Hybrid Stereo Rendering for Depth Extension in Light Field Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current light field displays have a shallow depth-of-field, requiring content out-of-range to be defocused or eliminated to reduce aliasing artifacts, which limits their depth extension and often compromises spatial resolution and viewing region size.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of hybrid stereo rendering techniques that merge stereoscopic rendering with light field approaches, allowing for per-eye display output and graceful degradation to stereo-only images, enabling depth perception across the entire human stereopsis range by processing and re-rendering content to maximize depth cues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If light field displays use content confined to their depth-of-field to reduce aliasing artifacts, then aliasing artifacts are reduced, but the effective depth-of-field remains shallow and spatial resolution is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the depth range into multiple segments or layers, processing content at different depths differently. By segmenting the depth-of-field into near-field and far-field regions, the system can apply light field rendering to near-field content (reducing aliasing) while using stereo rendering for far-field content (maintaining resolution), thus resolving the contradiction between artifact reduction and resolution preservation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes rendering parameters based on depth distance. For content within the display's depth-of-field, it uses light field rendering parameters; for content beyond, it transitions to stereo rendering parameters. This parameter adaptation allows the system to optimize for each depth region independently, preventing aliasing where needed while preserving resolution elsewhere
2Length of moving object
If light field displays are designed for larger depth-of-field, then the effective depth range is extended, but spatial resolution and viewing region size are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges light field rendering with traditional stereo rendering into a hybrid approach. By combining the strengths of both techniques—light field's depth cues for near-field content and stereo's resolution preservation for far-field content—the system achieves extended effective depth-of-field without sacrificing viewing region size or spatial resolution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a depth dimension to the rendering strategy by introducing depth-based culling and selective rendering. It processes content in the far-field dimension using stereo techniques while maintaining light field processing for near-field content, effectively extending the usable depth range without compromising the viewing region area
3Object-affected harmful factors
If content out-of-range is defocused or eliminated in light field displays, then aliasing artifacts are reduced, but depth extension is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces depth-based culling as an intermediary mechanism that selectively processes content based on its depth position. Rather than uniformly defocusing or eliminating all out-of-range content, the system uses depth information to identify and process only the necessary portions, preserving depth extension while minimizing aliasing artifacts through targeted rendering
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for hybrid rendering. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: identifying left and right views of a user's eyes; generating at least one depth map for the left and right views; calculating depth clamping thresholds including a minimum depth value and a maximum depth value; transforming the depth map in accordance with the minimum depth value and maximum depth value; and performing view synthesis to render left and right views using the transformed depth map.