System for 3D image projections and viewing

Abstract

Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses with spectrally complementary filters disposed thereon. The filters curved surface lenses are configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. Complementary images are projected for viewing through projection filters having passbands that pre-shift to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts. At least one filter may have more than 3 primary passbands. For example, two filters include a first filter having passbands of low blue, high blue, low green, high green, and red, and a second filter having passbands of blue, green, and red. The additional passbands may be utilized to more closely match a color space and white point of a projector in which the filters are used. The shaped glasses and projection filters together may be utilized as a system for projecting and viewing 3D images.

Description

COPYRIGHT NOTICE[0001]A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates viewing systems and products for projecting and viewing spectrally separated 3-Dimensional (3D) images. The invention is also related to viewing systems used in a Digital Cinema (D-Cinema) Theatre and improves current methods for projecting and viewing a 3D stereoscopic movie.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Methods for 3D stereoscopic projection include Anaglyph, Linear Polarization, Circular Polarization, Shutter Glasses, and Spectral Separation. Anaglyph is the oldest technology, and provides left / right eye separation by filtering the light through a two color f...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The present inventors have also realized the need for improvements in spectral separation filters, and particularly those used in 3D D-Cinema applications. One problem realized is that typical 3-D projection systems have low luminance efficiency in that color spaces, color gamut, and effective brightness are inadequate. Another problem realized is that imbalance between luminance levels in channels of 3D projections decreases luminal efficiency. Accordingly, as described in more detail below, the present invention also provides techniques to increase the color space and luminal efficiency of projected images that may be used alone or in combination with blue shift compensation techniques.

[0014]In one embodiment, the present invention provides spectral separation viewing glasses, comprising, a first lens having a first spectral filter, and a second lens having a second spectral filter complementary to the first spectral filter, wherein the first lens and the second lens are each curved to reduce the wavelength shift that occurs when viewing an image at other than an angle normal to a filter through which the image is being viewed. An amount of curvature of the lenses (and hence the filters) is calculated such that viewing angles across a viewing screen are closer to normal angles through the lenses. The curvature is implemented, for example, as a spherical curve.

[0018]In one embodiment, the present invention is a 3D viewing system, comprising, means for projecting spectrally separated images, means for viewing the spectrally separated images through different ocular channels, and means for compensating for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles to portions of the images. The means for compensating may include, for example, means for adjusting an amount of spectral filtering performed on different portions of the image based on viewing angle. The means for compensating includes, for example, means for producing a wavelength mismatch between projector filters and eye filters that compensates for an amount of wavelength shift that occurs in the eye filters due to viewing angle.

[0023]The present invention addresses some of the problems with the Spectral Separation method for projecting 3D images, specifically an improvement in the efficiency, increase in the color gamut, and a reduction in the amount of color compensation required. In some cases, the color compensation may not be required. The present invention addresses the efficiency and color space issues by splitting primary colors of the projector into subparts. The splitting of primary colors into subparts is accomplished in part through the filter installed in the projector, which is the main controlling factor in the color space of the system. The efficiency and color gamut of the projected image are both increased using the additional subparts of the split primary colors.

[0024]In one embodiment, the present invention provides a projector filter, comprising, a first filter having a first set of primary passbands, and a second filter having a second set of primary passbands, wherein the first set of primary passbands has a different number of primary passbands than the second filter. The first filter has, for example, at least two blue primary passbands and the second filter has at least one blue primary passband. The first filter may also have, for example, at least two green primary passbands and the second filter has at least one green primary. For example, the first filter may have passband wavelengths of approximately 400 to 440 nm and 484 to 498 nm, 514 to 528 nm, 567 to 581 nm, and 610 to 623 nm, and the second filter may have passband wavelengths of approximately 455 to 471 nm, 539 to 556 nm, and 634 to 700 nm. The passbands of the first filter and the second filter are, for example, selected to maximize reproduction of a color space of a D-Cinema projector.

Problems solved by technology

The blue shift is undesirable because it can result in crosstalk between left and right images in a 3D image presentation.

One problem realized is that typical 3-D projection systems have low luminance efficiency in that color spaces, color gamut, and effective brightness are inadequate.

Another problem realized is that imbalance between luminance levels in channels of 3D projections decreases luminal efficiency.

Images