Stereoscopic display system comprising plurality of stereoscopic display devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stereoscopic display system configured to display a single virtual 3D environment to one or more viewers on at least two stereoscopic display devices, wherein each of the stereoscopic display devices defines a virtual window allowing a viewer to experience a portion of the virtual 3D environment. At least one virtual window is a movable virtual window that is movable within the virtual 3D environment by moving a stereoscopic display device defining the movable virtual window in the real world. In this manner, the system of the present invention allows an observer to experience a portion of the virtual 3D environment through a movable virtual window from a perspective that often corresponds to the actual position of the observer's eyes with respect to the virtual 3D environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a stereoscopic display system for displaying a single virtual 3D environment on at least two stereoscopic display devices. Background Art

[0002] Stereoscopic displays allow an observer to perceive a three-dimensional image of a three-dimensional environment without the need for dedicated eyewear such as headphones, head-mounted displays, glasses, etc. In particular, it is possible to adapt the three-dimensional image to the movement of the observer relative to the display. For example, when an object on the foreground blocks the view (occlusion), an object in the background may become invisible to the observer due to motion parallax.

[0003] This can be achieved by using an eye tracking device in combination with a screen that includes a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier. This ensures that the stereoscopic display can simultaneously direct the left eye image exclusively to the observer's left eye and the right eye image exclusively to the observer's right eye. Some parts of the resulting stereoscopic image can then appear in front of the display, while other parts can appear farther away from the display ("behind the display"). Without any special eyewear device, the observer is able to experience that he is essentially present in the real world, while the stereoscopic display forms a virtual window into another world - a truly credible virtual world that is also three-dimensional.

[0004] However, such a view of the virtual world may still be considered limited, since the virtual window only provides a view of a portion of the virtual world. Furthermore, humans are characterized by their tendency to work and play in groups. Conventional stereoscopic displays offer limited possibilities for experiencing large virtual worlds and / or participating in virtual worlds with peers. In other words, conventional stereoscopic displays may still be improved in terms of the immersive experience that can be provided to one or more observers. Summary of the invention

[0005] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stereoscopic display device that achieves an enhanced immersion of one or more persons in a virtual 3D environment. A specific object is to provide a person with an enlarged view of the virtual 3D environment. Involving multiple persons in the virtual 3D environment is also a specific object.

[0006] It has now been discovered that one or more of these objectives can be achieved by coupling multiple stereoscopic display devices in a specific manner.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention relates to a stereoscopic display system (1) configured to display a single virtual 3D environment (2) to one or more observers (4) on at least two stereoscopic display devices (3), wherein - each delimited virtual window (5) in the stereoscopic display device (3) allows the observer (4) to experience a portion of the virtual 3D environment (2) which is displayed as a stereoscopic image on the stereoscopic display device (3); - at least one virtual window (5) is a movable virtual window (5) which is movable within the virtual 3D environment (2) by moving the stereoscopic display device (3) defining the movable virtual window (5); - at least one of the observers (4) experiences a portion of the virtual 3D environment (2) through a movable virtual window (5) from a perspective corresponding to the position of an eye of at least one observer (4) relative to the virtual 3D environment (2).

[0008] In an advantageous embodiment, the stereoscopic display system comprises - at least two stereoscopic display devices (3), wherein each stereoscopic display device (3) comprises A display component (6) for displaying a stereoscopic image to an observer (4) of a stereoscopic display device (3) by directing a left-eye image to the left eye of the observer (4) and a right-eye image to the right eye; and An eye tracker (7) for obtaining the position of the eye of the observer (4) relative to the stereoscopic display device (3); - a first component (11) for providing a virtual 3D environment (2) comprising at least two virtual windows (5), wherein Each virtual window (5) is defined by a stereoscopic display device (3) of the system; and At least one virtual window (5) is a movable virtual window (5) which is movable within the virtual 3D environment (2) by moving a stereoscopic display device (3) defining the movable virtual window (5); - a second component (12) for obtaining the positions of at least two virtual windows (5) in the virtual 3D environment (2); - a third means (13) for obtaining the position of the eyes of each of the one or more observers (4) relative to the virtual 3D environment (2); and - a fourth component (14) for generating a stereoscopic image of the virtual 3D environment (2) for display on each of at least two stereoscopic display devices (3) observed by a specific observer (4), wherein the stereoscopic image of each stereoscopic display device (3) recorded by a virtual stereo camera (8) positioned at the position of the eyes of a specific observer (4) of the stereoscopic display device (3) relative to the virtual 3D environment (2), as determined by a third member (13) so that it has a viewing angle corresponding to the position of the eyes of the specific observer (4) relative to the virtual 3D environment (2); and It can be displayed by the display component (6) of the stereoscopic display device (3). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 Two schematic top views of a first embodiment of the invention are shown, comprising the system of the invention and an observer.

[0010] Figure 2 A schematic top view of a second embodiment of the invention is shown, comprising the system of the invention and an observer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The accompanying drawings do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed therein and described in this specification. The components in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale, but emphasize clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. For example, the sizes of some components in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other components to help improve the understanding of various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In particular, the relative sizes of observers, stereoscopic display devices, virtual windows, and virtual 3D environments in a specific setting cannot be derived from the figures. In addition, the accompanying drawings do not provide an indication of the relative positioning of different stereoscopic display devices. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and the like, if any, herein are generally used to distinguish similar components, and are not necessarily used to describe a sequence or time sequence.

[0012] In the context of the present invention, the term "observer" refers to a person who is consuming the content presented to him by the stereoscopic display system according to the present invention. In particular, the observer observes (e.g., watches) a stereoscopic display device present in the system of the present invention, in which he sees a stereoscopic image (or movie). He can switch to observe another display device, but in principle cannot observe two devices at the same time. In addition to observation, the observer may also experience other sensory stimuli, such as sound or tactile stimulation. However, for convenience, the person is therefore referred to as an "observer", although it is understandable that he may also be (e.g.) a "listener" at the same time.

[0013] Furthermore, an observer is understood to be a real entity existing in the real world, such as a male or female person or animal. Throughout the text, references to an observer will be represented by masculine terms such as "he," "him," or "his." However, this is for the sake of clarity and brevity, and it should be understood that feminine terms such as "she" and "her" are equally applicable.

[0014] Throughout the text, the term "3D" is used for simplicity. This term is equivalent to the term "three-dimensional". For example, the terms "3D object" and "3D environment" are intended to refer to a "three-dimensional object" and a "three-dimensional environment", respectively.

[0015] In the context of the present invention, the term "virtual 3D environment" refers to a three-dimensional environment that is artificially created and therefore does not exist in reality. It consists of data usually contained in a memory storage, which can be read and modified by a computing component and can be displayed on a display component. The data includes images of virtual components present in the virtual 3D environment, in the sense that at least their 3D shapes and their mutual positioning in the environment are known. This allows the virtual 3D environment to be realistically displayed from different angles. When displayed on a stereoscopic display device, in particular on a stereoscopic display system according to the present invention, an observer can perceive the virtual 3D environment as a real 3D environment.

[0016] A virtual 3D environment is not necessarily static, as it may evolve in the sense of undergoing changes, for example due to virtual objects moving relative to other virtual objects in the virtual 3D environment. An evolving 3D environment may evolve due to changes caused by predictable events programmed as part of the virtual 3D environment, or due to changes caused by unpredictable events induced by an observer, such as an observer's reaction to events occurring in the virtual 3D environment.

[0017] In the context of the present invention, an eye tracker refers to a means for tracking the position of one or both eyes of a viewer in time. The continuous position obtained is related to the position of a tracking system performing the tracking and ultimately to the position of the stereoscopic display device.

[0018] In the context of the present invention, a virtual stereo camera is understood to have a specific position and orientation (six degrees of freedom) in a virtual 3D environment. It generates image data representing a stereoscopic view of the virtual 3D environment from a viewing angle corresponding to its specific position and orientation in the virtual 3D environment. The position of the virtual stereo camera is at the position of the observer's eyes, and when the observer's head moves in the real world, the virtual stereo camera moves and / or reorients in the virtual 3D environment.

[0019] The virtual stereo camera consists of two separate virtual cameras, similar to physical stereo cameras known in the art. The image data generated is left image data representing the left eye image and right image data representing the right eye image. Each of the two virtual cameras has the position of the observer's eyes and can be moved and / or reoriented in the virtual 3D environment when the observer's head moves in the real world. In this way, the observer can define the position, direction and viewing angle for generating the left image data and the right image data.

[0020] The input of the two virtual cameras is provided by memory, for example, which includes a representation of the virtual 3D environment to be presented to the viewer, such as the position and orientation of different components in the virtual 3D environment. Other properties of the different components may also be provided by memory, such as surface properties, mechanical behavior (e.g., applied when components collide), reflection of light, etc.

[0021] Furthermore, the representation of the virtual 3D environment in memory can be modified by input from the real world, such as actions of an observer (e.g., pressing a virtual button located in the virtual 3D environment, or firing a virtual bullet with a real or virtual gun at a component in the virtual 3D environment).

[0022] When referring to the position of an object (eg a stereoscopic display device or a virtual window) in an environment, this is meant to include the orientation of the object within the environment.

[0023] The system of the present invention comprises at least two stereoscopic display devices. It has the function of displaying a single virtual 3D environment (i.e. one and the same virtual 3D environment) to at least one observer, wherein each stereoscopic display device acts as a virtual window of the virtual 3D environment. This means that the content displayed on the display component of the stereoscopic display device is actually a part of the virtual 3D environment, which would be visible if the display component was a real window and the virtual 3D environment was a real 3D environment. The real world equivalent to this involves the viewfinder of a camera displaying the real world (the most similar would be a viewfinder that is nothing more than an opening defined by a frame lacking a lens or display, allowing a cutout of the real world to be observed).

[0024] In this way, a single observer may perceive the virtual 3D environment as a real 3D environment, which he may observe through at least two windows that he may also perceive as real (in reality he may only be viewing one screen at a time). Alternatively, for two or more observers, the virtual 3D environment may be perceived as a real 3D environment, which may be observed through windows that each observer may perceive as real.

[0025] Both setups require that the relative positions of the different stereoscopic display devices are known, which is accomplished by the second component, as will be further explained below. Both setups also require that the relative positions of the eyes of each observer relative to the virtual 3D environment are known, which is accomplished by the third component, as will also be further explained below.

[0026] For movable stereoscopic display devices (in the sense that they can change position in the real 3D environment), there are additional requirements. It is often necessary to know their position and / or acceleration in the real 3D environment to explain their movement relative to the virtual 3D environment. For example, the relative movement of two movable stereoscopic display devices alone does not provide information about the movement of each of them relative to the virtual 3D environment; unless at least one of them has, for example, a known position and / or a known acceleration in the real 3D environment.

[0027] When the relative positions of different stereoscopic display devices are known, it is sufficient to know the position and / or acceleration of only one of them in the real 3D environment. This may, for example, be a stationary device in the sense that it does not move relative to the real 3D environment during a certain observer session.

[0028] It should be noted that the expression "one and the same virtual 3D environment" does not necessarily mean that different virtual windows provide views of the same part of the virtual 3D environment or the same scene, but only from different angles. When two different scenes are sufficiently separated, it is possible that neither of them is observed by two observers at the same time when each observer looks through his respective virtual window.

[0029] Thus, each of the virtual windows may well provide a view of different scenes belonging to the same virtual 3D environment. For example, when a virtual 3D object moves from one scene to another through the virtual 3D environment and can then be sequentially viewed by an observer through each of the virtual windows, increased immersion of a single person in the virtual 3D environment may be achieved.

[0030] It is also possible to increase the immersion of two or more people. For example, a first observer can start an action in a first scene visible to him as part of the virtual 3D environment, where the action produces an effect in a second scene visible to a second observer. For example, the first observer creates virtual smoke in the first scene, which triggers a fire alarm that can be heard by both observers. When the smoke dissipates and reaches the second scene after a period of time, it also becomes visible to the second observer.

[0031] Stereoscopic display devices are known in the art, for example from WO2013120785A2. The important components of the stereoscopic display device in the system of the present invention are 1) a display component for displaying stereoscopic images to an observer; and 2) an eye tracker for tracking the position of the observer's eyes relative to the stereoscopic display device.

[0032] The eye tracker includes a component for tracking the position of the observer's eye relative to the stereoscopic display device (more specifically, relative to the display assembly). It is usually a fixed part of the stereoscopic display device because it has a fixed and known position relative to the display assembly. The obtained eye position data is used by a third component to track the position of the observer's eye relative to the virtual 3D environment. As will be further explained below, the position of the virtual window in the virtual 3D environment is also used to achieve this purpose.

[0033] The acquired eye position data can also be used to simultaneously direct the left eye image to the left eye of the observer and the right eye image to the right eye of the observer (it is important here that the left eye image can also be directed to other areas as long as it does not hit the right eye and vice versa). However, the use of eye position data is not essential for driving a stereoscopic display device. In principle, stereoscopic viewing can also be achieved without an eye tracker.

[0034] The display assembly comprises means for displaying stereoscopic images to an observer whose eyes are tracked by an eye tracker. Such display means comprises an array of pixels for producing a display output and a parallax barrier or lenticular lens provided above the array so as to be able to direct the left image to the observer's left eye and the right image to the observer's right eye. The display assembly is driven by a processing unit, which may be present in the stereoscopic display device. The processing unit may also be a central unit of the display assembly that simultaneously drives two or more stereoscopic display devices of the system.

[0035] In the system of the present invention, one or more of the stereoscopic display devices may be devices that are mostly stationary in the real world during their use, such as desktop devices or wall-mounted devices (e.g. televisions, (desktop) computer monitors or laptop computers). However, they may also be portable devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers or game consoles, allowing the observer to move (freely) in the real world.

[0036] However, the system of the invention is configured to drive at least one stereoscopic display device that is movable within the real 3D environment. Since this movable stereoscopic display device also defines a movable virtual window, movement within the real world results in a corresponding movement within the virtual world. In the system of the invention, the movable stereoscopic display device is driven in such a way that during movement, the viewpoint of the observer through the virtual window always corresponds to the actual position of the observer's eyes relative to the virtual 3D environment. The movable stereoscopic display device can of course also have a stationary position during an observer session.

[0037] The number of stereoscopic display devices in the system of the present invention is not limited in principle. However, generally, the system of the present invention includes 2 to 25 stereoscopic display devices, in particular 2 to 10 stereoscopic display devices.

[0038] The number of virtual windows that can be moved in the virtual 3D environment is not limited in principle. However, the number of virtual windows that can be moved is usually in the range of 1 to 25, especially in the range of 2 to 10.

[0039] Figure 1Two schematic top views of a first embodiment of the present invention are shown. They include an upper view and a bottom view, the difference being the positions of two observers (4) and two stereoscopic display devices (3). They show schematic top views of the system (1) of the present invention and two observers (4). Figure 1 In the real 3D environment (9) represented in two dimensions in FIG. 1 , the virtual 3D environment (2) is drawn as a rectangular frame including two virtual windows (5) and two virtual scenes (10). Next to the virtual windows (5), there are two stereoscopic display devices (3) (each virtual window (5) actually overlaps with the device (3), but for the sake of clarity, Figure 1 The positions of the two observers (4) are minimally offset). A stereoscopic image of the virtual 3D environment (2) is generated for each observer (4) on a stereoscopic display device (3) observed by the observer (4). The two observers (4) each watch one of the two stereoscopic display devices (3) and experience the virtual 3D environment (2) displayed thereon. The positions and orientations of the two observers (4) and the two stereoscopic display devices (3) in the real 3D environment (9) in the bottom figure are different from those in the upper figure. The two figures show how the system responds to this, wherein the observed scene (10) changes its position in a manner similar to what would be expected when the observer (4) views the real environment through a real window. In other words, the scene (10) observed by each observer (4) changes depending on the position of the observer (4). Figure 1 In both figures, changes in position and orientation are indicated by arrows drawn next to the observer (4), next to the stereoscopic display device (3) and next to the scene (10).

[0040] Figure 2 A second embodiment of the present invention is shown. It shows a schematic top view of a setup including a system (1) of the present invention and a single observer (4). Figure 2 In the real 3D environment (9) represented in two dimensions, the virtual 3D environment (2) is drawn as a rectangular frame including two virtual windows (5) and two virtual scenes (10). The virtual 3D environment (2) is provided by a first component (11). Next to the virtual windows (5), there are two stereoscopic display devices (3) (each virtual window (5) actually overlaps with the device (3), but for the sake of clarity, Figure 2The positions of the two stereoscopic display devices (3) are minimally offset). Each stereoscopic display device (3) comprises a display component (6) and an eye tracker (7). The observer (4) gazes at one of the two stereoscopic display devices (3) at a time and experiences the virtual 3D environment (2) displayed thereon. The second component (12) is configured to obtain the positions of at least two virtual windows (5) in the virtual 3D environment (2) by using the positions of the corresponding stereoscopic display devices (3) in the real 3D environment (9). The third component (13) is configured to obtain the position of the observer's (4) eyes relative to the virtual 3D environment (2). The fourth component (14) is configured to generate a stereoscopic image of the virtual 3D environment (2) for display on the stereoscopic display device (3) observed by the observer (4). The stereoscopic image is recorded by a virtual stereo camera (8) located at the position of the observer's (4) eyes of the stereoscopic display device (3). This is the position relative to the virtual 3D environment (2) as determined by the third component (13). Thus, the third component (13) and the virtual 3D environment (2) provide input to the fourth component (14). The result is that the scene (10) is displayed to the observer (4), whose perspective always corresponds to the actual position of the observer's (4) eyes relative to the virtual 3D environment (2).

[0041] For clarity, in Figure 1 and Figure 2 In , the number of line of sight from the eyes to the virtual environment has been reduced and all occur from a single point in front of the head (rather than from each eye).

[0042] The system of the present invention includes a first component for providing a virtual 3D environment. This first component generally includes a computer-readable medium (such as a memory) containing data representing the virtual 3D environment. It may also include a computer program, which includes instructions for modifying the virtual 3D environment.

[0043] The data representing the virtual 3D environment includes data representing at least two virtual windows, so that the at least two virtual windows become part of the virtual 3D environment. Each of these virtual windows is defined by the stereoscopic display device of the system. This basically means that the display components of the stereoscopic display device (particularly the part that actually emits light to display images to the observer, such as a screen) coincide with the opening provided by the window. This coincidence forms a link between the virtual 3D environment and the real 3D environment. Any movement of the stereoscopic display device within the real 3D environment is inherently converted into movement of the corresponding virtual window in the virtual 3D environment. The first component takes into account this movement and provides the position of the virtual window within the virtual 3D environment. This includes its position relative to other components in the virtual 3D environment, as well as any changes therein attributed to the movement of the virtual window within the virtual 3D environment.

[0044] The virtual 3D environment that can be provided by the first component includes at least two virtual windows, wherein at least one virtual window is movable within the virtual 3D environment by moving a stereoscopic display device that defines the movable virtual window in the real world. The number of movable virtual windows can also be higher, for example in the range of 1 to 25, in particular in the range of 2 to 10.

[0045] Preferably, all stereoscopic display devices in the system of the present invention are movable devices. This generally means that all virtual windows are movable virtual windows. Although the stereoscopic display device can be stationary in practice (for example, during a specific observer session), it is still advantageous for it to be a movable device. For example, it is convenient that an observer session can be started immediately after positioning the stereoscopic display device in the desired position without having to perform a calibration procedure and without having to worry about someone accidentally moving the stereoscopic display device during the observer session. In other words, the first component may include a component for providing a virtual 3D environment, wherein all virtual windows are movable virtual windows, i.e., virtual windows that are movable within the virtual 3D environment.

[0046] The virtual 3D environment that can be provided by the first component may include at least one virtual window that is not movable within the virtual 3D environment. In other words, the first component may include a component for providing a virtual 3D environment that includes at least one virtual window that is not movable within the virtual 3D environment. For example, when the system includes two stereoscopic display devices, only one of which is a movable device, the other is not movable within the virtual 3D environment and is therefore counted as a stationary device.

[0047] Thus, a virtual 3D environment is provided by a first component, comprising at least two virtual windows, one of which is movable. However, the first component does not provide the positions of these virtual windows within the virtual 3D environment, as these positions may be subject to changes caused by the observer. Therefore, the second component is specifically directed to obtaining the positions of at least two virtual windows within the virtual 3D environment.

[0048] The input for this is usually formed by the position of each of the at least two stereoscopic display devices in the real 3D environment. After all, as explained above, each virtual window is defined by the stereoscopic display device of the system, and any movement of this stereoscopic display device in the real 3D environment is converted into the movement of the corresponding virtual window in the virtual 3D environment.

[0049] To this end, the second component is preferably configured to utilize data representing the position and / or acceleration of at least two stereoscopic display devices in the real 3D environment.

[0050] For example, the second component is configured to utilize - data representing the position of a stationary stereoscopic display device in a real 3D environment; and - Data representing the position of one or more movable stereoscopic display devices relative to the position of the stationary stereoscopic display device.

[0051] There are many ways to configure the second member to achieve this. Those skilled in the art know how to obtain the positions of different stereoscopic display devices for the purpose they serve in the system. He can achieve this by conventional methods without any creative work.

[0052] For example, in the system of the present invention, each stereo display may be equipped with one or more accelerometers and optionally with one or more measuring instruments selected from the group of gyroscopes and magnetometers. With this instrument, after an initial calibration, all relative positions and velocities of different stereo display devices can be obtained from the measured accelerations. This calibration is based, for example, on determining the initial relative velocities of the stereo display devices or on identifying common environmental features (people, body parts, objects, corners between two walls) by cameras at different stereo display devices. The latter principle is called "multi-camera feature correspondence", for which the camera of an eye tracker or different cameras specially configured for this purpose can be used.

[0053] The principle of multi-camera feature correspondence can of course also be used to continuously track the positions of different stereo display devices in a real 3D environment. To this end, one or more common environmental features (people, body parts, objects, corners between two walls) can be identified by cameras at different stereo display devices. Then, the position of each of the different stereo display devices is obtained by associating the position of each of the different stereo display devices with these common environmental features. The mutual positions of the different stereo display devices can then also be obtained. Since eye trackers are already present in the stereo display devices, the eyes can be used as common environmental features.

[0054] The absolute position in the real 3D environment can also be determined by an external measuring member, which is located at a certain distance from the stereoscopic display device and at a fixed position in the real 3D environment (rather than by means of a built-in device such as an accelerometer). For example, the measurement principle of this external measuring member relies on the Doppler effect (sound or light), time of flight or triangulation. To this end, the external measuring member may include a (super) sound and / or electromagnetic radiation source capable of irradiating the stereoscopic display device. The setting for achieving this point (for example) is a room dedicated to providing a high-quality virtual reality experience for the observer. The positioning of multiple external measuring members may be included, which are stationary and can accurately obtain the relative position of the stereoscopic display device.

[0055] The stereoscopic display device that the observer is looking at acts as a virtual window for a portion of the virtual 3D environment behind the window, wherein this virtual 3D environment is displayed on the display component of the stereoscopic display device (particularly on the screen of the display component). For correct display, (1) the position of the virtual window in the virtual 3D environment (which includes its orientation in the virtual 3D environment); and (2) the position of the observer's eyes relative to the stereoscopic display device (and therefore relative to the virtual window that coincides with the stereoscopic display device) are taken into account. The function of the third component is to combine the two positions and thus arrive at the position of the observer's eyes relative to the virtual 3D environment. This position is important because it is the position of the virtual stereo camera that records the image of the virtual 3D environment, which is then displayed on the display component of the stereoscopic display device observed by the observer. In this way, the observer observes a virtual 3D environment that is precisely adapted to his position relative to this display component of the stereoscopic display device, that is, from his point of view, the virtual 3D environment has the correct perspective.

[0056] Therefore, in the system of the present invention, the third component is usually configured to utilize - the position of the eyes of each observer relative to the position of the stereoscopic display device observed by the respective observer, as obtained by an eye tracker of the stereoscopic display device observed by the respective observer; - the position of a virtual window in the virtual 3D environment (2), the virtual window being defined by the stereoscopic display device viewed by the respective observer, the position being the position obtained by the second means.

[0057] The third component makes it possible to obtain the position of the eyes of an observer (or of several observers) relative to the virtual 3D environment. In fact, it provides this position for all observers of the system (i.e., for all observers whose eyes are in the position to be tracked by the eye tracker) (when eye tracking is not yet possible or is no longer possible, then the person does not qualify as an observer).

[0058] The system of the invention is configured to display a single virtual 3D environment to at least one observer. However, preferably, to at least two observers, for example to 1 to 25 observers, in particular to 1 to 10 observers. Typically, the number of observers is equal to the number of stereoscopic display devices present in the system.

[0059] Given the state of a virtual 3D environment at a certain moment, it is necessary to prepare an image of the virtual 3D environment for display on each of the stereoscopic display devices of the system observed by a specific observer. Of course, this needs to be performed according to the specific viewing angle of each observer. The fourth component implements this function.

[0060] First, a virtual camera is positioned at the position of each eye of an observer of each stereoscopic display device, as determined by a third component (an assembly of two such virtual cameras - one for each eye - thus qualifies as a virtual stereo camera). Next, the virtual stereo camera is allowed to record a stereoscopic image of the virtual 3D environment, thereby using data representing the virtual 3D environment. This recording has a viewing angle that often corresponds to the actual position of each eye of the observer relative to the virtual 3D environment. Furthermore, this recording can be displayed by a display component of a stereoscopic display device for which a stereoscopic image of the virtual 3D environment is generated.

[0061] An advantage of the system of the invention is that it allows an observer to experience and / or explore a virtual 3D environment through a window which the observer can freely position relative to the virtual 3D environment and according to his own judgment. For example, by walking around with the handheld stereoscopic display device, he can choose which part of the virtual 3D environment he wants to view. He can walk around a virtual scene in the virtual 3D environment and thus view the virtual scene from varying perspectives (e.g., from different angles). This can be advantageously applied in games where multiple players see the same virtual environment.

[0062] The system of the present invention can also be applied to an office environment, where a plurality of stereoscopic display devices are placed on a table or platform. For example, a designer or architect wishes to be able to view his creation in a three-dimensional virtual form. In another example, a student, worker or researcher wants to better understand the 3D structure of an object, such as a virtual 3D copy of a molecular model or a technical facility. Although in these applications, continuously moving a movable virtual window relative to an object may not be the main purpose, it is very convenient that different stereoscopic display devices can be positioned at random positions and automatically and in real time provide a view with the correct perspective. For example, this does not require any calibration work by the observer.

[0063] Furthermore, in an office environment, multiple observers may participate in the virtual 3D environment, such as two designers working together or a teacher guiding / teaching a student.

Claims

1. A stereoscopic display system (1) configured to display a single virtual 3D environment (2) to one or more observers (4) on at least two stereoscopic display devices (3), wherein - each of the stereoscopic display devices (3) defines a virtual window (5) allowing an observer (4) to experience a portion of the virtual 3D environment (2) which is displayed on the stereoscopic display device (3); - at least one virtual window (5) is a movable virtual window (5) which can be moved within the virtual 3D environment (2) by moving a stereoscopic display device (3) defining the movable virtual window (5) in the real world; - at least one of the observers (4) experiences a portion of the virtual 3D environment (2) through the movable virtual window (5) from a perspective corresponding to the position of the eyes of at least one of the observers (4) relative to the virtual 3D environment (2).

2. The stereoscopic display system (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (1) comprises - at least two stereoscopic display devices (3), each of which comprises a display component (6) for displaying a stereoscopic image to an observer (4) of the stereoscopic display device (3) by directing a left-eye image to the left eye of the observer (4) and directing a right-eye image to the right eye; and An eye tracker (7) for obtaining the position of the eye of the observer (4) relative to the stereoscopic display device (3); - a first component (11) for providing a virtual 3D environment (2) comprising at least two virtual windows (5), wherein Each virtual window (5) is defined by a stereoscopic display device (3) of the system; and At least one virtual window (5) is a movable virtual window (5) which is movable within the virtual 3D environment (2) by moving a stereoscopic display device (3) defining the movable virtual window (5) in the real world; - a second component (12) for obtaining the positions of at least two virtual windows (5) in the virtual 3D environment (2); - a third means (13) for obtaining the position of the eyes of each of the one or more observers (4) relative to the virtual 3D environment (2); and - a fourth component (14) for generating a stereoscopic image of the virtual 3D environment (2) for display on each of at least two stereoscopic display devices (3) observed by a specific observer (4), wherein the stereoscopic image of each stereoscopic display device (3) recorded by a virtual stereo camera (8) positioned at the position of the eyes of a specific observer (4) of the stereoscopic display device (3) relative to the virtual 3D environment (2), as determined by the third member (13), so that it has a viewing angle corresponding to the position of the eyes of the specific observer (4) relative to the virtual 3D environment (2); and Can be displayed by the display component (6) of the stereoscopic display device (3).

3. A stereoscopic display system (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least two stereoscopic display devices (3) are equipped with one or more accelerometers and optionally with one or more measuring instruments selected from the group of gyroscopes and magnetometers.

4. A stereoscopic display system (1) as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the first member (11) comprises a computer readable medium comprising data representing the virtual 3D environment (2).

5. A stereoscopic display system (1) as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first component (11) comprises a computer program comprising instructions for modifying the virtual 3D environment (2).

6. A stereoscopic display system (1) as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the second component (12) is configured to utilize data representing the position of each of the at least two stereoscopic display devices (3) in the real 3D environment (9).

7. The stereoscopic display system (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the second member (12) is configured to utilize - data representing the position of the stationary stereoscopic display device (3) in the real 3D environment (9); and - Data representing the position of one or more movable stereoscopic display devices (3) relative to the position of the stationary stereoscopic display device (3).

8. The stereoscopic display system (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the third member (13) is configured to utilize - the position of the eye of each observer (4) relative to the position of the stereoscopic display device (3) observed by the respective observer (4), as obtained by an eye tracker of the stereoscopic display device (3) observed by the respective observer (4); - the position of a virtual window (5) in the virtual 3D environment (2), as obtained by the second means (12), which virtual window (5) is defined by the stereoscopic display device (3) observed by the respective observer (4).

9. The stereoscopic display system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the number of movable virtual windows (5) within the virtual 3D environment (2) is in the range of 2 to 10.

10. The stereoscopic display system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the stereoscopic display system (1) comprises 2 to 10 stereoscopic display devices (3).

11. The stereoscopic display system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the stereoscopic display system (1) is configured to display a single virtual 3D environment to 1 to 10 observers (4).

12. A stereoscopic display system (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first component (11) includes a component for providing a virtual 3D environment (2), and the virtual 3D environment (2) includes at least one virtual window (5) that is not movable within the virtual 3D environment (2).

13. A stereoscopic display system (1) as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first component (11) includes a component for providing a virtual 3D environment (2), wherein all virtual windows (5) are virtual movable windows (5) movable within the virtual 3D environment (2).

14. The stereoscopic display system (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the at least two stereoscopic display devices (3) are independently selected from the group consisting of a television, a desktop computer monitor, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a tablet computer and a game console.

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