autostereoscopic display screens manufacturer

In addition, the next generation of 3D technology with improved features is already in the development pipeline. 3D Global products are state-of-the-art autostereoscopic 3D displays that provide a unique, direct experience of true 3D viewing or mixed 2D/3D viewing without glasses or other devices.

Autostereoscopy enables lifelike 3D experiences on monitors and PC displays glasses-free 3D. The new 3D technology is a topic that is becoming increasingly serious, both for TV as well as in the field of game consoles and has already moved almost to the centre of their attention for many manufacturers.

Let’s start from scratch: The three-dimensional perception is based on the principle that the right and left eye view an object from a slightly different angle. The two slightly different images are then automatically reassembled in the brain to form a single image, which, with the help of the different viewing angles, becomes an autostereoscopic 3D image. The three-dimensional perception that arises from this not only allows the width and height of the object to be seen on displays, but also its depth in space.

Autostereoscopic displays (3D display) allows you to get an impression of depth when watching movies or playing games, provided both eyes work together. What is new with this technique is that 3D glasses are no longer necessary.

There are different techniques that enable three-dimensional viewing on a 3D display. One technique works with parallax barriers. These are aperture grille, whereby the light of individual pixels is shaded differently from different directions in front of the screen. In this way, the right and left eyes each obtain a different image. This image is three dimensionally merged in the brain. In the end, the display itself creates the three dimensionally effect, so that glasses are no longer necessary.

Another technique is the lenticular lens system, which works with a lenticular grid. In this method, the surface of the display is manipulated with tiny structures in such a way that a lenticular grid is created, and the eyes see different images. The term “lenticular” stands for lenticular lens. These are tiny optical lenses or prisms that create a three-dimensional impression.

It will be a while before 3D has established itself in the gaming market and auto-stereoscopic screens can really stir up the market. Manufacturers of auto-stereoscopic monitors are already preparing specifically for this time.

There are already 3D tablets with autostereoscopic displaya that can be used with glasses free 3D. For example, the Android tablet “No Glasses 3D Tablet” or the smartphone Sharp Aquos Phone SH80F work with a parallax barrier to achieve the 3D impression. Gadmei or HP already have tablets with a 3D display. Of course, we also offer 3D tablets in our Standard Series, which work with glasses-free 3D on a 3D display.

Until recently, autostereoscopic technology was only used on smaller devices such as smartphones or game consoles. Since 2010, the development in the area of 3D cinema and 3D television has taken a rapid progress. 3D TVs are already finding their way into the living room, almost every current TV supports the new standard of an autostereoscopic display, but all of these devices still require 3D glasses.

In 2012, the Toshiba 55ZL2 was the world’s first consumer 3D television, which made autostereoscopic 3D images possible without visual aids for end users. This works with lenticular lenses. A camera in the TV finds out where the light is being sent by detecting the viewer’s head position.

However, autostereoscopic televisions today still do not deliver the same quality as models that require 3D glasses. Another problem is that inexperienced viewers may experience problems with watching glasses-free 3D on autostereoscopic displays. The lens of the eye is focused by the brain not on the perceived depth of the object, but on the distance of the display. This can cause eye and headaches for some people.

James Cameron’s new film “Avatar 2”, scheduled for release at the end of 2020, also uses autostereoscopic 3D technology. This works thanks to laser-based autostereoscopic technology, without 3D glasses. James Cameron’s production company has extended its cooperation with the laser projector manufacturer for five years.

Autostereoscopic images are also used in online shops for advertising purposes and product configuration. Through a 3D visualization, the product can be made more perceptible to the customer and can be tailored exactly to the needs of the user.

The exact and individual parameters of a product, such as a trouser measurements, can be displayed very precisely with the 3D configurator. The focus can be placed on a specific parameter of the product, the customer can try it out at will and determine the best choice for him personally.

With 3D media you can literally make images float. No matter whether it is an analog hologram poster or a digital moving image (3D screens), the advertising message can fly up to one metre towards the viewer, which naturally makes a powerful impression and is guaranteed to remain in the memory.

The fascinating 3D effect works completely without glasses on a 3D display, and the retention time is naturally correspondingly long. The autostereoscopic display allows a great depth of space and an amazing visual experience.

The advertising industry is enthusiastic about the new technology of autosterescopic displays because of the high level of attention that the posters can generate. Fraunhofer HHI is also already researching 3D techniques for various applications. Anyone who uses autostereoscopy and an autostereoscopic screen today will certainly be one step ahead in the future. You can also test our professional 3D viewers and 3D configurators for online shops, e-commerce or product presentations on the company website, with which virtual changing rooms are also possible.

An autostereoscopic display system is an innovative and fascinating POS solution, because it can create an intense experience for the viewer without them having to use aids, such as 3D glasses, to enjoy the 3D effects. Viewing moving 3D images without glasses means companies can create good advertising and marketing opportunities at key points of sale with plenty of customer traffic.

Autostereoscopic 3D technology takes great viewing experiences to a whole new level, because the 3D experience is even more intense, because people can move freely in all directions and it delivers the ultimate 3D viewing experience that is sure to be remembered for a long time.

Autostereoscopic displays can be used to achieve a three-dimensional image without glasses and with a variety of techniques. One of these techniques uses optical tricks to bring the light waves of the monitor directly into the eyes of the viewer. If the viewer’s head is in a certain area in front of the screen, in the so-called stereo zone, then the image appears in 3D without their head looking straight ahead.

Autostereoscopic 3D technology is ideal for advertising spaces in shopping centres, stadiums, airports, transport hubs, display windows, exhibitions and other important locations with lots of customers or visitors.

An autostereoscopic display system at the point of sale can be used for various applications because the 3D effect can be viewed from different angles and customers can move freely in front of the display. This, for example, allows you to impress by explaining the benefits of a product with an interactive 3D presentation and to captivate viewers in front of the screen with moving images. This, of course, also has a positive effect on the length of stay. It provides an opportunity to present the advertising message as a memorable highlight that the viewer will remember for a long time.

Autostereoscopic 3D is a good digital signage solution for companies that want to implement their brand strategy with impressive 3D visualisations. A unique solution that is sure to win over customers and offers a wide range of advertising options and advertising strategy ideas.

A 3D autostereoscopic display is a genuine eyecatcher at the POS, almost as real as reality, making the viewer stop in front of the screen. Another advantage is that content can be changed quickly and easily without having to spend time dismantling displays. Autostereoscopic 3D displays are a very innovative and exciting medium, the first to display moving 3D images on a screen without the need for 3D glasses.

SeeFront licenses the SeeFront 3D Technology to other companies. If you think your company or research institute needs to get to know SeeFront, please contact us. As SeeFront focuses on licensing to B2B customers we are unable to sell 3D displays to individuals. However, a big thank you to all 3D enthusiasts for their support of this exciting visual technology!

SeeFront 3D displays are designed to deliver high-quality stereo images to a single user. This being said, a second person can also get a decent 3D impression over the user"s shoulder or sitting next to him/her. However, the built-in eye-tracking system that ensures freedom of movement in front of the display will adjust the image when the (main) viewer moves. A secondary viewer will need to adjust his/her position accordingly in order to see an unblurred 3D image.

SeeFront 3D Technology works with any TFT panel regardless of dot pitch, including mobile phones, tablets and other handheld devices as well as notebooks and displays up to 30”

3D data have been collected and 3D models have been constructed for several years in a wide range of applications. Medical science, pharmaceutical research, automotive engineering, CAD/CAE, architecture, scientific data on climate and geography or computer games are only a few examples. However, the means of displaying the third dimension have been very limited. You either had to use special 3D eyewear (which is quite bothersome, especially if you have to wear glasses anyway) or rely on the power of your imagination to add depth to flat images. An autostereoscopic display shows 3D content as it is meant to be seen without special glasses. And while this is useful in the professional field, it also adds greatly to the fun of games and movies.

The resolution of a SeeFront 3D display depends on the TFT panel used. The higher the resolution of the chosen TFT panel is, the higher the resolution of the SeeFront 3D display will be. Thus SeeFront 3D technology technically allows for unlimited resolution.

The SeeFront 3D Technology can basically be used with any TFT display and for any sort of 3D content. However, most people want to watch TV together with their family or friends, lounging on the sofa or in their favorite armchair – and SeeFront 3D is geared towards single-user applications. While it is technically possible to use SeeFront 3D Technology for a TV application, we have not had any customer requests for this due to the reasoning above.

A SeeFront 3D display can show any kind of genuine 3D content. This means that in order to appear three-dimensional on a SeeFront 3D display an image needs to have two perspectives of the same scene, one for the left and one for the right eye. 3D images can be still or moving, natural or synthetic, produced on the fly in real time or taken from storage media. SeeFront 3D works with image and video content in most common file formats.

SeeFront 3D Technology allows for the design of single-user 3D displays of various sizes. SeeFront 3D display technology can be used for mobile phones and tablet computers as well as for laptops or TFT displays up to 32” and more.

Their desktop LCD displays are autostereoscopic so they don"t require glasses to see the 3D images. Vertical lenticular lenses direct discrete images to each eye and eye tracking adjusts on the fly the keep the viewer in the sweet spot. The web site has a good amount of detail describing the Free2C technology and applications.

The DepthCube Z1024 3D display consists of 20 stacked LCD shutter panels that allow viewers to see objects in three dimensions without the need for glasses. Video is projected through the LCD shutters. Unlike auto-stereoscopic displays, DepthCube technology doesn"t limit the field of view allowing multiple people to experience the 3D effect simultaneously. It also "provides both horizontal and vertical parallax-allowing the viewer to look around foreground objects to reveal previously obstructed background objects." More details of the technology are presented in 3-Deep from IEEE Spectrum.

The DepthCube InterceptorT application allows the Z1024 to intercept OpenGL data and effectively slice it for display across the stacked LCD panels. It is unclear if all OpenGL applications are supported.

The P-3Di System produces a crisp, bright coloured 3D holographic moving image that hovers in mid air between 5cm and 1 metre from source (bespoke systems can be designed to project images further than 1 metre if required) . Display units can vary in size from 10cm to 6 metres.

At this time Polaris is unique in using polarization with a desktop sized display. Their method stacks two LCDs and uses polarization to direct the appropriate image to each eye. This is the same method used at amusement parks like Disney World so if you"ve been to a show there and worn clear glasses you know what kind of quality to expect.

Polaris is mainly targeting professionals and military applications, but if they are able to arrange a partnership with a big display manufacturer like Sony or Hitachi the high volumes could drive down the price enough to make it palatable for home users to watch movies and play games. The main cost increase over today"s LCD monitors is the second panel.

Polaris" web site briefly explains the various 3D display technologies in use today giving some pros and cons for each approach. It"s a good refresher even if you are somewhat familiar each technique.

In May 2007 SeeReal demonstrated their prototype holographic display at the Society for International Display (SID) forum in California. As of July the product"s still not available to buy, but SeeReal has licensing information on their web site.

It integrates standard off-the-shelf hardware components such as SensAble Technologies haptic device and Sharp"s PC-RD3D autostereoscopic laptop to offer a complete solution that weighs in at under 10kg (22lbs) and costs less than $10,000 including advanced software development tools.

Using the latest generation of auto-stereoscopic (or ‘lenticular’) LCD technology, Magnetic Enabl3D screens allow incredible resolution and outstanding 3D large format displays without the need for any special 3D glasses, 3D eyewear, 3D headgear or 3D projectors.

Providing the ultimate in eye-catching, crowd-stopping 3D displays, with 3D media and 3D digital signage; 3D video images and content appear to fly out of the screen and float in mid air!

•Glasses-free 3D screen technology•Auto-stereoscopic, Full-HD 1080p LCD screens•9-point multi-viewing 3D zones•176° ultra-wide viewing angle•50,000 hours viewing time•Durable and discreet design and build•IRFM technology helps prevent ‘screen burn’•Configurable Inputs/Outputs•Active ambient light sensor for energy saving control

Using the latest generation of auto-stereoscopic (or ‘lenticular’) LCD technology, Magnetic Enabl3D screens allow incredible resolution and outstanding 3D large format displays without the need for any special glasses, eyewear, headgear or projectors.

Providing the ultimate in eye-catching, crowd-stopping displays, media and digital signage; video images and content appear to fly out of the screen and float in mid air!

•Glasses-free 3D screen technology•Auto-stereoscopic, Full-HD 1080p LCD screens•9-point multi-viewing 3D zones•176° ultra-wide viewing angle•50,000 hours viewing time•Durable and discreet design and build•IRFM technology helps prevent ‘screen burn’•Configurable Inputs/Outputs•Active ambient light sensor for energy saving control

Magnetic 3D is a U.S. based company that produces autostereoscopic displays and glasses-free 3-D content. Headquartered in New York City, the company was founded in 2006 by Tom Zerega. Their proprietary Enabl3D™ technology allows them to create glasses-free 3-D images on high-definition displays and even 4K. "The TV is wearing the glasses for you," Zerega explains. From tablets to video walls, Magnetic 3D produces screens of every size and apps to work with a variety of software. In addition to the ability to convert and screen 3-D content in real time, the team produces autostereo videos and stills for their displays. Applications include marketing and advertising, digital signage, education, medical, military, trade shows, event marketing, interactive media, gaming applications and more. Magnetic has built a business around high-quality optics, software, and content starting with retail and experiential marketing, trade shows, and digital signage.

When asked about the use of screens at tradeshows, Zerega says, "Magnetic 3D"s technology is contagious so whenever it"s out there and people see it, it tends to lead to another opportunity. In general, we"ve found that when our clients use the 3-D displays in their trade show booth they get more leads than they normally would without the 3-D display. People immediately stop and stare, allowing the salesperson the opportunityto step forward and engage them in a conversation which otherwise might be difficult or awkward to do. "It"s really a great icebreaker or a stop sign for your booth."

Zerega, Founder and CEO of Magnetic 3D, got his start in professional audio/visual work setting up technology for events and concerts. In the early 2000s he became aware of the burgeoning (2-D) digital signage industry and founded Magnetic Media. An early break came in the form of a contract with the Mall of America and 17 malls in the Northeast through Pyramid Management Companies. These early displays installed in the malls were low-resolution by today"s standards at barely 720p. In spite of this success, the competition in the new market was fierce. In 2005, while looking for a way to differentiate themselves, Tom came across a company called X3D. X3D used a parallaxbarrier filter over LCD or plasma screen TVs that created an impressive 3-D effect. Magnetic Media began installing these screens in nightclubs and bars across the country, mainly in New York and L.A. as part of an early advertiser network.

By the end of 2006, the technolo­gy for lenticular TV screens was becoming available. Instead of a fil­ter blocking out what a viewer"s left and right eye see, lenticular lenses bend the light to direct the images to the appropriate eye using the cur­vature of the lens. Unlike with paral­lax barriers, the lens does not reduce the amount of light or change the color. Realizing that this technology represented the future Zerega and his partners made the decision to sell off everything they were doing in the 2-D market and become a manufac­turer of lenticular-based glasses-free 3-D displays. Magnetic Media has since updated their name to Magnet­ic 3D and has produced glasses-free 3-D displays in a range of sizes for the past decade.

In 2010, Magnetic worked with Microsoft, the Miami Dolphins and Cisco for a project called "Suites of the Future" for SuperBowl XLIV. Magnetic installed their "free-D" screens in 32 suites throughout the Miami Dolphins Stadium where NFL team owners watched the game. Each suite had team-specific content and, while the game was not shown autostereoscopically at the time, Zerega believes with a little magic it could be pulled off today. "As long as we had the right camera angles and conversion technology an autostereo game delivered in real­time would be possible. "Instead, content switched back-and-forth between Cisco Stadium-Vision, the game in real-time 2-D while commercial breaks featured 3-D info­graphics similar to what the crowd traditionally sees on the Jumbotron.

Today, Magnetic 3D is launching an exciting new business within the Company called "Magnetic Networks", a business that is similar to where it all began in the digital signage market many years ago. "We have been waiting for almost a decade to bring back the concept of 3-D Digital Out of Home advertising and we can say for sure the technology has evolved to a point where it is truly ready for prime time as a next gen marketing platform for brands. Not only has technology has matured and become better and more cost effective at the same time thanks to 4K displays, but the infrastructure and sponsor support is now there creating the perfect storm for the deployment of glasses-free 3-D signage en masse."

The idea behind Magnetic Net­works is a futuristic, immersive and glasses-free 3-D media platform. "We think of it as the advertisers answer to what"s happening in virtual reality and augmented reality for con­sumers," Zerega says. "Out-of-home advertisers are desperately vying for new way to capture your attention amongst the clutter outside the home with bigger and brighter signs but there is a theoretical limit. To have an immersive experience like VR that does not require a headset and functions as a 2-D or 3-D display seamlessly is the future that we are betting on and presently launching in NYC."

Magnetic 3D has recently installed some of their glasses-free monitors at the New York Waterway terminals at West 39th Street, Pier 79, 459 12th Avenue, as well as at the Port Imperi­al ferry terminal in Weehawken, New Jersey. They are part of a mobile phone charging station sponsored by T-Mobile. Magnetic 3D"s content sits on a computer in what is called "store and forward" format. The schedule is forwarded to the computer within the display and because the content is already stored locally the display is told to play this content at a particular time. The 3-D network that is installed at the two ferry terminals runs in a five minute loop. A commuter"s average wait-­time is about ten minutes so the loop repeats twice. There are up to ten 30-second time slots available.

Zerega further explains, "There are also 2-D screens on the boats and in the terminals, so it"s a combination of 2-D content and 3-D content on our charging stations. The stations can charge up to sixteen devices. People can just walk over and plug in and then hang out, watch the content for five or 10 minutes and then grab their phone and jump on the ferry."

Much of the content Magnetic 3D produces for advertisers is CGI. They use After Effects, 3ds Max and Maya and have their own plug-ins that allow them to take content produced in those programs and output them into the multiple views needed to produce autostereoscopic images.

Beyond Magnetic Networks and that advertising play, Zerega would like to see the company"s screens in the classroom. "I"m really a proponent for using this technology in an educational setting. My parents and my sister are teachers. They have access to some technologies that they can use, but the kids are just so quick nowadays with the latest gadget in their pocket. Everybody"s got a smartphone or a tablet. I really believe you need to stay ahead of them to capture their attention and based on the reaction we see from people everyday, we feel like our technology could be the bridge that kids need to become re-engaged and focused on their education. So much of our world can be explained so much faster and easier in 3-D, from biology to math. It seems a shame to use the attention grabbing capability of our displays only for selling products when they could do so much more in education."

New York, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to our new research study on “3D Display Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Stereoscopic 3D Display and Autostereoscopic 3D Display), Technology (Digital Light Processing, Organic Light Emitting Diode, and Light Emitting Diode), and Application (Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Medical, Advertising, Retail, Military and Defense, and Others)”, published by The Insight Partners.

AU OPTRONICS CORP.; Innolux Corporation; LG Electronics; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Panasonic Corporation; Samsung Group; Sharp Corporation; Looking Glass Factory Inc.; Light Field Lab, Inc.; Leia Inc.; Sony Corporation; Toshiba Corporation; and Fujifilm Corporation are among the key players that are profiled during this market study. In addition to these players, several other essential market players were also studied and analyzed to get a holistic view of the global 3D display market and its ecosystem.

In April 2021, AUO launched a stunning series of ALED Displays at Touch Taiwan 2021 with world-leading micro LED technology and applications on showcase.

There is a heavy adoption of holographic 3D displays in the media and entertainment field. The holographic display was first used in 2012 at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, where a hologram of Tupac Shakur—an American rapper—was projected on the stage for a 3D music performance. Later, holograms of Michael Jackson, BTS Suga, and several other artists were recreated in musical concerts. Thus, due to heavy adoption of holographic displays across the world, the 3D display market is likely to accelerate in the coming years. Moreover, an increase in the demand for 3D visualization in entertainment, gaming, defense, and medical industries drives the market growth. Rapid development of smartphone models with curved display, proliferation of gaming industry worldwide, and incorporation of AR/VR in consumer electronics products are anticipated to bring commercial opportunities to 3D augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display in the coming years. Besides, the mounting investments in advanced technologies in automotive to provide better efficiency and safety are also likely to surge the adoption of 3D displays.

In 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak negatively impacted the growth rate of the global 3D display market due to business shutdowns and a decline in demand from end users, especially in retail and advertising sectors. The cancellation of events, exhibitions, and restrictions on mass gathering events are among the factors that affected the demand for 3D displays worldwide. The increase in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and rising reported deaths in the country have affected manufacturing and sales of materials associated with 3D displays. The factory and business shutdowns across the US, Canada, and Mexico negatively impacted the adoption of 3D displays. The world is expecting market recovery and economic improvement with COVID-19 vaccination drives. However, companies are prone to risks with the market uncertainties from tough business environment associated with unfavorable foreign exchange rate, raw material price, and logistics cost.

The present 3D display market is in its nascent stages of growth cycle, and companies operating in this market are investing heavily in R&D to bring successful 3D display systems in the commercial market. The current key application areas of 3D displays are marketing and advertising sectors. Medical, automotive, and defense are expected to be some of the largest growth potential areas for 3D displays. The prospective application areas of 3D display technologies could be unprecedented depending on the positive growth and technology development in the market. For instance, in 2020, Continental announced the launch of its volume-production display featuring an autostereoscopic 3D technology in its HMC Genesis GV80 variant.

Holographic display technology generates arbitrary wavefronts that can be considered as an ultimate 3D experience for end users. In comparison to 2D image-based stereoscopic displays that are used to create 3D perception, which can create issues such as headache, visual discomfort, eyestrain, and fatigue in some users, the holographic 3D displays are quite comfortable for users who want to experience realistic 3D. However, the requirement of high volume for these displays makes them difficult to use in many potential applications. Thus, holographic 3D displays that use a 2D surface by exploiting the wave nature of light to develop 3D images are considered a more viable option for potential 3D display applications in fields such as marketing, advertising, medical, automotive, education, entertainment, gaming, retail, hospitality, events, sports, and digital signage.

Display Technology Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Type (Cathode Ray Tube, Liquid Crystal Display, Light Emitting Diode, Plasma Display Panel, Organic- LED, AMOLED); Application (Television Display, Mobile Display, Computer/Laptop Display, Head mounted Display, Advertisement/Signage Display); Display (Conventional Display, 3D Display, Flexible Display, Transparent Display); End - User Industry (Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Media and Advertisement, BFSI, Retail, Military, Industrial, Medical) and Geography

3D Technology Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Products (Sensors, Integrated Circuits, Transistors, Printer, Gaming, Imaging, Display, Navigation, Animation and Cinema); & End-Users (Healthcare, Entertainment & Media, Education, Government, Industrial, Consumer Electronics and Others)

Head-Up Display Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Type (AR-Based HUD, Conventional HUD); Technology (Cathode Ray Tube, Light-Emitting Diode, Others); Application (Civil Aviation, Military Aviation, Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles) and Geography

Head Mounted Display Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Integrated HMD, Discrete HMD, and Slide-On HMD), Application (Training & Simulation, Sports & Leisure, Imaging, Defense & Security, and Others), Component (Display Screens, Controllers, Sensors, Cameras, and Others), Technology (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality), Design (Head Mounted Display and Wearable Glasses), and Connection (Wired, Wireless, and Hybrid)

Embedded Display Market Forecast to 2028 - Covid-19 Impact and Global Analysis - by Technology (LCD, LED, OLED); Application (Industrial Automation, Fitness Equipment, Scientific Test and Measurement, Wearables, Home Appliances, Others) and Geography

Commercial Display Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Display Type (Video Wall, Outdoor Display, Signage, Variant Display, Interactive Whiteboard (IWB), Others); Technology (OLED, LED, LCD, Quantum Dots); Application (Retail, Automotive, Healthcare, Government, IT and Telecom, BFSI, Others) and Geography

E-paper Display Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Application (E-Readers, Smart Card, Auxiliary Display, Wearable, Others); End User (Media and Entertainment, Automotive and Transportation, Retail, Healthcare, Consumer Electronics, Others); Technology (Interferometric Modulator Display (IMOD) , Cholesteric liquid crystal display (ChLCD), Electrophoretic Display, Others) and Geography

Besides 3D displays, we offer state-of-the-art 3D content player and 2D-to-3D content conversion technology.Attractive, well designed 3D content is crucial for generating desired effect using 3D autostereoscopic (glasses-free 3D display) technology. Our team of artists and partners is dedicated to producing the impressive customised 3D content.We create your 3D spot from initial idea or enhance your existing media by adding auto-stereoscopic 3D elements. Attractive and immersive content is the key to your success and the way to make your message hit its target.Need the best suitable 3D screening solution or a special content for screening? For more information on available technology or on content creation contact YOCOMA teamwho will be more than happy to assist.

The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of contract No. NBCHC050098 awarded by DARPA. This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e), of U. S. Provisional Application No. 60/782,345, filed Mar. 15, 2006, entitled “Active Autostereoscopic Emissive Displays,” and naming Mark Lucente, et. al, as inventors. The above-referenced application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND

The present invention relates in general to the field of autostereoscopic displays, more particularly, to dynamically updateable autostereoscopic displays.

A graphical display can be termed autostereoscopic when the work of stereo separation is done by the display so that the observer need not wear special eyewear. A number of displays have been developed to present a different image to each eye, so long as the observer remains fixed at a location in space. Most of these are variations on the parallax barrier method, in which a fine vertical grating or lenticular lens array is placed in front of a display screen. If the observer"s eyes remain at a fixed location in space, one eye can see only a certain set of pixels through the grating or lens array, while the other eye sees only the remaining set.

One-step hologram (including holographic stereogram) production technology has been used to satisfactorily record holograms in holographic recording materials without the traditional step of creating preliminary holograms. Both computer image holograms and non-computer image holograms can be produced by such one-step technology. In some one-step systems, computer processed images of objects or computer models of objects allow the respective system to build a hologram from a number of contiguous, small, elemental pieces known as elemental holograms or hogels. To record each hogel on holographic recording material, an object beam is typically directed through or reflected from a spatial light modulator (SLM) displaying a rendered image and then interfered with a reference beam. Examples of techniques for one-step hologram production can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,088 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Recording One-Step, Full-Color, Full-Parallax, Holographic Stereograms,” naming Michael A. Klug, Mark E. Holzbach, and Alejandro J. Ferdman as inventors, (“the "088 patent”) which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Many prior art autostereoscopic displays, such as many holographic stereogram displays, are static in nature. That is, the image volumes displayed cannot be dynamically updated. Existing autostereoscopic displays that are in some sense dynamic, rely on parallax barrier methods and/or back-lit transmissive spatial light modulator (SLM) displays. These devices suffer from various disadvantages including limited usability by multiple users, poor image quality due to transmissive SLMs, fringe field effects, and the like.

Accordingly, it is desirable to have improved systems and methods for producing, displaying, and interacting with dynamic autostereoscopic displays to overcome the above-identified deficiencies in the prior art. SUMMARY

It has been discovered that emissive display devices can be used to provide display functionality in dynamic autostereoscopic displays. One or more emissive display devices are coupled to one or more appropriate computing devices. These computing devices control delivery of autostereoscopic image data to the emissive display devices. A lens array coupled to the emissive display devices, e.g., directly or through some light delivery device, provides appropriate conditioning of the autostereoscopic image data so that users can view dynamic autostereoscopic images. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present application discloses various embodiments of and techniques for using and implementing active or dynamic autostereoscopic emissive displays. Full-parallax three-dimensional emissive electronic displays (and alternately horizontal parallax only displays) are formed by combining high resolution two-dimensional emissive image sources with appropriate optics. One or more computer processing units may be used to provide computer graphics image data to the high resolution two-dimensional image sources. In general, numerous different types of emissive displays can be used. Emissive displays generally refer to a broad category of display technologies which generate their own light, including: electroluminescent displays, field emission displays, plasma displays, vacuum fluorescent displays, carbon-nanotube displays, and polymeric displays. In contrast, non-emissive displays require a separate, external source of light (such as the backlight of a liquid crystal display).

The hogels (variously “active” or “dynamic” hogels) described in the present application are not like one-step hologram hogels in that they are not fringe patterns recorded in a holographic recording material. Instead, the active hogels of the present application display suitably processed images (or portions of images) such that when they are combined they present a composite autostereoscopic image to a viewer. Consequently, various techniques disclosed in the "088 patent for generating hogel data are applicable to the present application. Other hogel data and computer graphics rendering techniques can be used with the systems and methods of the present application, including image-based rendering techniques. The application of those rendering techniques to the field of holography and autostereoscopic displays is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,868,177, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Numerous other techniques for generating the source images will be well known to those skilled in the art

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a dynamic autostereoscopic display system 100. Various system components are described in greater detail below, and numerous variations on this system design (including additional elements, excluding certain illustrated elements, etc.) are contemplated. At the heart of dynamic autostereoscopic display system 100 is one or more dynamic autostereoscopic display modules 110 producing dynamic autostereoscopic images illustrated by display volume 115. These modules use emissive light modulators or displays to present hogel images to users of the device. In general, numerous different types of emissive displays can be used. Emissive displays generally refer to a broad category of display technologies which generate their own light, including: electroluminescent displays, field emission displays, plasma displays, vacuum fluorescent displays, carbon-nanotube displays, and polymeric displays such as organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays. In contrast, non-emissive displays require a separate, external source of light (such as the backlight of a liquid crystal display). Dynamic autostereoscopic display modules 110 typically include other optical and structural components described in greater detail below.

Each of the emissive display devices employed in dynamic autostereoscopic display modules 110 is driven by one or more display drivers 120. Display driver hardware 120 can include specialized graphics processing hardware such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), frame buffers, high speed memory, and hardware provide requisite signals (e.g., VESA-compliant analog RGB, signals, NTSC signals, PAL signals, and other display signal formats) to the emissive display. Display driver hardware 120 provides suitably rapid display refresh, thereby allowing the overall display to be dynamic. Display driver hardware 120 may execute various types of software, including specialized display drivers, as appropriate.

Hogel renderer 130 generates hogels for display on display module 110 using 3D image data 135. Depending on the complexity of the source data, the particular display modules, the desired level of dynamic display, and the level of interaction with the display, various different hogel rendering techniques can be used. Hogels can be rendered in real-time (or near-real-time), pre-rendered for later display, or some combination of the two. For example, certain display modules in the overall system or portions of the overall display volume can utilize real-time hogel rendering (providing maximum display updateability), while other display modules or portions of the image volume use pre-rendered hogels.

Distortion associated with the generation of hogels for horizontal-parallax-only (HPO) holographic stereograms is analyzed Michael W. Halle in “The Generalized Holographic Stereogram,” Master"s Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Feb. 1991, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In general, for HPO holographic stereograms (and other HPO autostereoscopic displays), the best viewer location where a viewer can see an undistorted image is at the plane where the camera (or the camera model in the case of computer graphics images) captured the scene. This is an undesirable constraint on the viewability of autostereoscopic displays. Using several different techniques, one can compensate for the distortion introduced when the viewer is not at the same depth with respect to the autostereoscopic displays as the camera. An anamorphic physical camera can be created with a standard spherical-surfaced lens coupled with a cylindrical lens, or alternately two crossed cylindrical lenses can be used. Using these optics, one can independently adjust horizontal and vertical detail in the stereogram images, thereby avoiding distortion. Since the dynamic displays of the present application typically use computer graphics data (either generated from 3D models or captured using various known techniques) computer graphics techniques are used instead of physical optics.

For a computer graphics camera, horizontal and vertical independence means that perspective calculations can be altered in one direction without affecting the other. Moreover, since the source of the images used for producing autostereoscopic images is typically rendered computer graphics images (or captured digital image data), correcting the distortion as part of the image generation process is a common technique. For example, if the computer graphics images being rendered can be rendered as if seen through the aforementioned physical optics (e.g., using ray tracing where the computer graphics model includes the optics between the scene and the computer graphics camera), then hogel images that account for distortion can be directly rendered. Where ray tracing is impractical (e.g., because of rendering speed or dataset size constraints) another technique for rendering hogel images can be used to “pre-distort” hogel images. This technique is described in M. Halle and A Kropp, “Fast Computer Graphics Rendering for Full Parallax Spatial Displays,” Practical Holography XI, Proc. SPIE, vol. 3011, pages 105-112, Feb. 10-11, 1997, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. While useful for its speed, the techniques of Halle and Kropp often introduce additional (and undesirable) rendering artifacts and are susceptible to problems associated with anti-aliasing. Improvements upon the techniques of Halle and Kropp are discussed in the U.S. Patent entitled “Rendering Methods For Full Parallax Autostereoscopic Displays,” application Ser. No. 09/474,361, naming Mark E. Holzbach and David Chen as inventors, and filed on Dec. 29, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,549,308, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, isotropic parameterizations are particularly useful for applications in computer generated holography. Isotropic models, and particularly direction-and-point parameterizations (DPP) introduce less sampling bias than planar parameterizations, thereby leading to a greater uniformity of sample densities. In general, DPP representations are advantageous because they require fewer correction factors than other representations, and thus their parameterization introduces fewer biases in the rendering process. Various light field rendering techniques suitable for the dynamic autostereoscopic displays of the present application are further described in the aforementioned "308 patent, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,868,177, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

A massively parallel active hogel display can be a challenging display from an interactive computer graphics rendering perspective. Although a lightweight dataset (e.g., geometry ranging from one to several thousand polygons) can be manipulated and multiple hogel views rendered at real-time rates (e.g., 10 frames per second (fps) or above) on a single GPU graphics card, many datasets of interest are more complex. Urban terrain maps are one example. Consequently, various techniques can be used to composite images for hogel display so that the time-varying elements are rapidly rendered (e.g., vehicles or personnel moving in the urban terrain), while static features (e.g., buildings, streets, etc.) are rendered in advance and re-used. Thus, the aforementioned lightfield rendering techniques can be combined with more conventional polygonal data model rendering techniques such as scanline rendering and rasterization. Still other techniques such as ray casting and ray tracing can be used.

Thus, hogel renderer 130 and 3D image data 135 can include various different types of hardware (e.g., graphics cards, GPUs, graphics workstations, rendering clusters, dedicated ray tracers, etc.), software, and image data as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Moreover, some or all of the hardware and software of hogel renderer 130 can be integrated with display driver 120 as desired.

System 100 also includes elements for calibrating the dynamic autostereoscopic display modules, including calibration system 140 (typically comprising a computer system executing one or more calibration algorithms), correction data 145 (typically derived from the calibration system operation using one or more test patterns) and one or more detectors 147 used to determine actual images, light intensities, etc. produced by display modules 110 during the calibration process. The resulting information can be used by one or more of display driver hardware 120, hogel renderer 130, and display control 150 to adjust the images displayed by display modules 110.

An ideal implementation of display module 110 provides a perfectly regular array of active hogels, each comprising perfectly spaced, ideal lenslets fed with perfectly aligned arrays of hogel data from respective emissive display devices. In reality however, non-uniformities (including distortions) exist in most optical components, and perfect alignment is rarely achievable without great expense. Consequently, system 100 will typically include a manual, semi-automated, or automated calibration process to give the display the ability to correct for various imperfections (e.g., component alignment, optic component quality, variations in emissive display performance, etc.) using software executing in calibration system 140. For example, in an auto-calibration “booting” process, the display system (using external sensor 147) detects misalignments and populates a correction table with correction factors deduced from geometric considerations. Once calibrated, the hogel-data generation algorithm utilizes a correction table in real-time to generate hogel data pre-adapted to imperfections in display modules 110. Various calibration details are discussed in greater detail below.

Finally, display system 100 typically includes display control software and/or hardware 150. This control can provide users with overall system control including sub-system control as necessary. For example, display control 150 can be used to select, load, and interact with dynamic autostereoscopic images displayed using display modules 110. Control 150 can similarly be used to initiate calibration, change calibration parameters, re-calibrate, etc. Control 150 can also be used to adjust basic display parameters including brightness, color, refresh rate, and the like. As with many of the elements illustrated in FIG. 1, display control 150 can be integrated with other system elements, or operate as a separate sub-system. Numerous variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a dynamic autostereoscopic display module. Dynamic autostereoscopic display module 110 illustrates the arrangement of optical, electro-optical, and mechanical components in a single module. These basic components include: emissive display 200 which acts as a light source and spatial light modulator, fiber taper 210 (light delivery system), lenslet array 220, aperture mask 230 (e.g., an array of circular apertures designed to block scattered stray light), and support frame 240. Omitted from the figure for simplicity of illustration are various other components including cabling to the emissive displays, display driver hardware, external support structure for securing multiple modules, and various diffusion devices.

While numerous different types of devices can be used as emissive displays 200, including electroluminescent displays, field emission displays, plasma displays, vacuum fluorescent displays, carbon-nanotube displays, and polymeric displays, the examples described below will emphasize organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Emissive displays are particularly useful because they can be relatively compact, and no separate light sources (e.g., lasers, backlighting, etc.) are needed. Pixels can also be very small without fringe fields and other artifacts. Modulated light can be generated very precisely (e.g., planar), making such devices a good fit with lenslet arrays. OLED microdisplay arrays are commercially available in both single color and multiple color configurations, with varying resolutions including, for example, VGA and SVGA resolutions. Examples of such devices are manufactured by eMagin Corporation of Bellevue, Washington. Such OLED microdisplays provide both light source and modulation in a single device, relatively compact device. OLED technology is also rapidly advancing, and will likely be leveraged in future active hogel display systems, especially as brightness and resolution increase. The input signal of a typical OLED device is analog with a pixel count of 852×600. Each OLED device can be used to display data for a portion of a hogel, a single hogel, or multiple hogels, depending on device speed and resolution, as well as the desired resolution of the overall autostereoscopic display.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, module 110 includes six OLED microdisplays arranged in close proximity to each other. Modules can variously include fewer or more microdisplays. Relative spacing of microdisplays in a particular module (or from one module to the next) largely depends on the size of the microdisplay, including, for example, the printed circuit board and/or device package on which it is fabricated. For example, the drive electronics of displays 200 reside on a small stacked printed-circuit board, which is sufficiently compact to fit in the limited space beneath fiber taper 210. As illustrated, emissive displays 200 cannot be have their display edges located immediately adjacent to each other, e.g., because of device packaging. Consequently, light delivery systems or light pipes such as fiber taper 210 are used to gather images from multiple displays 200 and present them as a single seamless (or relatively seamless) image. In still other embodiments, image delivery systems including one or more lenses, e.g., projector optics, mirrors, etc., can be used to deliver images produced by the emissive displays to other portions of the display module.

The light-emitting surface (“active area”) of emissive displays 200 is covered with a thin fiber faceplate, which efficiently delivers light from the emissive material to the surface with only slight blurring and little scattering. During module assembly, the small end of fiber taper 210 is typically optically index-matched and cemented to the faceplate of the emissive displays 200. In some implementations (illustrated in greater detail below), separately addressable emissive display devices can be fabricated or combined in adequate proximity to each other to eliminate the need for a fiber taper fiber bundle, or other light pipe structure. In such embodiments, lenslet array 220 can be located in close proximity to or directly attached to the emissive display devices. The fiber taper also provides a mechanical spine, holding together the optical and electro-optical components of the module. In many embodiments, index matching techniques (e.g., the use of index matching fluids, adhesives, etc.) are used to couple emissive displays to suitable light pipes and/or lenslet arrays. Fiber tapers 210 often magnify (e.g., 2:1) the hogel data array emitted by emissive displays 200 and deliver it as a light field to lenslet array 220. Finally, light emitted by the lenslet array passes through black aperture mask 230 to block scattered stray light.

Each module is designed to be assembled into an N-by-M grid to form a display system. To help modularize the sub-components, module frame 240 supports the fiber tapers and provides mounting onto a display base plate (not shown). The module frame features mounting bosses that are machined/lapped flat with respect to each other. These bosses present a stable mounting surface against the display base plate used to locate all modules to form a contiguous emissive display. The precise flat surface helps to minimize stresses produced when a module is bolted to a base plate. Cutouts along the end and side of module frame 240 not only provide for ventilation between modules but also reduce the stiffness of the frame in the planar direction ensuring lower stresses produced by thermal changes. A small gap between module frames also allows fiber taper bundles to determine the precise relative positions of each module. The optical stack and module frame can be cemented together using fixture or jig to keep the module"s bottom surface (defined by the mounting bosses) planar to the face of the fiber taper bundles. Once their relative positions are established by the fixture, UV curable epoxy can be used to fix their assembly. Small pockets can also be milled into the subframe along the glue line and serve to anchor the cured epoxy.

Special consideration is given to stiffness of the mechanical support in general and its effect on stresses on the glass components due to thermal changes and thermal gradients. For example, the main plate can be manufactured from a low CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) material. Also, lateral compliance is built into the module frame itself, reducing coupling stiffness of the modules to the main plate. This structure described above provides a flat and uniform active hogel display surface that is dimensionally stable and insensitive to moderate temperature changes while protecting the sensitive glass components inside.

As noted above, the generation of hogel data typically includes numerical corrections to account for misalignments and non-uniformities in the display. Generation algorithms utilize, for example, a correction table populated with correction factors that were deduced during an initial calibration process. Hogel data for each module is typically generated on digital graphics hardware dedicated to that one module, but can be divided among several instances of graphics hardware (to increase speed). Similarly, hogel data for multiple modules can be calculated on common graphics hardware, given adequate computing power. However calculated, hogel data is divided into some number of streams (in this case six) to span the six emissive devices within each module. This splitting is accomplished by the digital graphics hardware in real time. In the process, each data stream is converted to an analog signal (with video bandwidth), biased and amplified before being fed into the microdisplays. For other types of emissive displays (or other signal formats) the applied signal may be digitally encoded.

The basic design illustrated in FIG. 2 emphasizes scalability, utilizing a number of self-contained scalable modules. Again, there need not be a one-to-one correspondence between emissive displays and hogels displayed by a module. So, for example, module 110 can have a small exit array (e.g., 16×18) of active hogels and contains all of the components for pixel delivery and optical processing in a compact footprint allowing for seamless assembly with other modules. Conceptually, an active hogel display is designed to digitally construct an optical wavefront (in real-time or near-real-time) to produce a 3D image, mimicking the reconstructed wavefront recorded optically in traditional holography. Each emissive display is capable of controlling the amount of light emitted in a wide range of directions (depending in part on any fiber taper/bundle used, the lenslet array, masking, and any diffusion devices) as dictated by a set of hogel data. Together, the active hogel array acts as an optical wavefront decoder, converting wavefront samples (hogel data) from the virtual world into the real world. In many embodiments, the lenslets need only operate to channel light (akin to non-imaging optics) rather than focus light. Consequently, they can be made relatively inexpensively while still achieving acceptable performance.

Whatever technique is used to display hogel data, generation of hogel data should generally satisfy many rules of information theory, including, for example, the sampling theorem. The sampling theorem describes a process for sampling a signal (e.g., a 3D image) and later reconstructing a likeness of the signal with acceptable fidelity. Applied to active hogel displays, the process is as follows: (1) band-limit the (virtual) wavefront that represents the 3D image, i.e., limit variations in each dimension to some maximum; (2) generate the samples in each dimension with a spacing of greater than 2 samples per period of the maximum variation; and (3) construct the wavefront from the samples using a low-pass filter (or equivalent) that allows only the variations that are less than the limits set in step (1).

In considering various architectures for active hogel displays, generating hogel data and convert it into a wavefront and subsequently a 3D image, uses three functional units: (1) hogel data generator; (2) light modulation/delivery system; and (3) light-channeling optics (e.g., lenslet array, diffusers, aperture masks, etc.). The purpose of the light modulation/delivery system is to generate a field of light that is modulated by hogel data, and to deliver this light to the light-channeling optics—generally a plane immediately below the lenslets. At this plane, each delivered pixel is a representation of one piece of hogel data. It should be spatially sharp, e.g., the delivered pixels are spaced by approximately 30 microns and as narrow as possible. A simple single active hogel can comprise a light modulator beneath a lenslet. The modulator, fed hogel data, performs as the light modulation/delivery system—either as an emitter of modulated light, or with the help of a light source. The lenslet—perhaps a compound lens—acts as the light-channeling optics. The active hogel display is then an array of such active hogels, arranged in a grid that is typically square or hexagonal, but may be rectangular or perhaps unevenly spaced. Note that the light modulator may be a virtual modulator, e.g., the projection of a real spatial light modulator (SLM) from, for example, a projector up to the underside of the lenslet array.

Purposeful introduction of blur via display module optics is also useful in providing a suitable dynamic autostereoscopic display. Given a hogel spacing, a number of directional samples (i.e., number of views), and a total range of angles (e.g., a 90-degree viewing zone), sampling theory can be used to determine how much blur is desirable. This information combined with other system parameters is useful in determining how much resolving power the lenslets should have. Again, using a simplified model, the plane of the light modulator is an array of pixels that modulate light and act as a source for the lenslet, which emits light upwards, i.e., in a range of z-positive directions. Light emitted from a single lenslet contains a range of directional information, i.e., an angular spread of k-vector components. In the ideal case of a diffraction-limited imaging system, imaging light from a single point on the modulator plane light exits the lenslet with a single k-vector component, i.e., the light is collimated. For an imperfect lenslet, the k-vectors will have a non-zero spread, which we will represent by angle αr. For an extended source at the plane of the modulator—a pixel of some non-zero width—the k-vectors will have a non-zero spread, which we will represent by angle αx. The total spread, αTotal, can be determined as αTotal 2=αx 2+αr 2assuming that all other contributions to k-vector spread (i.e., “blur”) are insignificant.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an optical fiber taper that can be used in dynamic autostereoscopic display modules. Here, six separate fiber tapers 300 have their large faces fused together to form a single component with the optical and structural properties discussed above. Note that light modulation devices 310 are shown for reference. Coherent optical fiber bundles propagate a light field from an entrance plane to an exit plane while retaining spatial information. Although each of the fiber bundles 300 are tapered (allowing for magnification or demagnification), such bundles need not be tapered. Fiber bundles and tapered fiber bundles are produced by various companies including Schott North America, Inc. Each taper 300 is formed by first bundling a large number of multimode optical fibers in a hexagonal bundle fusing them together using heat, and then drawing one end to produce the desired taper. Taper bundles with desired shapes, e.g., rectangular-faced tapers, can be fabricat