1549 results about "Stereo display" patented technology

Disclosed is an optical valve or light valve for providing large area collimated illumination from localized light sources, and system and method thereof for 2D, 3D, and / or autosteroscopic displays. An optical valve may include a stepped structure, in which the steps include separated extraction features which may be optically hidden to light propagating in a first direction. Light propagating in a second direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the optical valve. Such controlled illumination may provide for efficient, multi-user autostereoscopic displays as well as improved 2D display functionality.

A variable focus stereoscopic display system includes first and second lenses positioned between a viewer's eyes and a stereoscopic display that alters the distance to the focus plane of the viewer based on the vergence of the viewer's eyes while viewing the stereoscopic display.

A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library.

A method and system for automated production of stereoscopic and animated images and hardcopies can utilize a light-sensitive lenticular material employing a conventional or non-conventional photographic emulsion or an instant-developing material. An automated printer can produce autostereoscopic and animated hardcopies in multiple formats from digital and non-digital sources, including single images, stereopairs, and multiple-image sets of negatives, transparencies, or prints. The printer, which includes a projection device and a material plate that can rotate around two perpendicular axes, can utilize software to automate viewing angle calculation, printer control, multiple-image alignment, distortion correction, and image processing and conversion. A digital camera can capture stereoscopic and animated images and record them digitally or on photographic film. A non-digital camera can record stereoscopic and animated images directly onto light-sensitive lenticular material employing a conventional or non-conventional photographic emulsion or an instant-developing material. The printer and cameras can utilize autostereoscopic monitors to preview parallax.

A display system includes light sources disposed at two different light input ends of a light guiding plate; a double-sided prism sheet disposed on a light emitting side of the light guiding plate, and having on a first surface facing the light guiding plate a triangular prism bank extending in a direction parallel to the light input ends of the light guiding plate, and on a second surface, opposite to the first surface, a cylindrical lens bank extending in a direction parallel to the triangular prism bank; a transmissive display panel disposed on a light emitting side of the double-sided prism sheet; and a synchronization driving section causing the transmissive display panel to display two different images in synchronization with the light sources, wherein light from the light sources is emitted through the transmissive display panel at angles corresponding to right and left parallax, producing a stereoscopic display.

A device for rendering to multiple viewpoints of a stereoscopic display is provided. The device includes vertex shaders which receive vertices corresponding to primitives and process viewpoint dependent information. The device also includes a primitive replication unit which replicates primitives according to a number of viewpoints supported by the stereoscopic display. The primitive replication unit adds unique view tags to each of the primitives which identify the viewpoint that the respective primitive is destined for. Each replicated primitive is processed by a rasterizer and converted into pixels. The rasterizer adds a view tag to the rasterized pixels so that the pixels identify a respective primitive and identify a respective pixel buffer that the pixel is destined for. The pixels can then be processed by a pixel processing unit and written to a pixel buffer corresponding to a respective viewpoint. The pixels are subsequently output to the stereoscopic display.

This invention relates to a stereo imaging system for use in telerobotic systems. A method of imaging a target site in a stereo imaging system is provided. The method typically includes capturing a right and a left optical image of the target site and transforming the right and the left optical images preferably into digital information. The method further includes converting the digital information into opposed images of the target site displayed on a stereo display of the stereo imaging system, one of the opposed images being associated with the right optical image and the other of the opposed images being associated with the left optical image. The method further includes regulating the digital information to cause the positions of the target site displayed on the opposed images to change relative to each other. The invention further provides for a method of aligning the opposed images, to a method of adjusting the stereo working distance of an image capture device, such as an endoscope and to a stereo imaging system.

An autostereoscopic multi-user display comprising a sweet-spot unit which is directionally controlled by a tracking and image control device (160), wherein an illumination matrix (120) is provided with separately activatable illuminating elements (11 . . . 56), in addition to an imaging device used to alternatingly image active illuminating elements, for making expanded sweet spots (SRI / SR2) visible to various eye positions (EL1 / ERI, EL2 / ER2) of viewers observing alternating images or a stereoscopic image sequence on a transmissive image matrix (140) with the aid of directed beams (B1R . . . B5L). According to the invention, the imaging device comprises an imaging matrix (110) provided with a plurality of lens elements (111 115) whose focal length is small in order to image the active illuminating elements in an enlarged manner onto the sweet spots (SRI / SR2), and a field lens (171), which follows the imaging matrix (110), in order to keep the distances of the activated illuminating elements between adjacent beams (B1, B2,B4, B5) as constant as possible and in order to assist selection of the directions (D1. . . D5) with the illumination matrix (120) for the beams.

A spatially multiplexed autostereoscopic display is arranged to provide landscape and portrait operation. Multiple optical windows may be provided by spatial and temporal multiplexing techniques. A fast response lens array pair is aligned with a fast response spatial light modulator, and synchronized to provide first and second sets of images with first and second respective directionalities to provide first and second sets of respective optical windows. The first and second sets of optical windows may each comprise two or more optical windows in each viewing lobe. The optical windows may be arranged with an inclination to the vertical of 25 degrees to 65 degrees. An observer tracking system may be arranged to direct left and right eye image data to the left and right eyes of an observer, respectively, for landscape and portrait orientations of the display.

A method and system for presenting both autostereoscopic images and planar images in a single display is disclosed. The design comprises processing the planar images received in the form of planar image data. The processing comprises at least one from a group comprising selectively employing bleed-through processing to enhance the planar image data when viewed through a lens sheet comprising slanted lenticules, selectively introducing blurring into the planar image data, and selectively employing anti-alias processing to the planar image data. Certain super pixels may be computed that differ from standard pixels, and lenticules in the data sheet may be slanted at desired angles. The physical lenticules may cause bleed-through that may be processed. Resolution may be computed after processing, and the resolution implemented for display. Mode switching between planar and autostereoscopic imaging may be provided in the form of Metadata or visible flags.

A signal representing an eyeball accommodation detected by an eyeball accommodation detector 18 provided for the left eye 10L is supplied to a shift amount calculator 34. The shift amount calculator 34 calculates necessary shift amounts of a right eye and left eye image corresponding to the eyeball accommodation, and supplies signals representing the necessary shift amounts to image shifters 32R and 32L. According to these signals, the image shifters 32R and 32L horizontally shift a right eye and a left eye image signal from an image generator 31 on a right eye and as left eye LCDs 11R and 11L, respectively, to obtain an adequate binocular parallax.

The invention discloses a three-dimensional enhancing realizing method for multi-viewpoint free stereo display, which comprises the following steps: 1) stereoscopically shooting a natural scene by using a binocular camera; 2) extracting and matching a characteristic point of an image of a main camera, generating a three-dimensional point cloud picture of the natural scene in real time, and calculating a camera parameter; 3) calculating a depth image corresponding to the image of the main camera, drawing a virtual viewpoint image and a depth image thereof, and performing hollow repairing; 4) utilizing three-dimensional making software to draw a three-dimensional virtual model and utilizing a false-true fusing module to realize the false-true fusing of the multi-viewpoint image; 5) suitably combining multiple paths of false-true fused images; and 6) providing multi-viewpoint stereo display by a 3D display device. According to the method provided by the invention, the binocular camera is used for stereoscopically shooting and the characteristic extracting and matching technique with better instantaneity is adopted, so that no mark is required in the natural scene; the false-true fusing module is used for realizing the illumination consistency and seamless fusing of the false-true scenes; and the multi-user multi-angle naked-eye multi-viewpoint stereo display effect is supplied by the 3D display device.

Disclosed is an imaging directional backlight that cooperates with a spatial light modulator to direct light into a first viewing window for one set of image pixels and into a second viewing window for a second set of image pixels. The waveguide may comprise a stepped structure, where the steps further comprise extraction features hidden to guided light, propagating in a first forward direction. Returning light propagating in a second backward direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide discrete illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the waveguide. Viewing windows are formed through imaging individual light sources and hence defines the relative positions of system elements and ray paths. Such an apparatus may be used to achieve an autostereoscopic display with a flat structure, not requiring fast response speed spatial light modulators.

A backlight suitable for use in an autostereoscopic display includes a light guide and a first and second light source assembly. The light guide has opposed first and second major surfaces, and opposed first and second side surfaces. The first and second light source assemblies are disposed to inject visible light into the light guide through the first and second side surfaces, respectively. Substantially all of the first side surface highly transmits a second light portion out of the light guide into air, the second light portion originating from the second light source assembly, and substantially all of the second side surface highly transmits a first light portion in a corresponding fashion. One or more first non-emitting surfaces of the first light source assembly are disposed at least partially between two light-emitting surfaces of the first light source assembly, and are adapted to substantially absorb visible light to reduce crosstalk.

Disclosed is a light guiding valve apparatus including at least one transparent stepped waveguide optical valve for providing large area collimated illumination from localized light sources, and at least one further illumination source. A stepped waveguide may be a stepped structure, where the steps include extraction features hidden to guided light, propagating in a first forward direction. Returning light propagating in a second backward direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide discrete illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the waveguide. Such controlled illumination may provide for efficient, multi-user autostereoscopic displays as well as improved 2D display functionality. Light from a separate illumination source may pass through the transparent stepped waveguide optical valve to provide at least one further additional illumination function.

An optical system which includes some or all of the following parts: a laser light source which illuminates a spatial light modulator such that optical characteristics are preserved; a stereoscopic display which has a polarization-switching light source; a stereoscopic display which includes two infrared lasers, two optical parametric oscillators, and six second harmonic generators; two light sources processed by two parts of the same spatial light modulator; a method of assembly using an alignment plate to align kinematic rollers on a holding plate; an optical support structure which includes stacked, compartmented layers; a collimated optical beam between an optical parametric oscillator and a second harmonic generator; a laser gain module with two retroreflective mirrors; an optical tap which keeps the monitored beam co-linear; an optical coupler which includes an optical fiber and a rotating diffuser; and an optical fiber that has a core with at least one flat side.

An apparatus for displaying an image to an observer. The apparatus comprises a display screen upon which stripes of the image appear in at least three distinct phases. The apparatus comprises a light blocking shutter disposed in front of the display screen forming a stripe pattern which lets through only ⅓ of each stripe of the image on the display screen during each of the at least three distinct phases. The apparatus comprises a computer connected to the display screen and the light blocking shutter which changes the phases so in each phase the stripe pattern is shifted laterally, which renders 2 3D scenes corresponding to the eyes of the observer, which produces a proper left / right orientation pattern for each of the three phases and which interleaves the left / right orientations into three successive time phases as red, green and blue, respectively. The apparatus comprises an eye tracker for identifying the locations of the observers' eyes and providing the location to the computer. A method for displaying an image to an observer.

Disclosed is a light guiding valve apparatus comprising an optical valve, a two dimensional light source array and a focusing optic for providing large area collimated illumination from localized light sources. A stepped waveguide may be a stepped structure, in which the steps may be extraction features optically hidden to guided light, propagating in a first forward direction. Returning light propagating in a second backward direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide discrete illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the waveguide. A two dimensional array of viewing windows may be produced. Such controlled illumination may provide for efficient, multi-user autostereoscopic displays with wide viewing freedom and low cross talk and near-eye displays that are substantially transparent.

An autostereoscopic display and method of displaying multidimensional images involves a first lenticular array preferably of cylindrical lenses positioned between a viewer and a pixel array, and a second lenticular array also preferably of cylindrical lenses positioned between the first lenticular array and the viewer. The pixel array includes several pixel groups that project images through corresponding groups of first lenses within the first lenticular array. A pitch of the lenses within the second lenticular array differs from a pitch of the lenses in the first lens groups within the first lenticular array. The display can be manufactured or retrofit with the first and second lenticular arrays. By use of the first lenticular array, light from plural color pixels may be focussed to a single point so that color subpixels arranged in a direction transverse to the direction of the cylindrical lenses of the first lenticular array may be focussed to a single point on the secondary lenticular array and then as a single image to the user.

Disclosed is an imaging directional backlight including an array of light sources, and a control system arranged to provide variable distribution of luminous fluxes, scaled inversely by the width associated with the respective light sources in the lateral direction, across the array of light sources. The luminous intensity distribution of output optical windows may be controlled to provide desirable luminance distributions in the window plane of an autostereoscopic display, a directional display operating in wide angle 2D mode, privacy mode and low power consumption mode. Image quality may be improved and power consumption reduced.

A three-dimensional virtual-touch human-machine interface system (20) and a method (100) of operating the system (20) are presented. The system (20) incorporates a three-dimensional time-of-flight sensor (22), a three-dimensional autostereoscopic display (24), and a computer (26) coupled to the sensor (22) and the display (24). The sensor (22) detects a user object (40) within a three-dimensional sensor space (28). The display (24) displays an image (42) within a three-dimensional display space (32). The computer (26) maps a position of the user object (40) within an interactive volumetric field (36) mutually within the sensor space (28) and the display space (32), and determines when the positions of the user object (40) and the image (42) are substantially coincident. Upon detection of coincidence, the computer (26) executes a function programmed for the image (42).

In an embodiment of the invention, a stereoscopic image of an object is obtained using two cameras. The locations and orientations of the two cameras are obtained. The stereoscopic image of the object is displayed on a stereoscopic display. A first gaze line from a right eye and a second gaze line from a left eye of an observer viewing the object on the stereoscopic display are measured. A location of the object in the stereoscopic image is calculated from an intersection of the first gaze line and the second gaze line. The three-dimensional location of an object is calculated from the locations and orientations of the two cameras and the location of the object in the stereoscopic image.

A method of improving stereo video viewing comfort is provided that includes capturing a video sequence of eyes of an observer viewing a stereo video sequence on a stereoscopic display, estimating gaze direction of the eyes from the video sequence, and manipulating stereo images in the stereo video sequence based on the estimated gaze direction, whereby viewing comfort of the observer is improved.

Disclosed is an optical valve or light valve for providing large area collimated illumination from localized light sources, and system and method thereof for 2D, 3D, and / or autosteroscopic displays. An optical valve may include a stepped structure, in which the steps include separated extraction features which may be optically hidden to light propagating in a first direction. Light propagating in a second direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the optical valve. Such controlled illumination may provide for efficient, multi-user autostereoscopic displays as well as improved 2D display functionality.

A three-dimensional (3D) acquisition and visualization system for personal electronic devices comprises two digital cameras which function in a variety of ways. The two digital cameras acquire 3D data which is then displayed on an auto-stereoscopic display. For clarity and ease of use, the two digital cameras also function as eye-tracking devices helping to project the proper image at the correct angle to the user. The two digital cameras also function to aid in autofocusing at the correct depth. Each personal electronic device is also able to store, transmit and display the acquired 3D data.

A device used in projecting or transmitting stereoscopic images is provided. The device includes a multi-section light emitter, such as a “color wheel or a series of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit light energy in multiple sections. Each section of light energy has an optical attribute associated therewith, such as color. Light energy projected in at least two sequential sections by the multi-section light emitter provides light energy having identical optical attributes, such as identical colors (red, green, or blue) but different perspective views associated with each sequential section, where the same optical attributes being employed in adjacent sections is referred to as “concatenation.” Different polarization attributes or polarization axis orientations may be employed within each section to facilitate stereoscopic image transmission and such concatenation in many cases reduces “judder” or other adverse visual effects.