2D/3D PROJECTION SYSTEM

1 . A projection system that assists in delivering a visual presentation of three-dimensional content via a projection screen to a left eye and a right eye of a viewer, the three-dimensional content comprising a first image and a second image, the projection system comprising:

a first projection assembly that at least assists in projecting first light toward the projection screen, the first light representing a first part of the three-dimensional content corresponding to the first image;

a second projection assembly that at least assists in projecting second light toward the projection screen, the second light representing a second part of the three-dimensional content corresponding to the second image;

the first projection assembly at least assisting in projecting the first light at the same time that the second projection assembly at least assists in projecting the second light.

2 . The projection system of claim 1 , wherein the first projection assembly comprises a first image generator that imposes the first image on first light to generate first filtered light, and a first lens assembly that projects the first filtered light; and

wherein the second projection assembly comprises a second image generator that imposes the second image on second light to generate second filtered light, and a second lens assembly that projects the second filtered light.

3 . The projection system of claim 2 , wherein the first projection assembly further comprises a first parallax barrier that manipulates the first filtered light prior to projection thereof by the first lens assembly; and

wherein the second projection assembly further comprises a second parallax barrier that manipulates the second filtered light prior to projection thereof by the second lens assembly.

4 . The projection system of claim 3 , further comprising:

projector control circuitry that modifies a state of the first parallax barrier and a state of the second parallax barrier.

5 . The projection system of claim 4 , wherein the projector control circuitry modifies the state of the first parallax barrier and the state of the second parallax barrier responsive to information concerning a state of an adaptable light manipulator associated with a projection screen.

6 . The projection system of claim 4 , wherein the projector control circuitry modifies the state of the first parallax barrier and the state of the second parallax barrier responsive to information concerning a location or head orientation of a viewer.

7 . The projection system of claim 1 , wherein the first projection assembly comprises a first parallax barrier that receives filtered light that includes both the first image and the second image and that passes only the filtered light that includes the first image to produce first manipulated light, and a first lens assembly that projects the first manipulated light; and

wherein the second projection assembly comprises a second parallax barrier that receives the filtered light that includes both the first image and the second image and passes only the filtered light that includes the second image to produce second manipulated light, and a second lens assembly that projects the second manipulated light.

8 . A screen that supports delivery of three-dimensional projection content to a left eye and a right eye of a viewer, the three-dimensional projection content corresponding to both a first image of subject matter from a first perspective and a second image of the subject matter from a second perspective, the screen comprising:

a panel that receives the three-dimensional projection content; and

a light manipulator disposed adjacent to the panel;

the light manipulator directing a first portion of the three-dimensional projection content corresponding to the first image to the left eye of the viewer, and directing a second portion of the three-dimensional projection content corresponding to the second image to the right eye of the viewer.

9 . The screen of claim 8 , wherein the panel comprises a reflective panel for use with a forward-projection system.

10 . The screen of claim 8 , wherein the panel comprises a transmissive panel for use with a rear-projection system.

11 . The screen of claim 8 , wherein the light manipulator comprises a parallax barrier.

12 . The screen of claim 8 , wherein the light manipulator comprises a lenticular lens.

13 . The screen of claim 8 , further comprising control circuitry that modifies a state of the light manipulator.

14 . A method used by a projection system to visually present three-dimensional video data via a projection screen to a left eye and a right eye of a viewer, the three-dimensional video data corresponding to both first video capture from a first perspective and second video capture from a second perspective, the method comprising:

projecting first light toward the projection screen in accordance with a first orientation, the first light representing a first part of the three-dimensional video data corresponding to the first video capture from the first perspective; and

projecting second light toward the projection screen in accordance with a second orientation, the second light representing a second part of the three-dimensional video data corresponding to the second video capture from the second perspective, the second orientation being different from that of the first orientation.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein projecting the first light toward the projection screen in accordance with the first orientation comprises projecting the first light by a first projection assembly; and

wherein projecting the second light toward the projection screen in accordance with the second orientation comprises projecting the second light by a second projection assembly; and

wherein the first light and the second light are projected concurrently.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein projecting the first light toward the projection screen in accordance with the first orientation comprises projecting the first light by a projection assembly during a first time interval; and

wherein projecting the second light toward the projection screen in accordance with the second orientation comprises projecting the second light by the projection assembly during a second time interval.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising redirecting the first light toward the left eye of the viewer.

18 . A projection system, comprising:

a projection unit comprising

a first projection assembly that projects a first image, and

a second projection assembly that projects a second image; and

a projection screen comprising

a reflective surface upon which at least a portion of the first image and at least a portion of the second image are projected, and

a light manipulator disposed adjacent to the reflective surface, the light manipulator operable to manipulate reflected light produced by the projection of the at least a portion of the first image and the at least a portion of the second image on the reflective surface to produce a left-eye image and a right-eye image, the left-eye and right-eye images forming a three-dimensional image when perceived by a respective left eye and right eye of a viewer.

19 . The projection system of claim 18 , wherein the light manipulator comprises a lenticular lens.

20 . The projection system of claim 18 , wherein the light manipulator comprises a parallax barrier.

21 . The projection system of claim 18 , wherein the projection unit further comprises:

a first parallax barrier that filters the first image projected by the first projection assembly; and

a second parallax barrier that filters the second image projected by the second projection assembly.

22 . A projection system, comprising:

a projection unit comprising a projection assembly that alternately projects left-eye images and right-eye images; and

a projection screen comprising

a reflective surface upon which the left-eye images and the right-eye images are alternately projected, and

a light manipulator disposed adjacent to the reflective surface, the light manipulator operable to manipulate reflected light produced by the projection of the left-eye images to produce manipulated left-eye images and to manipulate reflected light produced by the projection of the right-eye images to produce manipulated right-eye images, the manipulated left-eye images and manipulated right-eye images forming three-dimensional images when perceived by a respective left eye and right eye of a viewer wearing shutter glasses.

23 . The projection system of claim 22 , wherein the light manipulator comprises a lenticular lens.

24 . The projection system of claim 22 , wherein the light manipulator comprises a parallax barrier.

25 . The projection system of claim 22 , wherein the projection assembly comprises:

an image generating element that produces images; and

an adaptable parallax barrier that filters the images produced by the image generating element, the adaptable parallax barrier comprising an array of barrier elements that may be selectively placed in a blocking or non-blocking state, the state of the barrier elements being controlled to produce at least a first parallax barrier configuration that filters images generated by the image generating element to produce the left-eye images and a second parallax barrier configuration that filters images generated by the image generating element to produce the right-eye images.