Multi-focal plane display with dynamic depth positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multifocal plane displays face limitations in presenting high-quality 3D images due to a restricted number of focal planes, leading to quantization errors and reduced depth accuracy, as the positions of focal planes are typically fixed, resulting in suboptimal depth perception and image quality.
Innovation Solution
The method involves varying the position and depth blending functions of focal planes over time in a content-independent manner, using sinusoidal blending functions to enhance spatial separation and improve the formation of focal planes, allowing for a higher apparent number of focal planes without increasing system complexity or flicker artifacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of focal planes is increased to improve depth accuracy, then depth accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the focal plane positions variable over time rather than fixed. The display device dynamically adjusts the positions of focal planes along the optical axis, allowing a limited number of physical focal planes to effectively cover a broader depth range. This temporal variation enables the system to achieve high depth accuracy without requiring a large number of simultaneous focal planes, thus resolving the contradiction between depth accuracy and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of focal plane positions over time, using sinusoidal blending functions to vary positions and depth blending functions to smooth transitions. By dynamically changing positional parameters and blending weights, the system creates the perception of more focal planes than physically exist, improving depth accuracy while maintaining a simple device structure with limited physical displays.
2Ease of manufacture
If fixed focal plane positions are used to simplify system implementation, then ease of manufacture improves, but quantization errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms fixed focal plane positions into dynamic, time-varying positions. Instead of manufacturing a system with many precisely positioned fixed focal planes, the invention uses a simpler system with fewer focal planes that move and blend their positions dynamically. This approach reduces manufacturing complexity while minimizing quantization errors through continuous positional adjustment and depth-based blending.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic sinusoidal blending functions to vary focal plane positions and weights over time. This periodic variation allows the system to sweep through multiple effective focal positions using a limited number of physical displays, reducing quantization errors without requiring a large number of fixed displays. The periodic blending creates smooth transitions that eliminate visible quantization steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If a large number of focal planes are used to reduce quantization steps, then image quality improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds the time dimension to the focal plane configuration. Instead of increasing the number of spatial focal planes, the invention uses temporal variation to create multiple effective focal positions. By varying focal plane positions and blending weights over time, the system achieves fine depth resolution without requiring a large number of simultaneous focal planes, thus improving image quality while keeping device complexity low.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces depth blending functions as intermediaries between the limited physical focal planes and the desired continuous depth representation. These blending functions smoothly combine images from different focal planes, creating the perception of continuous depth variation and reducing visible quantization steps. This intermediary blending process enables high image quality with a minimal number of physical displays.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described for display of a depth image (depth plus texture) using multiple focal planes. In one embodiment, a depth image (which may be a frame of a depth video, consisting of a video plus depth sequence) is mapped to a first set of image planes. The depth image (or a subsequent frame of the depth video) is mapped to a second set of image planes. Each image plane in the first and second set has a specified depth, and the first and second set differ in at least one depth. Each of the image planes is displayed in the first set at the respective depth of that image plane, and, subsequently, each of the image planes in the second set is displayed at its respective depth. Display of the first and second sets may be cyclically alternated at rate sufficiently high to avoid perceptible flicker.