Scalable Display Technologies, Inc.

Samson J Timoner

Rajeev J Surati

Kevin Amaratunga

Thomas F Knight, Jr

Tyler M Johnson

Eugene Hsu

Dennis Miaw

Paul Green

Paul E Green

Ph D Rajeev J Surati

This invention provides an improved display system and method that is created by adjusting the properties of one or more displays to obtain coarse control over display behavior, by using sensors to optimize display parameters. The display is further improved by constructing a display map by selectively driving the display and sensing the optical image created. Furthermore, the sensors are used to ensure that the resulting optimized display meets target quality measurements over time, potentially taking into account ambient conditions. The system reports on status, and can predict when it no longer meets a quality target. It is able to optimize a display system and keep it optimized over time. Individual displays with the display system can have operating points that are matched to each other. Corrections to the input image signal, delivering improved display system performance, are minimized, and therefore, unwanted artifacts of those changes can be minimized.

System and method for providing improved display quality by display adjustment and image processing using optical feedback

This invention provides an improved display system and method that is created by adjusting the properties of one or more displays to obtain coarse control over display behavior, by using sensors to optimize display parameters. The display is further improved by constructing a display map by selectively driving the display and sensing the optical image created. Furthermore, the sensors are used to ensure that the resulting optimized display meets target quality measurements over time, potentially taking into account ambient conditions. The system reports on its status, and is able to predict when the system will no longer meet a quality target. The system and method is able to optimize a display system and keep it optimized over time. Individual displays with the display system can have operating points that are matched to each other. Corrections to the input image signal to deliver improved display system performance can be minimized, and therefore, the unwanted artifacts of those changes can be minimized. If the displays drift over time, those operating points can be updated. If ambient conditions change, and new operating points are desired, the new operating points can be automatically selected. Operators of the display who require a minimum level of quality for the display system (e.g. a minimum intensity level) can be ensured that the display meets those requirements. And, they can be warned in advance as to when system maintenance can be necessary, when quality falls below targeted goals system and method provides for sending out methods of the quality of the system such an in an e-mail, perhaps in the form of graphs. Or, the system in method allows for prediction of when quality targets will not be met. Prediction is useful for a display system operator who needs to know when to perform maintenance, such as changing a light bulb (light source) in a projector.

The invention provides a system and method that reduces the precision of the manual alignment process. Users select correspondences between projectors or components of a projector, to form a common coordinate. Using models of the display system, and projectors, the common coordinate system can be mapped quickly to the entire display. The process avoids a need to measure screen points, and allows the user to move significantly fewer points. Alternatively, the invention allows introduction of machine-vision style algorithms into manual calibration techniques to improve performance. This overcomes the tediousness of prior systems by introducing models of the display into the manual alignment process, allowing selection of a small number of points on each projector, and avoiding selection of precisely measured screen points. The system conversely finds correspondences between projectors, allowing mapping of the projectors into a common coordinate system, and quick warping of the coordinate system to the screen.

System and method for calibrating a display system using manual and semi-manual techniques

A display system and method created by adjusting the properties of one or more displays to obtain coarse control over display behavior, by using sensors to optimize display parameters and meet a quality target. The display may construct a display map by selectively driving the display and sensing the optical image created. The system reports on its status, and is able to predict when the system will no longer meet a quality target. The system and method may optimize a display system and keep it optimized over time. Operators of the display who require a minimum level of quality for the display system can be ensured that the display meets those requirements. And, they can be warned in advance as to when system maintenance can be necessary, when quality falls below targeted goals system and method provides for sending out methods of the quality of the system.

A method and system for improving display quality by injecting a portion of computer code into an existing compositor, using the portion of computer code to apply a mapping function to a first digital image, and forming a second digital image based upon the first digital image as adapted by applying the applied mapping function in the compositor. The second digital image may then be displayed to a viewer via one or more displays where each display forms a part of the displayed digital image. The result may be used for creation of blended or stereoscopic images. The mapping function may be also adapted for modification of geometry or correction of a characteristic (such as color, intensity, etc.) of the display system where such characteristic may be sensed using a detector. The portion of code may be injected into a graphics driver controlling hardware composition for a displayed digital image.

System and method for injection of mapping functions

This invention overcomes disadvantages of the prior art by providing a system and method that allows for the calibration of a display system using one or more cameras whose lenses are not modeled, or are modeled with limited accuracy, and are potentially incapable of imaging the entire projector system. The illustrative system and method generally relies on well-established models of the projectors, rather than well-established models of the cameras. Illustratively, the cameras serve mainly to map the projectors into one coordinate system, where the overlap between the projectors can be established very precisely using a camera, even if the model of the camera lens properties is not known, or known only minimally.

System and method for calibrating a display system using a short throw camera

The invention provides a system and method that allows for the calibration of color and intensity in a display system in a manner that is practical for the user, and handling obscuring factors, giving the user the ability to make intelligent trade-offs, and making it possible to quickly and efficiently re-compute a correction. More generally, correction and adjustment of intensity and color non-uniformities, and using optical sensor feedback to detect and correct for those changes is contemplated. This includes, but is not limited to, showing very bright images and very dark images. This invention further provides methods for making a practical system for the user, including a method of calculating corrections, dealing with obscuring factors that can affect the calculation process, providing information to allow users to make decisions on how to make trade-offs on the quality factors of the display, and allowing fast re-calculation of intensity corrections when re-calibrating.

System and method for color and intensity calibrating of a display system for practical usage

The invention provides a system and method that reduces the tediousness of the manual alignment process. Users select correspondences between projectors or components of a projector, to form a common coordinate. Using models of the display system, and projectors, the common coordinate system can be mapped quickly to the entire display. The process avoids a need to measure screen points, and allows the user to move significantly fewer points. Alternatively, the invention allows introduction of machine-vision style algorithms into manual calibration techniques to improve performance. This overcomes the tediousness of prior systems by introducing models of the display into the manual alignment process, allowing selection of a small number of points on each projector, and avoiding selection of precisely measured screen points. The system conversely finds correspondences between projectors, allowing mapping of the projectors into a common coordinate system, and quick warping of the coordinate system to the screen.

This invention provides a calibration system and method for multi-unit display systems without a need for switching the system input resolution/configuration of the display system while calibrating. This serves to avoid carrying out a re-synchronization step. As such, this system and method allows for increases speed and reduced likelihood of failure. This system and method also corrects the display system by providing an arrangement that employs a minimum of required changes so as to avoid any changes that can consequently affect the output image of the display system. Calibration of the system of display units occurs free of any changes to the input resolution and this resolution is maintained in a manner that resists change unless specifically required. Moreover, this system and method enables a resolution for the overall system that differs from the sum of the input resolutions of the discrete, individual display units in the collection.

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Samson J Timoner