Television – Stereoscopic
Reexamination Certificate
1996-12-31
2001-05-08
Kelley, Chris (Department: 2613)
Television
Stereoscopic
C353S098000, C353S008000, C359S464000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229561
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for acquiring and displaying three-dimensional images, and more particularly, to a non-spectacles type three-dimensional image system which utilizes a series of contiguously disposed electro-optic switches and a holographic screen.
A non-spectacles type three-dimensional image system is a kind of image systems which allows an observer to view three-dimensional images without the use of specially-designed spectacles. The conventional non-spectacles type three-dimensional image system utilizes the phenomena which manifest itself when an object is viewed with two eyes. In the conventional system, an even number of cameras disposed apart from one another a distance corresponding to the distance between our eyes (optic angle) are utilized to acquire sectional images of an object from different directions corresponding to the left and right eyes. The images acquired by the cameras are displayed on a display apparatus to be incident to the corresponding eyes.
However, the conventional system has drawbacks since a number of cameras must be utilized in order to acquire three-dimensional images. If only two cameras are used, then only the most basic three-dimensional image can be acquired which does not show changes of shape but only shows the sensation of depth notwithstanding the movement of the observer's eyes. Moreover, since the observer can view the image only in a restricted zone with the conventional non-spectacles type three-dimensional image system, the efficiency in utilizing the transmitted light is low. Particularly with a lenticular screen, the efficiency is low, since the observer can view a three-dimensional image only in an extremely restricted zone among the view zones defined by the screen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional image system capable of providing a high-quality three-dimensional image without utilizing a number of cameras to solve the aforementioned problems associated with the conventional system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional image system capable of providing a high-quality three-dimensional image regardless of the viewing-position of the observer.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional image display apparatus is provided which comprises an image display device for displaying image signals from respective channels of a multi-channel image signal, a projection lens for focusing the image signals displayed on the three-dimensional image display device, switching means comprising a plurality of electro-optic switches each being opened or closed for transmitting or blocking the image signals which passed through the projection lens, and a holographic screen for converting the image signals which pass the switching means to three-dimensional image signals, the plurality of electro-optic switches being disposed adjacent to one another, and each of the switches being opened or closed in synchronization with the image signal in the corresponding channel of the multi-channel image signal to define a plurality of sub-view zones in a view zone so that a plurality of observers can view the three-dimensional image simultaneously.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional imaging apparatus is provided which comprises switching means comprising a plurality of electro-optic switches which are opened or closed to permit or block the transmission of light rays from an object, an object lens for focusing the light rays which pass the electro-optic switches, and a photodetector for sensing the light rays focused by said object lens to convert the sensed light rays to an image signal, the plurality of electro-optic switches being disposed adjacently on or near the principal plane of said object lens and sequentially opened or closed, so that images of the object from slightly different angles can be acquired.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional image display apparatus is provided which comprises a multi-channel image signal providing means, a laser light source, a beam splitter for splitting a laser beam from the laser light source in correspondence with the number of channels in the multi-channel image signal, an image signal forming means for forming laser image signals by synchronizing each laser beam split by the beam splitter with the corresponding signal from the multi-channel image signal, a mixer for mixing the laser image signals from the image signal forming means, a scanning means for scanning the laser image signals mixed by the mixing means, and a holographic screen for converting the laser image signals scanned by the scanning means to a three-dimensional image signal, the three-dimensional image signal generated by the holographic screen defining a plurality of sub-view zones in a view zone, the number of said plurality of sub-view zones in each view zone corresponding to the number of channels of the multi-channel image signal so that a plurality of observers can view the three-dimensional image simultaneously.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional image display apparatus is provided which comprises a multi-channel image signal providing means, a laser light source, a beam splitter for splitting a laser beam from the laser light source in correspondence with the number of channels in the multi-channel image signal, an image signal forming means for forming laser image signals by synchronizing each laser beam split by the beam splitter with the corresponding signal from the multi-channel image signal, a mixer for mixing the laser image signals from the image signal forming means, a scanning means for scanning the laser image signals mixed by the mixing means, and a lenticular screen for converting the laser image signals scanned by the scanning means to a three-dimensional image signal, the three-dimensional image signal generated by the lenticular screen defining a plurality of sub-view zones in each view zone, the number of the plurality of sub-view zones corresponding to the number of channels of the multi-channel image signal so that a plurality of observers can view the three-dimensional image simultaneously.
The term “electro-optic switch” is used herein to refer to a means capable of permitting or blocking the transmission of light by the application of an electric field. Liquid crystal or crystal can be utilized for the electro-optic switch, and any other means capable of permitting or blocking the transmission of light by the application of an electric field can also be utilized as the “electro-optic switch”. The electro-optic switch includes a plurality of vertical strips. The total signal bandwidth required in the three-dimensional image system of the present invention is 5.3 MHz (which is the bandwidth for one channel in a state of the art TV system) multiplied by the number of vertical strips in the electro-optic switch.
The holographic screen is a holographic optical device such as a reflection-type holographic screen (e.g., a sphere-type reflection mirror which functions as a spherical mirror and reflects a projected image to a number of designated directions), or a transmission-type holographic screen which functions as a lens allowing a projected image to be transmitted to a number of designated directions, and is capable of defining a number of view zones.
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Komar Victor Gregoryvich
Son Jung-Young
An Shawn S.
Kelley Chris
Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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