Fine-coarse autostereoscopic display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9690110-B2
Application number	US-201514602221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 21, 2015
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A device may have a display with an array of pixels for displaying three-dimensional images for a viewer. Each pixel may have an array of subpixels and associated lens structures. A beam steerer may be interposed between the array of pixels and the viewer. The beam steerer may steer light that is emitted from the array of pixels towards the viewer. The electronic device may have a camera that monitors the location of the viewer. The beam steerer may be adjusted based on information on the location of the viewer that is gathered from the camera. Other input-output devices such as an accelerometer may also be used in gathering information that is used in adjusting the beam steerer. Different sets of data may be supplied to the array of pixels based on the location of the viewer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
an autostereoscopic display comprising an array of pixels that displays three-dimensional images to a viewer, wherein each of the pixels has an array of subpixels and structures through which light from the subpixels is emitted at a plurality of different angles;
a beam steerer that is interposed between the array of pixels and the viewer, wherein an index of refraction of the beam steerer is adjustable to redirect the light from the subpixels towards the viewer; and
an accelerometer, wherein the control circuitry adjusts the beam steerer based on information from the accelerometer.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising:
a camera; and
control circuitry that gathers information from the camera on where the viewer is located and that adjusts the beam steerer based on where the viewer is located.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the beam steerer comprises a liquid crystal beam steerer and wherein the beam steerer deflects light from the display towards the viewer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the control circuitry provides the autostereoscopic display with different sets of data for the array of pixels depending on wherein the viewer is located.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Drolet Jean-Jacques

Classifications

• G09G1/06

  using single beam tubes (G09G1/26, G09G1/28 take precedence), {e.g. three-dimensional or perspective representation, rotation or translation of display pattern, hidden lines, shadows (G09G1/28 takes precedence; stereoscopic TV-systems, details thereof H04N13/00; oscilloscopes for three-dimensional representation G01R13/206; vectorscopes G01R13/208)} · CPC title

• H04N13/398

  Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof · CPC title

• G02B30/27 Primary

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title

• G09G3/18

  using liquid crystals · CPC title

• G09G2340/0492

  Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored · CPC title