Dynamic scalable full-parallax three-dimensional electronic display

• US 6,795,241 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3D Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Zebra Imaging, Inc.
• Inventors: Holzbach, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMARI, ALESSANDRO V
• Application Number:
  US09/457,013
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 359/462, 359/463, 359/466-469, 348/51, 348/52, 348/54, 348/59, 352/57, 352/58, 352/60, 352/61, 353/7, 345/6
• US Class Current: 359/463
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/005 arranged along a single direction only, e.g. lenticular sheets G02B3/0043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/307 using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses

Abstract

A system and method are provided to form a large scale full-parallax three-dimensional electronic display. Multiple lenslet pixel modules are preferably formed by combining a high resolution two-dimensional image sources with respective lenslets. For some applications each pixel module has a respective two-dimensional high resolution image source. For other applications two or more lenslet pixel modules may use respective portions of the same high resolution two-dimensional image source. One or more computer processing units may be used to provide video images or graphical image data to the high resolution two-dimensional image sources. For some electronic displays, the lenslet pixel modules form an array of projectors and an array of sensors may be disposed within the array of projectors. The array of sensors may cooperate with the array of projectors to allow interaction between one or more observers and a three-dimensional image produced by the projector array.

Claims

1. Apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional image, comprising:

a plurality of lenslet pixel modules with each module defined in part by a respective lenslet;

each lenslet pixel module corresponding with and operable to produce a complete 3D pixel of the three-dimensional image;

a plurality of two-dimensional moving image sources associated with and forming a portion of the lenslet pixel modules; and

the lenslet pixel modules cooperating with each other to form a projector array for displaying the three-dimensional image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a fly'"'"'s eye lens sheet having a plurality of fly'"'"'s eye lenslets disposed thereon to provide the respective lenslet for each lenslet pixel module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one lenslet pixel module having a partially silvered mirror and a sensor disposed adjacent thereto.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one lenslet pixel module having a high resolution two-dimensional digital image source associated with and forming a portion of the at least one lenslet pixel module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the plurality of lenslet pixel modules disposed in an array relative to each other;

at least two of the lenslet pixel modules having a respective sensor disposed therein;

the sensors cooperating with each other to form a sensor array having a first focal plane;

the plurality of fly'"'"'s eye lenslets associated with the lenslet pixel modules cooperating with each other to form a projector array having a second focal plane; and

the focal plane of the sensor array corresponding generally with the focal plane of the projector array.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one sensor comprises a video sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one sensor comprises a charge coupled device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional image is full parallax.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the plurality of lenslet pixel modules disposed in an array relative to each other;

at least two of the lenslet pixel modules having a respective sensor disposed therein; and

the sensors cooperating with each other to form a sensor array for sensing at least one real three-dimensional object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a central processing unit operable to receive information from the sensor array and to provide information to the projector array to allow interaction between the at least one real three-dimensional object and the three-dimensional image.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of two-dimensional moving image sources is selected from the group consisting of a cathode ray tube, a liquid crystal display, digital micro device mirror, a flat panel display, a respective section of a diffuser backlit by a video projection system, a microelectronicmechanical system, or a light emitting diode.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the plurality of lenslet pixel modules disposed in an array relative to each other; and

a high resolution two-dimensional image source associated with each respective lenslet pixel module.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the plurality of lenslet pixel modules disposed in an array relative to each other;

a two-dimensional high resolution image source associated with two or more lenslet pixel modules; and

each of the lenslet pixel modules associated with a dedicated region of the respective high resolution two-dimensional image source.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the plurality of lenslet pixel modules disposed in an array relative to each other;

a plurality of sensors interspersed within the array of lenslet pixel modules;

the sensors cooperating with each other to form a sensor array having a first focal plane; and

the lenslet pixel modules cooperating with each other such that the projector array has a second focal plane.

15. The apparatus claim 14 wherein the first focal plane corresponds generally with the second focal plane.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first focal plane has an orientation different from the second focal plane.

17. A system for presenting a scalable, autostereoscopic image comprising:

a plurality of lenslet pixel modules with each module defined in part by a respective lenslet;

each lenslet pixel module corresponding with and operable to produce a complete 3D pixel of the autostereoscopic image;

a plurality of two-dimensional image sources associated with and forming a portion of each lenslet pixel module; and

at least one computer processing unit providing an input to at least one of the plurality of two-dimensional image sources.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the input supplied to the two-dimensional image sources comprises digital data corresponding to a two-dimensional image.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the input supplied to the two-dimensional image source comprises a moving video image.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the autostereoscopic image is full parallax.

21. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a plurality of first computer processing units having at least one video output channel to supply video images to the two-dimensional image sources;

a two-dimensional image source coupled with one of the first computer processing units; and

a master computer processing unit coupled with and supplying data to the first computer processing units.

22. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a plurality of sensors with each sensor disposed within one of the lenslet pixel modules; and

each sensor coupled with the computer processing unit to provide information to the computer processing unit concerning a real object in front of the lenslet pixel modules.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the lenslets further comprise a plurality of lens selected from the group consisting of cylindrical, convex, concave, gradient index, diffractive, refractive, holographic optical elements and other prisms which form an autostereoscopic image.

24. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a plurality of sensors with each sensor coupled with the computer processing unit to provide information to the computer processing unit concerning a real object in front of the lenslet pixel modules;

a portion of the sensors providing high resolution information about the real object; and

a portion of the sensors providing low resolution information about the real object.

25. A method for presenting an autostereoscopic image comprising:

combining a plurality of high resolution two-dimensional digital image sources with a plurality of lenslet pixel modules with each pixel module having a respective fly'"'"'s eye lenslet and being operable to produce a complete 3D pixel; and

projecting light from each digital image source through the respective lenslet pixel module to form the autostereoscopic image from a plurality of 3D pixels.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising installing at least two sensors within respective lenslet pixel modules for use in sensing at least one real object disposed in front of the lenslet pixel modules.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

sensing at least one real object disposed in front of the lenslet pixel modules with the sensors; and

combining information received from the sensors concerning the at least one real object with information supplied to the high resolution two-dimensional image sources to allow interaction between the at least one real object and the full-parallax autostereoscopic image produced by the lenslet pixel modules.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the autostereoscopic image is full parallax.

29. A lenslet pixel module for projecting light and sensing light comprising:

a two-dimensional image source operably coupled with a respective lenslet whereby a portion of a selected two-dimensional image may be projected from the lenslet to form at least one complete 3D pixel of an autostereoscopic image;

a sensor disposed within and forming a portion of the lenslet pixel module; and

the sensor operably coupled with a fly'"'"'s eye lenslet to allow the sensor to detect at least one real object in front of the lenslet pixel module.

30. The lenslet pixel module of claim 29 wherein the sensor further comprises a digital video camera.

31. The lenslet pixel module of claim 29 further comprising a portion of a full parallax three-dimensional electronic display.

32. The lenslet pixel module of claim 29 further comprising the two-dimensional image source operable to form a portion of the image and the sensor operable to detect electromagnetic radiation from the at least one real object at substantially the same time.