MIXED USE THREE DIMENSIONAL EYEWEAR
3-D eyewear system designed to be worn in association with vertically polarized eyewear (prescription or non-prescription) and method of correcting for vertical polarization for 3-D projections are disclosed. The 3-D eyewear is designed to correct for a vertically polarized underlying optic such that a viewer can use their polarized eyewear while viewing a 3-D stereoscopic movie.
1 . A set of mixed-use three-dimensional eyewear comprising:
an underlying optic comprising at least a pair of vertically polarized lenses; and
a polarization correcting optic incorporating one or more wave retarders, said wave-retarders with their own individual retardation levels being oriented to each other and designed to rotate the vertical polarization of the underlying optic to match the polarization of a projected stereoscopic image.
2 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the wave retarders are each ¾ wave retarders.
3 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the wave retarder retards in accordance with the equation ¼+N*½, wherein N is any integer.
4 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the wave retarders are each a combination of partial retarders adding to a ¾ wave retardation.
5 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the optics further includes at least one additional coating selected from the group consisting of scratch resistant hard-coating, color tinting, anti-reflection, anti-fog, transmission-enhancing and mirror finished.
6 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the optics is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, hi-index, glass, acrylic and polycarbonate.
7 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the polarization correcting optic is detachable from the underlying optic.
8 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the polarization correcting optic is attached to the underlying optic using a mechanism selected from the group consisting of slotting into, hanging from, grasping onto, clasping onto, or magnetically attaching thereto.
9 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the polarization correcting optic is permanently mounted to the underlying optic.
10 . The three-dimensional eyewear of claim 1 , wherein the polarization correcting optic is hingedly attached to the underlying optic.
11 . A method of correcting the vertical polarization of an optic for use with three-dimensional projections comprising:
providing a polarization correcting optic incorporating one or more wave retarders, said wave-retarders with their own individual retardation levels being oriented to each other and designed to rotate the vertical polarization of the underlying optic to match the polarization of a projected stereoscopic image.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the wave retarders are each ¾ wave retarders.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the wave retarder retards in accordance with the equation ¼+N*½, wherein N is any integer.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the wave retarders are each a combination of partial retarders adding to a ¾ wave retardation.