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EP0721131A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Observer tracking autostereoscopic display and method of tracking an observer

Assignee: Sharp Corp
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Filing: 1995-12-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2015-12-29
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Abstract

Abstract An observer tracking display is provided in which the image data displayed by at least three display devices (30, 32) along respective different directions is divided depending on the position of an observer. Each eye of the observer can see only some regions (L1, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3) of the display devices (30, 32). The positions and sizes of those regions are calculated for the position of the observer and the display devices (30, 32) are then controlled such that the observer's left eye only receives left view data and the observer's right eye only receives right eye view data.

Inventors

  • 👤 Graham John Woodgate

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 12:06
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/0093; H; H04; H04N; H04N13/00; H04N13/30; H04N13/302; H04N13/305; H04N13/31; H04N13/32; H04N13/324; H04N13/346; H04N13/349; H04N13/366; H04N13/368; H04N13/373; H04N13/376; H04N13/10; H04N13/106; H04N13/111; H04N13/117; H04N13/156; H04N13/158; H04N13/189; H04N13/20; H04N13/286; H04N13/327; H04N13/356; H04N13/359; H04N13/398

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 185 words
An observer tracking autostereoscopic display comprising at least three image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-50, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) arranged to direct respective images along respective different directions, and an observer tracker (112) for determining the position of an observer, characterised by an image controller (100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110) responsive to the observer tracker (112) for dividing the image displayed by each of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) such that those regions of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) which emit light towards a left eye of the observer display left eye view data and those regions of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) which emit light towards a right eye of the observer display right eye view data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 182 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the observer tracker (112) is arranged to determine the positions of a plurality of observers, there are provided at least three image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 80, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) per observer, and the image controller (100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110) is arranged to divide the image displayed by each of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) such that those regions of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) which emit light towards the left eyes of the observers display left eye view data and those regions of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) which emit light towards the right eyes of the observers display right eye view data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 49 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each of the display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) is arranged to direct the respective image in a plurality of lobes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 43 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that any one of the lobes of the display devices (30, 32, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) are interlaced with each other.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the lobes are substantially contiguous.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 38 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the image display devices are spatially multiplexed within a single display device (30, 32, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 65 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that the single display device comprises a lenticular screen (30) and a spatial light modulator (32) comprising repeating regions of N columns, where N is the number of the image display devices and is equal to or greater than three, each region of N columns being adjacent a respective lenticule of the lenticular screen (30).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 62 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the image display devices comprise respective spatial light modulators (51, 55, 58) illuminated by respective light sources (50, 54, 57) having at least two spaced light emitting regions, at least one beam combiner (60, 62) for combining light from the spatial light modulators (51, 55, 58).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 46 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the image display devices are temporally multiplexed by a single spatial light modulator (40, 76) cooperating with at least three individually controllable light sources (41, 70) operated in a sequence.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 23 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 9, characterised in that each of the light sources comprises at least two light emitting regions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 9 or 10 characterised by a lenticular array (75) for directing light from the light sources (70) in different directions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 50 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that the spatial light modulator (80) illuminated by at least two individually controllable light sources (88, 90) arranged to operate in a time multiplexed manner and the spatial light modulator (80) is arranged to operate in a time multiplexed manner.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 70 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 12, characterised in that the spatial light modulator (80) is disposed between first and second lenticular arrays (82, 84), the first lenticular array (82) having a pitch substantially equal to a pixel pitch of the spatial light modulator (80) and the second lenticular array (84) having a pitch substantially equal to an integer multiple of the pitch of the first lenticular array (82).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 30 words
An autostereoscopic display as claimed in Claim 13, characterised in that the pitch of the second array (84) is substantially equal to twice the pitch of the first array (82).
Claim 15
Independent Claim 176 words
A method of tracking an observer with an autostereoscopic display of the type comprising at least three image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) which direct respective images along respective different directions, comprising tracking the position of at least one observer and dividing the image displayed by each of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) such that those regions of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) which emit light towards a left eye of the or each observer display left eye view data and those regions of the image display devices (30, 32, 40, 41, 50-52, 54-60, 62, 70, 75, 76, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 131, 135) which emit light towards a right eye of the or each observer display right eye view data.

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