EP0602934A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Autostereoscopic directional display apparatus
Assignee: Sharp Corp
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Filing: 1993-12-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-12-14
Abstract
Abstract The number of 2D views available to form an autostereoscopic 3D image is increased by using a beam combiner (9) with two displays. Each display may comprise sequentially illuminatable light sources (1, 5) imaged by converging lenses (3, 7) for illuminating sequentially reproduced 2D images in spatial light modulators (4, 8). The views are combined by the beam combiner (9) so as to be visible to an observer (10) in different directions corresponding to the directions from which the views were recorded during image capture.
Inventors
- 👤 David Ezra
- 👤 Basil Arthur Omar
- 👤 Graham John Woodgate
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 11:52
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/0093; G02B30/00; G02B30/20; G02B30/22; G02B30/24; G02B30/26; G02B30/27; G02B30/30; G02B30/34; G02B30/35; H; H04; H04N; H04N13/00; H04N13/30; H04N13/302; H04N13/305; H04N13/31; H04N13/32; H04N13/346; H04N13/366; H04N13/368; H04N13/371; H04N13/373; H04N13/376; H04N13/378; H04N13/38; H04N13/10; H04N13/106; H04N13/111; H04N13/117; H04N13/15; H04N13/156; H04N13/161; H04N13/189; H04N13/20; H04N13/204; H04N13/207; H04N13/221; H04N13/243; H04N13/257; H04N13/286; H04N13/289; H04N13/296; H04N13/307; H04N13/324; H04N13/332; H04N13/337; H04N13/341; H04N13/349; H04N13/363; H04N13/398
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
56 words
An autostereoscopic directional display apparatus comprising a plurality of displays and an optical combining system (9, 29) for combining outputs of the displays, characterised in that each of the displays comprises an autostereoscopic display and co-operates with the optical combining system (9, 29) to provide a plurality of views which are visible in respective different directions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that each of the directions in which the views are visible comprises an angular range.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the angular ranges are angularly contiguous in a lateral plane.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
61 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in that the directions in which the views provided by each of the displays and the optical combining system (9, 29) are visible are different from the directions in which the views provided by the or each other of the displays and the optical combining system (9, 29) are visible.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the directions in which the views provided by each of the displays are visible are interlaced with the directions in which the views provided by the or each other of the displays are visible.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each of the displays comprises a temporally multiplexed display.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that each of the displays comprises a spatial light modulator (4, 8), an optical system (3, 7), and a plurality of sequentially illuminatable light sources (1, 5) arranged to illuminate the spatial light modulator (4, 8) at respective different angles via the optical system (3, 7).
Claim 8
Independent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that each of the displays comprises a spatially multiplexed display.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, characterised in that each of the displays comprises a spatial light modulator (4, 8), a diffuse light source (11, 13) for illuminating the spatial light modulator (4, 8), and an array of lenses (12, 14) or a parallax barrier disposed between the spatial light modulator (4, 8) and the optical combining system (9, 29).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, characterised in that each of the arrays of lenses comprises a lenticular screen (12, 14).
Claim 11
Independent Claim
26 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that each of the displays comprises a temporally and spatially multiplexed display.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
122 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, characterised in that each of the displays comprises a spatial light modulator, a first array of lenses or a first parallax barrier having a first pitch disposed adjacent a first side of the spatial light modulator, a second array of lenses or a second parallax barrier having a second pitch greater than the first pitch disposed adjacent a second side of the spatial light modulator between the spatial light modulator and the optical combining system (9, 29), an optical system (3, 7), and a plurality of sequentially illuminatable light sources (1, 5) arranged to illuminate the first array of lenses or the first parallax barrier at respective different angles via the optical system (3, 7).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 or 12, characterised by beam splitting means (56, 57, 58) disposed between the light sources (1), which are common to the displays, and the spatial light modulators (4, 8).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 13, characterised in that the beam splitting means comprises a beam splitter (56) for splitting light from the light sources (1) into a plurality of beams and a plurality of mirrors (57, 58), each of which is arranged to reflect a respective beam towards a respective one of the spatial light modulators (4, 8).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that the beam splitter (56) and the optical combining system (9, 29) are polarisation-sensitive so that substantially all of the light from the beam splitter (56) is supplied by the optical combining system (9, 29) to a single observer region.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 or 12, characterised in that the light sources of each of the displays comprise a diffuse light source (42, 44) disposed behind respective shutters (43, 45).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 16, characterised in that the light paths from the shutters (63, 65) cross each other and intersect respective mirrors (57, 58) arranged to reflect light towards the respective spatial light modulators (4, 8).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 16 or 17, characterised in that each of the shutters (63, 65) has an output polarisation which matches an input polarisation of the respective spatial light modulator (4, 8).
Claim 19
Independent Claim
36 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the optical combining system (9, 29) comprises at least one beam combiner having an optically transmissive path and an optically reflective path.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
158 words
An autostereoscopic display apparatus comprising a plurality of displays and an optical combining system (9, 29) for combining the outputs of the displays, characterised in that each of the displays comprises a light source (1, 5, 11, 13, 31, 41, 42, 51-53, 62, 64), a light-transmissive spatial light modulator (4, 8, 20, 21, 34, 44) arranged to modulate light spatial light source (1, 5, 11, 12, 31, 41, 42, 51-53, 62, 64) with an image to be viewed, and a lens arrangement (3, 7, 12, 14, 20, 21, 34, 43, 85, 86, 88, 89) disposed adjacent the spatial light modulator (4, 8, 20, 21, 34, 44) and arranged to image the light source (1, 5, 11, 13, 31, 41, 42, 51-53, 62, 64) at a viewing window (87, 90) at (1, 5, 11, 13, 31, 41, 42, 51-53, 62, 64) at a viewing window (87, 90) at an observer location (10) via the optical combining system (9, 29).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
69 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 20, characterised in that the light sources of the displays comprise a common light source (1), a beam splitter (56) for dividing light from the common light source (1) into a plurality of beams, and at least one reflector (57, 58) for reflecting a respective one of the beams towards the spatial light modulator (4, 8) of a respective one of the displays.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 21, characterised each of the displays has an optical axis (78, 80) and each of the lens arrangements (3, 7) has an optical axis (77, 79) which is laterally displaced from the optical axis (78, 80) of the respective display.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
67 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 20, characterised in that, for each of the displays, the light source comprises a diffuse light source (11, 13), the lens arrangement comprises an array (12, 14) of lenses, and a parallax barrier (68, 69) is disposed between the light source (11, 13) and the array (12, 14) of lenses in an object plane of the array (12, 14) of lenses.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 20, characterised in that each of the lens arrangements comprises an autocollimating screen (85, 86).
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 20, characterised in that each of the lens arrangements comprises an angular amplifying screen (88, 89).
Claim 26
Independent Claim
62 words
An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 20 to 25, characterised in that, for each of the displays, the light source (1, 5, 11, 13, 31, 41, 42, 51-53, 62, 64) comprises a single light source and the spatial light modulator (4, 8, 44) is arranged to modulate light with an image representing a view from a single predetermined direction.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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