Tracked automultiscopic 3D tabletop display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9986227-B2
Application number	US-201715626532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for displaying three dimensional (3D) images to a viewer without the need for 3D glasses. The apparatus includes a display element with a lenticular display surface that is supported to be horizontal and face upward into a viewing space. The apparatus includes a location tracking element tracking a location of a viewer in the viewing space relative to the lenticular display surface. The apparatus includes a display controller generating reprojected content for operating the display element to display 3D images via the lenticular display surface. The reprojected content is generated by determining for each pixel of the display element the content or images passing through tracked and/or determined eye locations and then remapping content delivered to each of the pixels of the display element to achieve a predefined pattern of content in viewpoints of fixed camera positions for the display element.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for displaying three dimensional (3D) images to a viewer, comprising:
a display element with a lenticular display surface, wherein the lenticular display surface faces into a viewing space;
a location tracking element tracking a location of a viewer in the viewing space relative to the lenticular display surface; and
a display controller generating reprojected content for use in operating the display element to display 3D images to the viewer via the lenticular display surface,
wherein the reprojected content is generated from a digital 3D scene and is based on a set of eye locations determined based on the location of the viewer in the viewing space, and
wherein the reprojected content is generated by determining for each pixel of the display element content passing through the eye locations by projecting content between viewpoints of a nominal view zone and the pixels of the display element through each of the eye locations and, based on the determined content passing through the eye locations, remapping content delivered to each of the pixels of the display element to achieve a predefined pattern of content in the viewpoints of the nominal view zone of the display element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an interdigitation module processing the reprojected content to generate interdigitated content for the lenticular display surface used in the operating of the display element to display the 3D images to the viewer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the set of eye locations comprises at least two eye locations including a left eye location and a right eye location associated with positions of eyes of the viewer in the viewing space.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nominal view zone is at a distance in the range of 9 to 13 feet from the lenticular display surface and the eye locations are at a viewing distance less than the distance of the nominal view zone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second location tracking element tracking a location of a second viewer in a second viewing space on a side of the lenticular display surface opposite the viewing space; and
a backlight assembly operating to provide first and second backlighting to the display element in a time multiplexed manner, wherein the first backlighting is projected through the lenticular display surface to the viewing space and the second backlight is projected through the lenticular display surface to the second viewing space.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the display controller generates second reprojected content for use in operating the display element to display 3D images to the second viewer via the lenticular display surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second reprojected content is generated from the digital 3D scene and is based on a set of eye locations determined based on the location of the second viewer in the second viewing space.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the reprojected content is used to operate the display element only when the first backlighting is projected through the lenticular display surface and the second reprojected content is used to operate the display element only when the second backlighting is projected through the lenticular display surface.

9. An autostereoscopic display, comprising:
a display element projecting autostereoscopic images from a display surface;
a tracking mechanism tracking locations of a viewer relative to the display surface; and
a controller generating reprojected content for use in operating the display element to display the autostereoscopic images to the viewer via the display surface,
wherein the reprojected content is generated based on the tracked locations of the viewer, wherein the reprojected content is generated by determining for each pixel of the display element content passing through eye locations determined for the each of the tracked locations of the viewer and wherein the reprojected content is generated by simulating projection, via a reprojection module run by the controller, of content between viewpoints of the fixed camera locations and the pixels of the display element through each of the eye locations by projecting content between viewpoints of a nominal view zone and the pixels of the display element through each of the eye locations and, based on the determined content passing through the eye locations,
remapping previously generated content of a 3D object or scene prior to delivery to each of the pixels of the display element to achieve a predefined pattern of content in the viewpoints of the nominal view zone of the display element for a predefined set of fixed camera locations for the display element.

10. The display of claim 9 , wherein the eye locations comprises at least two of the eye locations including a left eye location and a right eye location associated with positions of eyes of the viewer.

11. The display of claim 9 , wherein the display further comprises:
a second tracking mechanism tracking a location of a second viewer positioned in a space on a side of the display surface opposite from a position of the viewer; and
a backlight assembly operating to provide first and second directional backlighting to the display element in a time multiplexed manner, wherein the first backlighting is projected through the display surface to the viewer and the second backlight is projected through the lenticular display surface to the second viewer.

12. The display of claim 11 , wherein the controller generates second reprojected content for use in operating the display element to display second autostereoscopic images to the second viewer via the display surface when the second backlighting is provided to the display element, and wherein the second reprojected content is generated based on a set of eye locations determined based on the location of the second viewer.

13. A method for providing a 3D experience without 3D glasses, comprising:
tracking a location of a viewer relative to a lenticular display surface of a display element;
determining a set of eye locations for the viewer based on the tracked location, wherein the set of eye locations includes at least four adjacent eye locations determined based on the tracked location of the viewer;
rendering a virtual 3D scene;
reprojecting viewpoints of the display element based on each of the eye locations by projecting content between viewpoints of a nominal view zone and the pixels of the display element through each of the eye locations and, based on the determined content passing through the eye locations;
generating display content by interdigitating the rendered virtual 3D scene based on the reprojected viewpoints;
remapping content delivered to each of the pixels of the display element to achieve a predefined pattern of content in the viewpoints of the nominal view zone of the display element; and operating the display element using the display content to provide a 3D object in a space spaced apart from the lenticular display surface.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reprojecting comprises determining, for each pixel of the lenticular display surface, viewpoints for each of the eye locations.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the lenticular display surface is supported in a vertical or portrait-mode position.

16. The method of claim 13 , repeating the tracking, the determining, the reprojecting, the generating, and the operating for a second viewer positioned on along a side of the lenticular display surface opposite the viewer and further operating a backlight assembly t

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Smithwick Quinn Y
• Gabriel Christopher Stuart

Classifications

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• H04N13/305 Primary

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

• G02B27/0093

  with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking · CPC title

• H04N13/383

  for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes · CPC title

• G02B30/27

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title