Controllable lenticular lenslets
An autostereoscopic 3D display system includes a display having a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel is configured to display light rays representing a left-eye view and a right-eye view of an image. The autostereoscopic 3D display system further includes an optical-deflection system configured to control the light rays representing the left-eye view and the right-eye view. The optical-deflection system includes a separately controllable lenslet associated with each pixel, where the lenslet is configured to steer the light ray representing the left-eye view corresponding to the pixel, and steer the light ray representing the right-eye view corresponding to the pixel.
1. An autostereoscopic 3D display system, comprising:
a display comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel is configured to simultaneously display light rays representing a left-eye view and a right-eye view of an image;
an optical-deflection system configured to control the light rays representing the left-eye view and the right-eye view, wherein the optical-deflection system includes a separately controllable lenslet associated with each pixel, wherein the lenslet is configured to:
steer the light ray representing the left-eye view corresponding to the pixel;
steer the light ray representing the right-eye view corresponding to the pixel;
wherein the light ray representing the left-eye view and the light ray representing the right-eye view are steered separately by adjusting an angular direction of the light ray representing the left-eye view and the light ray representing the right-eye view by a different amount.
2. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 1 , wherein the lenslet comprises an electro-refractive element configured to adjust an angular direction of a light ray passing therethrough.
3. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 2 , wherein the electro-refractive element includes an electrowetting component.
4. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 2 , wherein the electro-refractive element includes an evanescent-based electro-optic beam steerer.
5. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 2 , wherein the electro-refractive element includes an electrically controllable large angle deflection component.
6. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 2 , wherein the electro-refractive element includes a positive electro-refractive prism having a controllable strength and a negative electro-refractive prism having a controllable strength.
7. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 2 , further comprising a processing circuit configured to control each lenslet by generating signals to:
adjust the angular direction of the light ray representing the left-eye view passing through the each lenslet; and
adjust the angular direction of the light ray representing the right-eye view passing through the each lenslet.
8. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to adjust angular directions of light rays corresponding to a group of pixels.
9. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 8 , wherein the adjustment to the angular directions of the light rays corresponding to the group of pixels varies an ideal viewing location.
10. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 9 , wherein the ideal viewing location is a global ideal viewing location.
11. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 9 , further comprising a component configured to generate an identifier configured to assist a viewer in finding the ideal viewing location.
12. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 9 , further comprising a component configured to track a viewer, and wherein the ideal location is updated based on viewer movement.
13. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 1 , wherein each pixel further comprises a stereoscopic component configured to split a light ray into the light rays representing a left-eye view and a right-eye view of an image.
14. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 1 , further comprising more than one controllable lenslet associated with each pixel.
15. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 1 , wherein the lenslet comprises an acousto-optic element configured to generate a surface acoustic wave to adjust an angular direction of a light ray passing therethrough.
16. The autostereoscopic 3D display system of claim 15 , wherein a wavelength of the surface acoustic wave corresponds to a color of the light ray passing therethrough.
17. A method for controlling a 3D display, comprising:
simultaneously displaying, by each pixel of a plurality of pixels, a plurality of light rays originating from a common light beam, including light rays representing a left-eye view and a right-eye view of an image; and
controlling the light rays representing the left-eye view and the right-eye view by using at least one separately controllable lenslet per pixel, wherein the lenslet comprises an electro-refractive element configured to adjust an angular direction of a light ray passing therethrough, wherein the lenslet is configured to simultaneously:
steer the light ray representing the left-eye view corresponding to the pixel; and
steer the light ray representing the right-eye view corresponding to the pixel; and
adjusting the angular direction of the light ray representing the left-eye view passing through the lenslet and adjusting the angular direction of the light ray representing the right-eye view passing through the lenslet;
wherein the angular directions of the light ray representing the left-eye view and the light ray representing the right-eye view is adjusted by a different amount.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electro-refractive element includes an electrowetting component.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electro-refractive element includes an evanescent-based electro-optic beam steerer.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electro-refractive element includes an electrically controllable large angle deflection component.
21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electro-refractive element includes a positive electro-refractive prism having a controllable strength and a negative electro-refractive prism having a controllable strength.
22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising adjusting angular directions of light rays corresponding to a group of pixels.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the adjustment to the angular directions of the light rays corresponding to the group of pixels varies an ideal viewing location.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising generating an identifier configured to assist a viewer in finding the ideal viewing location.
25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising tracking a viewer and updating the ideal location based on viewer movement.
26. The method of claim 17 , wherein each pixel comprises a stereoscopic component configured to split a light ray into the light rays representing a left-eye view and a right-eye view of an image.
27. The method of claim 17 , wherein the lenslet comprises an acousto-optic element configured to generate a surface acoustic wave to adjust an angular direction of a light ray passing therethrough.
28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processing circuit, the instructions comprising:
instructions for controlling a plurality of pixels configured to display light rays representing a left-eye view and a right-eye view of an image;
instructions for controlling at least one separately controllable lenslet per pixel, wherein lenslet is configured to:
steer the light ray representing the left-eye view corresponding to the pixel; and
steer the light ray representing the right-eye view corresponding to the pixel; and
instructions for adjusting angular directions of light rays corresponding to a group of pixels, wherein an adjustment to the angular directions of the light rays corresponding to the group of pixels varies an ideal viewing location; and
instructions for tracking a viewer and instructions for updating the ideal viewing location based on viewer movement;
wherein the light ray representing the left-eye view and the light ray representing the right-eye view are steered separately by adjusting an angular direction of the light ray representing the left-eye view and the light ray representing the right-eye view by a different amount.
29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the lenslet comprises an electro-refractive element configured to adjust an angular direction of a light ray passing therethrough.
30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29 , further comprising:
instructions for adjusting the angular direction of the light ray representing the left-eye view passing through the lenslet; and
instructions for adjusting the angular direction of the light ray representing the right-eye view passing through the lenslet.
31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28 , further comprising instructions for generating an identifier configured to assist a viewer in finding the ideal viewing location.
32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the lenslet comprises an acousto-optic element configured to generate a surface acoustic wave to adjust an angular direction of a light ray passing therethrough.