Abstract: Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses and spectrally complementary filters disposed on the curved surface lenses configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. The spectrally complementary filters include guard bands to prevent crosstalk between spectrally complementary portions of a 3D image viewed through the shaped glasses. In one embodiment, the spectrally complementary filters are disposed on the curved lenses with increasing layer thickness towards edges of the lenses. The projected complementary images may also be pre-shifted to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts occurring while viewing the images.

Abstract: Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses and spectrally complementary filters disposed on the curved surface lenses configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. The spectrally complementary filters include guard bands to prevent crosstalk between spectrally complementary portions of a 3D image viewed through the shaped glasses. In one embodiment, the spectrally complementary filters are disposed on the curved lenses with increasing layer thickness towards edges of the lenses. The projected complementary images may also be pre-shifted to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts occurring while viewing the images.

Abstract: Dual or multi-modulation display systems comprising a first modulator and a second modulator are disclosed. The first modulator may comprise a plurality of analog mirrors (e.g. MEMS array) and the second modulator may comprise a plurality of mirrors (e.g., DMD array). The display system may further comprise a controller that sends control signals to the first and second modulator. The display system may render highlight features within a projected image by affecting a time multiplexing scheme. In one embodiment, the first modulator may be switched on a sub-frame basis such that a desired proportion of the available light may be focused or directed onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature on a sub-frame rendering basis.

Abstract: Dual or multi-modulation display systems comprising a first modulator and a second modulator are disclosed. The first modulator may comprise a plurality of analog mirrors (e.g. MEMS array) and the second modulator may comprise a plurality of mirrors (e.g., DMD array). The display system may further comprise a controller that sends control signals to the first and second modulator. The display system may render highlight features within a projected image by affecting a time multiplexing scheme. In one embodiment, the first modulator may be switched on a sub-frame basis such that a desired proportion of the available light may be focused or directed onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature on a sub-frame rendering basis.

Abstract: Several embodiments of projection systems are disclosed that comprise a plurality of controllable emitters, each said emitter providing light for a light path; a plurality of first optical elements, each said first optical element receiving light from one of said emitters; a controllable modulator receiving light from said plurality of first optical elements; a plurality of conduits, each said conduit disposed over a portion of said controllable modulator; a plurality of second optical elements, each of said second optical elements receiving light from at least one of said plurality of conduits, and a controller for sending control signals to said controllable emitters and said controllable modulator. The illumination from the emitters may form a plurality of overlapping areas of illumination upon a projection screen where the image is intended to be formed.

Abstract: Dual or multi-modulation display systems comprising a first modulator and a second modulator are disclosed. The first modulator may comprise a plurality of analog mirrors (e.g. MEMS array) and the second modulator may comprise a plurality of mirrors (e.g., DMD array). The display system may further comprise a controller that sends control signals to the first and second modulator. The display system may render highlight features within a projected image by affecting a time multiplexing scheme. In one embodiment, the first modulator may be switched on a sub-frame basis such that a desired proportion of the available light may be focused or directed onto the second modulator to form the highlight feature on a sub-frame rendering basis.

Abstract: A digital PSF for use in a dual modulation display. The invention allows the use of less than optimal point spread (PSF) functions in the optics between the pre-modulator and primary modulator of a dual modulation projection system. This technique uses multiple halftones per frame in the pre-modulator synchronized with a modified bit sequence in the primary modulator to produce a compensation image that reduces the errors produced by the sub-optimal PSF. The invention includes the application to dual modulation and dual modulated 3D viewing systems.

Abstract: Smaller halftone tiles are implemented on a first modulator of a dual modulation projection system. This techniques uses multiple halftones per frame in the pre-modulator synchronized with a modified bit sequence in the primary modulator to effectively increase the number of levels provided by a given tile size in the halftone modulator. It addresses the issue of reduced contrast ratio at low light levels for small tile sizes and allows the use of smaller PSFs which reduce halo artifacts in the projected image and may be utilized in 3D projecting and viewing.

Abstract: Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses with spectrally complementary filters disposed thereon. The filters curved surface lenses are configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. Complementary images are projected for viewing through projection filters having passbands that pre-shift to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts. At least one filter may have more than 3 primary passbands. For example, two filters include a first filter having passbands of low blue, high blue, low green, high green, and red, and a second filter having passbands of blue, green, and red. The additional passbands may be utilized to more closely match a color space and white point of a projector in which the filters are used. The shaped glasses and projection filters together may be utilized as a system for projecting and viewing 3D images.

Abstract: A theater utilizes multiple projectors that are widely spaced. The wide spacing of the projectors reduces hot spotting that occurs on flat, curved, retro-reflective, and other types of screens. The projectors are spaced widely apart and generally are placed at opposite sides of the theater. The wide spacing causes a trapezoidal distortion or effect which may be electronically compensated for by, for example, changing pixel locations on modulators of the projectors such that same (or corresponding) pixels modulated in both projectors are ultimately projected onto a same pixel area of the screen. The invention is particularly advantageous in polarization based 3D systems which generally require high directivity screens where hot spotting and related crosstalk are common.

Abstract: Projection displays include a highlight projector and a main projector. Highlights projected by the highlight projector boost luminance in highlight areas of a base image projected by the main projector. Various highlight projectors including steerable beams, holographic projectors and spatial light modulators are described.

Abstract: Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses with spectrally complementary filters disposed thereon. The filters curved surface lenses are configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. Complementary images are projected for viewing through projection filters having passbands that pre-shift to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts. At least one filter may have more than 3 primary passbands. For example, two filters include a first filter having passbands of low blue, high blue, low green, high green, and red, and a second filter having passbands of blue, green, and red. The additional passbands may be utilized to more closely match a color space and white point of a projector in which the filters are used. The shaped glasses and projection filters together may be utilized as a system for projecting and viewing 3D images.

Abstract: Light from an array of laser light sources are spread to cover the modulating face of a DMD or other modulator. The spread may be performed, for example, by a varying curvature array of lenslets, each laser light directed at one of the lenslets. Light from neighboring and/or nearby light sources overlap at a modulator. The lasers are energized at different energy/brightness levels causing the light illuminating the modulator to itself be modulated (locally dimmed). The modulator then further modulates the locally dimmed lights to produce a desired image. A projector according to the invention may utilize, for example, a single modulator sequentially illuminated or separate primary color modulators simultaneously illuminated.

Abstract: Laser or narrow band light sources are utilized to from left (R1, G1, B1) and right (R2,G2;B2,) images of a 3D projection. Under off -axis viewing of projections (i.e. oblique incident angles) the passbands of the viewing filters in the glasses are blue-shifted, which has the potential of cause crosstalk and/or loss of energy/brightness in any channel or color. This blue-shift is compensated via the combined use of any of viewing passbands (220) encompassing the associated projected lightband (222) and a red-shift passband (224) selection of passband wavelengths that maximize usability of the passband as it “shifts” due to varying or increasing angles of off-axis viewing), curvature of viewing filters, and guard bands between light bands of adjacent channels. Implemented with any number of light sources, additional light sources are utilized to affect a desirable increase in color gamut.

Abstract: A light modulator configured to modulate at least two channels of an image to be projected and a lighting system configured to illuminate portions of the modulator corresponding to each channel with light having properties consistent with the channel. The channels comprise, for example, left and right channels of a 3D projection (e.g., a digital cinema projection). In one embodiment, the channels are provided by a multi-sectored filter wheel having at least one filter section for a first channel and at least one filter section for a second channel, where boundaries between the sectors are different in each section.

Abstract: Shaped glasses have curved surface lenses and spectrally complementary filters disposed on the curved surface lenses configured to compensate for wavelength shifts occurring due to viewing angles and other sources. The spectrally complementary filters include guard bands to prevent crosstalk between spectrally complementary portions of a 3D image viewed through the shaped glasses. In one embodiment, the spectrally complementary filters are disposed on the curved lenses with increasing layer thickness towards edges of the lenses. The projected complementary images may also be pre-shifted to compensate for subsequent wavelength shifts occurring while viewing the images.

Abstract: Several embodiments of projection systems are disclosed that comprise a plurality of controllable emitters, each said emitter providing light for a light path; a plurality of first optical elements, each said first optical element receiving light from one of said emitters; a controllable modulator receiving light from said plurality of first optical elements; a plurality of conduits, each said conduit disposed over a portion of said controllable modulator; a plurality of second optical elements, each of said second optical elements receiving light from at least one of said plurality of conduits, and a controller for sending control signals to said controllable emitters and said controllable modulator. The illumination from the emitters may form a plurality of overlapping areas of illumination upon a projection screen where the image is intended to be formed.

Abstract: Several embodiments of projection systems are disclosed that comprise a plurality of controllable emitters, each said emitter providing light for a light path; a plurality of first optical elements, each said first optical element receiving light from one of said emitters; a controllable modulator receiving light from said plurality of first optical elements; a plurality of conduits, each said conduit disposed over a portion of said controllable modulator; a plurality of second optical elements, each of said second optical elements receiving light from at least one of said plurality of conduits, and a controller for sending control signals to said controllable emitters and said controllable modulator. The illumination from the emitters may form a plurality of overlapping areas of illumination upon a projection screen where the image is intended to be formed.

Abstract: The color gamut of display devices like digital projectors and digital displays is expanded by incorporating additional passband filters into the optical path of the devices to produce presentations of color components in two different color gamuts. The composite visual effect of the two presentations is a presentation in an expanded color gamut. Special considerations in the modulation of color components of the image can reduce variations in color and brightness, which can otherwise manifest themselves as flicker.

Abstract: A light modulator configured to modulate at least two channels of an image to be projected and a lighting system configured to illuminate portions of the modulator corresponding to each channel with light having properties consistent with the channel. The channels comprise, for example, left and right channels of a 3D projection (e.g., a digital cinema projection). In one embodiment, the channels are provided by a multi-sectored filter wheel having at least one filter section for a first channel and at least one filter section for a second channel, where boundaries between the sectors are different in each section.