Stereoscopic glasses using tilted filters
Filter glasses for use by an observer of a stereoscopic digital display system that displays stereoscopic images including first-eye images and second-eye images. The filter glasses include a first-eye filter that substantially transmits light from the first-eye images and blocks light from the second-eye images, and a second-eye filter that substantially transmits light from the second-eye images and blocks light from the second-eye images. A frame is used to position the first-eye filter in front of the observer's first eye and to position the second-eye filter in front of the observer's second eye, such that the front surfaces of the filters are oriented at a tilt angle of at least 5 degrees relative to vertical so that light from the display surface that is reflected from the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter is directed over the heads of other observers that are seated in front of the observer.
1. A method, comprising:
transmitting light with information about first-eye images provided from a display surface in a theatre through a first-eye filter of filter glasses of a wearer positioned in the theatre;
transmitting light with information about second-eye images provided from the display surface through a second-eye filter of the filter glasses of the wearer;
blocking light with information about the first-eye images from being transmitted through the second-eye filter;
blocking light with information about the second-eye images from being transmitted through the first-eye filter; and
reflecting light with information about the first-eye images by the second-eye filter and reflecting light with information about the second-eye images by the first-eye filter, the light with information about the first-eye images and the light with information about the second-eye images being reflected in a direction that is away from the display surface and away from other wearers positioned in front of the wearer in the theatre, wherein the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter are tilted at a tilt angle with respect to a vertical axis such that bottom portions of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter are positioned closer to the display surface than top portions of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reflecting light with information about the first-eye images and light with information about the second-eye images by a plurality of filter glasses of a plurality of wearers in the theatre, in directions that are away from the display surface to avoid degrading image quality of light provided from the display surface,
wherein the plurality of glasses includes first-eye filters and second-eye filters that are tilted at tilt angles such that bottom portions of the first-eye filters and the second-eye filters are positioned closer to the display surface than top portions of the first-eye filters and the second-eye filters.
3. Filter glasses for use by an observer of a stereoscopic digital display system that displays stereoscopic images including first-eye images and second-eye images on a display surface, the filter glasses comprising:
a first-eye filter having a front surface positioned for facing the display surface and an opposite back surface and having transmission characteristics to substantially transmit light from the first-eye images and block light from the second-eye images;
a second-eye filter having a front surface positioned for facing the display surface and an opposite back surface and having transmission characteristics to substantially transmit light from the second-eye images and block light from the first-eye images; and
frame having arms and rims, the arms extending along a horizontal axis from the rims, the frame being adapted to position the first-eye filter in front of the observer's first eye and to position the second-eye filter in front of the observer's second eye, the rims holding the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter at a tilt angle relative to a vertical axis such that top edges of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter are closer than bottom edges of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter to a vertical plane that intersects ends of the arms that is opposite to the rims to reflect light from the second-eye images and light from the first-eye images in a direction that is away from the display surface and away from other observers positioned in front of the observer in a theatre,
wherein the tilt angle is an amount that is based on a position of a seating area in the theatre relative to the position of the display surface in the theatre.
4. The filter glasses of claim 3 wherein the first-eye images are formed using narrow-band, solid-state, red, green and blue first-eye light emitters having corresponding red, green and blue first-eye spectral bands and the second-eye images are formed using narrow-band, solid-state, red, green and blue right-eye light emitters having corresponding red, green and blue second-eye spectral bands, the first-eye spectral bands being substantially non-overlapping with the second-eye spectral bands.
5. The filter glasses of claim 4 wherein the first-eye filter is configured to substantially transmit the first-eye spectral bands and reflect the second-eye spectral bands, and the second-eye filter is configured to substantially transmit the second-eye spectral bands and reflect the first-eye spectral bands.
6. The filter glasses of claim 5 wherein the first-eye filter is configured to substantially transmit 60% or more of the light in the first-eye spectral bands and reflect 60% or more of the light in the second-eye spectral bands, and the second-eye filter is configured to transmit 60% or more of the light in the second-eye spectral bands and reflect 60% or more of the light in the first-eye spectral bands.
7. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein the tilt angle is specified so that light from the display surface that is reflected from the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter is directed over the top of the display surface.
8. The filter glasses of claim 1 further including opaque side shields mounted to the frame that are positioned to block at least some stray light in the viewing environment from striking the back surfaces of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter.
9. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein the frame is made using a moldable material, and wherein the frame is molded to receive the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter and orient them at the tilt angle.
10. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein the frame includes a hinge mechanism that enables the tilt angle of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter to be adjusted.
11. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein the tilt angle is no more than 20 degrees relative to vertical.
12. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein one or both of the front and back surfaces of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter are flat surfaces.
13. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein one or both of the front and back surfaces of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter are curved surfaces.
14. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein one or both of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter are formed using a plurality of filter layers that include a dichroic filter stack.
15. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein one or both of the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter include one or more absorptive filter layers.
16. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein the first-eye filter and the second-eye filter are each formed using a plurality of filter layers that include both a dichroic filter stack one or more absorptive filter layers.
17. The filter glasses of claim 16 at least some of the absorptive filter layers are positioned between the respective dichroic filter stack and the respective observer's eye.
18. The filter glasses of claim 17 wherein the first-eye filter is configured to reflect 50% or less of the light from the second-eye images that is incident on a surface of the first-eye filter closest to the observer's first eye, and the second-eye filter is configured to reflect 50% or less of the light from the first-eye images that is incident on a surface of the second-eye filter closest to the observer's second eye.
19. The filter glasses of claim 1 wherein the stereoscopic digital display system is a stereoscopic digital projection system.
20. The filter glasses of claim 1 , wherein the tilt angle is in a range of 5 degrees to 37 degrees relative to the vertical axis.