WO2006003157A1

WO2006003157A1 - Visualisation device and method for the operation thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2006003157A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/053049
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sultan Haider
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2004-07-01
Filing date: 2005-06-28
Publication date: 2006-01-12
Also published as: DE102004031982B3

Abstract

The invention relates to a 3D-projector (2) comprising a reflection system enabling images to be projected onto a projection medium (100) at two different angles (14). The projection medium (100) reflects incident light, at a first angle (104), into a first eye (112) of an observer and reflects the incident light, at a second angle (106), into a second eye (114) of the observer. As a result, the eyes (112, 114) of the observer can see different views of a scene which provides the observer with an impression of spatial depth.

Description

description

Visualization device and method for its operation

The invention relates to a visualization device for displaying a stereoscopic image, comprising a 3D projector and a projection medium, and a method for its operation.

In the representation of three-dimensional scene in the form of

It is necessary for images or films to supply the observer's eyes with two different views of the scene. This is achieved, for example, with special spectacles having differently colored spectacle lenses. The different views of the scene are projected in corresponding colors and are selectively brought into the eyes of the observer, who is thereby given an impression of spatial depth. Similar devices are based on so-called shutter glasses, in which a spectacle lens is alternately made opaque in quick succession. On a display medium, for example a computer monitor, in each case the corresponding image for the 'just seeing eye is displayed. A disadvantage of the known devices is a falsification of the color impression of the displayed image which occurs in spectacles with colored glasses, so that corresponding devices are not suitable for transmitting color information! ^{1 "} shutter glasses require a special display medium which has an image refresh rate which is at least twice as high as that of a standard display medium synchronized work must.

DE 41 25 241 C2 describes a laser projector with a coding device and a deflection device for deflecting a projection beam. By means of the coding device, the light of the laser can be changed in an alternating sequence. linearly polarize the serprojector in two mutually perpendicular planes. The linearly polarized light is successively projected onto a screen via two mirrors oriented perpendicular to one another, so that an image is built up for the observer. To give the viewer a three-dimensional impression, it is necessary to wear polarized glasses. This has two polarization filters that are placed in front of the eyes of the beholder. As a result, the polarized light passes into only one eye of the observer, so that two different views of a three-dimensional object can be displayed with the two differently polarized light beams.

DE 44 33 058 A1 describes a personal autostereoscopic screen. In this case, a prism grid glass is arranged micromechanically adjustable in front of an LCD screen. In accordance with the position of a viewer, the optimum position of the raster glass is adaptively set, while at the same time the associated right and left eye perspectives of a 3D image are calculated in real time. The observer's head and eye position is detected by a sensor system mounted on the edges of the screen. The raster glass allows the right and left eye perspectives of the 3D image to be fed separately to the right and left eyes of the observer. This gives beiπf '_''viewer the three-dimensional impression of an SD image. For this representation of the 3D image, no additional glasses are required by the observer.

US 2002/0113944 A1 describes an apparatus and a method for displaying a three-dimensional image. Here, views of a 3D image for the right and the left eye are generated by two independent two-dimensional display media. The light of the display media is reflected by two mirrors in the right and in the left eye of the observer. When displaying different views of a 3D object on the two display media, the impression of a three-dimensional picture This requires no additional glasses in the viewer. The two display media are additionally connected to inverters for inverting the displayed image portion. This is necessary so that after reflection the reflected image arrives in the eye of the observer in the correct orientation.

The object of the present invention is to admit a visualization device and a method for its operation, so that the viewer is presented with a stereoscopic image and no glasses are required for this purpose.

This object is achieved by a visualization device having the features according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 14.

According to claim 1, the 3D projector comprises at least one image generator and a reflection system, wherein the reflection system light of the image generator is projected onto the projection medium at least at two different angles. The light emitted at the two angles will, for example, contain image information from two views of the scene to be displayed and thus be able to represent it on the projection medium. The projection medium comprises at least one reflection unit, which is designed such that it is at a first angle 3f ^; incident light is reflected in a first eye of a viewer and reflected light at a second angle incident light in a second eye of the observer..Thus the use of a pair of spectacles for mediating the three-dimensional image is not required.

In an advantageous embodiment, the reflection system comprises a fixed mirror and two rotatable mirrors, all mirrors being parallel to the axes of rotation of the rotatable mirror

Mirrors are aligned. The three mirrors are arranged in such a way that two light beams thrown onto the fixed mirror by the image generator come from the rotatable mirrors be reflected at the two angles on the projection medium.

In an advantageous embodiment, two angles of rotation of the two rotatable mirrors are synchronized such that in each case only one rotatable mirror reflects the light of the imager. This ensures that in each case only light for an eye of the observer is reflected onto the projection medium, so that a sharp separation of the partial images for the eyes is achieved.

Particularly advantageous is an attachment of the two drehba¬ Ren mirror on the surface of two rotatable cylinders, wherein the mirrors are aligned parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder. This design is characterized by a particularly space-saving rotation mechanism for the mirror.

In an advantageous embodiment of the projection medium, the reflection unit is formed as a mirror arrangement. As a result, a particularly good reflection properties result, so that the projection medium can also be used, for example, in bright rooms, where images are difficult to recognize on ordinary projection walls which are only based on the scattering of light.

In an advantageous embodiment of the projection medium includes fully ^'1r, the mirror assembly, a plurality of mirrors'^τ; which are arranged on two offset in the normal direction plane. This facilitates the reflection of the incident light into the different eyes of the viewer.

In an advantageous embodiment of the projection medium, the reflection unit is designed to be movable. So their position can be optimally aligned relative to the viewer.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the projection medium comprises a detection system for detecting a position. tion of the observer, whereby the alignment of the reflection unit is simplified relative to the viewer.

A control system is expediently connected to the detection system, whereby the alignment of the reflection unit is carried out automatically, thus always achieving the optimum position for the viewer.

According to claim 14, a method for operating a visualization device with a 3D projector and a projection medium aligns the projection medium as a function of a position of the viewer and then alternately projects light for the first and second eyes of the viewer. The rotatable mirrors are each rotated in order to successively build up the complete image on the projection medium.

Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following example described in connection with the accompanying drawings. Show it:

1 shows schematically the structure of the 3D projector,

Fig. 2 shows schematically the structure of the projection medium and

3 is a flowchart for the method for operating the 3D projector and the projection medium.

1 shows a 3D projector 2 with two rotatable mirrors 4 and 6, a fixed mirror 8 and a projector 10 in the projection of a light beam 12 at an angle 14. The rotatable mirrors 4 and 6 are on two cylinders 16 attached and designed as narrow rectangles whose long side is aligned perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. Roots axes 18 of the two cylinders 16 are also aligned perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. As a result, a large area of the image to be displayed is simultaneously projected in this direction. An angular range in the drawing level is successively projected by a rotation of the two rotatable mirrors 4 and 6. In the projection of light for an eye of the observer, the mirror 4 is rotated so that it reflects the light beam 12. The rotation of the two mirrors 4 and 6 is synchronized such that during the mirror 4 light is reflected in the first eye, the mirror 6 is directed backwards and therefore does not reflect the light beam 20 thrown from the projector 10 onto the fixed mirror 8. In the projection of light for the other eye of the observer mirror 4 is rotated backwards and Spie¬ gel 6 forward so that it reflects the light of the projector 10. The then set angle of rotation of the mirror 6 will be chosen according to the invention such that the angle of the then projected light beam differs from the angle 14. The respective projected light contains the different views of the scene to be displayed for the eyes of the observer. In each case only a section of the image to be displayed is projected. By changing the angular position of the rotatable mirrors 4 and 6, the image is built up successively.

FIG. 2 shows a projection medium 100 with a mirror arrangement consisting of mirrors 102, wherein the mirrors are arranged on two curved carrier surfaces 103. For a better overview, only two light beams 108 and 110 incident at different angles 104 and 106 are shown. The ^{^"T"} following explanations, however, are drop on weitere-- _{'Lichtstrah¬} that the projection medium 100 meet transferable. The two incident light beams 108 and 110 are reflected into the eyes 112 and 114 of the viewer, not shown here. Light rays falling in rapid succession on other areas of the projection medium 100 are also reflected in the eyes 112 and 114. This results in a complete picture for the viewer. By the angle ^; 104, 106 dependent reflection of the light beams, it is possible to transmit different partial images to the two eyes. To display a three-dimensional image, the two partial images contain different views of the dar¬ delivering scene.

The mirror arrangement is designed to be movable, as indicated by the arrows 116, in order to ensure that the reflected beams 108 and 110 are guided in the eyes even if the viewer's position is changed. This adjustment of the alignment of the mirror arrangement takes place automatically by the detection system consisting of two cameras 118 and connected to a control unit 120. The orientation of the mirror arrangement is adapted by the control system of the position of the user detected by the cameras 118. As a result, the user can move freely in front of the projection medium without the three-dimensional impression being lost.

FIG. 3 shows the main method steps for operating the aforementioned 3D projector together with the projection medium. In the process, parts of the image to be displayed are successively projected by the 3D projector onto the projection medium until the image is completely displayed. According to the schematic flow diagram, in a first step S2 the position of the observer is detected by the projection medium and in a second step S4 the orientation of the mirror arrangement is adapted accordingly. Then, in a step S6, light is projected for the first eye of the observer and in a further step S8 light for the second eye. In a step S10 it is checked whether the image is already completely projected. In this case the procedure is ended. If only a part of the image has been projected, then in a step S12 the rotatable mirrors are rotated and as a different part of the projection medium the rotatable mirrors are rotated. This illuminates another part of the projection medium. Thereafter, the process starts again with step S2 and repeats until the termination condition in step S10 is satisfied. the picture is completely projected.

Claims

claims

1. Visualization device for displaying a stereoscopic image, comprising a 3D projector (2) and a projection medium (100), characterized by the following features:

the 3D projector (2) comprises at least one image generator and a reflection system, wherein the reflection system is designed such that it reflects light of the image generator at least two different angles onto the projection medium (100),

the projection medium (100) comprises at least one reflection unit, which is designed such that it reflects light incident at a first angle into a first eye (112) of a viewer and light incident at a second angle into a second eye (FIG. 114) of the observer.

2. Visualization device according to claim 1, charac- terized in that the reflection system comprises a fixed mirror (8) and two rotatable mirrors (4, 6), all mirrors being parallel to a rotation axis (18) of the rotatable mirrors (4, 6) ) and are arranged such that two light beams (12, 12) thrown from the image generator onto the fixed mirror (8)

20) from the rotatable mirrors (4, 6) at the two angles (14 ^ '^ to the projection medium (100) are reflected.

3. Visualization device according to claim 2, characterized in that two angles of rotation of the two rotatable mirrors (4, 6) are synchronized such that only one rotatable mirror (4, 6) reflects the light of the image generator.

4. Visualization device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the two rotatable mirrors (4, 6) on a surface of two rotatable cylinders (16) are fixed and parallel to a rotation axis (18) of the cylinder (16) are aligned.

5. A visualization device according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein a plurality of mirrors are implemented in a narrow rectangular shape.

6. Visualization device according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the image generator is designed as a projector (10).

7. Visualization device according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the reflection unit is formed by a mirror arrangement.

8. Visualization device according to claim 7, characterized in that the mirror arrangement comprises a multiplicity of mirrors (102) which are arranged on two carrier surfaces (103) offset in their normal direction.

9. Visualization device according to claim 8, characterized in that the carrier surfaces are curved.

10. A visualization device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the mirrors (102) are not flat.

11. Visualization device according to one of claims 7 to

10, that is, that the reflection unit is made movable.

12. visualization ^device: according to any one of claims 7 to

11, characterized in that the projection medium (100) comprises a detection system, which is designed to detect a position of the observer.

13. Visualization device according to claim 12, characterized in that the detection system is connected to a control unit (120), which is designed such that it can move the reflection unit.

14. A method for operating a visualization device according to one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the following procedural steps:

Detecting the position of the observer,

Orientation of the mirror arrangement as a function of the position of the observer, projection of light for a first eye (112) of the observer with one of the rotatable mirrors (4, 6),

Projection of light for the other eye (114) of the observer with the other rotatable mirror (4, 6), rotation of the rotatable mirrors (4, 6), repetition of the above steps until the image to be displayed is completely projected.