Scanning Light Valve Array for Stereo Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stereoscopic display systems require multiple projectors, increasing costs and alignment complexities, while single-projector systems struggle with quickly switching between left and right eye images due to slow light valve technologies, leading to image leakage.
Innovation Solution
A single-projector stereoscopic display system using a light valve array with a scanning device and control mechanism to sequentially switch between left and right eye images, employing a shaped light beam to illuminate only a portion of the array, minimizing image leakage and using a concentrated light source to compensate for reduced illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single projector with a single light valve array is used to reduce cost and alignment complexity, then device complexity and cost are reduced, but the light valve array cannot switch quickly enough between left and right eye images, causing image leakage and poor stereoscopic quality
Solution Approach 1:
The light valve array is divided into multiple independently controllable regions or zones. By segmenting the array, different regions can be switched at different times, allowing the system to effectively increase switching speed for stereoscopic display while using a single physical light valve array, thus resolving the contradiction between using a single projector and achieving fast switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic scanning of the light valve array with a modulated light beam, refreshing different portions of the array in sequential periods. This periodic action allows the light valve elements to be updated in advance before illumination, enabling effective stereoscopic switching despite the inherent slow response time of the light valve technology.
2Illumination intensity
If the light valve array is illuminated continuously to maintain image quality, then illumination intensity is maintained, but the light valve elements cannot change state quickly enough between left and right eye images, causing image leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination is applied periodically in scanning passes rather than continuously. The light beam scans across the light valve array in a controlled sequence, illuminating only the currently active region. This periodic illumination maintains high intensity during active display while allowing other regions to remain unilluminated and switchable, preventing image leakage between stereoscopic views.
Solution Approach 2:
The light valve elements are switched to their required state in advance before the illumination beam reaches them. The control system pre-sets the transmission or reflection properties of each light valve element before illumination occurs, ensuring that the elements are ready to display the correct image (left or right eye) when the light beam passes through, thus maintaining image separation quality.
3Reliability
If a scanning device is used to illuminate only a portion of the light valve array at a time, then light valve elements can be switched in advance before illumination, but the scanning process reduces the effective illumination area and may reduce overall brightness
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a concentrated or focused light beam with high intensity rather than diffuse illumination. By concentrating the light energy into a focused beam that scans across the array, the system compensates for the reduced illumination area by increasing the intensity parameter, maintaining overall brightness while enabling selective scanning and pre-switching of light valve elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A display method and system are described for displaying a stereo image comprising a first image and a second image. A light valve array comprising an array of light valve elements is driven according to an image and a light source is provided for generating a shaped light beam which can illuminate a portion of the light valve array. A scanning device is provided which is arranged to scan the shaped light beam across the light valve array. Light valve elements of the same light valve array are caused to sequentially adopt a state representative of the first image of the stereoscopic image and a state representative of the second image, and to cause the light valve elements to adopt a new state representative of one of the first and second images in advance of the scanning by the shaped light beam and to change to a new state representative of the other of the first and second images during a period between successive scans of the shaped light beam.