Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural physical display element control system – Physically movable array
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-02
2004-02-24
Mancuso, Joseph (Department: 2697)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural physical display element control system
Physically movable array
C345S420000, C345S421000, C345S424000, C345S426000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06697034
ABSTRACT:
BRIEF SUMMARY
Unlike some prior art, the instant invention does not comprise a static tensor of multitudinous lights but rather comprises dynamic movement of a relatively small number of lights for such a volume. This invention is a volumetric, stage-type three-dimensional image display device. It overcomes many problems associated with prior three-dimensional image display devices. The most notable of the problems that this device overcomes include the inability to produce opaque objects and the high cost generally associated with three-dimensional displays. These two problems are overcome while still maintaining other features that many three-dimensional displays do not have. These other features include the ability to produce images that can be viewed with a large degree of freedom of viewpoint and the fact that the viewer does not need to wear any sort of filters or displays over the eyes.
The device is a stage-type volumetric three-dimensional display. It produces images by having a relatively small number of small light producing devices move extremely rapidly and pass through the entire volume of a space that is cylindrical, or spherical (depending on the embodiment in question). By passing through the entire volume, the lights, when controlled properly, are able make any point in the space appear to glow, by emitting light only while occupying the area that is intended to glow. By having the light producing devices sweep through the entire display volume within the refresh time of the human eye, multiple points are made to appear to glow simultaneously. By properly controlling these glows, perceived entire three-dimensional images are formed within this space. The glows appear as an actual image because the lights are moving fast enough for the phenomenon of “persistence of vision” to cause all the separate glows (and associated period of glow for each light) to seem as if they are occurring simultaneously to the human eye. To facilitate understanding, consider an example in which the display is of a three-dimensional, wire-frame image of a two-drawer filing cabinet. Also, suppose that the light producing devices start at the bottom of the display volume (suppose a cylindrical volume) and they move to the top of the volume in such a way as to have at least one light pass through nearly every point in the display volume. Please recall that this is done within the refresh time of the human eye.
FIG. 0-A
shows the image of the filing cabinet at approximately 25% completion; that is, after the lights have passed through the bottom 25% of the display volume. The numbers in
FIG. 0-A
represent individual bursts of light, exaggerated in size to make the drawing more understandable; the value of the numbers represents how recently the burst of light was produced, so higher numbers represent more recently produced bursts of light. Recall that these bursts are produced by the lights as they pass through the volume. The cylinder shown represents the display volume; the hidden line of which is shown as dotted.
FIG. 0-B
shows the filing cabinet image at the point in time when the lights have thus far passed through the volume from the bottom of the display volume to 50% of the way up the display volume, effectively generating 50% of the filing cabinet image.
FIGS. 0-C
and
0
-D show the same thing as
FIG. 0-B
, but at 75% and 100% completion, respectively.
This display (depending on the embodiment used) has the ability to produce images that appear as opaque. This is done by having the light from each light burst sent in only certain directions, such that a viewer coming from that direction should see that light burst. This is explained in detail shortly.
One central advantage of this method of producing three-dimensional images is due to the simplicity of the actual light generating system, which consists of no more than several strings of lights (if the ability to produce opaque images is being implemented, the lights need to be able to control the direction(s) in which they emit light for a reason that is explained shortly). The result of that is that the display has a manufacturing and, as a result, retail cost that is low enough for the display to have an inherent real-world advantage over other three-dimensional displays.
The second central advantage of this invention over other three-dimensional displays is that the images produced by this invention (if the feature is implemented) appear opaque (as if hidden line removal is performed for all viewpoints). Specifically, that means that only the face of the image that is closest to the viewer is visible to that viewer. For example, if a ball is being displayed without this ability, both the front and rear (relative to the viewer) faces of the ball are visible. This invention has the ability to allow the viewer to always just see the face of the image closest to the viewer, without respect to the angle from which the viewer is looking at the display. The closest face is always shown. Because this feature is accomplished without the need for the display to electronically track the location of the head of the viewer, multiple viewers, all at different viewpoints, can look at the image at once, and each viewer only sees the face closest to him or her. To understand how this is done, suppose that the same image of a filing cabinet with two drawers is to be displayed again, but now, such that it appears opaque. As with the earlier example, the light producing devices move from the bottom of the display volume to the top in such a way as to pass through nearly all of the volume in the process. As with the earlier example, the exact means by which this is done does not matter yet, suffice it to say that nearly every point in the volume is passed through by at least one light—and this is done in less than the refresh time of the human eye. In this example situation, unlike in the earlier example, the individual light producing devices are able to send light in only selective directions; that is, a light producing device may be controlled in real time so as to send light only up, or only left, or only up, right, and left, etc. Now, when the bursts of light that produce the image of the filing cabinet are generated, the light emitted to form each of the points that compose the image may be sent in only some directions, as opposed to all directions. Actually, the directions in which the lights are instructed to send light are very precisely controlled, and the direction(s) in which any particular light emitting device is instructed to send light when producing a certain point of light is determined as follows: any point that composes the filing cabinet image (if the cabinet is intended to be opaque) ought to not be visible from certain viewpoints; specifically, those viewpoints from which, some other part of the filing cabinet is obscuring the point in question. Since it is now known the viewpoints from which the point should not be visible, the viewpoints from which the point should be visible are, simply, all of the remaining viewpoints. The directions that correspond to these remaining viewpoints are the directions in which light is sent when this point in question is produced. This is shown in
FIGS. 0-E
through
0
-H; which show the image of the filing cabinet being generated at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, respectively. In
FIGS. 0-E
through
0
-H, unlike in
FIGS. 0-A
through
0
-D, when a light emitting device produces a point that composes the filing cabinet, the light is sent only in the previously described directions. Thus, the points seen in
FIG. 0-H
are only those that should be seen from the point of view used in
FIG. 0-H
; if a different viewpoint were used in
FIG. 0-H
, different points would appear to be active, points that would be correct for that viewpoint. All the same points in the display volume in which light was emitted without the opacity function still have light emitted with the opacity function except that with the opacity function, light is only being sent in selective directions. This is shown in
Arnold Adam
Mancuso Joseph
Shipkovitz Samuel
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