Image enhancement for three-dimensional displays

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) display apparatus includes an image generation subsystem (IGS) for generating at least one two-dimensional (2D) image and providing filtered rays derived from the at least one 2D image to an optical element for modulating the filtered rays and producing a 3D image, wherein the filtered rays comprise limited overlap of pixel information. A method and a computer program product for generating 3D images are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a lenticular lens array; and   a mask comprising diagonally staggered apertures that correspond to respective pixels of a two-dimensional image, wherein the diagonally staggered apertures are configured to provide openings for the respective pixels resulting in filtered rays and direct the filtered rays to the lenticular lens array to produce a three-dimensional image.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a height of the diagonally staggered apertures is equal or substantially equal to a height of a pixel of the respective pixels, and   a width of the diagonally staggered apertures is less than half a width of the pixel.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lenticular lens array is mounted between an upstream glass plate and a downstream glass plate. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an image source configured to generate the two-dimensional image. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the image source comprises at least one of a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube, a vacuum fluorescent display, a digital light processing display, a plasma display panel, a light-emitting diode, an organic light-emitting diode, a surface-conduction electron-emitter display, a field emission display, or a liquid crystal on silicon display. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an optical axis of the lenticular lens array is one of substantially parallel to a y-axis of the mask or tilted with respect to the y-axis. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lenticular lens array comprises at least one cylindrical lens. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lenticular lens array comprises at least one elliptical lens. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a diffuser configured to scatter illumination from the image source to the mask. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mask comprises film attached to one of a transparent carrier, a glass panel, a diffuse surface, or the lenticular lens array. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 generating a two-dimensional image by an image source comprising a pixel array; and   filtering rays of the two-dimensional image using a mask comprising an array of diagonally staggered apertures corresponding to respective pixels of the pixel array yielding filtered rays; and   providing the filtered rays to at least one lenticular lens yielding a three-dimensional image.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the generating comprises generating the two-dimensional image using at least one of a liquid crystal display, a cathode ray tube, a vacuum fluorescent display, a digital light processing display, a plasma display panel, a light-emitting diode, an organic light-emitting diode, a surface-conduction electron-emitter display, a field emission display, or a liquid crystal on silicon display. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the providing comprises providing the filtered rays to the at least one lenticular lens that is one of substantially parallel to a y-axis of the mask or tilted with respect to the y-axis. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the providing comprises providing the filtered rays to at least one cylindrical lenticular lens. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the providing comprises providing the filtered rays to at least one elliptical lenticular lens. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising scattering, by a diffuser, illumination from the image source to the mask. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the providing comprises providing the filtered rays to a glass plate on an upstream side of the at least one lenticular lens. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the filtering the rays comprises filtering the rays using the mask comprising the array of diagonally staggered apertures having, respectively, an aperture height that is substantially equal to a height of a pixel of the pixel array and an aperture width that is less than half of a width of the pixel. 
     
     
         19 . A system, comprising:
 means for generating a two-dimensional image; and   means for filtering rays of the two-dimensional image using an array of diagonally staggered apertures corresponding to respective pixels of the two-dimensional image to output filtered rays and direct the filtered rays to one or more lenticular lenses to generate a three-dimensional image.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising means for scattering illumination from the means for generating the two-dimensional image to the means for filtering the rays.