Abstract: A method and apparatus for graphically presenting periodic data is disclosed herein. One embodiment includes generating a surface based on the periodic data, the contour of the surface corresponding to the amplitudes of the plurality of data points. At least one area of the surface can be visually differentiated from another area of the surface. A rendering mode, viewing orientation, and/or an area of interest associated with the surface can be prescribed and updated in real-time or quasi real-time.

Abstract: The transfer apparatus includes a light source, a transmission type image display device in which a liquid crystal layer is held between two sets of substrates and polarizing plates and a photosensitive recording medium. The light source, the image display device and the photosensitive recording medium are arranged in series along a direction in which light from the light source advances and the image display device and the photosensitive recording medium are arranged in a non-contact state. A display image transmitted from the transmission type image display device is transferred to the photosensitive recording medium. A distance between the image display device and the photosensitive recording medium and a sum total of thicknesses of the substrate and the polarizing plate at least on a side of the photosensitive recording medium in the image display device are set in accordance with a definition of the display image.

Abstract: A display source unit for a display device in a vehicle is provided, by which the driver is not given a physical or mental oppressive feeling to his or her head upon getting on and off the vehicle. The display source unit 9, which irradiates a light of a display image containing instrument information on a combiner 7 situated in front of an eye point I so that the irradiated light can be seen as a virtual image S from the eye point I, is provided with a cover member 13 consisting of: a front cover body 15 putting an optical element 21 for image magnification thereonto; and a rear cover body 17 hinged to the front cover body 15 with receiving a display device 23 therein. The cover member 13 is folded, thereby the light of the display image displayed on a display surface 23a of the display device 23 is reflected on a reflector 25 disposed in the cover member 13 to the optical element 21, passes through the optical element 21, and goes toward the eye point I after being reflected by the combiner 7.

Abstract: An optical device includes a transparent material layer having a desired curved surface configuration, a layer including a variable refractive index material having a dielectric constant anisotropy, at least two transparent electrodes arranged to sandwich the transparent material layer and the variable refractive index material, and a driving device supplying a voltage including driving frequencies f1 and f2 between the transparent electrodes. The difference &Dgr;∈ in the dielectric constant of the variable refractive index material due to the anisotropy is positive at one of the driving frequencies and negative at the other driving frequency.

Abstract: By this invention, multi-users can view the 3 dimensional objects or images in real time (run time) without special glasses in the space or in the air or in space as the result of emitting light from points where beams merges in materials.

Abstract: A display system or monitor arrangement for stereoscopic displaying of images includes a pair of displays for providing respective left eye and right eye images and arranged in perpendicular intersecting planes, a beam splitter for combining the images from the displays in a common light path, and a means to discriminate between respective images to present the respective left and right eye images to the eyes of a viewer for viewing. Image discriminating functions may be obtained using plane polarized light characteristics and/or circular polarized light characteristics. A package arrangement retains the display a system components for storage or use; and a cubical mount structure may provide alignment and positioning of respective parts of the display system. Display methods for displaying stereoscopic images in a common light path are included.

Abstract: A stereoscopic display comprises a spatial light modulator such as a liquid cryatal device. The modulator comprises an array of pixels such as RGB pixels. A retarder array is disposed on the front of the spatial light modulator. The array comprises first stripes and second stripes which extend vertically and alternate which each other horizontally. The first and second stripes supply light from the modulator to an observer with different, preferably orthogonal, polarizations. Each of the stripes has a width which is greater than the horizontal pitch of the pixels. In a preferred embodiment, a lenticular screen is disposed in front of the retarder array. The lenticules extend vertically and are spaced horizontally with a pitch which is substantially equal to the pitch of the pixels.

Abstract: A 3D image/2D image switching display apparatus is provided with a liquid crystal display unit and first and second lenticular lenses. To display a 3D image, the first lenticular lens is arranged in such a way that the optical axis of the first lenticular lens coincides with the optical axis of the second lenticular lens so that pixels for a left eye display an image for a left eye and pixels for a right eye display an image for a right eye. To display a 2D image, the first lenticular lens is arranged in such a way that the optical axis of the first lenticular lens is shifted from the optical axis of the second lenticular lens by half a lens pitch so that the pixels for the left eye and the pixels for the right eye display the same image independently.

Abstract: A three-dimensional image display includes a display screen, a projector operable to project two or more images onto the display screen sequentially, and a collimator located between the screen and a viewing position. The collimator is operable to change the viewing angle of the screen in sequence with the image projected onto the screen.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing picture element groups by means of laser rays in space and on a plane. The laser ray, functioning as a picture ray, is divided into a main ray and one or more secondary rays. The secondary rays are transformed into groups of individual picture elements by adapted devices. In the pictorial representation of 3D images, secondary images arise consisting of an individual picture group made of individual picture elements.

Abstract: A 3D display apparatus (2) is provided with: a plurality of displaying devices (11, 12) which are arranged on a visual line of a viewer (10) in series at a predetermined interval; and a controlling device (31-39) for controlling the displaying devices to respectively display images, so as to show a three dimensional image for the viewer. At least one (11) of the displaying devices except for a displaying device (12) which is positioned farthest from the viewer has an image displaying surface having both of a self-emitting property and a light transparency property.

Abstract: A system and method to synchronize one or more shutters on user-worn headgear with a sequence of images shown on a display by initially synchronizing the shutter(s) with the sequence of images using an initial synchronization signal generated externally to the headgear and by maintaining synchronization of the shutter(s) with the sequence of images using an ongoing synchronization signal generated independently by the headgear.

Abstract: A stereoscopic image display apparatus that has low degradations of image quality and can perform high-resolution display is discribed. The stereoscopic image display apparatus includes an image display unit displaying a combined image formed by combining a plurality of viewpoint images. In addition, this includes a mask member having a plurality of aperture portions to pass only rays of light, directing to a viewpoint corresponding to a viewpoint image that each pixel groups displays. Moreover, this also includes a switching control circuit that makes the image display unit display a plurality of combined images, where arrangement of the pixel groups are mutually different, with switching the plurality of combined images, and that switches arrangement aperture portions in the mask member with synchronizing with the switching of these combined images.

Abstract: A three-dimensional display apparatus (10) that can be used to display conventional pseudo three-dimensional images and true three dimensional images using a CRT screen (96), or an array of digital micromirror devices (152) or an array of activated micromirrors (174), or any other devices that can activate/deactivate multiple pixels, simultaneously, at a high speed.

Abstract: A projection television receiver having red, green and blue image projectors for respective images of different colors and a high gain projection screen formed by at least one hologram disposed on a substrate superimposed on at least one light transmissive panel. The high gain holographic screen provides increased horizontal viewing performance over lenticular (e.g., fresnel) screens without reliance on screens having wide horizontal half viewing angles.

Abstract: A projection television has a screen with a three dimensional hologram on a film substrate for collecting light over a range of incident angles and redirecting the light more nearly forward. Vertical and horizontal holograms can have varying gain across a horizontal viewing span of ±40° and a vertical viewing span of ±20° can be stacked. Image projection tubes project an image onto at least one mirror that reflects the image along an optical path that converges at an angle of projection, &phgr;, between about 0° and 30° relative to an axis orthogonal to the screen. Each tube can have a separate mirror. The hologram redirects the images reflected to an angle of display relative to the orthogonal axis of the screen of from 0 to 5°.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for displaying three-dimensional images. In the method light beams (Le) are associated to several different screen points (P) of a screen (20). The light beams (Le) produce different views associated to different emission directions (E). The emission directions (E) are associated to the individual screen points (P). The light beams (Le) are generated by projecting light beams (Ld), according to the angle of the adjacent emitting directions. According to the invention, light beams (Le) without viewing direction information are generated, essentially simultaneously, with pixels (Cd) having different co-ordinates. These pixels (Cd) are pixels of a two-dimension display (50), and they are associated to different emitting directions (E) of the appropriate screen points (P).

Abstract: A multi-view image display system provides a plurality of multi-view three-dimensional (3-D) images, using the mask type of image arrangement plate where the images grouped by corresponding pixels are arranged in a same order as that of the pixels. Each pixel cell is provided with an image display region which is divided into a plurality of subcells arranged depending on arrangement structure of the viewing zones, and each of the subcells transmits or reflects the lights from point light sources using its whole area, thereby allowing the transmitted or reflected lights to be collected in each of the viewing zones to form each of the view images.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of converting conventional 2-D imaging to 3-D imaging, by digitizing each scene to be converted, defining individual objects within the scene, assigning a specified depth to each object in the scene, scanning each pixel in the scene and assigning respective depth components to the pixels according to the specified depth.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image mutual transfer and succession method between a virtual image and a real image capable of performing the smooth transfer between the display of a virtual image of a real item and the display of a real image, realizing the successful combination of the reality of the real item and the fantasy of the real image, and enabling a rich representation.

Abstract: An image display machine includes a first planar display to present a two-dimensional image. The two-dimensional image includes an object image. The display machine also includes an image transmitting panel which has a micro lens array. The image transmitting panel is placed in parallel to the first display. The micro lens array includes a plurality of lenses, and has an effective area greater than the object image. The image transmitting panel creates an imaging plane to show a real image of the two-dimensional image on the side opposite the first display. The display machine further includes a second display to present a background image. The second display is located between the imaging plane and the micro lens array. The second display has a transparent or semitransparent area. The display machine has a simple structure, but is able to display the two-dimensional image stereoscopically.

Abstract: A three-dimensional representation method for generating a three-dimensional image by displaying two-dimensional images on a plurality of image planes located at different depth positions wherein two-dimensional images are generated in which an object to be presented is projected, along the line of sight of an observer, onto the plurality of image planes located at different depth positions as seen from the observer, the brightness levels of the generated two-dimensional images are changed individually for each image plane and the generated two-dimensional images are displayed on the plurality of image planes.

Abstract: A stereoscopic display system which includes a processor and a display device is described. The processor parses a left eye image of a stereoscopic image into a plurality of vertical left eye strips and parses a right eye image of the stereoscopic image into a plurality of vertical right eye strips. The processor then combines the left eye strips and the right eye strips into a display image by interleaving the left eye strips with the right eye strips. The display image is provided to the display device, which includes a lenticular layer which acts as a light guide to steer light from each of the left eye strips and the right eye strips to no more than one corresponding eye of a left eye and a right eye of a viewer, such that the viewer can perceive the display image as having three-dimensions without using special goggles, glasses, or the like.

Abstract: A three-dimensional representation method for generating a three-dimensional image by displaying two-dimensional images on a plurality of image planes located at different depth positions wherein two-dimensional images are generated in which an object to be presented is projected, along the line of sight of an observer, onto the plurality of image planes located at different depth positions as seen from the observer, the brightness levels of the generated two-dimensional images are changed individually for each image plane and the generated two-dimensional images are displayed on the plurality of image planes.

Abstract: A three-dimensional representation method for generating a three-dimensional image by displaying two-dimensional images on a plurality of image planes located at different depth positions wherein two-dimensional images are generated in which an object to be presented is projected, along the line of sight of an observer, onto the plurality of image planes located at different depth positions as seen from the observer, the brightness levels of the generated two-dimensional images are changed individually for each image plane and the generated two-dimensional images are displayed on the plurality of image planes.

Abstract: A variable focusing projection system for controllably focusing image slices of an object onto respective optical elements of a volumetric display device, such as a multiple optical element device, by changing the effective object distance of the object and thereby adjusting the image distance. A variable focusing projection system comprises a projection lens and an object distance modifier. The object distance modifier is located between the object and the projection lens and has an index of refraction greater than 1 and variable thickness. The system controllably positions a predetermined thickness of the object distance modifier in the optical path. The object distance modifier may comprise a disk made of a transparent material with an azimuthally varying thickness. The disk may be controllably rotated to position the predetermined thickness in the optical path to generate a desired image distance.

Abstract: A three-dimensional representation method for generating a three-dimensional image by displaying two-dimensional images on a plurality of image planes located at different depth positions wherein two-dimensional images are generated in which an object to be presented is projected, along the line of sight of an observer, onto the plurality of image planes located at different depth positions as seen from the observer, the brightness levels of the generated two-dimensional images are changed individually for each image plane and the generated two-dimensional images are displayed on the plurality of image planes.

Abstract: An electronic utility device is provided. The device includes a user input interface and a user output interface, the user output interface including a compact virtual display for providing visual information to the user, the compact virtual display including (a) a light-transmissive substrate; (b) an input diffractive optical element integrally formed with the light-transmissive substrate; (c) an output diffractive optical element integrally formed with the light-transmissive substrate laterally of the input diffractive optical element; and (d) an image source for producing a real image, the image source optically communicating with the input diffractive optical element so as to collimate the real image into plane waves transmittable along an optical path through the light-transmissive substrate, such that when the plane waves impinges on the output diffractive optical element the plane waves are focused to form a virtual image which correspond to the real image and which is viewable by the user.

Abstract: In a three-dimensional image display apparatus provided with a shading mask with a minute aperture array in front of a color display device, the minute apertures are provided with color filters, a setting is provided so that the visual angles between the respective centers of the red-light transmitting part, green-light transmitting part, and blue-light transmitting part of the color filters become equal, in an identical parallax image pixel region, to the visual angles between the respective centers of the red, green, and blue sub-pixels of the color display device, the respective red, green, and blue sub-pixels are made so as to be always displayed in a lighted condition at a fixed area ratio, thus color reproduction wherein brightness ratio of the three primary colors in respective parallax image pixels is maintained at an appointed value is carried out.

Abstract: A three-dimensional representation method for generating a three-dimensional image by displaying two-dimensional images on a plurality of image planes located at different depth positions wherein two-dimensional images are generated in which an object to be presented is projected, along the line of sight of an observer, onto the plurality of image planes located at different depth positions as seen from the observer, the brightness levels of the generated two-dimensional images are changed individually for each image plane and the generated two-dimensional images are displayed on the plurality of image planes.

Abstract: A 3-dimensional image apparatus based on a polarizing method is disclosed.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) graphic generation apparatus and its generation method according to the present invention generate high quality 3D graphics from two-dimensional (2D) graphics such as characters, without requiring difficult operations. Triangulation is performed using outline data corresponding to a sequence of all points which form an outline of a 2D graphic including a 2D character or the like, and thereafter configurations of the triangles are changed using the outline segments. The generated triangles are judged whether or not they are components of the character, and triangles that have been judged as the components are spatially moved, thereby generating the top surface. Further, side surfaces are generated by connecting corresponding points, thereby generating a 3D graphic.

Abstract: In creating visual effects with lighting apparatus, a digital image projector is adapted to receive digital image information and to project an image beam, a beam director directs the image beam in a plurality of directions over the set and an image processor processes the digital image information in accordance with the direction of the beam.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for creating a three-dimensional model of an object, images of the object taken from different, unknown positions are processed to identify the points in the images which correspond to the same point on the actual object (that is “matching” points), the matching points are used to determine the relative positions from which the images were taken, and the matching points and calculated positions are used to calculate points in a three-dimensional space representing points on the object. A number of different techniques are used to identify the matching points, and a number of solutions are calculated and tested for the relative positions, the solution which is consistent with the largest number of matching points being selected.

Abstract: A color display apparatus comprises autostereoscopic display means (10) for displaying a stereoscopic image, for example, an LC matrix display (11) having a row and column array of display elements (12) and parallel lenticular elements (16) overlying the display elements. Diffusing means (40, 80) is selectively operable with the display means to enable a two dimensional image to be perceived. The reduction in horizontal resolution experienced with such multi-view apparatus is at least partially recovered by the diffusing means.

Abstract: A perspective projection conversion is performed on a 3-dimensional object onto a plurality of virtual planes. After image information corresponding to each plane is stored in a flat buffer, the image information is read from the flat buffer for each of a plurality of sectioned areas forming each of a plurality of planes, and stored in a corresponding area in a frame buffer, and the image corresponding to the image information stored in the frame buffer is projected onto a curved surface screen through a wide-angle lens, thus disclosing the image display device.

Abstract: For stereoscopic displaying the new plasma display panels are providing promising results. When using shutter glasses that are controlled by the PDP, it is possible to display left and right image in short succession for stereoscopic displaying. However, there is the phosphor lag effect that is really disturbing and can totally impede the stereovision.

Abstract: A display system (1, 31) is described for positioning at least one eye (3, 33) defining an eye path (4, 34), which display device comprises an image-generating means (5, 37) for generating artificial images, a control system for electronically controlling the image-generating means, and a magnifying optical system (7, 35) for magnifying the artificial images to a virtual image for the at least one eye, wherein the image-generating means is transparent and is present in the eye path for passing external light coming from the ambience of the display device, present in the eye path, to the eye.

Abstract: A three-dimensional display is disclosed that includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, the light-emitting elements arranged in a three-dimensional pattern, each light-emitting element having a plurality of display settings. The three-dimensional display also includes a plurality of display planes, each display plane including a mutually exclusive subset of the plurality of the light-emitting elements, the subsets of respective display planes being mutually exclusive. The three-dimensional display also include a controller, the controller configured to receive an external signal and to generate an internal signal for controlling the display settings of at least one of the plurality of light-emitting elements as a function of the external signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a 3D image display body which is used to display 3D images in which right-eye image display parts a and left-eye image display parts b are mixed, this method including a phase-difference film that is disposed on a transparent support 1 with an adhesive agent 2 interposed. Resist members 4 are then disposed in specified positions on the aforementioned phase-difference film. The resulting assembly is then immersed in hot water and dried. A display member 5 is then superimposed or bonded on the side of the resist members 4.

Abstract: In a cylindrical coordinate system, the dominant direction of a line changes in a predictable manner. A rasterizer uses this fact to efficiently render a desired line on a volumetric display. It does do by determining whether first and second points on the desired line are on first and second constituent line-segments of the desired line, the first and second constituent line-segments having different dominant directions. On the basis of the determination, the rasterizer renders a second voxel representative of the second point on the desired line by incrementally proceeding from a first voxel representative of the first point. The location of the second voxel is selected to minimize a distance between that second voxel and the desired line.

Abstract: A projection television is provided comprising at least three image projectors for projecting respective images of different colors onto a holographic projection screen. One of the projectors has a first, shortest optical path disposed in a substantially orthogonal orientation with the holographic projection screen and at least two of the projectors are disposed in adjacent, stepped-relation to one another and have respective optical paths that are (i) selectively defined by the stepped-relation of the projectors; and (ii) converge toward the first optical path in a non-orthogonal orientation so as to define angles of incidence corresponding to a lowest level chromatic aberration of the images by the holographic projection screen. The projection screen is formed by a three dimensional hologram representing a three dimensional array of lenticular elements disposed on a substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to three-dimensional (3D) imaging, and more particularly, to a multi-planar 3D display system using a plurality of liquid crystal shutters which incorporate nematic liquid crystals having polymer-stabilized liquid cholesteric textures. The polymer stabilized mixture includes a combination of liquid crystals, a chiral additive, monomer and a photo initiator. By using nematic liquid crystals having polymer-stabilized cholesteric textures in a multi-planar 3D display system, a substantially haze-free 3D image can be viewed on the multi-surface optical device from a wide range of viewing angles.

Abstract: An apparatus for the generation of a full-spectrum stereoscopic display. The system uses a flat, masking screen comprised of a plurality of regularly spaced, vertical apertures arranged in front of, parallel, and in a geometric relation to a flat, image display screen. The image has two viewpoints (one right-eye and one left-eye) interlaced by alternate vertical rows of pixels. The system creates a full-spectrum stereoscopic display when the image is viewed with proper geometric alignment by a viewer through the vertical apertures of the masking screen, which effectively separates the alternating left-eye/right-eye viewpoint vertical rows of pixels in such a manner as to allow the right eye to only see the right-eye viewpoint and the left eye to only see the left-eye viewpoint. A holographic display can be achieved by using five cameras, which allow a viewer to “see” and image from different angles.

Abstract: An optical device includes a transparent layer having a desired curved surface configuration, a layer including a variable refractive index material having a dielectric constant anisotropy, at least two transparent electrodes arranged to sandwich the transparent material layer and the variable refractive index material, and a driving device supplying a voltage including driving frequencies f1 and f2 between the transparent electrodes. The difference &Dgr;∈ in the dielectric constant of the variable refractive index material due to the anisotropy is positive at one of the driving frequencies and negative at the driving frequency.

Abstract: A display system is provided, such display system including a display with a generally horizontal display surface, and a reflecting element with an opaque reflective surface configured to reflect an image presented by the display for viewing by the vehicle occupant. The display system is configured to be mounted adjacent the front console, typically with the display embedded in the front console and the reflecting element mounted above the display at an angle relative thereto.

Abstract: A three dimensional display provides a true 3-D display of an image defined by luminous voxels within a virtually transparent volume. The voxels may be generated by illuminating a virtually transparent fluorescent gas or dye with beams of excitation energy that cause the gas or dye to emit light at voxels where the energy beams intersect. The voxels may be refreshed in a manner to create either fixed or animated images.

Abstract: A multi-planar volumetric display system and method generate volumetric three-dimensional images using a multi-surface optical device including a plurality of individual optical elements corresponding to a plurality of image depths. An image projector selectively projects images on respective optical elements to generate a volumetric three-dimensional image viewable in the multi-surface optical device. Psychological vision cues are added during generation of the three-dimensional image to enhance depth perception when viewing the three-dimensional image. A floating-image generator may project the three-dimensional image having enhanced depth to generate a second volumetric three-dimensional image viewable as floating in space.

Abstract: A display system including a volumetric display unit for displaying voxels in a three-dimensional image space; a graphics engine for feeding image data to the volumetric display unit; and a passive interaction device which uses a radiation sensor for sensing radiation from a selected region of the three-dimensional image space. The interaction device can be used to perform image operations within the image space, typically using a recognisable cursor which is grabbed, highlighted and moved within the image space.

Abstract: A multi-planar volumetric display system and method of operation generate volumetric three-dimensional images using a multi-surface optical device including a plurality of individual optical elements arranged in an array; and an image projector for selectively projecting images on respective optical elements to generate a first volumetric three-dimensional image viewable in the multi-surface optical device. A floating-image generator may also be included for projecting the first volumetric three-dimensional image to generate a second volumetric three-dimensional image viewable as floating in space at a location separate from the multi-surface optical device.