Tileable, coplanar, flat-panel 3-d display with tactile and audio interfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016282808-A1
Application number	US-201615077839-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 24, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and system for a scalable multi-sense user experience are disclosed. A three-dimensional (“3-D”) display is disposed behind a slit plane comprising slits and ultrasonic transducers. Light from the 3-D display passes through the slits in the slit plane to generate a 3-D image. The ultrasonic transducers on the front of the slit plane, i.e., opposite the side where the 3-D display is disposed, generate directed acoustic field and/or a formed tactile field. Because the generating components for all three senses, i.e., visual, audio, and tactile, are coplanar, units may be tiled and thereby scaled to generate larger multi-sense experiences.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for generating a multi-sense user experience, comprising:
a 3-D display apparatus; and a slit plane having slits and ultrasonic transducers; wherein:
the 3-D display is coplanar with the slit plane; and
the slits in the slit plane allow light from the 3-D display apparatus to pass through the 3-D display to generate a 3-D image on the side of the slit plane opposite the 3-D display apparatus.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducers are disposed on the side of the slit plane opposite the 3-D display apparatus.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducers are configured to generate at least one of an audio field or a tactile field.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein an audio field generated by the ultrasonic transducers is at least partially a directed audio field.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a tactile field generated by the ultrasonic transducers is at least partially a shaped tactile field.

6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is configured to generate a three-sense user experience comprising a visual experience, an audio experience, and a tactile experience.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slits are rectangular.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slits are non-rectangular.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slits are non-uniformly shaped.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front and the back of the slit plane is at least partially covered with a light-absorbing material.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front and the back of the slit plane is at least partially covered with an acoustic absorbing material.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the 3-D display apparatus is one of holographic display, lenticular, barrier line, LCD, MEMS, LCOS, ferroelectric, coded aperture, micropolarizer, view sequential, waveguide directional, panoramagram, frustrated total internal reflection, liquid lens, backlight steering/eye-tracked, coupled electro-optic, flying fiber, nanophotonic array, nanoantenna tuned laser, and holographic images.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducers are manufactured as part of the slit plane.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducers are secured to the slit plane.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a lenslet array is disposed between the 3-D display apparatus and the slit plane.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic transducers are separated by a distance of half or less of the ultrasonic wavelength for the ultrasonic transducers.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the walls of the slit planes are angled.

18 . A scalable apparatus for a multi-sense user experience, comprising:
at least two user-experience tiles, each tile comprising:
a 3-D display apparatus; and
a slit plane having slits and ultrasonic transducers;
wherein:
the 3-D display is coplanar with the slit plane;
the slits in the slit plane allow light from the 3-D display apparatus to pass through the 3-D display to generate a 3-D image on the side of the slit plane opposite the 3-D display apparatus; and
the at least two user-experience tiles are tiled in a coplanar manner.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least two user-experience tiles are driven by a common control system.

20 . A method for generating a scalable multi-sense user experience, comprising:
providing at least two user-experience tiles, each tile comprising: a 3-D display apparatus; and a slit plane having slits and ultrasonic transducers; wherein:
the 3-D display apparatus is coplanar with the slit plane; and
the slits in the slit plane allow light from the 3-D display apparatus to pass through the 3-D display to generate a 3-D image on the side of the slit plane opposite the 3-D display apparatus;
tiling the at least two user-experience tiles in a coplanar manner; and using a common control system to drive the at least two user-experience tiles.

Assignees

• Univ Brigham Young

Inventors

• Smalley Daniel

Classifications

• G03H1/2294

  Addressing the hologram to an active spatial light modulator · CPC title

• G03H1/0005 Primary

  Adaptation of holography to specific applications (holographic optical element G02B5/32; holographic scanner G02B26/106; recognition using holographic mask G06V10/88; holographic memories G11B7/0065, G11C13/042) · CPC title

• H04N13/302

  for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays · CPC title

• H04N13/305

  using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses · CPC title

• G02B30/27

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title