Projection of stereoscopic images using linearly polarized light

• US 8,400,492 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: RealD Incorporated
• Inventors: Cowan, Matt, Greer, Josh, Lipton, Lenny
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anyikire, Chikaodili E
• Application Number:
  US11/786,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: 348 51- 60
• US Class Current: 348/42
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0018 with means for preventing ghost images anti-reflection coatings G02B1/11
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/25 using polarisation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/16 Determination of a pixel data signal depending on the signal applied in the previous frame
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/106 Processing image signals for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/15 for colour aspects of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388

Abstract

A method and system for projecting linearly polarized stereoscopic images to a viewer that results in increased viewer head-tipping capabilities is provided. The design includes projecting linearly polarized light energy toward a screen and providing the viewer with a set of linearly polarized eyewear configured to receive the linearly polarized light energy projected to the screen and transmit a right perspective view to a right eye of the viewer and a left perspective view to a left eye of the viewer. Projecting comprises performing a noise reduction technique to reduce crosstalk in linearly polarized light energy images projected.

Claims

1. A system of projecting stereoscopic images to a viewer, comprising:

a projection arrangement configured to project polarized light energy toward a screen; and

a set of polarized eyewear wearable by the viewer and configured to receive the polarized light energy projected to the screen and transmit a right perspective view to a right eye of the viewer and a left perspective view to a left eye of the viewer;

wherein the projection arrangement employs a noise reduction technique to reduce crosstalk in polarized light energy images, the noise reduction technique comprising overcompensating ghosting based on a tilted alignment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the viewer perceiving a quality stereoscopic image projected without the noise reduction technique and having a set of optical conditions at a head tipping angle can substantially perceive a similar quality stereoscopic image generated with the noise reduction technique and having the set of optical conditions at in excess of two times the head tipping angle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the noise reduction technique comprises reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions comprises:

dividing a hypothetical screen representation into a plurality of regions corresponding to regions on a projection screen;

computing at least one ghost artifact coefficient depending upon expected ghosting within an associated region established by said dividing;

computing a ghosting component of an image of a first eye based on the at least one ghost artifact coefficient; and

removing the ghosting component of the image for the first eye from an image for a second eye to form a compensated image for the second eye.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions further comprises:

computing a ghosting component of an image for the second eye based on the at least one ghost artifact coefficient; and

removing the ghosting component of the image for the second eye from the image for the first eye to form a compensated image for the first eye.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said computing comprises computing ghost artifacts for a multiple of attributes associated with the left eye image and the right eye image.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the multiple of attributes comprises a red attribute, a green attribute, and a blue attribute.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the polarized light energy is circularly polarized.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the polarized light energy is linearly polarized.

8. A method for projecting stereoscopic images to a viewer, comprising:

projecting polarized light energy toward a screen; and

providing the viewer with a set of polarized eyewear configured to receive the polarized light energy projected to the screen and transmit a right perspective view to a right eye of the viewer and a left perspective view to a left eye of the viewer;

wherein the projecting comprises performing a noise reduction technique to reduce crosstalk in polarized light energy images, the noise reduction technique comprising overcompensating ghosting based on a tilted alignment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the viewer perceiving a quality stereoscopic image projected without the noise reduction technique and having a set of optical conditions at a head tipping angle can substantially perceive a similar quality stereoscopic image generated with the noise reduction technique and having the set of optical conditions at in excess of two times the head tipping angle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the noise reduction technique comprises reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions comprises:

dividing a hypothetical screen representation into a plurality of regions corresponding to regions on a projection screen;

computing at least one ghost artifact coefficient depending upon expected ghosting within an associated region established by said dividing, each ghost artifact coefficient representing ghost artifacts leaking from a left eye image into a right eye image and from the right eye image into the left eye image;

computing a ghosting component of an image for a first eye based on the at least one ghost artifact coefficient; and

removing the ghosting component of the image for the first eye from an image for a second eye to form a compensated image for the second eye.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions further comprises:

computing a ghosting component of an image for the second eye based on the at least one ghost artifact coefficient; and

removing the ghosting component of the image for the second eye from the image for the first eye to form a compensated image for the first eye.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said computing comprises computing ghost artifacts for a multiple of attributes associated with the left eye image and the right eye image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the multiple of attributes comprises a red attribute, a green attribute, and a blue attribute.

28. The system of claim 8, wherein the polarized light energy is circularly polarized.

29. The system of claim 8, wherein the polarized light energy is linearly polarized.

15. A method of delivering stereoscopic images to a viewer wearing polarized eyewear, comprising:

providing a polarized right perspective view and a polarized left perspective view; and

performing a noise reduction technique to at least one of polarized right perspective view and the polarized left perspective view to compensate crosstalk in polarized light energy images, the noise reduction technique comprising overcompensating ghosting based on a tilted alignment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the viewer perceiving a quality stereoscopic image provided without the noise reduction technique and having a set of optical conditions at a head tipping angle can substantially perceive a similar quality stereoscopic image generated with the noise reduction technique and having the set of optical conditions at in excess of two times the head tipping angle.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the compensating comprises reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein reducing visual ghost artifacts in plano-stereoscopic image transmissions comprises:

dividing a hypothetical screen representation into a plurality of regions corresponding to regions on a projection screen;

computing at least one ghost artifact coefficient depending upon expected ghosting within an associated region established by said dividing, each ghost artifact coefficient representing ghost artifacts leaking from a left eye image into a right eye image and from the right eye image into the left eye image;

applying at least one ghost artifact coefficient for a left eye projected image to a right eye projected image to form a compensated right eye projected image; and

removing the compensated right eye projected image from the right eye projected image.

30. The system of claim 15, wherein the polarized light energy is circularly polarized.

31. The system of claim 15, wherein the polarized light energy is linearly polarized.

19. A device for providing stereoscopic images, comprising:

a processor configured to provide polarized light energy, the polarized light energy comprising a right perspective view and a left perspective view; and

wherein the processor is operable to compensate crosstalk in polarized light energy images using a noise reduction technique, the noise reduction technique comprising overcompensating ghosting based on a tilted alignment.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the polarized light energy is circularly polarized.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the polarized light energy is linearly polarized.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the noise reduction technique comprises:

dividing a hypothetical screen representation into a plurality of regions corresponding to regions on a projection screen;

computing at least one ghost artifact coefficient depending upon expected ghosting within an associated region established by said dividing;

computing a ghosting component of an image for a first eye based on the at least one ghost artifact coefficient; and

removing the ghosting component of the image for the first eye from an image for a second eye to form a compensated image for the second eye.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the noise reduction technique further comprises:

computing a ghosting component of an image for the second eye based on the at least one ghost artifact coefficient; and

removing the ghosting component of the image for the second eye from the image for the first eye to form a compensated image for the first eye.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein computing at lease one ghost artifact coefficient comprises computing a plurality of ghost artifact coefficients, wherein computing the ghost component of the image for the first eye comprises using a first ghost artifact coefficient, and wherein computing the ghost component of the image for the second eye comprises using a second ghost artifact coefficient.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the first and second artifact coefficients are different.

32. A device for providing stereoscopic images, comprising:

a processor configured to provide polarized light energy, the polarized light energy comprising a right perspective view and a left perspective view; and

wherein the processor is operable to compensate crosstalk in polarized light energy images using a noise reduction technique, the noise reduction technique comprising overcompensating ghosting based on a tilted alignment; and

wherein a perception of a first stereoscopic image provided without the noise reduction technique and having a set of optical conditions at a first head tipping angle can be substantially similar to a perception of a second stereoscopic image generated with the noise reduction technique and having the set of optical conditions at a second head tipping angle greater than the first head tipping angle.