Multi-User Display Pixel Control for Privacy and Energy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multi-user display systems face challenges in controlling directionality and resolution of directional displays, particularly in ensuring privacy and optimizing energy usage, as they struggle to effectively manage content rendering across different viewing angles and user perspectives.

Innovation Solution

A multi-user display system that includes a pixelated array and a directional multiplexer, with control logic to determine controlled viewpoints and render content on specific subsets of pixels based on visibility criteria, using optical multiplexers like lenticular arrays or parallax barriers to direct light and control pixel visibility across different angles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If directional multiplexing is implemented to provide separate displays across different viewing angles, then viewer privacy and content separation are improved, but device complexity and control difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveviewer privacyVSAvoidcontrol difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pixel array is segmented into multiple viewable regions, with each region dedicated to a specific viewing angle. The control system segments the content to be displayed into corresponding angular segments, rendering each segment on the appropriate pixel region. This segmentation enables independent control of content visibility for different viewers while maintaining system manageability through modular processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically determines which pixels should be visible from which viewing angles based on real-time viewing context. The control system adjusts pixel activation patterns dynamically, enabling flexible content delivery to multiple viewers simultaneously while maintaining privacy boundaries. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different viewing scenarios without requiring complex hardware reconfiguration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Illumination intensity

If content is rendered on all pixels to ensure full visibility, then viewing quality is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveviewing qualityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of uniformly activating all pixels, the system applies local quality control by activating only the specific pixel subsets that are visible from each controlled viewpoint. Each viewpoint receives optimized illumination on its corresponding pixel region, ensuring adequate viewing quality for each viewer while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption from pixels that would not be visible to any viewer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs partial action by rendering content only on the necessary subset of pixels required for each controlled viewpoint rather than activating the entire pixel array. This selective rendering approach provides sufficient viewing quality for each viewer while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to full-array activation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If precise control over pixel visibility is implemented, then privacy protection is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidpixel control precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system adds the angular dimension to the traditional two-dimensional pixel addressing scheme. Instead of controlling pixels only by row and column coordinates, the system incorporates viewing angle as a third dimension, creating an angular-pixel mapping relationship. This dimensional extension enables precise privacy control through software-based angular segmentation without requiring sub-pixel level manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This system enables precise control over directional displays, ensuring that each viewer sees intended content while minimizing energy consumption by selectively rendering content on specific pixel subsets, thereby enhancing privacy and utilization of display resources.

Implementation Method 1

a directional multiplexer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical multiplexing:

Implementation Method 2

using optical multiplexers like lenticular arrays or parallax barriers to direct light

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight direction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentUS10854171B2Multi-user personal display system and applications thereof

Publication Date: 2020.12.01 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A method includes determining one or more controlled viewpoints of a multi-user display which includes a pixelated array and a directional multiplexer, and for each viewpoint of the one or more controlled viewpoints, determining first content to be displayed to the controlled viewpoint according to a visibility criterion. The method further includes, for each viewpoint of the one or more controlled viewpoints, determining a first subset of pixels of the pixelated array whose visibility from the controlled viewpoint satisfies the visibility criterion, and rendering the first content to be displayed on the first subset of pixels of the pixelated array.