Patents by Inventor Helge Seetzen

Helge Seetzen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7733568
    Abstract: A display comprises a backlight comprising a plurality of individually-controllable light emitters, a light modulator comprising a plurality of individually-controllable elements, and, a retro-reflective optical layer positioned between the backlight and the light modulator. The retro-reflective optical layer is configured to pass light incident thereon at an angle with respect to a normal to the retro-reflective optical layer of less than a threshold angle ?, and reflect light incident thereon at an angle with respect to a normal to the retro-reflective optical layer of greater than ? in a direction opposite and generally parallel to an incoming direction of incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Silverstein, Lorne A. Whitehead, Gregory John Ward, Helge Seetzen, Vincent Kwong, Gary E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 7731367
    Abstract: A controller for a display having a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear projection screen. Elements of the light modulator may be controlled by the controller to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lorne A Whitehead, Gregory John Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
  • Publication number: 20100091045
    Abstract: A dual modulator display has a first array of pixels that illuminates a second array of pixels with a pattern of light. The second array of pixels modulates the pattern of light to yield an image. A method for determining control values for pixels of the first array of pixels begins with an initial set of control values and refines the control values. The control values may be refined one at a time. Images may be displayed in real time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wolfgang Heidrich, Matthew Trentacoste, Gregory J. Ward, Helge Seetzen
  • Publication number: 20100013983
    Abstract: A method for capturing multiple sets of image data with an electronic camera having a shutter and an electronic shutter for selectively allowing light to reach an image sensor comprises opening the shutter and the electronic shutter, allowing light to reach the image sensor for a first exposure time, closing the electronic shutter, reading out pixel data captured during the first exposure time, allowing light to reach the image sensor for a second exposure time, and, reading out pixel data captured during the second exposure time. The method may be used to obtain multiple differently exposed images of a scene for combination into a high dynamic range image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gregory John WARD, Helge SEETZEN
  • Publication number: 20100007577
    Abstract: A display has a light source, a spatial light modulator and an intermediate spatial light modulator. The display may be a front projection display or a rear-projection display. The spatial light modulator is illuminated with light from a light source. The intermediate spatial light modulator is located in a light path between the light source and the spatial light modulator. The light source may comprise an array of controllable light-emitters. The display may provide a high dynamic range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Ajit NINAN, Helge SEETZEN
  • Publication number: 20100002026
    Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. The screen is illuminated with light from an illuminator comprising an array of individually-controllable light sources. The light sources and elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity and frequency of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may be calibrated to compensate for differences in intensities of the light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Helge Seetzen, Lorne Whitehead, Gregory John Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Chun-Chi Wan
  • Publication number: 20090284547
    Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. Elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lorne WHITEHEAD, Greg WARD, Wolfgang STUERZLINGER, Helge SEETZEN
  • Patent number: 7616256
    Abstract: A method for capturing multiple sets of image data with an electronic camera having a shutter and an electronic shutter for selectively allowing light to reach an image sensor comprises opening the shutter and the electronic shutter, allowing light to reach the image sensor for a first exposure time, closing the electronic shutter, reading out pixel data captured during the first exposure time, allowing light to reach the image sensor for a second exposure time, and, reading out pixel data captured during the second exposure time. The method may be used to obtain multiple differently exposed images of a scene for combination into a high dynamic range image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory John Ward, Helge Seetzen
  • Publication number: 20090225234
    Abstract: A display has first and second spatial light modulators for modulating light from a light source. The first spatial light modulator has a plurality of elements switchable between ON and OFF states according to a pattern having a spatially-varying density. Transfer optics blur and carry light modulated by the first spatial light modulator to the second spatial light modulator to yield a light field at the second spatial light modulator. The second spatial light modulator has a plurality of elements switchable between ON and OFF states to perform temporal dithering of the light field to provide a reconstruction of the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory John WARD, Gerwin DAMBERG, Helge SEETZEN
  • Patent number: 7581837
    Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. Elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lorne A Whitehead, Gregory John Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
  • Publication number: 20090201320
    Abstract: A process for reducing noise and temporal artifacts (e.g. walking LEDs) on a dual modulation display system by applying temporal filtering to rear modulation signals of a sequence of video frames. Flare and dimming rates are calculated for a current frame in the video. If a flare rate threshold is exceeded, an intensity of the backlight is limited to a predetermined flare rate. If a dimming rate threshold is exceeded, the backlight intensity is limited to a predetermined dimming rate. The limitations are applied, for example, on an element-by-element basis. In the event of a scene change, the limitations do not need to be applied. A forward modulation signal is calculated by taking into account any applied backlight limitations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gerwin Damberg, Helge Seetzen
  • Publication number: 20090190237
    Abstract: A display comprises a backlight comprising a plurality of individually-controllable light emitters, a light modulator comprising a plurality of individually-controllable elements, and, a retro-reflective optical layer positioned between the backlight and the light modulator. The retro-reflective optical layer is configured to pass light incident thereon at an angle with respect to a normal to the retro-reflective optical layer of less than a threshold angle ?, and reflect light incident thereon at an angle with respect to a normal to the retro-reflective optical layer of greater than ? in a direction opposite and generally parallel to an incoming direction of incident light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Louis SILVERSTEIN, Lorne A. WHITEHEAD, Gregory John WARD, Helge SEETZEN, Vincent KWONG, Gary THOMAS
  • Publication number: 20090180078
    Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. Elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Lorne Whitehead, Greg Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
  • Patent number: 7551341
    Abstract: A display has first and second spatial light modulators for modulating light from a light source. The first spatial light modulator has a plurality of elements switchable between ON and OFF states according to a pattern having a spatially-varying density. Transfer optics blur and carry light modulated by the first spatial light modulator to the second spatial light modulator to yield a light field at the second spatial light modulator. The second spatial light modulator has a plurality of elements switchable between ON and OFF states to perform temporal dithering of the light field to provide a reconstruction of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory John Ward, Gerwin Damberg, Helge Seetzen
  • Publication number: 20090085929
    Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. Elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lorne Whitehead, Greg Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
  • Publication number: 20090034867
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus according to various aspects take as input image data in a lower-dynamic-range (LDR) format and produce as output enhanced image data having a dynamic range greater than that of the input image data (i.e. higher-dynamic range (HDR) image data). In some embodiments, the methods are applied to video data and are performed in real-time (i.e. processing of video frames to enhance the dynamic range of the video frames is completed at least on average at the frame rate of the video signal).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Allan G. REMPEL, Wolfgang HEIDRICH, Helge SEETZEN, Gregory John WARD, Lorne A. WHITEHEAD
  • Publication number: 20090034868
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus according to various aspects take as input image data in a lower-dynamic-range (LDR) format and produce as output enhanced image data having a dynamic range greater than that of the input image data (i.e. higher-dynamic range (HDR) image data). In some embodiments, the methods are applied to video data and are performed in real-time (i.e. processing of video frames to enhance the dynamic range of the video frames is completed at least on average at the frame rate of the video signal).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Allan G. REMPEL, Wolfgang Heidrich, Helge Seetzen, Gregory John Ward, Lorne A. Whitehead
  • Publication number: 20080284677
    Abstract: Modular displays are made up of arrays of modules that include light sources and light modulators. The modules may include control circuits that perform some image processing functions. The modules may illuminate a screen directly or may include optical systems that project light onto a screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lorne A. Whitehead, Gregory J. Ward, Helge Seetzen
  • Patent number: 7419267
    Abstract: A display has a screen which incorporates a light modulator. The screen may be a front projection screen or a rear-projection screen. Elements of the light modulator may be controlled to adjust the intensity of light emanating from corresponding areas on the screen. The display may provide a high dynamic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lorne A Whitehead, Gregory John Ward, Wolfgang Stuerzlinger, Helge Seetzen
  • Publication number: 20080204479
    Abstract: A display has a modulator illuminated by a illuminator comprising an array of light sources. The array includes light sources of a plurality of colors. The light sources of different colors are individually controllable. Within each color, the light sources that illuminate different areas on the modulator are individually controllable. The display may provide a high dynamic range and a wide color gamut.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2004
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Dolby Canada Corporation
    Inventor: Helge Seetzen