Auto-Stereoscopic Display Using Eye Tracking and Polarized Light
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stereoscopic reproduction systems require viewers to wear glasses or maintain their heads in a fixed position, and existing solutions for glass-free stereoscopic reproduction either suffer from high costs, complexity, or limited depth of field, making them impractical for multiple viewers.
Innovation Solution
A stereoscopic reproduction system using transparency with two image capture elements and an array of lenses, where polarized light is used to illuminate and capture images, allowing for the calculation of parallax and simultaneous detection of multiple viewers' eye locations without the need for specialized cameras or additional illuminating means, enabling auto-stereoscopic viewing without glasses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If glasses with polarized, colored or shutter-based filters are used, then stereoscopic reproduction is achieved, but viewer comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the glasses from the stereoscopic reproduction system. Instead of requiring viewers to wear polarized or shutter-based filters, the system projects different images directly to each eye through optical elements (lenses or mirrors) positioned in front of the viewer, eliminating the need for specialized viewing equipment and thereby improving comfort while maintaining stereoscopic capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary optical system (array of lenses or mirrors) between the display and the viewer's eyes. This intermediary directs different images to each eye without requiring the viewer to wear glasses, serving as a mediator that achieves stereoscopic reproduction while maintaining viewer comfort
2Reliability
If shutter panels are placed before each viewer, then stereoscopic reproduction without glasses is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the shutter panels from the system and replaces them with a static array of optical elements (lenses or mirrors). This extraction eliminates the need for active shutter mechanisms, mechanical movement, and complex control systems, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining glass-free stereoscopic reproduction
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical shutter panel system with a static optical system. Instead of using mechanically moving shutters to control light transmission, the system uses fixed lenses or mirrors to direct light paths, eliminating mechanical complexity while achieving the same stereoscopic effect
3Reliability
If conventional diffusion screens are used, then image reproduction is achieved, but depth of field is limited requiring viewers to be in the same plane
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the viewing space by placing multiple optical elements (lenses or mirrors) at different positions and orientations. Each optical element serves a specific viewing zone, allowing viewers at different positions and depths to receive appropriate images. This segmentation enables the system to accommodate multiple viewers in three-dimensional space rather than requiring them to be in a single plane
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional viewing plane (conventional diffusion screen) to a three-dimensional viewing volume. By using arrays of optical elements positioned in space, the system creates multiple focal planes and viewing zones, allowing viewers to move freely in three-dimensional space while maintaining proper image delivery to each eye
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
The system allows for comfortable, cost-effective, and efficient stereoscopic reproduction for multiple viewers by calculating the parallax of each eye and projecting images onto a luminous screen, providing a large viewing angle and depth of field without the need for viewers to be in the same plane, thus overcoming previous limitations in glass-free stereoscopic technology.
Implementation Method 1
The image reproduction device using transparency is configured for being backlit with light in the visible spectrum emitted by the luminous reproduction screen, for polarizing it in a plane
Implementation Method 2
The array of spherical converging lenses has a size equal to or greater than that of the image reproduction device
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a stereoscopic reproduction system without glasses, comprising an image reproduction device using transparency acting as means for illuminating multiple viewers with polarized light, two image capture elements separated from one another, containing polarizing filters that allow each of them to capture two images, one with the reflection of the light in the corneas and the other one eliminating said reflection, processing means for obtaining the pixel-by-pixel subtraction of those two images, the location of each eye in each image being obtained as the geometric center of the reflections in each cornea and the parallax of each eye between the two capture elements. With this data, the processing means generate as many luminous rectangles on a screen which backlights an array of converging lenses, which in turn focuses each of these luminous rectangles on the eye of each viewer after going through an image reproduction screen using transparency in which two images corresponding to the right eye and to the left eye are reproduced in synchronization with illumination of the luminous rectangles corresponding to each eye.