Micro-Convex-Mirror Array for Orthoscopic 3D Display Depth Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3D display techniques, such as stereoscopic and integral imaging, face limitations in viewing angles, depth-of-focus, and image quality, particularly when attempting to display large objects far from the pickup device, and require complex systems for true 3D image formation with full parallax and continuous viewing points.
Innovation Solution
The method involves projecting magnified elemental images using an optics relay and employing an optical path-length-equalizing (OPLE) lens with a micro-convex-mirror array to control depth and display 3D images within the depth-of-focus of the display device, allowing for enhanced viewing angles and resolution, and enabling the display of large objects on a screen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If integral imaging is used to form 3-D images with full parallax and continuous viewing points, then true 3-D image formation is achieved, but viewing angle and depth-of-focus are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar display to spherical display geometry, adding a radial dimension to the image presentation. This allows the 3-D image to wrap around the viewer's field of view, effectively increasing the viewing angle from the limited planar view to nearly 360 degrees horizontal and vertical coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a spherical display surface instead of a flat screen. This curvature enables the image to expand in all directions from the center point, allowing observers to view the 3-D image from various angles without losing field of view, thus resolving the limited viewing angle constraint of planar displays.
2Adaptability or versatility
If integral imaging is used to form 3-D images with full parallax and continuous viewing points, then true 3-D image formation is achieved, but resolution is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By moving to a spherical display geometry, the patent distributes the image information across a three-dimensional surface rather than a two-dimensional plane. This allows the same pixel count to provide higher effective resolution at any given viewing angle, as the image can be focused at multiple depths simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical display enables dynamic focusing at different depths without losing resolution. The curvature of the sphere allows light rays from different depths to converge properly on the spherical surface, maintaining sharp images across the entire depth range rather than requiring a fixed focus plane.
3Measurement precision
If stereoscopic techniques are used to display large images with high resolution, then image quality is improved, but supplementary glasses are required and convergence-accommodation conflict occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the 3-D image formation capability from the stereoscopic system, eliminating the need for supplementary glasses. By directly forming true 3-D images in space using a spherical display, the system achieves depth perception without requiring additional optical components for the viewer.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical display system inherently provides 3-D image formation without requiring external assistance. The curvature of the display and the optical geometry work together to automatically create depth perception and proper focusing, eliminating the need for convergence-accommodation coordination that causes conflict in traditional stereoscopic systems.
4Adaptability or versatility
If holography is used to form 3-D images in space, then true 3-D image formation is achieved, but computation time and capacity are required and speckle occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the computational holography approach with a direct optical imaging system. Instead of computing complex holographic patterns and displaying them on a screen, the system uses a spherical display to directly project 3-D images through optical geometry, eliminating the heavy computational burden while maintaining true 3-D image formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical display creates optical copies of the 3-D scene directly in space, similar to how a camera captures light rays. This direct optical copying approach avoids the need for complex computational holography and its associated speckle artifacts, achieving the same 3-D image formation through a simpler optical process.
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 approach enhances viewing angles and image quality, eliminates the need for pseudoscopic conversions, and facilitates the projection of high-resolution 3D images on large screens with improved depth control, resulting in orthoscopic 3D images with wide viewing angles and high resolution.
Implementation Method 1
a lenslet array and an image sensor to focus light rays from an object
Implementation Method 2
a micro-convex-mirror array to reflect and redirect projected elemental images
Data Source
AI summary
A method disclosed herein relates to displaying three-dimensional images. The method comprising, projecting integral images to a display device, and displaying three-dimensional images with the display device. Further disclosed herein is an apparatus for displaying orthoscopic 3-D images. The apparatus comprising, a projector for projecting integral images, and a micro-convex-mirror array for displaying the projected images.