US 5,742,333 A · Electro-optical device for selectively transmitting polarized spectral components

Abstract

A Method and apparatus is provided for producing and displaying pairs of spectrally-multiplexed gray-scale or color images of 3-D scenery for use in stereoscopic viewing thereof. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, pairs of spectrally-multiplexed color images of 3-D scenery are produced using a camera system records left and right color perspective images thereof and optically processes the spectral components thereof. In another illustrative embodiment of the present invention, pairs of spectrally-multiplexed color images of 3-D imagery are produced within a computer-based system which generates left and right perspective images thereof using computer graphic processes, and processes the pixel data thereof using pixel-data processing methods of the present invention. Thereafter, produced pairs of spectrally-multiplexed images can be recorded on diverse recording mediums, and accessed by the display system of the present invention for real-time display on diverse display surfaces including, for example, flat-panel liquid-crystal display (LCD) surfaces, CRT display surfaces, projection display screen surfaces, and electro-luminescent panel display surfaces. In the various illustrative embodiments of the display system, stereoscopic viewing of 3-D imagery is facilitated by wearing electrically passive or electrically-active light polarizing spectacles during the image display process of the present invention.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An electro-optical device for selectively transmitting the spectral components of an image having at least first and second groups of spectral components, said electro-optical device comprising:

an optically transparent input surface through which the first and second groups of spectral components can enter said electro-optical device;
an optically transparent output surface through which the first and second groups of spectral components can exit said electro-optical device;
first means, disposed between said optically transparent input and output surfaces, for imparting a first polarization state P1 to said first group of spectral components;
second means, disposed between said optically transparent input and output surfaces, for imparting a second polarization state P2 to said second group of spectral components;
and
third means, disposed between said optically transparent input and output surfaces, and being operative to selectively transmit one or both of said first and second groups of spectral components through said optical output surface in response to a control signal provided to said electro-optical device.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electro-optical device for selectively transmitting polarized spectral components

Life of this patent

Electro-optical device for selectively transmitting polarized spectral components

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10