WO2002054347A2

WO2002054347A2 - Systems for generating three dimensional views of two dimensional renderings

Info

Publication number: WO2002054347A2
Application number: PCT/US2002/000639
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michelle A. Lent
Original assignee: Stefaan De Schrijver, Incorporated
Priority date: 2001-01-08
Filing date: 2002-01-08
Publication date: 2002-07-11
Also published as: WO2002054347A3; AU2002237799A1

Abstract

The present invention presents the brain with a three-dimensional perception of a two-dimensional image, as opposed to actual image reconstruction such as the hologram or the other methods. More particularly, the systems and methods described herein allow the viewing of drawings and pictures in three dimensions, whether as stills, electronic streams or movies. No special devices are need at the time of recordation. The device and the method allow the three dimensional viewing at the time of the observation by placing a set of lenses (1.2 & 1.3) between the eyes and the picture or screen (1.1).

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING THREE DIMENSIONAL VIEWS OF TWO DIMENSIONAL RENDERINGS OF MOVING- STREAMING, OR STILL PICTURES OR DRAWINGS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The invention relates to systems and methods for allowing business and other entities to deliver three dimensional views of two dimensional pictures or drawings to a customer employing the VU3D device to observe printed, projected or electronically delivered images, whether still, streaming or moving. Such a device may be used for viewing Digital Video Disks, for playing computer games, for streaming video, for video conferencing, for watching television. It can be used to view cascaded windows at different depths of sight, depending on the focus distance of the observer's eye to the displayed window caused by the lens system of the viewing device.

(2) Description of the Prior Art

Today there are devices and methods that allow three-dimensional viewing of images. Some involve the usage of pairs of filtering glasses with either a different color or a different polarization for each eye. The delivery of the pictures is dual, and not viewable by both eyes simultaneously without the pair of filtering glasses. The left eye sees an image filtered in a different way from the image seen by the right eye. The recording devices that are at the origin of the dual images must super-impose the dual images in such a way that the eyes perceive the separate images at a slightly different angle, or at a different time. Some devices and methods rely on the properties of monochromatic light as provided by lasers, they allow the recordation of particular interference patterns, that allow a three dimensional view of the objects recorded. In this case the viewer does not require any special device. It is the image record that contains all the necessary information, but that requires specific media suitable for recording the interference patterns. Recently computer assisted displays have been developed that display separate images for each eye, and that display them alternatively at angles and at a frame rate such that the brain of an observer will be induced to see a three dimensional image.

While the latter two methods do not require the wearing of special glasses, all methods described above necessitate the usage of specialized equipment or media both at the time of recordation and at the time of viewing, in order to allow the brain of the observer to reconstruct a three dimensional image from the sets of dual two dimensional images.

Although the content industry provides a large amount of drawings and pictures as stills, as electronic streams or as movies, it is not possible to view these images in a three dimensional way, because these images lack the dual nature required by the existing methods and devices for three dimensional image reconstruction.

There is a need in the art for systems and methods that will allow the viewing of software-windows, drawings and pictures in three dimensions, whether as stills, electronic streams or movies, directly from existing two- dimensional images.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is to present the brain with a three- dimensional perception of a two-dimensional image, as opposed to actual image reconstruction such as the hologram or the other methods mentioned above. More particularly, the systems and methods described herein allow the viewing of drawings and pictures in three dimensions, whether as stills, electronic streams or movies. No special devices are needed at the time of recordation. The device and the method that are the subject of this invention, allow the three dimensional viewing at the time of the observation by placing a set of lenses between the eyes and the picture or screen. The set of lenses adds depth perception.

Any photographic picture contains information regarding the object that is recorded in the photograph. Such information includes shape, texture, shadows, precedence, relative size, color, and perspective. A human uses this visual information to perceive depth. In vision there are multiple cues for depth - some fall under the category of binocular, meaning both eyes must be used, and the rest under monocular, where only one eye needs be used. All currently known methods for three-dimensional viewing solely make use of "binocular disparity". It requires the use of two eyes. Binocular disparity refers to the degree of difference between the two eyes' views. This disparity serves as a cue to judge an object's distance from the eyes - the greater the disparity, the closer the object. There are monocular cues that provide a sense of depth in two- dimensional pictures such as occlusion, relative size, linear perspective, texture gradient, position relative to horizon, and differential coloring and lighting of surfaces. The latter two are used in software windowing techniques and GUI's (Graphical User Interfaces, such as Motif or MS-Windows). The most important monocular cue is motion parallax. This phenomenon refers to the changed view one has of a scene or an object when one's head moves sideways to the scene or object. As one's head moves, one gains different views of the object and also sees the object displaced relative the background. Since the background is further away, the change in angle is greater (the angle gets bigger with distance). The degree in change between the object and the background at one moment compared with the next, as the head moves in space, serves as a cue for assessing the distance between the object and the background.

The method of the current invention combines the effects of monocular and of binocular disparities, in creating the perception of depth in an image. This is done by means of a device that contains multiple refracting or reflecting surfaces that function as a set of lenses working together as a single transparent screen.

It is known in the art that lenses have imperfections. Most of these imperfections are a function of the angle of incidence between a ray of light and surface. It is also known in the art that the "optical path-length" is different from the geometric path-length. The optical path-length is function of the breaking index of the medium traversed by the ray of light. For instance the breaking index for white light in air or vacuum is 1. The breaking index for the same light in clear acrylic is typically 1.5. This has a big influence on angular imperfections, and thus on parallax. On top of that, the breaking index varies with the color of the light.

The present invention makes use of the effects created by above- mentioned phenomena in imperfect lens systems. Contrary to conventional lens systems that strive to correct for imperfections, by combining lenses that eliminate them, the lens system of the current invention makes use of the imperfections. Thus the present invention is able to generate the monocular and binocular disparities that an observer needs in order to perceive depth.

The method consists in placing at the appropriate distance one or a plurality of lenses between a printed, electronically displayed or optically projected image of an object and an observer who views the image with both eyes. The imperfections in the lens system make that the optical path from a point on the displayed image and the left eye of the observer is different from the optical path to the right eye. When the screen, the lens system and the observer are placed at the appropriate focal distances, the observer will now view the images with depth perception, as in a three dimensional rendition. Not aligning the picture and the lens system at appropriate optical focal distances will make it impossible to obtain the depth perception and hence the three dimensional view will not be achieved. Moving the observer's head slightly up or down, or left or right results in deformation of the view of the image in such a way that the observer perceives changes in parallax.

The present invention makes the observer perceive image deformations as changing angles caused by motion parallax and binocular disparity. The monocular pictorial cues (linear perspective, shading, etc.) still need to be present to give the picture any believability. The monocular pictorial information causes depth perception. The sense that the view of the object(s) in the foreground changes more than the view of the background when moving one's head causes the brain to interpret the view as three-dimensional, because of the motion parallax and binocular disparity.

When used with cascading windows the invention permits the viewing of various documents at varying focus distances in function of the perceived distance between the windows. If combined with eye tracking capabilities, as known in the art. This feature of the invention can be used to view different windows unobstructed by the ones preceding them in the optical pathway.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereto will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts and wherein:

Figure 1 depicts one system according to the invention;

Figure 2 depicts one embodiment of the lens system; and

Figure 3 depicts the bending of the lens system to adapt to the display system.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

To provide an overall understanding of the invention, certain illustrative embodiments will now be described; however, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the systems described herein can be adapted and modified to provide systems for other suitable applications and that other additions and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the scope hereof.

The systems and methods described herein include systems that allow for focal adaptation in order to allow optimal viewing by the observer. (Figure 1) A picture ( or drawing, or electronic image stream, or moving picture) is displayed on the display (1.1). It is viewed by ah observer through the lens system comprised by the disparity extracting lens (1.2) and by the enlarging lens (1.3). The observer views the picture with both eyes through the lenses 1.2 and 1.3. The feature extracting lens 1. 2 causes the monocular and binocular disparities to appear. And thus creates the depth perception and the angular distortions that generate the three dimensional depth perception. Figure 2 illustrates the lenses 2.2 and 2.3 mounted on a bar in such a way that the relative distance to each other and to the picture 2.1 can be altered by the observer in order to maintain appropriate focal distances, necessary for viewing the effect. Figure 3 shows a lens curved to match the curvature of the display system. The displays indeed can have a flat surface geometry (Liquid crystal displays (LCD, TFT), paper photographs, rear projection devices, projection screens), a cylindrical surface (television screens, cathode ray tubes), convex geometry (cathode ray tubes), or concave geometry (projection screens). In one embodiment, the viewing device may incorporate the display unit as well as the adaptable lens system. In another embodiment the viewing device may contain only the adaptable lens system. In another embodiment the viewing device may be the display of a Personal Digital Assistant. In yet other embodiments the invention may be incorporated in a mobile telephone set, or in a Digital Video Display. The latter maybe integrated into a single three- dimensional worldwide web terminal.

The basic set-up involves a grated transparent screen and a magnifying lens, the size of the screen or larger, placed parallel to the screen, between the screen and the viewer. The grated lens is nearest the screen while the magnifying lens is further away from screen.

Computer set-up:

A grated plastic sheet, functioning as a lens, may be electrostatically attached to the computer's screen while a magnifying lens may be attached to the computer's display in a manner that the lens may be fitted to the curvature of the screen. For example, the magnifying lens may be attached to the four corners of the monitor while screws or adjustable springs push the midway points (between adjacent corners) out to match the curvature of the screen. A different set-up may have both lenses on an adjustable track that may be placed between the monitor and the viewer. In that case, the lenses may either be bought to match the curvature of the monitor or may be adjustable in the same manner mentioned above.

Laptop set-up: A grated plastic sheet may be electrostatically attached to the laptop's screen while a magnifying lens may be attached to the laptop's display in a "popup" manner. Springs may be built into the plastic encasing at the edges of the screen that may allow the magnifying lens to stand forward from the screen while the laptop was open and still remain attached to the laptop when the laptop was closed.

Portable DVD player set-up:

A grated plastic sheet may be electrostatically attached to the portable DVD player's screen while a magnifying lens may be hinged to the front edge of the player such that it may be unfolded into a upwards position where it may be parallel to the screen.

PDA set-up:

For a folding PDA a grated plastic sheet may be electrostatically attached to the PDA's screen while a magnifying lens may be hinged to the bottom edge of the PDA such that it may be unfolded into a position parallel to the screen. For either a folding or a non-folding PDA, a grated plastic sheet, functioning as a lens, may be electrostatically attached to the PDA's screen while a magnifying lens may be attached to the PDA's display in a "pop-up" manner. Wired or wireless telephone (with screen) set-up:

For a flip-close telephone with a screen, a grated plastic sheet may be electrostatically attached to the telephone's screen while the magnifying lens may be hinged to the bottom of the telephone such that it may be unfolded into a position parallel to the screen. For wireless telephones, the grated lens may either be electrostatically attached to the screen or may replace the clear plastic window of the carrying case while magnifying lens may be built into the front flap of carrying case.

What has thus been described is systems and methods that can allow a observers to view three dimensional images, with the need of glasses or dual recordings. Employing the systems described herein, observers will enjoy a more realistic view of the images presented. These images can be existing still photographs, existing movies as well as life or pre-recorded electronic streams of images or real time generated computer graphics. It becomes thus economically feasible to produce three-dimensional viewing stations for television, computer displays or DVD viewing, without the need of special recordation or transmission of dual images.

Claims

I claim:

1. A system for creating depth perception in two dimensional images, comprising: 1.1. a viewing device having an optical system with at least one lens,

1.2. an image carrier or an electronic display or a projection screen for allowing the display of moving, streaming or still images.

2. The system of claim 1, further including means for adapting the lens system to the geometry of the displays.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of adaptable lenses is mounted.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lenses are movable to varying distances of each other and of the image to be viewed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is displayed on photographic paper.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a resizing process for creating optimal viewing of the three dimensional and depth perception.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is displayed on a flat liquid crystal or TFT screen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is displayed on a cathode ray tube for television viewing.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cathode ray tube is used as a computer display.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the LCD or TFT screen is used for Digital Video Disk Viewing.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is used for electronic or computerized games.

12. A system that combines the system of claim 10 with a PDA and a telephone means for wired or wireless worldwide web access.

13. A method for generating three-dimensional depth perception in two-dimensional pictures, by extracting monocular disparities with an adaptable optical system.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the monocular disparities are combined with binocular disparities created by the selected imperfections of the optical system.

15. A method according to claim 14, whereby the present invention in combination with an eye-motion tracking device allows the unobstructed viewing of cascaded software windows.

16. An apparatus that combines the system of claim 12 with the method of claim 14 that functions as a three dimensional display unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 used as a DVD player.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 used as a television set.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 used as a computer display.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 used as a web-appliance.