Autostereoscopic display system having reduced moire effects

Abstract

An autostereoscopic display of an autostereoscopic display system can include a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as an array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes, and a parallax-generating optic, such as a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier, that can direct light from the display panel to a viewer. The parallax-generating optic can have elongated parallax-generating features that extend along respective elongated feature paths. At least some of the elongated feature paths can deviate, by respective displacements, from respective nominal feature paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the parallax-generating optic. For example, the elongated feature paths can be linear and parallel to the nominal feature paths, with displacements that are random within a specified range, optionally with pseudorandom variation. The displacements can reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.

Description

AUTOSTEREOSCOPIC DISPLAY SYSTEM HAVING REDUCED MOIRE EFFECTSFIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] This document relates generally to display systems, and more specifically relates to multiview displays, three-dimensional displays, or autostereoscopic displays.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] A multiview display can provide different views of a multiview image to a viewer. A stereoscopic display can provide two different views of a three-dimensional image to the two eyes of a viewer. An autostereoscopic display can provide the two different views to the two eyes of the viewer without requiring the viewer to wear special glasses or eyewear. There is ongoing effort to improve autostereoscopic displays.SUMMARY

[0003] In an example, an autostereoscopic display system can include an autostereoscopic display. The autostereoscopic display can include a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as an array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes. The autostereoscopic display can include a parallax-generating optic, such as a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier, that can direct light from the display panel to a viewer. The parallax-generating optic can have elongated parallax-generating features that extend along respective elongated feature paths. For example, the lenticular lens can include cylindrical lenses that extend along respective elongated lens paths. At least some of the elongated feature paths can deviate, by respective displacements, from respective nominal feature paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the parallax-generating optic. For example, the elongated feature paths can be linear and parallel to the nominal feature paths, with displacements that are random or pseudorandom, within a specified range. The specified range can have lower and upper bounds expressed as respective fractions of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths, such as between 0.01% and 5% of the spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths, or between 5% and 20% of the spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.The displacements are selected or designed to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] FIG. 1 shows an exploded, perspective-view schematic drawing of an example of an autostereoscopic display system.

[0005] FIG. 2 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a display panel that includes an array of light-emitting diodes.

[0006] FIG. 3 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a display panel that includes a backlight and a light valve array.

[0007] FIG. 4 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic that includes a lenticular lens.

[0008] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the lenticular lens of FIG.4.

[0009] FIG. 6 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic that includes a parallax barrier.

[0010] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the parallax barrier of FIG. 6 having transmissive slits.

[0011] FIG. 8 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic for an autostereoscopic display.

[0012] FIG. 9 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic for an autostereoscopic display.

[0013] FIG. 10 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic for an autostereoscopic display.

[0014] FIG. 11 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic for an autostereoscopic display.

[0015] FIG. 12 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic for an autostereoscopic display.

[0016] FIG. 13 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic for an autostereoscopic display.

[0017] FIG. 14 shows a side-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic for an autostereoscopic display.

[0018] FIG. 15 shows a side-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic for an autostereoscopic display.

[0019] FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of an example of a method for operating an autostereoscopic display system having reduce Moire effects.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] An autostereoscopic display of an autostereoscopic display system can include a display panel having regularly spaced (e.g., periodic) pixels, such as an array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The placement of the LEDs is responsible for the periodicity of the autostereoscopic display. The autostereoscopic display of the autostereoscopic display system can also include a parallax-generating optic, such as a lenticular lens having a plurality of cylindrical lenses or a parallax barrier having a plurality of transmissive slits, that can direct light from the display panel to a viewer. The cylindrical lenses or transmissive slits can also be regularly spaced or periodic.

[0021] For the purposes of this document, the term cylindrical lens is intended to mean a lens having optical power (e.g., curvature) along one axis and no optical power (e.g., no curvature) along an orthogonal axis. The cylindrical lens can extend along a cylindrical axis. A cross-section of the cylindrical lens, taken in a plane orthogonal to the cylindrical axis, can be curved, such as being circular, or having one or more circular portions, or optionally including one or more aspheric terms and / or a non-zero conic constant. In other words, the term cylindrical lens is intended to include lenses having a cross-section that may not be truly circular, but may include deviations from circularity that can improve optical performance, such as by reducing aberrations.

[0022] Because both the display panel and the parallax-generating optic can include respective periodic (or regularly spaced) structures, the autostereoscopic display can produce undesirable Moire effects. For example, the periodic structure of the display panel and the periodic structure of the parallax-generating optic can produce alternating bands of enhanced brightness and reduced brightness on the autostereoscopic display. The alternating bands can be referred to as fringes or Moire fringes. Such fringes or Moire fringes can be distracting to the viewer, and the presence of such fringes can degrade the performance of the autostereoscopic display.

[0023] To reduce the undesirable Moire effects, the autostereoscopic display can be designed to intentionally disrupt the periodicity of the display panel and / or disrupt the periodicity of the parallax-generating optic. Disrupting the periodicity can alter thelocation of the fringes and / or the shape of the fringes, so that the regions of enhanced brightness and reduced brightness can be distributed over the surface area of the autostereoscopic display in a manner that is less distracting than the Moire fringes that arise from a strictly periodic display panel and a strictly periodic parallax-generating optic.

[0024] In some examples, the autostereoscopic display can include a display panel that is strictly periodic, such as an off-the-shelf display panel, and a parallaxgenerating optic that has a disrupted periodicity, such as a custom-designed lenticular lens or a custom-designed parallax barrier. The parallax-generating optic can be relatively inexpensive to design and manufacture, compared to the display panel. FIGS.8-15 below provide examples of parallax-generating optics having disrupted periodicity, which can be used with a strictly periodic display panel to reduce Moire effects in an autostereoscopic display. Alternatively, the display panel can have a disrupted periodicity and the parallax-generating optic can be strictly periodic. As a further alternative, both the display panel and the parallax-generating optic can have disrupted periodicity.

[0025] The parallax-generating optic can have elongated parallax-generating features that extend along respective elongated feature paths. At least some of the elongated feature paths can deviate, by respective displacements, from respective nominal feature paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the parallax-generating optic. For example, the elongated feature paths can be linear and parallel to the nominal feature paths, with displacements that are random within a specified range, optionally with pseudorandom variation. The displacements can reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer. For example, whereas a strictly periodic display panel and a strictly periodic parallax-generating optic may produce relatively few fringes that each occupy a relatively large surface area on the autostereoscopic display and each have relatively large increases or decreases in brightness, the displacements can break up the fringes into smaller fringes that can each occupy smaller surface areas and / or can each have smaller increases or smaller decreases in brightness.

[0026] The preceding paragraphs are merely a summary of some technical details regarding the autostereoscopic display system having reduced Moire effects. A full description follows of the autostereoscopic display system having reduced Moire effects.

[0027] FIGS. 1-7 provide a description of the hardware of an autostereoscopic display. FIGS. 8-15 provide a more complete description of various aspects of the parallax-generating optic. The various aspects can be used singly or in combination to reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an exploded, perspective-view schematic drawing of an example of an autostereoscopic display system 100 that includes an autostereoscopic display 110. The configuration of FIG. 1 is but one example of an autostereoscopic display system 100; other configurations can be used.

[0029] The sign conventions shown in FIG. 1 and used below assume that the autostereoscopic display 110 extends in an (x,y) plane, and that az-axis extends away from the autostereoscopic display 110 and generally toward a viewer 42, along a direction that is orthogonal to a plane of the autostereoscopic display 110. Other sign conventions can be used.

[0030] The autostereoscopic display system 100 can include an autostereoscopic display 110. The autostereoscopic display 110 can provide different views of a stereoscopic image pair to the viewer 42. For example, as the viewer 42 moves in space, the autostereoscopic display 110 can direct different views of the stereoscopic image pair to the left and right eyes of the viewer 42, so that the viewer 42 can observe the different views of the stereoscopic image pair from different locations or orientations. In some configurations, the autostereoscopic display 110 can provide the multiple views at respective fixed location regions in space, so that the autostereoscopic display 110 can operate without using eye tracking. In other configurations, such as the autostereoscopic configurations described in detail below, the autostereoscopic display system 100 can use eye tracking to dynamically and continuously (or at relatively frequent discrete times) determine a location of the viewer 42, and in response, can dynamically and continuously control how the autostereoscopic display 110 displays the stereoscopic image pair so that the multiple views follow the viewer 42 or follow the tracked eye location(s) of the viewer 42 as the viewer 42 moves in space relative to a position of the autostereoscopic display 110.

[0031] The autostereoscopic display can provide a left image to a left eye of the viewer 42 and a right image to a right eye of the viewer 42. The left image and the right image can correspond to different views of an object or a scene, and can allow the viewer42 to perceive the object or scene in 3D with just the viewer’s naked eyes, without the use of additional glasses or headgear.

[0032] The autostereoscopic display system 100 can include a viewer tracker 120 that can dynamically determine the location of the viewer 42. The autostereoscopic display system 100 can use the determined location of the viewer 42 to direct the left image to the left eye of the viewer 42 and the right image to the right eye of the viewer 42. Because the viewer’s location can vary as the viewer 42 moves in space, using eye tracking can allow the autostereoscopic display system 100 to follow the viewer 42, so that the autostereoscopic display can automatically direct the left image to the left eye at the viewer’s (dynamically varying) location and automatically direct the right image to the right eye at the viewer’s (dynamically varying) location. The viewer tracker 120 can provide a tracked position of the viewer 42, such as a tracked position of a head of the viewer 42, of one or both eyes of the viewer 42, or of another anatomical feature of the viewer 42. The viewer tracker 120 can be coupled to the processing circuitry 130 (described below) or controller, such as by providing viewer location data (shown in FIG. 1 as coordinates x, y, and z) that represents a measured position or location of the viewer 42. The viewer tracker 120 can provide the viewer location data at regular or irregular intervals to the processing circuitry 130. In a specific example of a viewer tracker 120, a camera can capture an image of the viewer 42. The viewer tracker 120 can further include an image processor (or general-purpose computer programmed as an image processor) that can determine a position of the viewer 42 within the captured image to provide the tracked position. In some examples, the processing circuitry 130 can include the image processor of the viewer tracker 120. In other examples, the processing circuitry 130 can be separate from the image processor of the viewer 42 tracker. Other suitable viewer trackers can be used, including viewer trackers based on lidar (e.g., using time-of-flight of reflected light over a scene to determine distances to one or more objects in the scene, such as a viewer’s head or a viewer’s eyes) or other technologies. The processing circuitry 130 can use an output of the viewer tracker 120, among other data, to perform one or more downstream calculations involved with providing the left view or left image to the left eye of the viewer 42 and the right view or right image to the right eye of the viewer 42.

[0033] The autostereoscopic display can be a lenticular autostereoscopic display. In a lenticular autostereoscopic display, a display panel 112 can display the stereoscopicimage pair, and a parallax-generating optic 118 can direct light from the display panel 112 to the viewer 42 such that a left image can be visible from the left eye of the viewer 42 and a right image can be visible from the right eye of the viewer 42. During use of the lenticular autostereoscopic display, the processing circuitry 130 can track the location of the viewer 42, and can use the tracked location to dynamically determine how to distribute content of the stereoscopic image pair over a surface area of the display panel 112 (e.g., using pixels distributed over the display panel 112) such that a left image remains visible from the left eye of the viewer 42 and a right image remains visible from the right eye of the viewer 42, even as the viewer 42 changes location. In this manner, the location tracking and the image content distribution can be performed in software, such that following the location of the viewer 42 may not involve physically moving any components of the lenticular autostereoscopic display with respect to one another.Examples of suitable display panels and examples of suitable parallax-generating optics are described below.

[0034] In an example, a display panel 112 can display the stereoscopic image pair. The display panel 112 can have an array of subpixels 114 that can display an image according to stereo mapping coordinates associated with the viewer 42. The subpixels 114 can be located at subpixel locations in a grid having grid axes (for example, the x-axis and v-axis). Each subpixel 114 can generate light having a specified color. For example, the subpixels 114 can include red subpixels, green subpixels, and blue subpixels, which generate red light, green light, and blue light, respectively. Other color / wavelength schemes can be used. The subpixels 114 can be grouped into pixels, with each pixel including at least two subpixels 114 that produce light of different colors. The display panel 112 can receive, from the processing circuitry 130 (described below), a display panel driving electrical signal 136 that can specify how the content of the stereoscopic image pair is distributed over the pixels and / or subpixels 114 of the display panel 112. Two possible configurations for the display panel 112 are described below and shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Other configurations can be used.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a display panel 112A that includes an array 202 of light-emitting diodes 204, such as an array 202 of organic light-emitting diodes. Each light-emitting diode 204 can correspond to a subpixel. The array 202 of light-emitting diodes 204 can include red light-emitting diodes 204R, green light-emitting diodes 204G, and blue light-emitting diodes 204B,which correspond to the red subpixels, green subpixels, and blue subpixels, respectively. Each light-emitting diode 204 can controllably generate light in response to an electrical signal provided by the processing circuitry 130, such as display panel-driving electrical signal 136, or by suitable light-emitting diode-driving circuitry in communication with the processing circuitry 130. The processing circuitry 130 can cause a specified lightemitting diode 204 to be directly powered with a power that varies as a function of an intensity in a corresponding location in the image. The power delivered to a lightemitting diode 204 can optionally be pulse-width modulated at a modulation frequency that is greater than can be perceived by a human eye. Using pulse-width modulation can simplify a design of a light-emitting diode array controller, because it can generate an arbitrary average power level from a relatively small number of instantaneous power levels by varying a duty cycle of the power. In some examples, the array 202 of lightemitting diodes 204 can be arranged in a rectangular or square repeating pattern over a surface area 206 of the array 202. For example, the array 202 can have grid axes 208 that are orthogonal to each other. In some examples, the grid axes 208 can be parallel to edges 210 of the array 202 of light-emitting diodes 204.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a display panel 112B that includes a backlight 302 and a light valve array 304. Although FIG. 3 shows the backlight 302 and the light valve array 304 as being separated, in practice, the backlight 302 and the light valve array 304 may be in contact or may be located as close together as is practical. The backlight 302 can provide illumination having a uniform or substantially uniform intensity over a surface area of the backlight 302. The backlight 302 can provide illumination having a relatively broad spectrum, such as including most or all of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The backlight 302 can provide the illumination into a continuum of propagation angles toward the light valve array 304. The backlight 302 can provide unmodulated illumination to the light valve array 304. The light valve array 304 can include light valves 306 that are individually controllable or controllable in one or more groups by the processing circuitry 130 (described below). Each light valve 306 can controllably attenuate the illumination from the backlight 302, such as in response to an electrical signal provided by the processing circuitry 130, such as display panel-driving electrical signal 136, or by suitable light valve driving circuitry in communication with the processing circuitry 130. Each light valve 306 can have a corresponding color fdter that allows only a portion of theelectromagnetic spectrum to pass through the light valve. For example, the light valves 306 can include red light valves 306R that have a red fdter that allows only red light to pass through the red light valves 306R, green light valves 306G that have a green fdter that allows only green light to pass through the green light valves 306G, and blue light valves 306B that have a blue fdter that allows only blue light to pass through the blue light valves 306B. Other color schemes and numbers of colors can be used. Suitable light valves can include liquid crystal light valves, electrophoretic light valves, light valves based on electrowetting, and others. In some examples, the light valves 306 of the light valve array 304 can be arranged in a rectangular or square repeating pattern over a surface area 308 of the light valve array 304. For example, the light valve array 304 can have grid axes 208 that are orthogonal to each other. In some examples, the grid axes 208 can be parallel to edges 312 of the light valve array 304.

[0037] Referring again to FIG. 1, the autostereoscopic display can include a parallax-generating optic 118 that can direct light from the display panel 112 to the viewer 42, such that a left view or a left image can be visible from a left eye of the viewer 42 and a right view or a right image can be visible from a right eye of the viewer 42. Two possible configurations for the parallax-generating optic 118 are described below and shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and in FIGS. 6 and 7. Other configurations can be used. Each of the configurations of FIGS. 4 and 5 and in FIGS. 6 and 7 can be used in combination with any of the configurations of the display panel 112 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (e.g., the array of light-emitting diodes 204 in FIG. 2 or the backlight 302 and light valve array 304 in FIG. 3).

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 118A that includes a lenticular lens 402. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the lenticular lens 402 of FIG. 4. The lenticular lens 402 can include a plurality of cylindrical lenses 504 that are equally spaced apart. The lenticular lens 402 can have a focal plane coincident with the display panel 112. The lenticular lens 402 can be positioned to receive light from the display panel 112 and at least partially focus the received light to direct the light to specified regions proximate the viewer’s eyes.

[0039] FIG. 6 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 118B that includes a parallax barrier 602. The parallax barrier can include a plurality of transmissive slits 704 that are equally spaced apart. FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the parallax barrier 602 (FIG. 6) having transmissive slits 704.The parallax barrier 602 can include an array of opaque strips 706 and thin transmissive slits 704 arranged to occlude portions of a displayed image in left and right viewing regions. The transmissive slits 704 can be spatially arranged to ensure that the left / right image portions are only visible in the corresponding left / right viewing regions for which they are intended. The parallax barrier 602 can be provided by a static physical layer in which the slits are precisely positioned, or electronically generated on an adaptive intermediate liquid crystal display layer.

[0040] The parallax-generating optic 118 can be invariant along an optical axis (O / ) that is angled with respect to the grid axes (e.g., the x-axis and thc v-axis), such as at a rotational orientation (a) of 45 degrees or about 45 degrees with respect to the grid axes 208 or the x-axis. For example, the parallax-generating optic 118 can have transmissive features, such as the cylindrical lenses or the transmissive slits, that are invariant along the optical axis (CM) and are periodic along an axis that is orthogonal to the optical axis (CM).

[0041] Referring again to FIG. 1, the autostereoscop ic display can include a material 116 disposed between the display panel 112 and the parallax-generating optic 118. In some examples, the material 116 may extend fully between the display panel 112 and the parallax-generating optic 118, such that a light ray originating at the display panel 112 passes only through the material 116 (and does not pass through any air or unfdled volume) before arriving at the parallax-generating optic 118. In other examples, the material 116 may occupy only a portion of the volume between the display panel 112 and the parallax-generating optic 118, such that a light ray originating at the display panel 112 passes through at least some of the material 116 and passes through a volume of air before arriving at the parallax-generating optic 118. The material 116 may have a refractive index denoted by quantity n. The value of the refractive index n may be between about 1.3 and about 2, although other suitable values may be used. Suitable materials 116 can include glass, plastic, a transparent optical adhesive, and others. In some examples, the material 116 can be dispensed in a liquid form, then cured in place, such as by exposure to ultraviolet light or heat. In other examples, the material 116 can be manufactured as a solid unit and placed in its location in the autostereoscopic display. For example, the material 116 can function as a cover glass for the display panel 112. In some examples, the material 116 can function as a relatively precise spacing element. For example, the material 116 can be manufactured to have a specified thickness towithin a specified thickness tolerance, and can set the spacing between the display panel 112 and parallax-generating optic 118 to have a value equal to the specified thickness when the autostereoscopic display is assembled.

[0042] As an alternative configuration, the autostereoscopic display can include, in order along the Z-axis, a backlight, the parallax-generating optic, and a display panel that can selectively modulate light that passes through the pixels or subpixels of the display panel. In other words, the parallax-generating optic may be disposed in an optical path between the backlight and the display panel. The material of refractive index n may be disposed between the parallax-generating optic and the display panel.

[0043] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the autostereoscopic display system 100 can include processing circuitry 130. The processing circuitry 130 can include a processor 132 and memory 134 storing instructions executable by the processor 132. The instructions can be executable by the processor 132 to perform data processing activities.

[0044] During use of the autostereoscopic display system 100, the processing circuitry 130 can determine, in real time, whether a particular pixel or subpixel displays a corresponding pixel from the left image or a corresponding pixel from the right image. There are many ways to make this determination; one specific example is described presently.

[0045] One technique for determining whether the left image is used or the right image is used involves calculating a phase function for each pixel or subpixel. The phase function can be a closed-form algebraic expression based on raytracing from the viewer, through the parallax-generating optic, to the display panel. The phase function can be a function of the pixel or subpixel location (e.g., within an operational area of the display panel), a location of the viewer (e.g., dynamically measured in real-time for systems that use a viewer tracker), and the stored physical parameter values. The phase function can generate a scalar value as output. If the value of the phase function is within a specified range (such as between 0 and 0.5 after taking a modulus of 1), then the light from the pixel or subpixel is directed to the left eye, and the processing circuitry uses the intensity value of the left image on the pixel or subpixel or the display panel. If the value of the phase function is within another specified range (such as between 0.5 and 1 after taking a modulus of 1), then the light from the pixel or subpixel is directed to the right eye, and the processing circuitry uses the intensity value of the right image on the pixel or subpixel or the display panel. The term “stereo mapping coordinates” caninclude the data that represents whether a particular pixel or subpixel displays the intensity of the corresponding pixel or subpixel from the left image or the right image. The stereo mapping coordinates can be a function of a viewer location and a pixel or subpixel location.

[0046] FIGS. 8-13 show front-view drawings of respective examples of a parallax-generating optic that, when used in an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1, can reduce undesirable Moire effects viewable in the autostereoscopic display. FIGS. 14 and 15 show side-view drawings of respective examples of a parallax-generating optic that, when used in an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1, can reduce undesirable Moire effects viewable in the autostereoscopic display.

[0047] The autostereoscopic display can include a display panel having regularly spaced (e.g., periodic or nearly periodic) pixels. In some examples, the display panel can include an array 202 of light-emitting diodes, such as the array 202 of light-emitting diodes 204 of FIG. 2. The light-emitting diodes can have respective centers that are equally spaced or regularly spaced over an operational surface area of the display panel. In other examples, the display panel can include a backlight and a light valve array, such as the backlight 302 and the light valve array 304 of FIG. 3. The light valves of the light valve array can have respective centers that are equally spaced or regularly spaced (e.g., periodic or nearly periodic) over the operational surface area of the display panel.

[0048] The autostereoscopic display can include a parallax-generating optic that can direct light from the display panel to a viewer. In some examples, the parallaxgenerating optic can include a lenticular lens, such as the lenticular lens 402 of FIGS. 4 and 5. The lenticular lens can include a plurality of cylindrical lenses (e.g., lenses having optical power along one axis and lacking optical power along an orthogonal axis) that are equally (or nearly equally) spaced apart, with specified deviations in spacing and / or shape to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display. In other examples, the parallax-generating optic can include a parallax barrier, such as the parallax barrier 602 of FIGS. 6 and 7. The parallax barrier can include a plurality of transmissive slits that are equally (or nearly equally) spaced apart, with specified deviations in spacing and / or shape to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display.

[0049] The parallax-generating optic can have elongated parallax-generating features that extend along respective elongated feature paths. For configurations inwhich the parallax-generating optic includes a lenticular lens, the elongated feature paths (or elongated lens paths) can extend along respective central axes of the cylindrical lenses. For configurations in which the parallax-generating optic includes a parallax barrier, the elongated feature paths can extend along respective central axes of the transmissive slits. For both of these configurations, the central axes extend along the direction of elongation, in a plane parallel (or substantially parallel) to a plane of the display panel.

[0050] At least some of the elongated feature paths can deviate, by respective displacements, from respective nominal feature paths that are linear and / or regularly spaced within a surface area of the parallax-generating optic. During the design phase of the parallax-generating optic, a designer can select or design the displacements to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer. FIGS. 8-15 show detailed examples of displacements or displacement schemes that can reduce Moire effects visible by the viewer on the autostereoscopic display, compared to use of a strictly periodic display panel and a strictly periodic parallax-generating optic. Any or all of the configurations of FIGS. 8-15 can be used with an array of light-emitting diodes, or a backlight and a light valve array. Any or all of the configurations of FIGS. 8-15 can be used with a lenticular lens or a parallax barrier.

[0051] Further, any or all of the configurations of FIGS. 8-15 can be used with a switchable lenticular lens, such as a lenticular lens in which each cylindrical lens includes a curved interface with a material having a controllable refractive index on one side of the curved interface. When the controllable refractive index differs from the refractive index of the material on the opposite side of the curved interface, light rays bend due to refraction at the curved interface, and the display panel functions as a three-dimensional (e.g., autostereoscopic) display panel. When the controllable refractive index matches the refractive index of the material on the opposite side of the curved interface, light rays do not bend at the curved interface, and the display panel functions as a two-dimensional display panel. The cylindrical lenses may be controllable all together, independently of one another, or together in one or more groups over the operational surface area of the lenticular lens.

[0052] FIG. 8 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 800 for an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopicdisplay 110 of FIG. 1. When used with a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as the display panel 112 of FIG. 1, the parallax-generating optic 800 can reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by a viewer, such as the viewer 42 of FIG. 1. The parallax-generating optic 800 can direct light from the display panel to the viewer. The parallax-generating optic 800 can have elongated parallax-generating features, such as cylindrical lenses or transmissive slits, that extend along respective elongated feature paths 802. At least some of the elongated feature paths 802 can deviate, by respective displacements, from respective nominal feature paths 804 that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the parallax-generating optic 800. The displacements can reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer. The elongated feature paths 802 can be linear (e.g., straight or non-curved) and parallel (or substantially parallel) to the nominal feature paths 804.

[0053] In the example of FIG. 8, the displacements (denoted by quantity d) of the elongated feature paths 802 can be random within a range between 0.01% and 5%, inclusive, of a (center-to-center) spacing (denoted by quantity D) between adjacent nominal feature paths 804. The center-to-center spacing, D, may be referred to as a pitch. In some examples, the displacements can be uniformly random in the range. In some examples, the displacements can be non-uniformly random, such as with a weighting toward one or more values in the range.

[0054] FIG. 9 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 900 for an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1. When used with a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as the display panel 112 of FIG. 1, the parallax-generating optic 900 can reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by a viewer, such as the viewer 42 of FIG. 1.

[0055] The parallax-generating optic 900 can include elongated feature paths 902 that are similar to the elongated feature paths 802 of FIG. 8, but include a pseudorandom variation within a range between 0.01% and 5%, inclusive, of the spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths 804. Truly random variations in the displacement values can occasionally result in clusters. This clustering may cause the average value of a local area to deviate significantly from the nominal case, which is undesirable and can cause crosstalk in the autostereoscopic display. To reduce the risk of clustering, theelongated feature paths 902 can include deviations that are pseudorandom, such as described by a low-discrepancy sequence.

[0056] FIG. 10 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 1000 for an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1. When used with a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as the display panel 112 of FIG. 1, the parallax-generating optic 1000 can reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by a viewer, such as the viewer 42 of FIG. 1.

[0057] The parallax-generating optic 1000 can include elongated feature paths 1002 that are similar to the elongated feature paths 802 of FIG. 8, but include a random variation within a range between 5% and 20%, inclusive, of the spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths 804.

[0058] FIG. 11 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 1100 for an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1. When used with a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as the display panel 112 of FIG. 1, the parallax-generating optic 1100 can reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by a viewer, such as the viewer 42 of FIG. 1.

[0059] The parallax-generating optic 1100 can include elongated feature paths 1102 that are similar to the elongated feature paths 802 of FIG. 8, but include a pseudorandom variation within a range between 5% and 20%, inclusive, of the spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths 804.

[0060] The ranges of random or pseudorandom variation (0.01% to 5% for FIGS. 8 and 9, and 5% to 20% for FIGS. 10 and 11) can correspond to different modes of operation for the autostereoscopic display 110 (FIG. 1).

[0061] For relatively small ranges of variation (such as the range of 0.01% to 5% for FIGS. 8 and 9), the variation can be small enough so that during operation of the autostereoscopic display 110, the processing circuitry 130 can effectively ignore the variation when performing rendering (e.g., determining whether a particular pixel or subpixel directs light to the left eye or the right eye of the viewer). The variation may cause an increase in crosstalk, but because the variation is relatively small, the crosstalk increase is also small, and the presence of the small amount of crosstalk may not significantly degrade performance of the autostereoscopic display 110. A potentialdrawback to the relatively small range of variation is that the small variation may not be large enough to adequately suppress the Moire effects.

[0062] For relatively large ranges of variation (such as the range of 5% to 20% for FIGS. 10 and 11), the relatively large amount of variation would create a large amount of crosstalk if the processing circuitry 130 were to ignore the variation when performing rendering. Such a large amount of cross talk would significantly degrade performance of the autostereoscopic display 110. As a result, the processing circuitry 130 can explicitly account for the variation when performing rendering. Accounting for the variation when performing rendering may require additional or modified computational steps, compared to ignoring the variation. The additional Moire suppression can offset the potential burden of the extra computation for rendering. The range values provided above are merely examples of suitable ranges; other values can be used. The value of 5% is not intended to imply that a variation below 5% must not have circuitry-based corrections; instead, the value ranges presented herein are intended to demonstrate that there may be (relatively low) levels of variation where the circuitrybased corrections are not necessary to achieve adequate performance (e.g. sufficiently low crosstalk) from a display.

[0063] FIG. 12 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 1200 for an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1. When used with a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as the display panel 112 of FIG. 1, the parallax-generating optic 1200 can reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by a viewer, such as the viewer 42 of FIG. 1.

[0064] In the example of FIG. 12, one or more of the elongated feature paths 1202 can include one or more portions that are curved or angled. As a result, the displacements can vary along a length of the respective elongated feature paths 1202. At least one elongated feature path 1202 can include at least one portion that is angled with respect to the nominal feature paths 804. Such an angling corresponds to a deviation in the angular orientation of the parallax-generating optic 1200, which can optionally be used in combination with or instead of a deviation in pitch to disrupt the periodicity of the parallax-generating optic 1200, and therefore reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display.

[0065] FIG. 13 shows a front-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 1300 for an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1. When used with a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as the display panel 112 of FIG. 1, the parallax-generating optic 1300 can reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by a viewer, such as the viewer 42 of FIG. 1.

[0066] The surface area of the parallax-generating optic 1300 can be sectioned into a plurality of mutually exclusive display regions 1302. Inside each respective display region 1302, the elongated feature paths 1304 therein can be parallel to one another and equally spaced. At least two of the mutually exclusive display regions 1302 have elongated feature paths 1304 that differ in at least one of orientation or pitch. For example, in a first display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions 1302, the elongated feature paths can be oriented parallel to a first orientation and are spaced apart by a first spacing value (e.g., a first pitch). In a second display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions 1302, the elongated feature paths can be oriented parallel to a second orientation, different from the first orientation, and spaced apart by a second spacing value, different from the first spacing value (e.g., a second pitch). The orientations and spacings can be random or pseudorandom, from section to section across the surface area of the parallax-generating optic 1300. In the example of FIG. 13, the sectioning is rectilinear, so that the individual mutually exclusive display regions 1302 can be square or rectangular in shape. In other configurations, the sectioning can be triangular, hexagonal, or can have any suitable polygonal shape. In some examples, one or more mutually exclusive display regions 1302 can have an edge with a portion that is curved or angled.

[0067] Each mutually exclusive display region 1302 can optionally have a linear size that is less than a period of a spatial Moire pattern that arises from the orientation and spacing of the elongated feature paths 1304 in the display region. For example, the linear size of each mutually exclusive display region 1302 can be less than or equal to 5 mm. Other values can be used.

[0068] In the example of FIG. 13, the dashed lines on the borders between adjacent display regions 1302 can represent transition zones 1306. In a transition zone 1306, the elongated feature paths 1304 can transition smoothly between a first orientation and a first spacing value on one side of a transition zone 1306 to a secondorientation and a second spacing value on an opposing side of the transition zone 1306.The transition zones 1306 can help reduce a visibility of the boundaries between adjacent display regions 1302, so that the boundaries are not readily visible to the viewer.

[0069] FIG. 14 shows a side-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 1400 for an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1. When used with a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as the display panel 112 of FIG. 1, the parallax-generating optic 1400 can reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by a viewer, such as the viewer 42 of FIG. 1. The parallax-generating optic 1400 can direct light from the display panel to the viewer.

[0070] In the example of FIG. 14, the parallax-generating optic 1400 is a lenticular lens. The elongated parallax-generating features of the parallax-generating optic 1400 are cylindrical lenses 1402 of the lenticular lens. Each cylindrical lens 1402 can include a curved surface 1404 through which the light is directed. The curved surfaces 1404 of the cylindrical lenses 1402 of the lenticular lens can have respective radii of curvature that are random or pseudorandom within a range between 0.01% and 10% of a nominal radius of curvature. In FIG. 14, virtual reference surfaces 1406 have the nominal radius of curvature.

[0071] The cylindrical lenses 1402 can optionally be switchable. For switchable cylindrical lenses 1402, a material on one of the two opposing sides of the curved surfaces 1404 can have a controllable refractive index. In some configurations, the material above the curved surfaces 1404 in FIG. 14 has a controllable index. In some configurations, the material below the curved surfaces 1404 in FIG. 14 has a controllable refractive index. In some configurations, both materials on opposite sides of the curved surfaces 1404 can have controllable refractive indices.

[0072] FIG. 15 shows a side-view drawing of an example of a parallaxgenerating optic 1500 for an autostereoscopic display, such as the autostereoscopic display 110 of FIG. 1. When used with a display panel having regularly spaced pixels, such as the display panel 112 of FIG. 1, the parallax-generating optic 1500 can reduce undesirable Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by a viewer, such as the viewer 42 of FIG. 1. The parallax-generating optic 1400 can direct light from the display panel to the viewer.

[0073] In the example of FIG. 15, the parallax-generating optic 1500 is a lenticular lens. The elongated parallax-generating features of the parallax-generating optic 1500 are cylindrical lenses 1502, 1504, 1506, 1508 of the lenticular lens. Each cylindrical lens 1502, 1504, 1506, 1508 can be a multi-element lens in which the light is directed through a first lens element and a second lens element spaced apart from the first lens element. For each cylindrical lens, the two spaced-apart curved surfaces can provide improved aberration correction compared to a lens that includes just one curved surface. The curved surfaces of the cylindrical lenses 1502, 1504, 1506, 1508 of the lenticular lens can optionally have respective radii of curvature that are random or pseudorandom within a range between 0.01% and 10% of a nominal radius of curvature. In the configuration of FIG. 15, the curved surfaces face each other. Alternatively, the curved surfaces may face in a single direction, such as away from the LEDs in the display panel.

[0074] FIG. 16 shows a flowchart of an example of a method 1600 for operating an autostereoscopic display system having reduce Moire effects. The method 1600 can be executed on the autostereoscopic display system 100 of FIG. 1, or on another suitable autostereoscopic display system. The method 1600 of FIG. 16 is but one method for operating an autostereoscopic display system having reduce Moire effects. Other suitable methods can be used.

[0075] At operation 1602, an autostereoscopic display system is provided with a parallax-generating optic that includes elongated parallax-generating features that correspond to, or extend along, respective elongated feature paths. At least some of the elongated feature paths deviate, by respective displacements, from respective nominal feature paths that are linear and / or regularly spaced within a surface area of the parallaxgenerating optic. The displacements are configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.

[0076] At operation 1604, a display panel having regularly spaced (e.g., periodic) pixels outputs light corresponding to a stereoscopic image.

[0077] At operation 1606, the parallax-generating optic directs the light from the display panel to a viewer. An image comprising the directed light can be experienced by the viewer as having reduced Moire effects relative to images received from similar systems that do not use the same parallax-generating optic.

[0078] Discussion thus far has involved autostereoscopic displays, in which the autostereoscopic display directs a left image of a stereoscopic image to a left eye of a viewer and directs a right image of the stereoscopic image to a right eye of the viewer. The autostereoscopic display can use viewer tracking or eye tracking to monitor a position of the viewer. For some systems, the viewer may be in a fixed location, and the viewer tracking or eye tracking may be omitted. It will be understood that the Moire reduction techniques described above can be generalized to multiview display systems, in which the multiview display generates more than two views of a multiview image (the autostereoscopic case being a special case in which just two views are generated).

[0079] To further illustrate the system and method disclosed herein, a nonlimiting list of examples is provided below. Each of the following non-limiting examples can stand on its own or can be combined in any permutation or combination with any one or more of the other examples.

[0080] In Example 1, an autostereoscopic display system can comprise: an autostereoscopic display comprising: a display panel having regularly spaced pixels; and a parallax-generating optic configured to direct light from the display panel to a viewer, the parallax-generating optic having elongated parallax-generating features that extend along respective elongated feature paths, at least some of the elongated feature paths deviating, by respective displacements, from respective nominal feature paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the parallax-generating optic, the displacements being configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.

[0081] In Example 2, the autostereoscopic display system of Example 1 can optionally be configured such that the elongated feature paths are linear and parallel to the nominal feature paths.

[0082] In Example 3, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-2 can optionally be configured such that the displacements are random within a range between 0.01% and 5% of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.

[0083] In Example 4, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-3 can optionally be configured such that the displacements are random with pseudorandom variation within a range between 0.01% and 5% of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.

[0084] In Example 5, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-4 can optionally be configured such that the displacements are random within a range between 5% and 20% of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.

[0085] In Example 6, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-5 can optionally be configured such that the displacements are random with pseudorandom variation within a range between 5% and 20% of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.

[0086] In Example 7, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-6 can optionally be configured such that at least one elongated feature path includes at least one portion that is angled with respect to the nominal feature paths.

[0087] In Example 8, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-7 can optionally be configured such that: the surface area of the parallaxgenerating optic is sectioned into a plurality of mutually exclusive display regions; inside each respective display region, the elongated feature paths therein are parallel to one another and are equally spaced; in a first display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions, the elongated feature paths are oriented parallel to a first orientation and are spaced apart by a first spacing value; and in a second display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions, the elongated feature paths are oriented parallel to a second orientation, different from the first orientation, and are spaced apart by a second spacing value, different from the first spacing value.

[0088] In Example 9, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-8 can optionally be configured such that each display region has a linear size that is less than a period of a spatial Moire pattern that arises from the orientation and spacing of the elongated feature paths in the display region.

[0089] In Example 10, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-9 can optionally be configured such that: the first display region is adjacent to the second display region; the surface area of the parallax-generating optic includes a transition zone between the first display region and the second display region; and in the transition zone, the elongated feature paths transition smoothly between the first orientation and the first spacing value in the first display zone and the second orientation and the second spacing value in the second display zone.

[0090] In Example 11, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-10 can optionally be configured such that: the parallax-generating optic is a lenticular lens; and the elongated parallax-generating features are cylindrical lenses of the lenticular lens.

[0091] In Example 12, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-11 can optionally be configured such that each cylindrical lens is a multielement lens in which the light is directed through a first lens element and a second lens element spaced apart from the first lens element.

[0092] In Example 13, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-12 can optionally be configured such that: each cylindrical lens includes a curved surface through which the light is directed; and the curved surfaces of the cylindrical lenses of the lenticular lens have respective radii of curvature that are random with pseudorandom variation within a range between 0.01% and 10% of a nominal radius of curvature.

[0093] In Example 14, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-13 can optionally be configured such that the displacements are configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer from a specified view direction.

[0094] In Example 15, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 1-14 can optionally be configured such that the display panel includes an array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes.

[0095] In Example 16, an autostereoscopic display system can comprise: an autostereoscopic display comprising: a display panel having regularly spaced pixels; and a lenticular lens configured to direct light from the display panel to a viewer, the lenticular lens including cylindrical lenses that extend along respective elongated lens paths, at least some of the elongated lens paths deviating, by respective displacements, from respective nominal lens paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the lenticular lens, the displacements being configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.

[0096] In Example 17, the autostereoscopic display system of Example 16 can optionally be configured such that the elongated lens paths are linear and parallel to the nominal lens paths.

[0097] In Example 18, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 16-17 can optionally be configured such that at least one elongated lens path includes at least one portion that is angled with respect to the nominal lens paths.

[0098] In Example 19, the autostereoscopic display system of any one of Examples 16-18 can optionally be configured such that: the surface area of the lenticular lens is sectioned into a plurality of mutually exclusive display regions; in each display region, the elongated lens paths are parallel to one another and are equally spaced; in a first display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions, the elongated lens paths are oriented parallel to a first orientation and are spaced apart by a first spacing value; and in a second display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions, the elongated lens paths are oriented parallel to a second orientation, different from the first orientation, and are spaced apart by a second spacing value, different from the first spacing value.

[0099] In Example 20, an autostereoscopic display system can comprise: an autostereoscopic display comprising: an array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes; and a lenticular lens configured to direct light from the array of regularly spaced lightemitting diodes to a viewer, the lenticular lens including a plurality of cylindrical lenses that extend along respective elongated lens paths, at least some of the elongated lens paths deviating, by respective displacements, from respective nominal lens paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the array of regularly spaced lightemitting diodes, the displacements being configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.

[0100] The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as "examples." Such examples can include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, examples are contemplated in which only those elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, other examples can any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.

[0101] In this document, the terms "a" or "an" are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of "at least one" or "one or more." In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that "A or B" can include "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B," unless otherwise indicated. In the appended claims, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein". Also, in the following claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0102] The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) can be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features can be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter can lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

Claims

CLAIMSWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An autostereoscopic display system, comprising:an autostereoscopic display comprising:a display panel having regularly spaced pixels; anda parallax-generating optic configured to direct light from the display panel to a viewer,the parallax-generating optic having elongated parallax-generating features that extend along respective elongated feature paths, at least some of the elongated feature paths deviating, by respective displacements, from respective nominal feature paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the parallaxgenerating optic,the displacements being configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.

2. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 1, wherein the elongated feature paths are linear and parallel to the nominal feature paths.

3. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 2, wherein the displacements are random within a range between 0.01% and 5% of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.

4. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 2, wherein the displacements are random with pseudorandom variation within a range between 0.01% and 5% of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.

5. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 2, wherein the displacements are random within a range between 5% and 20% of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.

6. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 2, wherein the displacements are random with pseudorandom variation within a range between 5% and 20% of a spacing between adjacent nominal feature paths.

7. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 1, wherein at least one elongated feature path includes at least one portion that is angled with respect to the nominal feature paths.

8. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 1, wherein:the surface area of the parallax-generating optic is sectioned into a plurality of mutually exclusive display regions;inside each respective display region, the elongated feature paths therein are parallel to one another and are equally spaced;in a first display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions, the elongated feature paths are oriented parallel to a first orientation and are spaced apart by a first spacing value; andin a second display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions, the elongated feature paths are oriented parallel to a second orientation, different from the first orientation, and are spaced apart by a second spacing value, different from the first spacing value.

9. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 8, wherein each display region has a linear size that is less than a period of a spatial Moire pattern that arises from the orientation and spacing of the elongated feature paths in the display region.

10. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 8, wherein:the first display region is adjacent to the second display region;the surface area of the parallax-generating optic includes a transition zone between the first display region and the second display region; andin the transition zone, the elongated feature paths transition smoothly between the first orientation and the first spacing value in the first display zone and the second orientation and the second spacing value in the second display zone.

11. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 1, wherein:the parallax-generating optic is a lenticular lens; andthe elongated parallax-generating features are cylindrical lenses of the lenticular lens.

12. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 11, wherein each cylindrical lens is a multi-element lens in which the light is directed through a first lens element and a second lens element spaced apart from the first lens element.

13. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 11, wherein:each cylindrical lens includes a curved surface through which the light is directed; andthe curved surfaces of the cylindrical lenses of the lenticular lens have respective radii of curvature that are random with pseudorandom variation within a range between 0.01% and 10% of a nominal radius of curvature.

14. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 1, wherein the displacements are configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer from a specified view direction.

15. The autostereoscopic display of claim 1, wherein the display panel includes an array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes.

16. An autostereoscopic display system, comprising:an autostereoscopic display comprising:a display panel having regularly spaced pixels; anda lenticular lens configured to direct light from the display panel to a viewer, the lenticular lens including cylindrical lenses that extend along respective elongated lens paths,at least some of the elongated lens paths deviating, by respective displacements, from respective nominal lens paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the lenticular lens, the displacements being configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.

17. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 16, wherein the elongated lens paths are linear and parallel to the nominal lens paths.

18. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 16, wherein at least one elongated lens path includes at least one portion that is angled with respect to the nominal lens paths.

19. The autostereoscopic display system of claim 16, wherein:the surface area of the lenticular lens is sectioned into a plurality of mutually exclusive display regions;in each display region, the elongated lens paths are parallel to one another and are equally spaced;in a first display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions, the elongated lens paths are oriented parallel to a first orientation and are spaced apart by a first spacing value; andin a second display region of the plurality of mutually exclusive display regions, the elongated lens paths are oriented parallel to a second orientation, different from the first orientation, and are spaced apart by a second spacing value, different from the first spacing value.

20. An autostereoscopic display system, comprising:an autostereoscopic display comprising:an array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes; anda lenticular lens configured to direct light from the array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes to a viewer,the lenticular lens including a plurality of cylindrical lenses that extend along respective elongated lens paths,at least some of the elongated lens paths deviating, by respective displacements, from respective nominal lens paths that are linear and regularly spaced within a surface area of the array of regularly spaced light-emitting diodes,the displacements being configured to reduce Moire effects in the autostereoscopic display when the autostereoscopic display is viewed by the viewer.

Images