System and methods for visualizing information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9800862-B2
Application number	US-201313916555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2013
Priority date	Jun 12, 2012
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A system and methods for visualizing information on a generally large scale. Certain embodiments include display elements that include a minimized border margin, 2D/3D dual functionality, and ultra-high resolution. The display elements may be positioned relative to an infrastructure element configured to permit generating a wide variety of display geometries.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for facilitating visualization of information by one or more users, comprising: a plurality of display elements, each display element comprising a dual function screen, each dual function screen comprising: a layer of pixels, each pixel of the layer of pixels having an inner segment defined by an outer border comprising at least two parallel border edges; and a patterned-retarder barrier comprising a plurality of parallel lines of polarization, the plurality of parallel lines of polarization comprising a plurality of positive lines of polarization sequentially alternating or interleaved line-by-line with a plurality of negative lines of polarization to form a plurality of interleaved lines of positive and negative polarization; wherein a first display element of the plurality of display elements comprises a first dual function screen comprising a first layer of pixels and a first patterned-retarder barrier arranged adjacent the first layer of pixels and shifted in a first direction providing that the inner segment of each pixel of the first layer of pixels is in contact both with a portion of only one line of positive polarization and with a portion of only one line of negative polarization; and wherein a second display element of the plurality of display elements is arranged to be co-planar with the first display element, the second display element comprising a second dual function screen arranged to be coplanar with the first dual function screen, the second dual function screen comprising a second layer of pixels and a second patterned-retarder barrier arranged adjacent the second layer of pixels and shifted in a second direction, the second direction different from and opposite to the first direction, providing that the inner segment of each pixel of the second layer of pixels is in contact both with a portion of only one line of negative polarization and with a portion of only one line of positive polarization wherein a third display element of the plurality of display elements is arranged to be coplanar with and in between the first and second display elements, the third display element comprising a third dual function screen arranged to be co-planar with and in between the first and second dual function screens, the third dual function screen comprising a third layer of pixels and a third patterned retarder barrier arranged adjacent the third layer of pixels without shifting to provide that the inner segment of each pixel of the third layer of pixels is in contact exclusively with either only one line of positive polarity or only one line of negative polarization.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each dual function screen is substantially flat and configured to provide a hybrid viewing experience for simultaneously perceiving two-dimensional images and three-dimensional images.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: an infrastructure component coupled to the plurality of display elements to position one or more of the plurality of display elements in a selected display geometry.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the selected display geometry is selected from the group consisting of: a wall surface, a table surface, a floor surface, an upright semi-circle, an inverted semi-circle, and combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second and third display elements form a generally continuous and substantially flat compound screen.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a processor; a memory; and an audio component comprising a plurality of audio speakers.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a user sensor adapted to detect a position of one or more users relative to the plurality of audio speakers or to the plurality of display elements.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a user input element selected from the group consisting of: a gaming controller, a joy stick, a wheel controller component, a keyboard, a mouse, a six-degree of freedom unit, a speech recognition component, a gesture recognition receiver, and combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user input element is configured as a navigation unit.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first display element is arranged to be in an upper part of the visual field of the one or more persons, the second display element is arranged to be in a lower part of the visual field of the one or more persons, and the third display element is arranged to be in a middle part in between the upper and lower parts of the visual field of the one or more persons; or wherein the first display element is arranged to be in a left part of the visual field of the one or more persons, the second display element is arranged to be in a right part of the visual field of the one or more persons, and the third display element is arranged to be in the middle part in between the upper and lower parts of the visual field of the one or more persons.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first display element, the second display element, and the third display element are arranged to be coplanar vertically and the first and second directions are vertical; or wherein the first display element, the second display element, and the third display element are arranged to be coplanar horizontally and the first and second direction are horizontal.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second directions are both in the vertical dimension or both in the horizontal dimension.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein a fourth display element of the plurality of display elements is arranged to be coplanar with the first, second and third display elements and adjacent the third display element on a first lateral side, the fourth display element comprising a fourth dual function screen arranged to be co-planar with and adjacent the third dual function screen, the fourth dual function screen comprising a fourth layer of pixels and a fourth patterned-retarder barrier arranged adjacent the fourth layer of pixels and shifted in a third direction, the third direction different from and orthogonal to the first and second directions, providing that the inner segment of each pixel of the fourth layer of pixels is in contact both with a portion of only one line of negative polarization and with a portion of only one line of positive polarization.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein a fifth display element of the plurality of display elements is arranged to be coplanar with the first, second, third and fourth display elements and adjacent the third display element on a second lateral side opposite the first lateral side, the fifth display element comprising a fifth dual function screen arranged to be co-planar with and adjacent the third dual function screen, the fifth dual function screen comprising a fifth layer of pixels and a fifth patterned-retarder barrier arranged adjacent the fifth layer of pixels and shifted in a fourth direction, the fourth direction different from the first, second and third directions, orthogonal to the first and second directions and opposite the third direction, providing that the inner segment of each pixel of the fourth layer of pixels is in contact both with a portion of only one line of positive polarization and with a portion of only one line of negative polarization.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising: an infrastructure component coupled to the plurality of display elements to position one or more of the plurality of display elements in a substantially flat display geometry, wherein the substantially flat display geometry is selected from the group consisting of: a

Assignees

• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Johnson Andrew
• Brown Maxine
• Leigh Jason
• Peterka Thomas
• Talandis Jonas
• Long Lance
• Renambot Luc
• Sandin Daniel J

Classifications

• G06F3/1446

  display composed of modules, e.g. video walls · CPC title

• H04N13/0452 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G09G2300/026

  Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions · CPC title

• G06F1/1647

  including at least an additional display (G06F1/1692 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G09F9/3026

  Video wall, i.e. stackable semiconductor matrix display modules (video wall control systems G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026) · CPC title