Methods and systems for multi-view display privacy
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for enhancing privacy in a multi-view display. Some aspects relate to creating an image mask dependent on the presence of text in an image displayed on the primary view of a multi-view display. The generated image mask may be displayed on the secondary views of a multi-view display to provide increased obscurity of the primary view image from unwanted onlookers, thereby enhancing primary viewer privacy.
1. A method for enhancing privacy on a multi-view display, said method comprising:
a) displaying a primary image on a first display view of a multi-view display, wherein said first display view provides unobstructed viewing by a viewer positioned at a first location but provides an increasingly obscured view as a viewer's position moves away from said first position;
b) determining whether text is present in said primary image;
c) selecting a mask image with an image-dependent pattern selector wherein said image-dependent pattern selector selects a text mask for said mask image when text is present in said primary image and said image-dependent pattern selector selects a noise mask for said mask image when text is not present; and
d) displaying said mask image on a second display view of said multi-view display, wherein said second display view provides unobstructed viewing by a viewer positioned at a second position but provides an increasingly obscured view as a viewer's position moves away from said second position.
2. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising determining the size of dominant text characters in said primary image when text is present in said primary image and configuring said text mask with characters having substantially the same size as said size of dominant text characters in said primary image when text is present in said primary image.
3. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising determining the size of image features in said primary image and matching the period corresponding to the peak frequency of said noise mask to the size of said image features when text is not present in said primary image.
4. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said noise mask has a peak frequency corresponding to the peak frequency of a contrast sensitivity function of the human visual system.
5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said noise mask has a peak frequency substantially within a range between 3 and 5 cycles per degree.
6. A system for enhancing privacy on a multi-view display, said method comprising:
a) a multi-view display for displaying a primary image on a first display view, wherein said first display view provides unobstructed viewing by a viewer positioned at a first location but provides an increasingly obscured view as a viewer's position moves away from said first position;
b) a processor for determining whether text is present in said primary image;
c) an image-dependent pattern selector for selecting a mask image, wherein said image-dependent pattern selector selects a text mask for said mask image when text is present in said primary image and said image-dependent pattern selector selects a noise mask for said mask image when text is not present in said primary image; and
d) wherein said multi-view display displays said mask image on a second display view, wherein said second display view provides unobstructed viewing by a viewer positioned at a second position but provides an increasingly obscured view as a viewer's position moves away from said second position.
7. A system as described in claim 6 wherein said image-dependent pattern selector further determines the size of dominant text characters in said primary image when text is present in said primary image and configures said text mask with characters having substantially the same size as said size of dominant text characters in said primary image when text is present in said primary image.
8. A system as described in claim 6 wherein said image-dependent pattern selector further determines the size of image features in said primary image and matches the period corresponding to the peak frequency of said noise mask to the size of said image features when text is not present in said primary image.
9. A system as described in claim 6 wherein said noise mask has a peak frequency corresponding to the peak frequency of a contrast sensitivity function of the human visual system.
10. A system as described in claim 6 wherein said noise mask has a peak frequency substantially within a range between 3 and 5 cycles per degree.