Will be the “best experiential approximation” to present a spatial image to a viewer?

Solution by Apple’s recently patented “Three-Dimensional Display System”

The USPTO has granted a patent on Apple’s invention entitled “Three-Dimensional Display System” under Patent No. 7,843,449 on November 30, 2010.

The published patent notes the problems to be solved by the invention as follows (excerpt).

Ø […] without requiring the observer to use or wear special accommodations or devices […] glasses, goggles, or other personally-worn physical viewing aids.

Ø […] users often wear helmets, special glasses, or other devices that present the 3D world only to each of them individually […]

Ø […] observers generally do not like to wear equipment over their eyes.  […] for projecting a 3D image to one or more casual passersby, to a group of collaborators, or to an entire audience such as when individuated projections are desired.  

 (Volmetric displays present images) appear ghosted or transparent.

Ø […] the parallax barrier method typically requires the observer to remain stationary in one location.

ØHolographic image also requires far greater computational ability and bandwidth than is generally required for a two-view stereo display.  Effective means are also noticeably wanting for dynamically recreating the original wavefront, or an acceptable facsimile thereof, in real time and at commercially acceptable costs.

ØThus, a need still remains for highly effective, practical, efficient, uncomplicated, and inexpensive autostereoscopic 3D displays that allow the observer complete and unencumbered freedom of movement. Additionally, a need continues to exist for practical autostereoscopic 3D displays that provide a true parallax experience in both the vertical as well as the horizontal movement directions.

ØA concurrent continuing need is for such practical autostereoscopic 3D displays that can also accommodate multiple viewers independently and simultaneously.

For solving the above-mentioned problems, the invention provides technical means (omitted here), and notes the exceptional aspects of the invention as follows (excerpt).

Ø “An exceptional aspect of the present invention is that it can produce viewing experiences that are virtually indistinguishable from viewing a true hologram. Such a "pseudo-holographic" image is a direct result of the ability of the present invention to track and respond to observer movements.  By tracking movements of the eye locations of the observer, the left and right 3D sub-images are adjusted in response to the tracked eye movements to produce images that mimic a real hologram.  The present invention can accordingly continuously project a 3D image to the observer that recreates the actual viewing experience that the observer would have when moving in space (e.g., within the virtual display volume 136) around and in the vicinity of various virtual objects displayed therein. This is the same experiential viewing effect that is afforded by a hologram. It allows the observer, for example, to move around a virtual object and to observe multiple sides thereof from different angles, whereas an ordinary 3D image will present a 3D perspective but will not accommodate movement relative to (e.g., around) the viewed objects. The pseudo-holographic images projected by the present invention dynamically change the 3D view of the objects in the same manner as a true hologram by detecting and following (i.e., tracking) the observer's actual movement in space and properly recreating the viewed 3D image in response thereto to imitate actual movement around such virtual object(s).”

Ø […] the present invention provides a highly effective, practical, efficient, uncomplicated, and inexpensive autostereoscopic display that allows the observer complete and unencumbered freedom of movement.

Ø […] the present invention provides a true parallax experience in both the vertical as well as the horizontal movement directions.

Ø […] the present invention provides practical autostereoscopic displays that can also accommodate multiple observers independently and simultaneously.

Ø […] affords such simultaneous viewing wherein each observer can be presented with a uniquely customized autostereoscopic image that can be entirely different from that being viewed simultaneously by the other observers present, all within the same viewing environment, and all with complete freedom of movement therein.

Comments:

To be “best experiential approximation”, the essential points for 3D display system can be grasped from:

Ø without requiring personally-worn physical viewing aids

Ø present not only to each of them (users) individually, but also to an entire audience

Ø not require the observer to remain stationary in one location

Ø not require far greater computational ability and bandwidth than is generally required

Ø at commercially acceptable costs

Ø highly effective, practical, efficient, uncomplicated, and inexpensive

Ø allow the observer complete and unencumbered freedom of movement

Ø true parallax experience in both the vertical as well as the horizontal movement directions

Ø accommodate multiple viewers independently and simultaneously

Ø track and respond to observer movements

Ø adjusted in response to the tracked eye movements to produce images that mimic a real hologram

Ø around and in the vicinity of various virtual objects displayed therein

Ø move around a virtual object and to observe multiple sides thereof from different angles

Ø entirely different from that being viewed simultaneously by the other observers present, all within the same viewing environment

by R. Enomori