The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 04, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 12, 2000
James M. Dunn, Fresno, CA (US);
Edith H. Stern, Boca Raton, FL (US);
Barry E. Willner, Briar Cliff Manor, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method for providing privately viewable data in a publically viewable display comprises the steps of: generating a sequencing pattern; generating a data signal having interspersed frames of private data among frames of masking data according to the sequencing pattern; providing the data signal to the publically viewable display; and, opening and closing shutters in a set of active glasses in accordance with the sequencing pattern. In one embodiment, the sequencing pattern can correspond to alternating displays of the private data and the masking data. In an alternative embodiment, the sequencing pattern can correspond to combined left eye/right eye images of the private data. In the preferred embodiment, the masking data can be a fill pattern, for example, random data or a screen saver image. However, in another embodiment, the masking data can be a derivation of the private data. The step of opening and closing the shutters can comprise the step of responsive to sync pulses in the sequencing pattern, opening and closing the shutters. In consequence of the inventive method, a user viewing the display with the active glasses can view the private data and unauthorized viewers without the active glasses can view only the private data obscured by the masking data.