Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-04
2004-09-21
Weng, Don (Department: 2821)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
C345S473000, C348S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06795067
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to variably increasing the apparent viewable width of a display device.
2. Background of the Invention
There are products in the market place today that enable a single display device to be used for the viewing of 3D stereoscopic images. These employ a variety of techniques. One technique uses shuttered glasses and involves displaying alternate images for the left and right eyes where the images for the left eye are viewed only with the left eye and the images for the right eye are viewed only with the right eye. The shuttered glasses are synchronized with the display device and block the view of the left eye when the right image is displayed and vice-versa. The images seen are such that the brain joins these images together into a single virtual image that appears to be 3 dimensional. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,463, to Lipton.
Another technique involves painting two interleaved polarized images, on a specialized screen, simultaneously, one polarized vertically to be viewed by the left eye and one polarized horizontally to be viewed by the right eye. These images are then viewed through polarized glasses which contain a vertically striated filter for the left eye and a horizontally striated filter for the right eye. As a result each eye sees a different image and once again the images are such that the brain joins these images together into a single virtual image that appears to be 3 dimensional.
Other well known techniques used for displaying 3 dimensional images include the use of colored filters, mirror displays etc. However, such techniques are only used for creating the appearance of a 3 dimensional image based on two, slightly offset, views of the same image.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,270, to Rud, shows an apparatus and method for increasing resolution and expanding the displayed field of view for 2 dimensional images. This uses a complex system of lenses, partially reflective mirrors and polarizing cells that are used to alternately display the collimated left and right fields of view of an image to the viewer. This solution is applied to wide angle virtual reality systems such as head up displays and enable the user to see a wider, more detailed image than is otherwise possible.
However, none of these solutions provides a simple and adjustable means for creating a 2 dimensional virtual image that can be viewed on a display device with a viewable width that is narrower than the image seen. Simplicity is important to make the solution more widely available. Adjustability is necessary because individuals have different capabilities for viewing 2 dimensional virtual images and so the image must be displayed in a manner sympathetic to the capabilities of the viewer.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention addresses the problem of creating a simple and adjustable means for viewing a 2 dimensional image wider than the viewable width of the display device on which it is displayed.
According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a data processing method for use on a data processing system, the data processing system having a display device for the display of images and a viewing device for viewing said images, the method comprising the steps of: reading a maximum virtual width from a value set by the user; building a left image and a right image from a display image, said left image and said right image including a common central part of said display image, said left image further including a left part of said display image that is not included in said right image and said right image further including a right part of said display image that is not included in said left image wherein either said left or said right image can be displayed fully on said display device; and displaying said left image and said right image on said display device wherein, in combination with said viewing device, an observer perceives a single virtual image that is no wider than said maximum virtual width.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus comprising: a means for reading a maximum virtual width from a value set by the user; image building means for building a left image and a right image from a display image, said left image and said right image including a common central part of said display image, said left image further including a left part of said display image that is not included in said right image and said right image further including a right part of said display image that is not included in said left image; and image output means for generating image signals that contain said left image for viewing only by a first eye and said right image for viewing only by a second eye such that an observer could perceive a single virtual image that that is no wider than said maximum virtual display width.
The invention also provides an image display system by combining the image processing apparatus with; a display means for the processing of said image signals wherein an image contained in said image signal is displayed on a display device so as to display said left image and said right image; and a viewing device through which an observer views said left image and said right image on said display device such that said observer perceives a single virtual image that corresponds to said display image.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a computer program product for running on a data processing system having a display device for the display of images and a viewing device for viewing said images, the program product, in operation, carrying out the steps of: reading a maximum virtual width from a value set by the user; building a left image and a right image from a display image, said left image and said right image including a common central part of said display image, said left image further including a left part of said display image that is not included in said right image and said right image further including a right part of said display image that is not included in said left image wherein either said left or said right image can be displayed fully on said display device; and displaying said left image and said right image on said display device wherein, in combination with said viewing device, an observer perceives a single virtual image that is no wider than said maximum virtual width.
Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4562463 (1985-12-01), Lipton
patent: 5497270 (1996-03-01), Rud
patent: 5751341 (1998-05-01), Chaleki et al.
patent: 5808591 (1998-09-01), Mantani
patent: 6532008 (2003-03-01), Guralnick
patent: 6590573 (2003-07-01), Geshwind
patent: 0595705 (1994-05-01), None
Masters Peter Brian
Osborne Andrew James
Rowe Martin James
Cao Huedung X.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Jennings Derek S.
Weng Don
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