Autostereoscopic tabletop display w/ parallax barrier.
An apparatus for displaying three dimensional (3D) images to a viewer without the need for 3D glasses. The apparatus includes a first display device horizontally oriented and operable to alternately display a first parallax and a second parallax barrier. The first parallax barrier corresponds with a first viewer location and the second parallax barrier corresponds with a second viewer location. The apparatus includes a second display device positioned parallel to the first display device and operable to alternately display first 3D content corresponding with the first viewer location and second 3D content corresponding with the second viewer location. The apparatus includes a directional backlight assembly alternately backlighting the second display device with first light directed toward the first viewer location and second light directed toward the second viewer location. The apparatus includes a controller synchronizing time multiplexed operations of the first and second display devices and the directional backlight assembly.
BACKGROUND(1) 1. Field of the Description(2) The present invention relates, in general, to devices and methods for providing a three-dimensional (3D) display in a glasses-free manner, and, more particularly, to a display system adapted for using a horizontally-oriented display (e.g., “a 3D tabletop display”) to display high quality 3D images (left and right eye images) to one or more viewers' eyes that can be viewed without the need for the viewer to use special glasses, headgear, or filters (e.g., glasses-free 3D or autostereoscopic) as the viewers are free to move all around the display such that it functions as a 360-degree autostereoscopic tabletop display.(3) 2. Relevant Background(4) Displays that provide the illusion of three dimensions have experienced a rebirth in the past few years. For example, a number of 3D televisions are now available for use in homes and home theaters. These 3D televisions generally operate by displaying a stream of left and right eye images in an alternating or time-multiplexed manner (e.g., left-right-left-right). Switching occurs so quickly that the viewer does not sense a flicker or change in the display. The viewer wears special headgear or glasses that operate in a synchronized manner with the display to only allow the light associated with the left eye image to reach the viewer's left eye and with the right eye image to reach the viewer's right eye.(5) While most commercial displays rely on the use of special glasses, it is generally ag
1. A tabletop display apparatus for displaying three dimensional (3D) images to viewers, comprising: a first display device horizontally oriented and operable to alternately display a first parallax and a second parallax barrier, wherein the first parallax barrier corresponds with a first viewer location relative to the first display device and the second parallax barrier corresponds with a second viewer location differing from the first viewer location; a second display device positioned parallel to the first display device and operable to alternately display first 3D content corresponding with the first viewer location and second 3D content corresponding with the second viewer location; and a directional backlight assembly operable to alternately backlight the second display device with first light directed toward the first viewer location and with second light directed toward the second viewer location, wherein the directional backlight assembly comprises a transparent light support with a hemispherical outer surface supporting a plurality of light sources that are independently addressable and operable to provide the first and second light, and wherein the directional backlight assembly further comprises a reflector element with a hemispherical, mirrored inner surface facing the hemispherical outer surface of the transparent light support to reflect the first and second light through the transparent light support to backlight the second display device.
8. An autostereoscopic display, comprising: a display assembly switching between projecting, when backlit, first autostereoscopic content to a first viewing location and second autostereoscopic content to a second viewing location; and an omnidirectional backlight assembly operable to alternately backlight the display assembly with first light directed toward the first viewing location and with second light directed toward the second viewing location, wherein the omnidirectional backlight assembly comprises a transparent light support with a hemispherical outer surface supporting a plurality of light sources that are independently addressable and operable to provide the first and second light, and wherein the omnidirectional backlight assembly further comprises a reflector element with a hemispherical, mirrored inner surface facing the hemispherical outer surface of the transparent light support to reflect the first and second light through the transparent light support to backlight the display assembly.
14. An autostereoscopic tabletop display method, comprising: determining a location of a first viewer's eyes relative to a horizontal plane; determining a location of a second viewer's eyes relative to the horizontal plane; first backlighting a display assembly with light directed toward the location of the first viewer's eyes; during the first backlighting, operating the display assembly to display first autostereoscopic content; after the first backlighting, second backlighting the display assembly with light directed toward the location of the second viewer's eyes; and during the second backlighting, operating the display assembly to display second autostereoscopic content differing from the first autostereoscopic content, wherein the first and second backlighting are performed by a directional backlight assembly comprising a transparent light support with a hemispherical outer surface supporting a plurality of light sources that are independently addressable and operable to provide the light during the first and second backlighting, and wherein the directional backlight assembly further comprises a reflector element with a hemispherical, mirrored inner surface facing the hemispherical outer surface of the transparent light support to reflect the first and second light through the transparent light support to backlight the second display device.
19. An autostereoscopic tabletop display method, comprising: determining a location of a first viewer's eyes relative to a horizontal plane; determining a location of a second viewer's eyes relative to the horizontal plane; first backlighting a display assembly with light directed toward the location of the first viewer's eyes; during the first backlighting, operating the display assembly to display first autostereoscopic content; after the first backlighting, second backlighting the display assembly with light directed toward the location of the second viewer's eyes; and during the second backlighting, operating the display assembly to display second autostereoscopic content differing from the first autostereoscopic content, wherein the first autostereoscopic content comprises a first parallax barrier and a first set of 3D content generated based on the location of the first viewer's eyes and the first parallax barrier, and wherein the second autostereoscopic content comprises a second parallax barrier and a second set of 3D content generated based on the location of the second viewer's eyes and the second parallax barrier.