged in a staggered configuration.

21. An autostereoscopic display system having a viewing field across which the system is capable of steering exit pupils, in each of which a viewer is capable of viewing an image for a selected eye,

wherein the system comprises an image forming device for generating an image by selective attenuation of radiation, an array of lens elements for projecting radiation towards said image forming device, and an array of radiation output positions for outputting radiation into said array of lens elements,

wherein a plurality of different sets of radiation output positions are provided, each different set corresponding with a different one of said lens elements, the output positions being selectable such that an exit pupil is formed in a selected part of the viewing field by selection of at least one radiation output position from each said set of said radiation output positions,

wherein the system is controllable such that for each said set of radiation output positions, a plurality of radiation output positions are selectable to output radiation simultaneously to produce a plurality of sets of two exit pupils, corresponding to the left and right eye positions of a plurality of viewers, at selected locations within the viewing field.