Image display system

• US 7,118,228 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: May, Gregory J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa Jan
• Application Number:
  US10/701,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20050094111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 353/37, 353/71, 353/79, 353/94, 353/99, 353/122, 353/30, 353/69, 359/449, 359/460, 359/629, 359/636, 359/638, 359/834, 359/626, 348/36, 348/38, 348/840, 352/69
• US Class Current: 353/99
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/18 involving the use of optical projection means, e.g. projection of images on clouds projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/31 Projection devices for colour picture display , e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]

Abstract

A display system includes a single image-projection device, and a reflective surface optically coupled to the image-projection device, wherein the reflective surface is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by the image-projection device onto a plurality of display surfaces, the projection being along a same path as a collection of the plurality of images.

Claims

1. A display system configured to receive data bearing collected images, wherein said collected images were collected using a first optical path including a first reflective surface, said display system comprising:

an image-projection device; and

a second optical path including a second reflective surface optically coupled to said image-projection device;

wherein said second reflective surface is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by said image-projection device onto a plurality of display surfaces;

wherein said second optical path has the same optical properties as said first optical path such that said display system projects said plurality of images along an optical path matching said first optical path used during collection of said plurality of images.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of images are displayed on four walls.

3. The display system of claim 2, wherein said plurality of images are contiguous in 360-degrees.

4. The display system of claim 1, wherein said reflective surface comprises a mirror, said mirror being substantially similar to a reflective surface used in a capture of said plurality of images.

5. The display system of claim 4, wherein said reflective surface comprises a polygonal shaped cross-section.

6. The display system of claim 5, wherein said reflective surface comprises one of a pyramidal mirror or a prismatic mirror.

7. The display system of claim 4, wherein said reflective surface comprises a rounded surface.

8. The display system of claim 7, wherein said reflective surface comprises one of a sphere or a hemisphere.

9. The display system of claim 1, wherein said image-projection device comprises one of a liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, a digital light projector (DLP), a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) projector, a cathode ray tube (CRT) projector, a film projector, a slide projector, an overhead projector, a light emitting diode (LED) projector, or a vertical cavity emitting laser (VCEL) projector.

10. The display system of claim 9, wherein said display system further comprises a computing device communicatively coupled to said image-projection device.

11. The display system of claim 10, wherein said computing device is configured to pre-morph said plurality of images.

12. The display system of claim 10, wherein said display system further comprises a plurality of selectable reflective surfaces.

13. The display system of claim 12, wherein said computing device is configured to analyze an image data stream and select one of said selectable reflective surfaces;

wherein said selected reflective surface is configured to project said plurality of images along a same path as was used for a collection of said images.

14. The display system of claim 1, wherein said image-projection device comprises:

a data input;

a data processing device communicatively coupled to said data input; and

an image-projection component coupled to said processing device;

wherein said data processing device is configured to analyze said plurality of images and select a reflective surface to project said plurality of images along a same path as was used for a collection of said images based on said analysis.

15. The display system of claim 1, wherein said display surface comprises an optically addressed display (OAD) in optical communication with said reflective surface;

wherein said OAD is configured to enhance a brightness of said plurality of images after projection by said image-projection device.

16. The display system of claim 15, wherein said OAD comprises a rear projection OAD.

17. The display system of claim 15, wherein said OAD comprises a front projection OAD.

18. The display system of claim 1, further comprising a digital light processor (DLP) configured to selectively control the projection of said plurality of images onto areas of said reflective surface.

19. The display system of claim 18, wherein said DLP is configured to allow time sharing to occur in said display system.

20. The display system of claim 1, wherein:

said image projection device is configured to project a plurality of images;

said images being sectioned to correspond with said reflective surface.

21. The display system of claim 20, wherein said display surfaces comprise rear projection OADs, said rear projection OADs being configured to display said plurality of images to a viewer located external to said OADs.

22. The display system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to adjust said reflective surface to correspond to a room dimension.

23. The display system of claim 1, wherein said reflective surface is triangular.

24. A display system configured to receive data bearing collected images, wherein said collected images were collected using a first optical path including a first reflective surface, said display system comprising:

an image-projection device; and

a second optical path including a second reflective surface optically coupled to said image-projection device;

wherein said second reflective surface is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by said image-projection device onto a plurality of display surfaces;

wherein said second optical path corresponds to said first optical path such that said plurality of images comprise non-morphed images.

25. A display system configured to receive data bearing collected images, wherein said collected images were collected using a first optical path including a first reflective surface, said display system comprising:

a single means for projecting an image; and

a second optical path including means for reflecting an image, said means for reflecting optically coupled to said image-projection means;

wherein said means for reflecting is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by said image-projection means onto a plurality of display surfaces;

wherein said second optical path has the same optical properties as said first optical path such that said display system projects said plurality of images along an optical path matching said first optical path used during collection of said plurality of images.

26. The display system of claim 25, wherein said plurality of images are displayed on four walls.

27. The display system of claim 26, wherein said plurality of images are contiguous in 360-degrees.

28. The display system of claim 25, further comprising means for computing, wherein said means for computing is communicatively coupled to said image-projection means.

29. The display system of claim 28, wherein said means for computing is configured to pre-morph said plurality of images.

30. The display system of claim 29, further comprising a plurality of selectable means for reflecting.

31. The display system of claim 30, wherein said means for computing is configured to analyze an image data stream and select one of said selectable means for reflecting;

wherein said means for reflecting is configured to project said plurality of images along a same path as was used for a collection of said images.

32. The display system of claim 25, further comprising means for enhancing said plurality of images.

33. The display system of claim 32, wherein said means for enhancing said plurality of images is configured to enhance a brightness of said plurality of images after projection by said image-projection means.

34. The display system of claim 25, further comprising means for time sharing a projection of said plurality of images.

35. The display system of claim 25, wherein:

said image projection means is configured to project a plurality of images;

said images being sectioned to correspond with said means for reflecting.

36. The display system of claim 25, wherein said means for reflecting an image comprise a triangular mirror.

37. A display system comprising:

a single means for projecting an image; and

a means for reflecting an image, said means for reflecting optically coupled to said image-projection means;

wherein said means for reflecting is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by said image-projection means onto a plurality of display surfaces;

wherein said plurality of images comprise non-morphed images.

38. A method for projecting an image onto multiple display surfaces comprising:

projecting said image from a single image projection device onto a reflective surface;

wherein said reflective surface is configured to reflect said image onto said multiple display surfaces in an optically simultaneous fashion along a second optical path corresponding to a first optical path used to collect said image originally.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising projecting multiple images onto said multiple display surfaces using said single image-projection device.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said multiple images comprise a 360-degree image.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising displaying said 360-degree image on four contiguous surfaces.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein said image comprises a plurality of segments, wherein each of said segments comprises a separate image to be displayed on one of said multiple display surfaces.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising projecting said plurality of segments onto said reflective surface such that each of said plurality of segments corresponds to a portion of said reflective surface.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein said image is both collected and projected without pre-morphing said image.

45. The method of claim 38, further comprising optically coupling an optically addressed display with said reflective surface, wherein said optically addressed display is configured to enhance said image.

46. The method of claim 38, further comprising time sharing a projection of said image onto a plurality of display surfaces by projecting said image to a first portion of said reflective surface for a period of time and subsequently directing another image to a second portion of said reflective surface for a period of time.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said time sharing is performed at an optically simultaneous rate.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein said time sharing is performed using a digital light processing chip.

49. The method of claim 38, wherein said reflective surface comprises a polygonal shaped cross-section.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said reflective surface comprises one of a pyramidal mirror or a prismatic mirror.

51. The method of claim 38, wherein said reflective surface comprises a rounded surface.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said reflective surface comprises one of a sphere or a hemisphere.

53. The method of claim 38, wherein said reflective surface is triangular.

54. A display system comprising:

an image-projection device; and

a reflective surface optically coupled to said image-projection device;

wherein said reflective surface is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by said image-projection device onto a plurality of display surfaces;

wherein said reflective surface is triangular; and

wherein said triangular reflective surface has convex sides.

55. A display system comprising:

an image-projection device; and

a reflective surface optically coupled to said image-projection device;

wherein said reflective surface is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by said image-projection device onto a plurality of display surfaces;

wherein said reflective surface is a curved triangular mirror.

56. A display system comprising;

a single means for projecting an image; and

a means for reflecting an image, said means for reflecting optically coupled to said image-projection means;

wherein said means for reflecting is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by said image-projection means onto a plurality of display surfaces;

said projection being along a same optical path as a collection of said plurality of images;

wherein said means for reflecting an image comprise a triangular mirror; and

wherein said triangular mirror has convex sides.

57. A display system comprising:

a single means for projecting an image; and

a means for reflecting an image, said means for reflecting optically coupled to said image-projection means;

wherein said means for reflecting is configured to reflect a plurality of images projected by said image-projection means onto a plurality of display surfaces;

said projection being along a same optical path as a collection of said plurality of images;

wherein said means for reflecting an image comprise a triangular mirror; and

wherein said means for reflecting an image comprise a curved triangular mirror.

58. A method for projecting an image onto multiple display surfaces comprising:

projecting said image from a single image projection device onto a triangular reflective surface;

wherein said triangular reflective surface is configured to reflect said image onto said multiple display surfaces in an optically simultaneous fashion; and

wherein said triangular reflective surface has convex sides.

59. A method for projecting an image onto multiple display surfaces comprising;

projecting said image from a single image projection device onto a reflective surface;

wherein said reflective surface is configured to reflect said image onto said multiple display surfaces in an optically simultaneous fashion;

wherein said reflective surface is a curved triangular mirror.

60. A method for projecting an image onto multiple display surfaces comprising:

projecting said image from a single image projection device onto a reflective surface;

matching said reflective surface with equipment used to capture said image originally such that said reflective surface is configured to reflect said image onto said multiple display surfaces in an optically simultaneous fashion along an optical path corresponding to an optical path used to capture said image originally.