Eyewear

Abstract: Volumetric displays produce volume-filling three-dimensional imagery. Each volume element or voxel in a 3D scene emits visible light from the region in which it appears. Given their ability to project volume-filling autostereoscopic imagery, these displays are being adopted in fields as diverse as medical imaging, mechanical computer-aided design, and military visualization. The author uses the term autostereoscopic to describe a display property that lets observers experience a 3D effect without requiring any additional eyewear. Vendors are developing software that lowers the barrier to adoption by providing compatibility with new and legacy applications. At least one firm is developing a display-dependent visualization environment with the aim of 3D displays overall. The widespread adoption of volumetric 3D displays requires the ability to integrate tightly into today's visualization software.

Abstract: Underlying principles of stereoscopic direct-view displays, binocular head-mounted displays, and autostereoscopic direct-view displays are explained and some early work as well as the state of the art in those technologies are reviewed. Stereoscopic displays require eyewear and can be categorized based on the multiplexing scheme as: 1) color multiplexed (old technology but there are some recent developments; low-quality due to color reproduction and crosstalk issues; simple and does not require additional electronics hardware); 2) polarization multiplexed (requires polarized light output and polarization-based passive eyewear; high-resolution and high-quality displays available); and 3) time multiplexed (requires faster display hardware and active glasses synchronized with the display; high-resolution commercial products available). Binocular head-mounted displays can readily provide 3-D, virtual images, immersive experience, and more possibilities for interactive displays. However, the bulk of the optics, matching of the left and right ocular images and obtaining a large field of view make the designs quite challenging. Some of the recent developments using unconventional optical relays allow for thin form factors and open up new possibilities. Autostereoscopic displays are very attractive as they do not require any eyewear. There are many possibilities in this category including: two-view (the simplest implementations are with a parallax barrier or a lenticular screen), multiview, head tracked (requires active optics to redirect the rays to a moving viewer), and super multiview (potentially can solve the accommodation-convergence mismatch problem). Earlier 3-D booms did not last long mainly due to the unavailability of enabling technologies and the content. Current developments in the hardware technologies provide a renewed interest in 3-D displays both from the consumers and the display manufacturers, which is evidenced by the recent commercial products and new research results in this field.

Abstract: Improved wearable optics is disclosed. The wearable optics comprises a frame member and a lens. The wearable optics also includes circuitry within the frame member for enhancing the use of the wearable optics. A system and method in accordance with the present invention is directed to a variety of ways to enhance the use of eyeglasses. They are: (1) media focals, that is, utilizing the wearable optics for its intended purpose and enhancing that use by using imaging techniques to improve the vision of the user; (2) telecommunications enhancements that allow the eyeglasses to be integrated with telecommunication devices such as cell phones or the like; and (3) entertainment enhancements that allow the wearable optics to be integrated with devices such as MP3 players, radios, or the like.

Abstract: Underlying principles of stereoscopic direct-view displays, binocular head-mounted displays, and autostereo- scopic direct-view displays are explained and some early work as well as the state of the art in those technologies are re- viewed. Stereoscopic displays require eyewear and can be categorized based on the multiplexing scheme as: 1) color multiplexed (old technology but there are some recent devel- opments; low-quality due to color reproduction and crosstalk issues; simple and does not require additional electronics hardware); 2) polarization multiplexed (requires polarized light output and polarization-based passive eyewear; high- resolution and high-quality displays available); and 3) time multiplexed (requires faster display hardware and active glasses synchronized with the display; high-resolution com- mercial products available). Binocular head-mounted displays can readily provide 3-D, virtual images, immersive experience, and more possibilities for interactive displays. However, the bulk of the optics, matching of the left and right ocular images and obtaining a large field of view make the designs quite challenging. Some of the recent developments using uncon- ventional optical relays allow for thin form factors and open up new possibilities. Autostereoscopic displays are very attractive as they do not require any eyewear. There are many possibi- lities in this category including: two-view (the simplest implementations are with a parallax barrier or a lenticular screen), multiview, head tracked (requires active optics to redirect the rays to a moving viewer), and super multiview (potentially can solve the accommodation-convergence mis- match problem). Earlier 3-D booms did not last long mainly due to the unavailability of enabling technologies and the content. Current developments in the hardware technologies provide a renewed interest in 3-D displays both from the consumers and the display manufacturers, which is evidenced by the recent commercial products and new research results in this field.