Dual ZScreen Projection
A system and method for projecting stereoscopic images using a multiple projector arrangement is provided. The design comprises transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left and right images and concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector left and right images. The first projector left image is transmitted by the first projector at substantially a same time as the second projector right image is transmitted by the second projector. Alternately, the design comprises transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left images alternating with first projector right images, and concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector left images alternating with second projector right images. A quasi-interlacing technique is also provided.
Latest REAL D Patents:
- Method, apparatus and system on a chip for controlling a stereoscopic display device
- Illumination systems
- Stereoscopic systems for anaglyph images
- Polarization preserving front projection screen microstructures
- Stereoscopic projection systems for employing spatial multiplexing at an intermediate image plane
This patent application is a continuation of non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/583245 entitled “Dual Zscreen Projection,” filed Oct. 18, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of stereoscopic motion picture display, and more specifically to coordinating two projectors for stereoscopic motion picture projection wherein illumination and temporal binocular symmetrical constraints are met.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stereoscopic displays in general—and stereoscopic motion picture systems in particular—must adhere to an important design constraint called binocular symmetries, first articulated by Lipton, in Foundations of the Stereoscopic Cinema, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1982. Binocular symmetries are an optical symmetrical or congruence principle, in which the left and right image fields must be carefully matched to within specifiable tolerances in order to insure that the stereoscopic image provides a pleasing image.
If this symmetrical constraint is not met, the result for the observer is what people sometimes call “eyestrain,” which describes the unpleasant sensation arising when viewing stereoscopic images. Some people will report the unpleasant sensation, as mentioned, as eyestrain; others will call it fatigue or a headache. Whatever it is called, since such asymmetries do not occur in the visual world, there is no generally accepted nomenclature to describe the resultant sensations. Therefore, people refer to the discomfort encountered by whatever name they find to be convenient or possible to the part of the body to which the discomfort is referred. The binocular symmetries are classified into three major categories: illumination, temporal, and geometrical.
Stereoscopic moving images are transmitted using projection systems, including but not limited to the ZScreen® design available from StereoGraphics Corporation. When binocular symmetries (illumination, temporal, and/or geometrical) occur using the ZScreen or any type of digital projection system, the aforementioned discomfort to the viewer can result.
It is beneficial to provide a system addressing and overcoming the binocular symmetry problems present in previously known projection designs, and to provide a stereoscopic projection arrangement or design having improved functionality over devices exhibiting those negative aspects described herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a first aspect of the present design, there is provided a method for projecting stereoscopic images using a multiple projector arrangement comprising a first projector and a second projector. The method comprises transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left and right images, and concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector left and right images. The first projector left image is transmitted by the first projector at substantially a same time as the second projector right image is transmitted by the second projector.
According to a second aspect of the present design, there is provided a method for projecting stereoscopic images using a multiple projector arrangement comprising a first projector and a second projector. The method comprises transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left images alternating with first projector right images, and concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector left images alternating with second projector right images. The first projector transmits one first projector left image at a first time substantially identical to the second projector transmitting one second projector left image.
According to either of the foregoing aspects, quasi-interlacing may be employed with the aspects described.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.
The present design seeks to address binocular symmetries present in stereoscopic motion picture projection systems. As noted above, binocular asymmetries will create discomfort to viewers and results from the left and right images that do not conform to well articulated design principles that are reviewed below and also described in more detail in Lipton as referenced above.
Binocular symmetries are classified into three major categories: illumination, temporal, and geometrical.
Illumination asymmetries include the following subcategories: overall illumination intensity, asymmetrical intensity or vignetting, and color balance. For the case of overall illumination intensity, if one image is brighter than the other, the observer will feel an unpleasant sensation. The level of discomfort depends on how much brighter one image is than the other, but it doesn't take very much of a difference to create an unpleasant sensation. A 20% difference in illumination intensity between the two images will result in the sensation that one eye is “pulling”, or result in eyestrain, or headaches, or other unpleasant feelings.
Another illumination asymmetry can be described as vignetting. Typically, in photography “vignetting” refers to the effect of corner darkening. Since lenses, by a cosine law, don't have even illumination, vignetting typically will occur in the corners of the frame. If the vignetting is symmetrical—in other words, if vignetting is identical in the left and right fields—the result is no discomfort because there is a symmetrical condition. But if the vignetting is asymmetrical, darkening in, for example, the right image's right corner but not in the left image's right corner, this results in another serious cause of a unpleasant sensations.
The last illumination asymmetry has to do with color balance. The tolerances can be less stringent because of the phenomenon of binocular color mixing but it remains a cause of unpleasant sensations. If the color temperature or color balance of the left and the right field don't match to within a specifiable tolerance, this is yet another source of concern.
Discomfort or “eyestrain” encountered as a result of these asymmetries is additive with time and cumulative as the artifacts pile up. That is to say, the longer one experiences an asymmetrical stereoscopic image from any cause whatsoever, the worse the feeling of discomfort. Also, although there are about a half a dozen definable symmetries, departures from the condition are additive notwithstanding the fact that they may fall into different categories. For example, if the stereoscopic moving image includes both illumination and geometry asymmetries simultaneously, these make the experience of viewing the film cumulatively and increasingly unpleasant.
Regarding temporal asymmetry, if the left and right images are not captured and presented essentially simultaneously, there may result in the generation of spurious temporal parallax that is perceived as a peculiar difficult to articulate “rippling” associated with motion or sometimes perceived as a kind of object flicker or “stereo-judder.” The left and right images have to be captured or photographed in the real world (and this is also true for the computer generated image field) essentially simultaneously. If not, the motion of objects turns into unwanted spatial parallax. This transformation of motion captured because shutters are out of phase or synchronization results in spurious temporal parallax. One primary concern of the present design is with projection and similar perceived asymmetries are so noted, and therefore the projection of the image fields or frames is desired to be essentially simultaneous. This condition is mitigated, for single projector projection using a ZScreen, for example, if the repetition rate is at a high enough frequency.
With regard to the temporal symmetrical condition more needs to be said: Generally speaking, two kinds of stereoscopic projection systems exist: those that project the left and right images simultaneously, and those that project the left and right image in sequence (right, left, right, left, and so on). If the left and right images are not projected at a high enough field rate when projected in sequence, the result is the aforementioned judder. The images are at a high enough field rate to satisfy what is known as the critical fusion frequency constraint. However, for stereoscopic projection an additional constraint exists having to do with the suppression of the temporal motion artifacts and the perception of stereoscopic judder. The image has to be repeated at a high enough rate in field sequential projection such that simultaneity is in a certain sense approximated. For material shot at 60 fields per second per eye, as is the usual case for television in the United States, a repetition rate of 120 fields per second—in other words, 60 lefts and 60 rights is satisfactory. At a high enough repetition rate the judder artifact does not occur. In theaters today, for material shot at 24 frames per second, each frame is typically concatenated and repeated three times for a total repetition rate of 144 frames per second to preclude the rippling or judder artifacts, double repetition or 96 frames per second having proven to be inadequate.
The geometric binocular symmetrical constraints are also noteworthy. If the magnification of one of the images is different from the other or out of definable tolerance, the result is a misalignment of homologous points with resultant eyestrain. Vertical asymmetry, with one image shifted upward with respect to the other, is also a serious problem because, generally speaking, when viewing the visual field the eyes fuse images based on vergence in the horizontal direction. When looking at a stereoscopic image, if the eyes are called upon to fuse in the vertical direction (within certain specifiable limits) the result is an unpleasant sensation or even pain.
In terms of psychophysics, some of the asymmetries produce unpleasant sensations due to unusual muscular effort, like vergence, and some of the asymmetries, like the illumination category, have a neurological basis having to do with the optical pathway in terms of a perception of unbalanced images. The present design addresses these artifacts and unpleasant sensations generated by the illumination and temporal asymmetries.
Using the method of
The single projector approach is a more modern approach that has been used in the last 15 years or so and only lately in the commercial cinema. Originally this stereoscopic approach was introduced for industrial virtual reality or for corporate presentations, but has not, until lately, become a commercially viable product for the cinema.
On the other hand, the original method shown in
Note that a single server can output both left and right fields and this is also true for the field sequential approach described with the aid of
The images projected by 206 and 207 through sheet polarizers 208 and 209 are reflected off of screen 210 and viewed by observer 211. The screen, like that shown in
The DLP light engine, unlike motion picture projection, is essentially continuously “on.” Motion picture projection requires occlusion of the projection fields for two reasons. First, when the film is advanced in the projector, travel-ghosts result if the interrupting shutter does not occlude the light and what is at that instant a vertically traveling piece of film. Also, the effective field rate is doubled by using the Pross shutter to interrupt the projection frame once the motion picture frame is at rest, thereby increasing the flicker rate and thus satisfying the critical “fusion frequency” requirement, i.e. that a motion picture image must be displayed at a minimum number of times per second to eliminate the perception of flutter.
As is shown in
It is important in the case of the dual projector setup that the left and right image presentation sequence be properly coordinated. All of the binocular symmetrical constraints described above apply. If the focal lengths of the left lens and the right lens do not match, then problems arise with the geometric constraint. If the images are misaligned in the vertical or the horizontal, additional geometric problems occur. If the arc lamps of the two projectors are not adjusted to have more or less the same illumination intensity, the image can be difficult to look at in the sense that the observer will experience fatigue.
There is also concern with the images being in synchrony. Although one would assume that it would be easier to make an electronic digital projector ensemble run in synchrony compared with a mechanical motion picture projector, this is not always the case. Even professional installations sometimes have the left and right projectors out of phase or out of synch.
On the other hand, looking at
The present design addresses the illumination and temporal binocular symmetrical constraints in order to provide a brighter, better looking stereoscopic image that requires, after initial setup, little or no calibration. A projected stereoscopic image should do no harm and cause no viewer discomfort. Many previously available projection solutions caused viewer fatigue and discomfort. A novel and improved design, overcoming the pitfalls of the past, is preferably simple to use. In the case of a theatrical motion picture projector, if the projector does not run essentially unassisted, then the projector is not a practical product. Previous systems had employed projectors that required constant monitoring and repeated tweaking.
Observer 318 views the image through polarized analyzing spectacles, as the image is reflected from polarization-conserving screen 317. Each projector receives both left and right image signals. Accordingly the signal fed to projector A via cable 305 has both left and right picture information and the signal fed to projector B has both left and right picture information.
Three general embodiments of the design are presented. The third embodiment can be used in conjunction with the first two to enhance image resolution.
In the first embodiment, the two projectors are run in synchrony. The ZScreen modulators 315 and 316 for the left and right modulators respectively are used to change the characteristic of polarized light at video field rate. Projector A projects a stream of left and right images, and projector B projects a different stream of left and right images. Unlike previous designs such as is shown in
In general, a timing signal is sent between the two projectors and the same field is projected by each projector, each field being out of phase with the other. The degree of phase difference is variable between the two projectors, and depending on circumstances, different phase differences can produce better quality images.
Each projector shares the burden of producing both the left and right fields. In the sequence described and illustrated—A standing for the A projector of
Note that in
In operation, for the design of
The A projector is therefore used for both left and right images and the B projector is used in the same manner. Therefore, the left eye sees a train of images that have originated from both the A and the B projectors, and the right eye sees a train of images that have originated from the A and B projectors. The projectors are adjusted in this arrangement to be out of phase. By running the projectors and the ZScreens out of phase, the image appears to be “on” continuously.
Illumination and temporal symmetries can benefit from the design illustrated in
The left and right trains of images are viewed continuously, so there is no blank period and the eyes are seeing images continuously. This can eliminate temporal asymmetry. The projectors may be run in the so-called “double-flash” mode in which each field or frame is concatenated and repeated twice, and the repetition rate is 96 frames per second, or they may be run in the so-called “triple-flash” mode in which each frame is concatenated and repeated three times for a total repetition rate of 144 frames per second. Single flash may be employed in certain circumstances. This arrangement can provide an extreme increase in brightness using the design of
The second embodiment runs both projectors in phase rather than the out of phase operation of the first embodiment. Running both projectors in phase provides field trains identical to those described with respect to
The net effect of this second embodiment is an increase in the overall brightness perceived and illumination asymmetries are eliminated or substantially reduced.
In the first embodiment the images are mixed by means of the psychophysical phenomenon of the persistence of vision. In the second embodiment the image fields are simply mixed additively simultaneously, but the end result is perceptually the same, namely consistently uniform left and right trains of image fields.
Hence from
The third embodiment may be applied to both the first and second embodiments and is based on the television concept of interlace. In the case of television, interlace is a bandwidth reducing technique to improve resolution. This third embodiment is a variation on that concept but because the design differs in two significant respects it is termed “quasi-interlace.”
TV interlace uses successive lines of a scanned image, alternating every other line, to build the image. If the images are repeated at a sufficient rate, no flicker results. For television, interlace captures one field, or one half image, at a time. In quasi-interlace, the system captures the entire image at once and then deconstructs the image to meet the format requirements of digital projection.
TV interlace alternates lines such that horizontal lines do not overlap. In the case of quasi-interlacing, the lines overlap to the extent that half of each line is covered alternately by its simultaneously written or successively written line.
Another way that quasi-interlace departs from television interlace is that when applied to the second embodiment, quasi-interlace comprises a simultaneous display of both interlace elopements. In the case of quasi-interlace, as applied to the first embodiment described above, the result more nearly resembles the traditional interlace technique.
Quasi-interlace is described with the help of
Projection involves transmitting a train of fields as depicted in
Quasi-interlace does not need to take the form of horizontal lines. The process can involve vertical lines, or diagonal offset, or an image that has been deconstructed along the lines of, for example, a checkerboard, or other arrangements.
All of the embodiments provided above include what may be considered a safety mode. If one of the two projectors fails, the safety mode ensures that the display continues, as sufficient stereoscopic images will be transmitted to the screen to enable a user to view the movie and perceive the stereoscopic effect. The same cannot be said of the prior system, such as the system of
What has been described here is a means for a dual projector ensemble using a modulator, such as a push-pull or ZScreen modulator to project stereoscopic images. These images are coordinated in a manner so that the illumination and temporal symmetry constraints are matched. The result is a very bright, easy-to-view stereoscopic motion picture image. In addition, certain quasi-interlace functions are described which may be optionally employed to enhance resolution.
The design presented herein and the specific aspects illustrated are meant not to be limiting, but may include alternate components while still incorporating the teachings and benefits of the invention, namely the dual path stereoscopic projection system disclosed and claimed herein. While the invention has thus been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention, and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known and customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains.
Claims
1. A method for projecting stereoscopic images using a multiple projector arrangement comprising a first projector and a second projector, the method comprising:
- transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left and right images; and
- concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector right and left images,
- wherein the first projector left image is transmitted by the first projector at substantially a same time as the second projector right image is transmitted by the second projector.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first field train and second field train are free of blank images.
3. The method of claim 1, further wherein the second projector left image is transmitted by the second projector at a later time and substantially a same instance as the first projector right image is transmitted by the first projector.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing images into first projector left images, first projector right images, second projector left images, and second projector right images, said dividing occurring before said transmitting.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein an observer's left eye perceives one first projector left image transmitted from the first projector followed by a second projector left image transmitted from the second projector.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising quasi-interlacing the images, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises deconstructing each image by dividing pixels in each image into two sub-images, each sub-image comprising a complementary series of regions comprising fewer pixels than in each image.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises transmitting a first sub-image followed by transmitting a complementary second sub-image.
8. A method for projecting stereoscopic images using a multiple projector arrangement comprising a first projector and a second projector, the method comprising:
- transmitting a first field train from the first projector, the first field train comprising first projector left images alternating with first projector right images; and
- concurrently transmitting a second field train from the second projector, the second field train comprising second projector left images alternating with second projector right images;
- wherein said first projector transmits one first projector left image at a first time substantially identical to the second projector transmitting one second projector left image.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first projector transmits one first projector right image at a second time substantially identical to the second projector transmitting one second projector right image.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein when the first projector left image is transmitted from the first projector and the second projector right image is transmitted from the right projector, an observer's right eye does not perceive a significant part of the image.
11. The method of claim 8, further comprising quasi-interlacing the images, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises deconstructing each image by dividing pixels in each combined image into two sub-images, each sub-image comprising a complementary series of regions comprising fewer pixels than in each image.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises transmitting a first sub-image followed by transmitting a complementary second sub-image.
13. The method of claim 8, further comprising quasi-interlacing the images, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises deconstructing the left image and deconstructing the right image by dividing pixels in each of the left and right images into sub-images, each sub-image comprising a complementary series of regions comprising fewer pixels than in each right image and each left image.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein quasi-interlacing comprises transmitting a first sub-image followed by transmitting a complementary second sub-image.
15. A projection apparatus configured to projecting stereoscopic images, comprising:
- a first projector configured to transmit a first field train, the first field train comprising first projector left and right images; and
- a second projector configured to concurrently transmit a second field train, the second field train comprising second projector right and left images,
- wherein the first projector left image is transmitted by the first projector at substantially a same time as the second projector right image is transmitted by the second projector.
16. The projection apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a connective element between the first projector and the second projector, the connective element configured to enable transmission of synchronization signals between the first projector and the second projector.
17. The projection apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first field train and second field train are free of blank images.
18. The projection apparatus of claim 15, wherein each first projector left image and each first projector right image occurs at least once in alternating succession in the first field train.
19. The projection apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a server arrangement configured to divide images into first projector left images, first projector right images, second projector left images, and second projector right images, and transmit said first projector left images and first projector right images to the first projector, and the second projector left images and second projector right images to the second projector.
20. The projection apparatus of claim 15, wherein an observer's left eye perceives one first projector left image transmitted from the first projector followed by a second projector left image transmitted from the second projector.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 25, 2010
Publication Date: Aug 26, 2010
Applicant: REAL D (Beverly Hills, CA)
Inventors: Matt Cowan (Bloomingdale), Josh Greer (Beverly Hills, CA), Lenny Lipton (Los Angeles, CA)
Application Number: 12/713,051
International Classification: H04N 13/04 (20060101);