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US 6,224,214 B1Granted
Autostereo projection system
AssigneeLitton Systems, Inc.
InventorsGraham Martin, Joseph L. Mclaughlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An autostereo projection system uses multiple projectors to form an essentially seamless and extended field of view. Each projector is registered to a CRT display. Shutter elements in each projector create multiple pupils for each CRT display. Each CRT display is driven with different images for each shutter pupil. Seamlessness is promoted by the use of a tunable optical diffuser as part of a common lenticular viewing lens.
Claims58
An apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- a plurality of color image sources, each color image source displaying a plurality of sequential images of an object;
- a viewing space having a plurality of discrete views and providing extended viewing of the color image sources to a plurality of viewers, each view optically coupled to a respective sequential image of the object;
- and
- an optical diffuser optically disposed between the color image sources and the viewing space to blur the boundaries between adjacent views and providing essentially seamless viewing of the color image sources as a viewer moves from a first position to a second position in the viewing space, the optical diffuser including at least one of the following:
- a lenticular lens or tunable optical diffuser;
- a plurality of spatial light modulators, each spatial light modulator comprising a plurality of light modulating cells and coupled to a respective color image source;
- and
- a control unit coupled to each color image source and each spatial light modulator, the control unit operating the light modulating cells in sequence with the sequential images.
5 more elements
An apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- a plurality of color image sources, each color image source displaying a selected video frame at a selected time;
- an optical diffuser registered to the color image sources, the optical diffuser including at least one of the following:
- a lenticular lens, a tunable optical diffuser, or an index matching medium;
- and
- a multi-projector optical system optically disposed between the color image sources and the optical diffuser for projecting light from each selected video frame of each color image source through the optical diffuser to a respective viewing position in a viewing space having a two-dimensional array of viewing positions, the optical system comprising:
- a plurality of projector lens assemblies, each projector lens assembly registered to a respective color image source;
- and
- a plurality of addressable shutters having color filter elements registered to each projector lens assembly.
5 more elements
A method for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- on each of a plurality of color image sources, displaying a plurality of sequential images of an object;
- optically coupling a viewing space having a plurality of discrete views to a respective sequential image of the object;
- and
- blurring the boundaries between adjacent views using an optical diffuser optically disposed between the color image sources and the image space;
- coupling a spatial light modulator comprising a plurality of light modulating cells to a respective color image source;
- operating the light modulating cells in sequence with the sequential images;
- from each color image source, displaying a selected video frame at a selected time;
- from a multi-projector optical system, projecting light from each selected video frame of each color image source through the optical diffuser to a respective view in the viewing space;
- and
- tuning the optical diffuser using an index matching medium.
7 more elements
An apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- a plurality of image sources, each image source displaying a plurality of sequential images of an object;
- a viewing space having a plurality of discrete views, each view optically coupled to a respective sequential image of the object;
- and
- an optical diffuser optically disposed between the image sources and the viewing space to blur the boundaries between adjacent views, the optical diffuser including a tunable optical diffuser.
1 more element
An apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- a plurality of image sources, each image source displaying a selected video frame at a selected time;
- an optical diffuser registered to the image sources;
- and
- a multi-projector optical system optically disposed between the image sources and the optical diffuser for projecting light from each selected video frame of each image source through the optical diffuser to a respective viewing position in a viewing space, the optical system comprising:
- a plurality of projector lens assemblies, each projector lens assembly registered to a respective image source;
- and
- a plurality of addressable shutters registered to each projector lens assembly.
4 more elements
An apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- a plurality of image sources, each image source displaying a selected video frame at a selected time;
- an optical diffuser registered to the image sources, the optical diffuser including a tunable optical diffuser;
- and
- a multi-projector optical system optically disposed between the image sources and the optical diffuser for projecting light from each selected video frame of each image source through the optical diffuser to a respective viewing position in a viewing space.
1 more element
An apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- a plurality of image sources, each image source displaying a selected video frame at a selected time;
- an optical diffuser registered to the image sources, the optical diffuser including an index matching medium;
- and
- a multi-projector optical system optically disposed between the image sources and the optical diffuser for projecting light from each selected video frame of each image source through the optical diffuser to a respective viewing position in a viewing space.
1 more element
An apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- a plurality of image sources, each image source displaying a selected video frame at a selected time;
- an optical diffuser registered to the image sources;
- and
- a multi-projector optical system optically disposed between the image sources and the optical diffuser for projecting light from each selected video frame of each image source through the optical diffuser to a respective viewing position in a viewing space, the optical system comprising:
- a plurality of projector lens assemblies, each projector lens assembly registered to a respective image source;
- and
- a plurality of addressable shutters registered to each projector lens assembly, the addressable shutters including color filter elements.
4 more elements
A method for displaying a three-dimensional view of an object, comprising:
- on each of a plurality of image sources, displaying a plurality of sequential images of an object;
- optically coupling a viewing space having a plurality of discrete views to a respective sequential image of the object;
- blurring the boundaries between adjacent views using an optical diffuser optically disposed between the image sources and the image space;
- and
- tuning the optical diffuser using an index matching medium.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.