Other

Projectavision Incorporated

Eugene Dolgoff

Malcolm J MacFarlane

Paul B Christie

A light valve such as an active matrix LCD between crossed polarizers, utilizing, for instance, individual transistors to control each 'pixel area' of the LCD and storage elements to store video signal data for each pixel, with optically shielded 'dead spaces' between pixels to eliminate electric field cross-talk and non-information-bearing light bleed-through, is illuminated with a bright independent light source which creates a video image projected via specialized projection optics onto an internal or external screen without distortions, regardless of the angle of projection onto the screen. Use of heat sinks, IR reflective coatings, heat absorbing optics, optional fluid and a thermistor controlled pixel transistor bias voltage injection servo circuit stabilizes image performance, maintaining accurate color and contrast levels as the LCD changes temperature. In one embodiment of the invention, use of a multi-color LCD with a stepped cavity, producing different thicknesses of LCD for the different wavelengths that pass through it, allows a linear correspondence between the wavelengths passing through the LCD to produce true black, high contrast and CRT-like color rendition. A dichroic mirror arrangement is used to overlap differently colored pixels in the projected image. Use of striped mirrors duplicate pixels, where necessary, eliminating spaces between pixels, creating a continuous image with no apparent stripes or dots. A special venetian-blind type of screen is also disclosed and methods for using the system to view three-dimensional video are also explained.

High-efficiency display system utilizing an optical element to reshape light with color and brightness uniformity

A large-area display is composed of two or more adjacent panels, in which the overall display provides a consistent perception of depth (and/or other characteristics of the images) in all panels from each viewing position. This is accomplished by generating a first panel having a first repeating pattern in an arrangement of successive segments of the images, and generating a second panel to be displayed adjacent to the first panel, the second panel having a second repeating pattern in an arrangement of successive segments of the images that are in the same order as the first repeating pattern but starting at a different element of the repeating pattern from the first element of the first repeating pattern, and assembling the panels adjacent to each other, thereby allowing corresponding images to be displayed on the adjacent panels when viewed from a range of various view points.

Tiling of panels for multiple-image displays

An image display system provides a viewer with an experience of three dimensional images by presenting a composite image source. The system includes first and second image sources, a beamcombiner, a lens and a reflective element. The reflective elements reflects the image of the second image source to the beamcombiner. The first and second image sources, the beamcombiner, and the single lens present a foreground image and a background image, with the background image presented at a greater distance from the viewer than the foreground image. The viewer perceives the foreground image and the background image as part of a scene having depth.

Three-dimensional display system

A system for displaying moving images from image information, e.g. on videotape or disk, in the form of a series of image frames to be displayed sequentially over a period of time. The image information does not contain stereoscopic information captured at the origin. As in conventional stereoscopic display, at any particular point in time, two image frames, A and B, are displayed simultaneously, one to each of the observer's eyes. However image frames A and B are generated from a single source of sequential image information. Image frame A is derived from a frame F and frame B is derived from a frame F of the series of source image frames. Frame F is positioned to be conventionally displayed after frame F by about 0.0167 and about 0.033 seconds. The system may include a screen on which the images are projected or otherwise displayed, the screen being at a distance D from an observer, wherein the image that is perceived by an observer upon binocular fusion of image frame A and B when their content is identical appears to be at a distance from the observer that is different from said distance D. Further detection and manipulation of the images may be performed, creating the perception that different elements within the scene appear at different depths.

System for displaying moving images pseudostereoscopically

Improved optical elements having rises and faces, which may have annular or linear grooves, such as Fresnel spherical or cylindrical lenses, and methods of making them, are disclosed wherein an opaque coating is imparted to the rises by methods including positioning pre-printed opaque elements on a substrate such that when the optical element is pressed, stamped, embossed or molded from the substrate, rises of the completed element comprise said pre-printed opaque elements. A reflective element is made by imparting a reflective coating onto a substrate and then a non-reflective coating to the rises, e.g. by applying non-reflective material to the element and selectively cleaning it to leave a coat of non-reflective material adhering to the rises but not the faces. Photoresist, photographic emulsion, or ink may be used as the coating. Unwanted light may also be minimized by using circularly polarized light.

Optical elements and methods for their manufacture

High efficiency light valve projection system

Portable rear screen video projection system

A rear screen television cabinet, comprising a cabinet having front portions including a top, two sides and a front face, viewing surface on the front face, a mirror system comprising a plurality of mirrors for reflecting and successively enlarging and reflecting an incident beam onto the rear screen and a rear assembly which substantially closes said cabinet and is foldable or collapsible to render said cabinet portable, is disclosed. The cabinet's mirror system receives and successively enlarges and reflect an incident beam from a projector, to project a large image onto the viewing surface.

Portable rear screen television cabinet

A light valve such as an active matrix LCD between crossed polarizers, utilizing, for instance, individual transistors to control each 'pixel area' of the LCD and storage elements to store video signal data for each pixel, with optically shielded 'dead spaces' between pixels to eliminate electric field crosstalk and non-information-bearing light bleed through, is illuminated with a bright independent light source which creates a video image projected via specialized projection optics onto an internal or external screen without distortions, regardless of the angle of projection onto the screen. Use of heat sinks, IR reflective coatings, heat absorbing optics, optional fluid and a thermistor controlled pixel transistor bias voltage injection servo circuit stabilizes image performance, maintaining accurate color and contrast levels as the LCD changes temperature. In one embodiment of the invention, use of a multi-color LCD with a stepped cavity, producing different thicknesses of LCD for the different wavelengths that pass through it, allows a linear correspondence between the wavelengths passing through the LCD to produce true black, high contrast and CRT-like color rendition. A dichroic mirror arrangement is used to overlap differently colored pixels in the projected image. Use of lens arrays to expand pixels, where necessary, eliminating spaces between pixels, creating a continuous image with no apparent stripes or dots. A special venetian-blind type of screen is also disclosed and methods for using the system to view three-dimensional video are also explained.

High efficiency light valve projection system with decreased perception

An active matrix LCD light valve between crossed polarizers, utilizing individual transistors to control each 'pixel area' of the LCD and storage elements to store signal data for each pixel, with optically shielded 'dead spaces' between pixels to eliminate electric field crosstalk and non-information-bearing light bleed through, is illuminated with a bright independent light source which creates a video image projected via specialized projection optics onto an internal or external screen without distortions, regardless of the angle of projection onto the screen. Use of heat sinks, IR reflective coatings, heat absorbing optics, optional fluid, and a thermistor controlled pixel transistor bias voltage injection servo circuit stabilizes image performance, maintaining accurate color and contrast levels as the LCD changes temperature. In one embodiment of the invention, use of a multi-color LCD with a stepped cavity, producing different thicknesses of LCD for the different wavelengths that pass through it, allows a linear correspondence between the wavelengths passing through the LCD to produce true black, high contrast, and CRT-like color rendition. A dichroic mirror arrangement is used to overlap differently colored pixels and a striped mirror system is used to duplicate and offset the resulting 'full color' pixels or a lens system is used to expand existing pixels to fill the 'dead spaces' between pixels in the projected image, creating a continuous image with no apparent stripes or dots. A special venetian-blind type of screen is also disclosed and methods for using the system to view three dimensional video are also explained.

Growing community of inventors

Westbury, NY, United States of America

Eugene Dolgoff