Viewing glasses, 3D display system and image beam adjustment method thereof

• US 8,836,870 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Ko, Chueh-Pin, Su, Dong-Hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): Connelly, Michelle R
• Application Number:
  US12/982,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20120033145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 349/13
• US Class Current: 349/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/25 using polarisation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/378 for tracking rotational head movements around an axis perpendicular to the screen

Abstract

A pair of viewing glasses, a three-dimensional (3D) display system and an image beam adjustment method are provided. The adjustment method includes determining an adjustment angle according to an image beam emitted by a display screen; detecting a relative spatial orientation of the viewing glasses and the display screen; determining a compensation angle according to the relative spatial orientation; and adjusting the polarization direction of the image beam according to at least one of the adjustment angle and the compensation angle, so as to change the polarization direction of the image beam to a target polarization direction parallel or perpendicular to the polarization axis direction of a polarizer of the viewing glasses.

Claims

1. A pair of glasses for viewing three-dimensional (3D) image content, comprising a glasses frame and two lenses, at least one of the two lenses comprising a polarizer and a polarization conversion unit in front of the polarizer, wherein the polarization conversion unit is adapted to adjust a polarization direction of an incoming image beam to a polarization direction that is either parallel or perpendicular to a polarization axis direction of the polarizer, wherein said polarization conversion unit comprises a first liquid crystal layer and a second liquid crystal layer, wherein a magnitude of an operating voltage supplied to said first liquid crystal layer controls an extent of adjustment of the polarization direction of the incoming image beam, and wherein said second liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first liquid crystal layer and the polarizer and is adapted to maintain the polarization direction of the incoming image beam passing through the first liquid crystal layer or to convert the polarization direction of the incoming image beam passing through the first liquid crystal layer to a perpendicular polarization direction.

2. The pair of glasses according to claim 1, wherein each of the two lenses comprises a said polarizer and a said polarization conversion unit.

3. The pair of glasses according to claim 2, wherein the polarization conversion unit for one of the two lenses is synchronized with the polarization conversion unit for the other of the two lenses, such that when the incoming image beam is converted to a polarization direction that is parallel to the polarization axis direction of the polarizer for one of the two lenses, said incoming image beam is simultaneously converted to a polarization direction that is perpendicular to the polarization axis direction of the polarizer for the other of the two lenses.

4. The pair of glasses according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that outputs a control signal to said polarization conversion unit, said control signal indicating an extent of polarization conversion needed to convert a given incoming image beam to said polarization direction that is either parallel or perpendicular to the polarization axis direction of the polarizer.

5. The pair of glasses according to claim 4, wherein said polarization conversion unit is adapted to convert the polarization direction of the incoming image beam to the polarization direction that is parallel to the polarization axis of the polarizer, in response to a control signal having the operating voltage of 0 volts.

6. The pair of glasses according to claim 4, further comprising at least one sensor for detecting at least one of a position and orientation of said pair of glasses relative to a reference plane, said at least one sensor communicating with said control unit to generate a compensation angle such that the polarization conversion unit adjusts the polarization direction of the incoming image beam based upon both the polarization axis direction of the polarizer and at least one of the position and orientation of said pair of glasses relative to the reference plane.

7. The pair of glasses according to claim 6, wherein the at least one sensor captures an image of a 3D display device, and the control unit analyzes the image to generate the compensation angle.

8. The pair of glasses according to claim 4, further comprising a receiver in communication with said control unit, said receiver being adapted to receive a compensation signal and communicate the compensation signal to the control unit, said control unit outputting the control signal to said polarization conversion unit to adjust the polarization direction of the incoming image beam based upon at least one of the compensation signal and any difference in the polarization direction of the incoming image beam and the polarization axis direction of the polarizer.

9. The pair of glasses according to claim 1, wherein said polarization conversion unit is adapted to adjust the polarization direction of the incoming image beam by an angle larger than or equal to 0 degree and smaller than or equal to 90 degrees.

10. The pair of glasses according to claim 1, further comprising a manual input by which a user may select among plural types of 3D display devices, the manual input defining an extent to which the polarization conversion unit will adjust the polarization direction of the incoming image beam relative to the polarization axis direction of the polarizer.

11. In combination, a pair of glasses for viewing three-dimensional (3D) image content, and a display device for displaying 3D image content, the pair of glasses comprising a glasses frame and two lenses, at least one of the two lenses comprising a polarizer and a polarization conversion unit in front of the polarizer, wherein the polarization conversion unit is adapted to adjust a polarization direction of an incoming image beam from said display device to a polarization direction that is either parallel or perpendicular to a polarization axis direction of the polarizer, wherein said polarization conversion unit comprises a first liquid crystal layer and a second liquid crystal layer, wherein a magnitude of an operating voltage supplied to said first liquid crystal layer controls an extent of adjustment of the polarization direction of the incoming image beam, and wherein said second liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first liquid crystal layer and the polarizer and is adapted to maintain the polarization direction of the incoming image beam passing through the first liquid crystal layer or to convert the polarization direction of the incoming image beam passing through the first liquid crystal layer to a perpendicular polarization direction.

12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein each of the two lenses comprises a said polarizer and a said polarization conversion unit.

13. The combination according to claim 12, wherein the polarization conversion unit for one of the two lenses is synchronized with the polarization conversion unit for the other of the two lenses, such that when the incoming image beam is converted to the polarization direction that is parallel to the polarization axis direction of the polarizer for one of the two lenses, said incoming image beam is simultaneously converted to the polarization direction that is perpendicular to the polarization axis direction of the polarizer for the other of the two lenses.

14. The combination according to claim 11, further comprising a first control unit that outputs a control signal to said polarization conversion unit, said control signal indicating an extent of polarization conversion needed to convert a given incoming image beam to said polarization direction that is either parallel or perpendicular to the polarization axis direction of the polarizer.

15. The combination according to claim 14, further comprising at least one sensor for detecting at least one of a position and orientation of said pair of glasses relative to a reference plane, said at least one sensor communicating with said first control unit to generate a compensation angle such that the polarization conversion unit adjusts the polarization direction of the incoming image beam based upon both the polarization axis direction of the polarizer and at least one of the position and orientation of said pair of glasses relative to the reference plane.

16. The combination according to claim 15, wherein said at least one sensor is disposed on the pair of glasses.

17. The combination according to claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor captures an image of a 3D display device, and the first control unit analyzes the image to generate the compensation angle.

18. The combination according to claim 15, wherein said at least one sensor is disposed on the display device.

19. The combination according to claim 18, wherein the pair of glasses further comprises a plurality of position signal transmitters, and each of the position signal transmitters sends a position signal to said at least one sensor disposed on the display device.

20. The combination according to claim 18, wherein said at least one sensor captures an image of the viewing glasses.

21. The combination according to claim 20, further comprising a second control unit in the display device that analyzes the image to detect a profile or a predetermined pattern of the pair of glasses.

22. The combination according to claim 11, wherein said polarization conversion unit is adapted to adjust the polarization direction of the incoming image beam by an angle larger than or equal to 0 degree and smaller than or equal to 90 degrees.

23. A method for adjusting an image beam of a three-dimensional (3D) display device, comprising determining an adjustment angle needed to cause a polarization direction of the image beam emitted by the display device to be either parallel or perpendicular to a polarization axis direction of a polarizer in a pair of 3D glasses being used to view the display device;

detecting a relative spatial orientation of the pair of 3D glasses to the display device based upon at least one of position and tilt of the pair of 3D glasses;

generating a compensation signal to correct the polarization direction of the image beam emitted by the display device in accordance with the compensation signal; and

actuating a polarization converter in the pair of 3D glasses to adjust the polarization of the image beam emitted by the display device based upon both the adjustment angle and a compensation angle indicated by the compensation signal to be either parallel or perpendicular to the polarization axis direction of the polarizer of the pair of 3D glasses being used to view the display device.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the relative spatial orientation is a spatial relationship between the pair of 3D glasses and the display device when the viewing glasses move and/or rotate relative to the display device along at least one of three coordinate axes of an orthogonal coordinate system, the polarization direction of the image beam is different for different types of 3D display devices.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein detecting the relative spatial orientation is effected by sending a plurality of position signals from the pair of 3D glasses or the display device, and the other of the pair of 3D glasses and the display device detects the position signals, so as to obtain the relative spatial orientation according to time differences obtained when detecting the position signals.