Method and device for performing stereoscopic image display based on color selective filters

• US 7,832,869 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: INFITEC GmbH
• Original Assignee: Barco NV
• Inventors: Vermeirsch, Koenraad, Malfait, Koen, Maximus, Bart
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling; William C
• Application Number:
  US10/576,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,217 Days
• Field of Search: 353/7, 353/8, 353/10, 353/31, 353/33, 353/34, 353/37, 353/84, 353/88, 353/94, 352/62, 352/63, 349/15, 359/464, 359/465, 348/51, 348/54, 348/55, 348/56, 348/57, 348/58, 348/60
• US Class Current: 353/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/007 the movable or deformable optical element controlling the colour, i.e. a spectral characteristic, of the light
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/23 using wavelength separation, e.g. using anaglyph techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/334 using spectral multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/365 using digital micromirror devices [DMD]

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a stereoscopic projection system including a projection device with at least one filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner. The at least one filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner has a spectral characteristic for transmitting light in a first wavelength band or set of wavelength bands and for reflecting light in a second wavelength band or set of wavelength bands. The projection device includes a device, such as e.g. a rotating wheel or a sliding filter, for fast synchronized switching between light in different wavelength bands or sets of wavelength bands. In a further aspect, a stereoscopic projection system is provided in which a combination of a first and a second filter mechanism are used, the first filter mechanism being a filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner, such as a color selective filter or a color selective retarder, and the second filter mechanism preferably being a polarizer or a shutter.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic projection system comprising a projection device with at least one filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner, said filtering in a color selective manner being for obtaining the stereoscopic effect of the stereoscopic images for a left eye and a right eye, respectively, the at least one filter having a spectral characteristic for simultaneously transmitting light in a first set of wavelength bands and for simultaneously reflecting or absorbing light in a second set of wavelength bands, wherein the projection device comprises a means for fast synchronized switching between light in different wavelength bands or sets of wavelength bands.

2. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, comprising a projection device with at least a first filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner with a first spectral characteristic and a second filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner with a second spectral characteristic, wherein the projection device comprises a means for fast synchronized switching between the at least first and second filters.

3. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, the projection device projecting images for a left eye and images for a right eye, the stereoscopic projection system furthermore comprising a passive obscuration device for discriminating between the images for the left eye and the images for the right eye.

4. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 2, wherein the means for fast synchronized switching comprises a rotating wheel with at least one set of the first and second filters.

5. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 2, wherein the means for fast synchronized switching comprises a sliding filter with at least one set of the first and second filters.

6. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 2, wherein the means for fast synchronized switching comprises a solid state filter that can switch from a first characteristic to a second characteristic with a switching time below 5 ms.

7. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 2, wherein the means for fast synchronized switching comprises a stack of switchable cholesteric filters.

8. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one filter is a first filter for splitting light in a first light path and a second light path, the means for fast synchronized switching comprising a first shutter in the first light path and a second shutter in the second light path, the operation of the shutters being linked so that the first shutter closes when the second shutter opens and vice versa.

9. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 8, furthermore comprising a further filter with a characteristic substantially similar to the spectral characteristic of the first filter, the further filter being for combining light from the first and second lightpaths onto a combined lightpath.

10. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, the at least one filter having a spectral characteristic for transmitting light in a first set of wavelength bands and for reflecting or absorbing light in a second set of wavelength bands, wherein the at least one filter has components in three primary color regions.

11. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, furthermore comprising means for electronically compensating for color differences between a plurality of signals originating from the projection device.

12. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, furthermore comprising means for reducing cross-talk in the most photopically contributing color channel of the projection device.

13. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 12, wherein the means for reducing cross-talk comprises a first filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner in the most photopically contributing color channel of the first projection device, and a second filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner in the most photopically contributing color channel of the second projection device, the first and the second filters showing no overlap in the most photopically contributing color channel.

14. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection device is equipped with a light source with a substantially flat spectral distribution.

15. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 14, wherein the projection device is furthermore equipped with a set of filters such that the combination of light source and set of filters of the projection device is such that the light which is projected by the projection device onto the common screen can be discriminated by means of an adjusted obscuration device.

16. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 15, wherein the light source and the set of filters of the projection device are such that a multiplication of the spectral distributions of the light projected by the projection device onto the common screen is substantially close to zero.

17. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 15, wherein the set of filters are stereo filters.

18. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 17, wherein the set of filters are color filters.

19. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 14, furthermore comprising means for electronically compensating for color differences between light projected from each of the at least two projection devices.

20. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of stereo projection devices for multiple image stereo applications.

21. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 1, wherein said filtering in a color selective manner reaches a common color gamut for the images for the left and right eye.

22. A stereoscopic projection system comprising a projection device with at least one filter which filters a parameter of the light in a color selective manner, said filtering in a color selective manner being for obtaining the stereoscopic effect of the stereoscopic images for a left eye and a right eye, respectively, the at least one filter having a spectral characteristic for simultaneously transmitting light in a first set of wavelength bands and for simultaneously reflecting or absorbing light in a second set of wavelength bands, wherein the projection device comprises a means for fast synchronized switching between light in different wavelength bands or sets of wavelength bands, wherein the system furthermore comprises means for electronically compensating for color differences between a plurality of signals originating from the projection device or projection devices.

23. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 22, wherein the means for electronically compensating for color differences between a plurality of signals originating from the projection device comprises means for switching on a left image-right image basis.

24. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 22, wherein the system is adapted for converting said plurality of signals to correspond with a single color gamut.

25. A stereoscopic projection system according to claim 23, wherein the system is adapted for converting said plurality of signals to correspond with a single color gamut.