Compositing screen

• US 9,536,499 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willowbrook Capital Advisors, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dreamlight Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Fox, Steve, Vass, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sultan
• Application Number:
  US14/591,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/62 Translucent screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

A compositing screen includes a partially or fully transparent front screen that displays one image or video and a back screen displaying another image or video. The two images can be seen simultaneously, providing a composite image.

Claims

1. An display screen comprising:

a back screen operable to display a back image to an audience area;

a front screen positioned substantially in front of the back screen, facing the audience area, wherein the front screen is at least partially transparent to light from the back screen, wherein the front screen is operable to display a front image, separate from the back image; and

soundproofing material on a back of the front screen, wherein the soundproofing material is sufficiently transparent to light from the back screen.

2. The display screen of claim 1, further comprising a projection system configured to present the front image by front projection onto the front screen.

3. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the display screen is an immersive display screen.

4. The display screen of claim 1, wherein each of the front screen and the back screen cover substantially the entire area of the immersive display screen.

5. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the back screen and the front screen have a toroidal shape, and wherein the audience area faces outwardly towards the back and front screens.

6. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the back screen comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs), and wherein the back image is displayed by the LEDs.

7. The display screen of claim 6, wherein a portion of the LEDs are positioned on gratings of theater speakers, and wherein the front screen is sufficiently transparent to sound from the theater speakers.

8. The display screen of claim 1, further comprising a rear projection system, wherein the back screen uses rear projection from the rear projection system to display the back image.

9. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the front screen comprises a perforated aluminum screen.

10. The display screen of claim 2, wherein the projection system comprises a laser projection system.

11. The display screen of claim 1, wherein the back screen is further configured to simultaneously provide the back image to an external rear surface of the back screen.

12. A method comprising:

displaying a front image on a front theater screen, wherein the front theater screen has a curved geometry;

displaying a back image on a back theater screen positioned substantially behind the front theater screen with respect to an audience area, wherein the back image is displayed through the front theater screen towards the audience area; and

using array processing on a precalculated model of the curved geometry to adjust data representing the front image prior to delivering the adjusted data to display components associated with the front theater screen.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the front and back theater screens define an immersive display screen.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the front image on the front theater screen comprises projecting the front image onto the front theater screen using front projection, and wherein displaying the back image on the back theater screen comprises projecting the back image, through the front theater screen, onto the back theater screen using front projection.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein back theater screen comprises light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and wherein displaying the back image comprises using the LEDs to display the back image through the front screen.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the back image comprises projecting the back image onto the back screen from a rear projection system.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying the back image to both a front side of the back screen and a back side of back screen such that the back image may be seen from both in front of and behind the back screen.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the precalculated model adjusts for curvature of viewing and light reflectivity.