Reald Inc.

Stereographics Corporation

Mark H Feldman

Lenny G Lipton

Robert Akka

William James McKee, Jr

Bob Akka

Jerilynn Schisser

A device and method for converting one stereoscopic format into another. A software-enabled matrix is used to set forth predefined relationships between one type of format as an input image and another type of format as an output image. The matrix can then be used as a look-up table that defines a correspondence between input pixels and output pixels for the desired format conversion.

Stereoscopic format converter

A method and system for presenting both autostereoscopic images and planar images in a single display is disclosed. The design comprises processing the planar images received in the form of planar image data. The processing comprises at least one from a group comprising selectively employing bleed-through processing to enhance the planar image data when viewed through a lens sheet comprising slanted lenticules, selectively introducing blurring into the planar image data, and selectively employing anti-alias processing to the planar image data. Certain super pixels may be computed that differ from standard pixels, and lenticules in the data sheet may be slanted at desired angles. The physical lenticules may cause bleed-through that may be processed. Resolution may be computed after processing, and the resolution implemented for display. Mode switching between planar and autostereoscopic imaging may be provided in the form of Metadata or visible flags.

Autostereoscopic display with planar pass-through

A method of interdigitation for display of an autostereoscopic source image to a screen comprising a plurality of pixels having sub-pixels and sub-pixel components and apparatus for interdigitation is provided. The method comprises generating a texture memory coordinate at each pixel location on the screen of the source image, calculating screen pixel location based on the texture memory coordinate of each pixel, computing view numbers based on screen pixel location, wherein view numbers comprise one value for each sub-pixel component, mapping proportional pixel locations in tiles from multiple tile perspective views of the autostereoscopic image to a resultant image using the view numbers, and extracting one subpixel component from each proportional pixel location to represent color for the pixel in the resultant image.

On the fly hardware based interdigitation

A system and method for interdigitating multiple perspective views in a stereoscopic image viewing system. A lenticular sheet is affixed in intimate juxtaposition with a display area having a defined aspect ratio. The display area includes a plurality of scan lines each having a plurality of pixels, each pixel including subpixels. A map having the same resolution as the display is created to store values corresponding to each subpixel in the display area. Preferably, the map is generated beforehand and stored for later use through a lookup operation. A buffer stores a frame having n views, wherein each of the n views has the same aspect ratio as the display area. A plurality of masks is also created and stored. Each mask corresponds to a unique one of the n views and includes opaque areas and a plurality of transparent windows, each of which corresponds to a selected subpixel location. The n views are then interdigitated while applying the corresponding masks, and a value is assigned to each subpixel using the map.

Hardware based interdigitation

A method for creating a reduced sized view-map of an autostereoscopic source image is disclosed. The method comprises creating a mathematical model for mapping the autostereoscopic source image into a first view-map, mapping the autostereoscopic source image into the first view-map, wherein the first view-map comprises a source-view image value and a plurality of pixel locations comprising an origin pixel, scanning the first view-map for at least one pixel location whose source-view image value closely matches that of the origin pixel, and generating the reduced sized view-map by replicating matched pixel locations within the first view-map.

Tiled view-maps for autostereoscopic interdigitation

A method and apparatus for optimizing viewing distance for a stereogram system. In a stereogram, an image is held in close juxtaposition with a lenticular screen. In the invention, a data store is used to store optimum pitch values for specified viewing distances. An interdigitation program then acts on the table values and creates a mapping of interdigitated views for each viewing distance. The user can then select or specify a desired viewing distance, and the optimum mapping of views is automatically chosen for display.

Method and apparatus for optimizing the viewing distance of a lenticular stereogram

A stereoscopic media player is implemented by a software application loaded onto a PC having a DVD player and a video monitor interconnected therewith. The software application includes program instructions for mapping stereoscopic images stored in a side-by-side format on the DVD into an above-and-below format for display on the monitor.

Growing community of inventors

Walnut Creek, CA, United States of America

Mark H Feldman