Device to produce a floating image

• US 8,029,140 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Gutierrez, Joe A., Ingraldi, Sam, Powell, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps; Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyatt; Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/212,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 353/10, 353/73, 353/78, 353/98, 353/99, 359/631, 359/850, 359/860
• US Class Current: 353/10
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems and methods for providing image projection and entertainment.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a device operable to emit a projection;

a surface to reflect said projection to produce a floating image, wherein said surface is substantially flat along a first direction and curved along a second direction that is orthogonal to said first direction; and

at least one reference cue disposed adjacent to said surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface comprises a cylindrical mirror.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said curve along said second direction comprises a substantially parabolic curve.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said curve along said second direction comprises a substantially circular curve.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light source to form a shadow of said reference cue onto said surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said device is a monitor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a color of said monitor is substantially dark in an outer portion of said monitor compared to a substantially light central portion of said monitor.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a device operable to emit a projection;

a surface to reflect said projection to produce a floating image, wherein said surface is substantially flat along a first direction and curved along a second direction that is orthogonal to said first direction;

a panel reflector to reflect said projection onto said surface;

an opening formed by said panel reflector and said surface to accept said projection; and

a viewing aperture formed by said panel reflector and said surface so that said floating image is projected through said viewing aperture.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a reflectance of said panel reflector comprises a variable reflectance.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a color across a portion of said panel reflector comprises substantially white blending to gray blending to substantially black, said substantially white portion to receive said projection.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising at least one reference cue disposed in said viewing aperture.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a device operable to emit a projection;

a surface to reflect said projection to produce a floating image, wherein said surface is substantially flat along a first direction and curved along a second direction that is orthogonal to said first direction; and

a viewing aperture formed by said device and said surface so that said floating image is projected through said viewing aperture.