Rendering techniques for textured displays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9824642-B2
Application number	US-201314040101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2013
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

Rendering techniques are disclosed for displays capable of adjusting/changing the angle of individual pixels (or pixel groups), referred to herein as textured displays. The textured displays may be capable of creating on demand textures which may be used to simulate the surface of an object in a scene. The rendering techniques may be used to improve upon the realism of rendered scenes/objects and they may provide users with a unique rendering experience whereby the textured display physically changes to mimic textures of the rendered scenes/objects. This can be achieved by sending geometric data, such as surface normal information, to individual pixels of the textured display. Other factors may be considered when adjusting the angle of individual pixels of the textured display, such as whether the user is experiencing too much glare.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining per-pixel surface normal data for a textured display including a plurality of pixels and capable of changing the angle of individual pixels within the textured display, the surface normal data relevant to a given scene to be presented on the textured display; and
transferring the per-pixel surface normal data to the textured display to cause the angle of the individual pixels of the textured display to be adjusted based on the per-pixel surface normal data in effort to improve upon the visual realism of the given scene when presented on the textured display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the per-pixel surface normal data is determined based on at least a three-dimensional (3D) model of the scene to be presented on the textured display.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the per-pixel surface normal data is determined based on at least information about glare from external light sources on the textured display.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein glare information is collected using one or more light sensors.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the per-pixel surface normal data is determined based on at least information about a user's location relative to the textured display.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein user location information is collected using one or more cameras.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the per-pixel surface normal data is determined based on information about lighting in the environment and information about a user's location relative to the textured display.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, in response to an adjustment of the angle of one or more individual pixels of the textured display, there is no change to tactile properties of the textured display.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the textured display includes micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) devices capable of tilting to change the angle of individual pixels within the textured display.

10. A non-transitory computer program product encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes a process for graphics rendering to be carried out, the process comprising:
determining three-dimensional (3D) model data for a scene to be presented on a textured display including a plurality of pixels and capable of changing the angle of individual pixels within the textured display, wherein the 3D model data includes at least geometric data for the individual pixels; and
transferring the geometric data for the individual pixels of the scene to the textured display to cause the angle of the individual pixels of the textured display to be adjusted based on the geometric data in effort to improve upon the visual realism of the scene when presented on the textured display.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the geometric data includes surface normal data for the individual pixels.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the 3D model data is determined based on information about lighting in the environment and information about a user's location relative to the textured display.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein, in response to an adjustment of the angle of one or more individual pixels of the textured display, there is no change to tactile properties of the textured display.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the 3D model data is comprised of a 3D mesh of the scene, point clouds, implicit surfaces, and/or voxel representations.

15. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the textured display is a non-backlit display causing light to be reflected based on the angle of individual pixels of the textured display.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the textured display is an interferometric modulator display (IMOD) including a plurality of tiltable micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices capable of tilting to change the angle of individual pixels within the textured display, and wherein a change in the tilt of one or more of the MEMS devices is intangible.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 , the process further comprising computing the lighting and shading properties of objects within the scene.

18. A non-transitory computer program product encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes a process for graphics rendering for textured displays to be carried out, the process comprising:
determining per-pixel surface normal data for a textured display capable of changing the angle of individual pixels within the textured display, the surface normal data relevant to a given scene to be presented on the textured display; and
transferring the per-pixel surface normal data to the textured display to adjust the angle of the individual pixels of the textured display based on the per-pixel surface normal data in effort to improve upon the visual realism of the given scene when presented on the textured display.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the per-pixel surface normal data is determined based on at least a three-dimensional (3D) model of a scene to be presented on the textured display.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the per-pixel surface normal data is determined based on at least information about glare from external light sources on the textured display.

21. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the per-pixel surface normal data is determined based on at least information about a user's location relative to the textured display.

22. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the per-pixel surface normal data is determined based on at least information about angle of tilt of a device including the textured display.

23. A system comprising:
one or more processors;
a graphics module at least one of executable and controllable by the one or more processors and configured to determine geometric data for a textured display including a plurality of pixels and capable of changing the angle of individual pixels within the textured display, the geometric data relevant to a given scene to be presented on the textured display; and
a pixel adjusting module at least one of executable and controllable by the one or more processors and configured to adjust the angle of individual pixels of the textured display based on the provided geometric data in effort to improve upon the visual realism of the given scene when presented on the textured display.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the graphics module is located in a CPU, a GPU, and/or an APU of one or more computing devices, and/or in the textured display.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the pixel adjusting module is located in a CPU, a GPU, and/or an APU of one or more computing devices, and/or in the textured display.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Andrysco Nathan R
• Lin kevin l

Classifications

• G09G2320/0242

  Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours · CPC title

• G09G2320/0233

  Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen · CPC title

• G09G3/3473 Primary

  based on light coupled out of a light guide, e.g. due to scattering, by contracting the light guide with external means · CPC title

• G09G2340/06

  Colour space transformation · CPC title

• G09G3/002

  to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT · CPC title