Encoding process for multidimensional display

• US 8,723,920 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3-D Virtual Lens Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: 3-D Virtual Lens Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Hoppenstein, Reuben, Rosenthal, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prince, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US13/506,788
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 348/42, 348/51
• US Class Current: 348/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/315 the parallax barriers being time-variant
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/327 Calibration thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide devices, systems and methods that enable viewing of three-dimensional images on an autostereoscopic display using a barrier grid of dynamically configurable grid characteristics. The barrier grid is configurable to include alternating light-transmitting and light-blocking portions that may be characterized by and configured using a set of one or more grid indicia. The cooperative display of an image on an image display device and the dynamically configurable barrier grid enables autostereoscopic 3D and 4D viewing of images.

Claims

1. A method for generating a composite image of an object for 3D autostereoscopic viewing of the composite image, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processing device, image data corresponding to a plurality of images of the object, for display using pixels on an image display device;

automatically occluding a first set of columns of the image data corresponding to the plurality of images, and leaving a second set of columns of the image data un-occluded, the un-occluded second set of columns of the image data expressed as n=k if (k−

m)=0 (mod M), wherein n refers to a column of the image display device, and wherein k refers to a column of image data acquired from image acquisition device m out of M total image acquisition devices;

assembling the un-occluded second set of columns of the image data corresponding to the plurality of images in a horizontally offset manner to generate the composite image; and

transmitting a sequence of frames toward an autostereoscopic image display system, the sequence of frames including a first set of frames including the composite image of the object and a second set of frames including a 2D image of the object, the composite image being provided to the autostereoscopic image display system for 3D autostereoscopic viewing of the composite image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the composite image on the image display device in the autostereoscopic image display system; and

displaying a barrier grid spaced from the image display device, the cooperative display of the composite image and the barrier grid enabling autostereoscopic viewing of the composite image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the barrier grid is dynamically configurable.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing the plurality of images of the object using a plurality of image capture devices spaced apart horizontally.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of image capture devices are oriented parallel to one another.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of image capture device are arranged in a straight line.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of image capture devices are arranged in an arc, each of the plurality of image capture devices oriented towards and focused on a planar point of the image space.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of image capture devices are arranged in an arc, wherein a first set of image capture devices located in a middle portion of the arc are oriented parallel to one another, and wherein a second set of image capture devices located at the ends of the arc are oriented toward a planar point of the image space.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of image capture devices are arranged parallel to one another and focused on a planar point of the image space.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the un-occluded second set of columns from the image data are assembled to form the composite image on an image processing module of one of the image capture devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images have the same horizontal and vertical resolutions.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of the plurality of images to equalize a horizontal and vertical resolutions of the plurality of images.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the composite image of the object is assigned to an odd sequential frame in the sequence of frames and the 2D image of the object is assigned to an even sequential frame in the sequence of frames.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the composite image of the object is assigned to an even sequential frame in the sequence of frames and the 2D image of the object is assigned to an odd sequential frame in the sequence of frames.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite image is a still image of the object.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite image is a moving image of the object.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of columns comprises one or more columns of image data from each of the plurality of images.

18. A system for generating a composite image of an object for 3D autostereoscopic viewing of the composite image, the system comprising:

a processing device configured to;

receive image data corresponding to a plurality of images of the object;

automatically occlude a first set of columns of the image data corresponding to the plurality of images, and leave a second set of columns of the image data un-occluded, the un-occluded second set of columns of the image data expressed as n=k if (k−

m)=0 (mod M), wherein n refers to a column of an image display device, and wherein k refers to a column of image data acquired from image acquisition device m out of M total image acquisition devices;

assemble the un-occluded second set of columns from the image data corresponding to the plurality of images in a horizontally offset manner to generate the composite image; and

transmit a sequence of frames toward the autostereoscopic image display system, the sequence of frames including a first set of frames including the composite image of the object and a second set of frames including a 2D image of the object,

wherein the composite image is provided to the autostereoscopic image display system for 3D autostereoscopic viewing of the composite image.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having encoded thereon one or more computer-executable instructions for performing a method for generating a composite image of an object for 3D autostereoscopic viewing of the composite image, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processing device, image data corresponding to a plurality of images of the object;

automatically occluding a first set of columns of the image data corresponding to the plurality of images, and leaving a second set of columns of the image data un-occluded, the un-occluded second set of columns of the image data expressed as n=k if (k−

m)=0 (mod M), wherein n refers to a column of an image display device, and wherein k refers to a column of image data acquired from image acquisition device m out of M total image acquisition devices;

assembling the un-occluded second set of columns from the image data corresponding to the plurality of images in a horizontally offset manner to generate the composite image; and

transmitting a sequence of frames toward the autostereoscopic image display system, the sequence of frames including a first set of frames including the composite image of the object and a second set of frames including a 2D image of the object, the composite image being provided to the autostereoscopic image display system for 3D autostereoscopic viewing of the composite image.