Abstract:
The present invention provides a three dimensional image projection systems comprised of the projection of two different portions of the image in light beams of differing spectral properties by automated luminairs which can be remotely positioned and can reverse roles during repositioning.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a utility filing claiming priority of provisional applications: 61/106,974 filed on 20 Oct. 2008. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to an image producing luminaire, specifically to a system capable of producing three dimensional images from automated luminaires. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Luminaires with automated and remotely controllable functionality are well known in the entertainment and architectural lighting markets. Such products are commonly used in theatres, television studios, concerts, theme parks, night clubs and other venues. A typical product will typically provide control over the pan and tilt functions of the luminaire allowing the operator to control the direction the luminaire is pointing and thus the position of the light beam on the stage or in the studio. Typically this position control is done via control of the luminaire&#39;s position in two orthogonal rotational axes usually referred to as pan and tilt. Many products provide control over other parameters such as the intensity, color, focus, beam size, beam shape and beam pattern. The beam pattern is typically provided by a stencil or slide called a gobo which may be a steel, aluminum or etched glass pattern. The products manufactured by Robe Show Lighting such as the ColorSpot 1200E are typical of the art. 
     It is also well known to utilize a video projection engine as the light source in such a luminaire so as to be able to project moving images and video as well as the simple images provided by the beam patterning gobos. The Digital Spot 5000DT from Robe Show Lighting is an example of such a product. 
     It is also known to overlay and combine the images from a plurality of imaging luminaires into a single image. These images may completely overlap and be aligned so as to create a brighter image or may be positioned adjacent to each other so as to provide a single larger image. This may be done to increase the apparent brightness of an image buy overlaying two identical images from different luminaires or to provide a three dimensional image where the overlaid images from the two projectors are different and represent a scene or object as it would be seen from two slightly different positions representing the positions of our two eyes. 
     When two images are overlaid in this manner it is necessary to ensure that each eye of the viewer sees only one of the superimposed images. The left eye sees only the image intended for the left eye and the right eye sees only the image intended for the right eye. There are well known techniques for achieving this.  FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art system  100 . Projectors  104  and  106  project images  112  and  114  respectively onto screen  102 . The two images overlap. The light from projector  104  passes through filter/shutter  108  and the light from projector  106  passes through filter/shutter  110  before impinging on screen  102 . One technique involves projecting one image  112  through a red filter  108  and the other  114  through a blue filter  110 . The viewer wears spectacles which have one red filtered lens and one blue filtered lens so as to ensure that each eye will only see one image. This technique was used for Hollywood films for many years but tends to give an unnatural color cast to the resulting image. Another technique uses polarizing filters. One projector may be projected through a vertically oriented polarizing filter and the other through a horizontally oriented filter. The viewer again wears spectacles, but this time with the appropriate polarizing filters in front of each eye. A yet further technique uses filters with circularly polarized lenses. A still further technique utilizes a fast operating blackout shutter in front of each projector and similar blackout shutters in the spectacles; in this technique the left eye and right eye images are shown alternately and the shutters in the spectacles open and close to only allow each eye to see the screen when the correct image is present. 
     Notwithstanding the filtering technique used the prior arts systems use static luminaires or projectors and require time consuming alignment and set up before the three dimensional effect is achieved. Such systems cannot be moved or re-configured or moved easily. 
     There is a need for a luminaire projection system which can provide a three dimensional image output that may be incorporated into an automated luminaire. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like features and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a prior art three-dimensional system; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a system containing embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates the spectacles utilized by the invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of the invention moving an image; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an embodiment of the invention moving an image; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a further embodiment of the invention showing use on more than one screen; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a further embodiment of the invention showing use on more than one screen; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a further embodiment of the invention showing the use of abutting images to create a larger image 
         FIG. 10  illustrates the detail of an embodiment of the invention 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the FIGURES, like numerals being used to refer to like and corresponding parts of the various drawings. 
     The present invention generally relates to an image producing luminaire, specifically to a system capable of producing three dimensional images from automated luminaires. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the invention  200  showing a first automated luminaire  204  mounted on a pan and tilt yoke  220  projecting an image  212  through a filter or shutter  208  on to screen  202 . A second automated luminaire  206  mounted on a pan and tilt yoke  222  projecting an image  214  through a filter or shutter  210  on to screen  202  such that image  212  and image  214  are substantially superimposed on screen  202 . Filter/shutter  208  may be configured to project an image configured such that only the left eye of the viewer will see it and filter/shutter  210  may be configured to project an image configured such that only the right eye of the viewer will see it. The viewer may be wearing spectacles  402  as illustrated in  FIG. 4  where the viewer&#39;s left eye is covered by filter/shutter  406  and the viewer&#39;s right eye is covered by filter/shutter  404 . In one embodiment of the invention filter/shutters  208  and  406  may be linearly oriented polarizing filters and filter/shutters  210  and  404  may be further linearly oriented polarizing filters whose polarizing angle is perpendicular to  208  and  406 . Polarizing filter  406  is oriented parallel to filter  208  and polarizing filter  404  is oriented parallel to filter  210 . 
     Filters/shutters  208  and  210  may be mounted on a motorized wheel or arm such that they may be inserted or removed from image beam  212  and  214  remotely under control of a lighting desk or other controller. Filters/shutters  208  and  210  may also be mounted such that they may be rotated remotely under control of a lighting desk or other controller. By such means a user may remotely select if a specific luminaire has a filter/shutter inserted and may further choose the orientation of that filter/shutter. This differs from the prior art where such filters/shutters are permanently or semi-permanently fixed within or in front of the luminaire and can only be changed by accessing the unit. The shape and character of the imaging outputs  212  and  214  may further be controlled by optical devices in the automated luminaire not covered by this disclosure such as beam focus, beam size or zoom, image selection, image color, image distortion, image manipulation and other devices well known in the art. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a lighting system  310  utilizing an embodiment of the invention. Lighting control desk  315  connects to a plurality of automated luminaires through a data link  314 . Data link  314  may be an RS485 control signal utilizing data protocols such as DMX512 protocol, Artnet, RDM, ACN, an Ethernet connection or any other data transmission system as known in the art. Each automated luminaire  312  may contain a filter selection mechanism  316  containing one or more filters or shutters. Each of these filter selection mechanisms  316  may be independently controlled by control desk  315  through data link  314  so as to present a specific filter or shutter in the light beam path and further may allow orientation of that filter to a predefined position. This facilitates, for example, positioning a polarizing filter across the beam and then rotating that polarizing filter to the desired orientation. The filters/shutters in filter selection mechanism may be chosen from a list including but not limited to; linearly polarizing optical filters, circularly polarizing optical filters, anaglyph filters (red/blue), high speed shutters (LCD or otherwise). 
       FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  illustrate how an embodiment of the invention  200  may be used to create a moving three-dimensional image. Automated luminaires  504  and  506  are mounted on automated pan and tilt yokes  520  and  522  respectively and contain filters/shutters  508  and  510  configured such that the output image beams  512  and  514  provide a three dimensional image on screen  502  when viewed through an appropriate pair of spectacles as described herein. 
     Automated pan and tilt yokes  520  and  522  may move the automated luminaires  504  and  506  from the position shown in  FIG. 5  to the position shown in  FIG. 6 . The system may be so configured and controlled such that the two automated luminaires move in a synchronized and controlled manner such that the two projected images  512  and  514  remain superimposed on screen  502  throughout the move. This may require simultaneous control and coordination of a number of automated luminaire functions such as pan, tilt, zoom, focus, image rotation, keystone correction, and/or flipping the images. Throughout the move automated luminaire  504  continues to project the image to be viewed by the left eye of the viewer and automated luminaire  506  continues to project the image to be viewed by the right eye of the viewer. 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate a further embodiment of the invention  200 . In  FIG. 7  automated luminaires  704  and  706  are mounted on automated pan and tilt yokes  720  and  722  respectively and contain filters/shutters  708  and  710  configured such that the output image beams  712  and  714  provide a three dimensional image on first screen  702  when viewed through an appropriate pair of spectacles as described herein. In this orientation filter  708  is configured so as to match the filter in the spectacles over the left eye of the viewer and filter  710  is configured so as to match the filter in the spectacles over the right eye of the viewer. In  FIG. 8  both automated luminaires have been rotated on automated yokes  720  and  722  so that the output light beams are projecting onto second screen  716 . However, rotating the automated luminaires  704  and  706  in this manner has also reversed the left/right positioning of the luminaires. Thus luminaire  706  is now on the left and luminaire  704  is on the right. The invention is able to deal with this situation and correct the image filtering in a way that the prior art cannot by remotely switching the orientation of filter/shutters  708  and  710  such that filter  708  is reconfigured so as to match the filter in the spectacles over the right eye of the viewer and filter  710  is reconfigured so as to match the filter in the spectacles over the left eye of the viewer. Thus for any position or orientation of automated luminaires  704  and  706  a corresponding appropriate position and orientation of filters/shutters  708  and  710  may be chosen such that a correctly formed three dimensional image is visible on the screen. It may also be necessary to make the other adjustments allowed by the projection beam modulating functionalities previously described. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates how multiple embodiments of the invention  200  may be situated adjacent to each other to provide a single combine large image. Automated luminaires  804  and  806  cooperate to form a first overlaid three dimensional image  816  from beams  812  and  814  on screen  802 . Similarly automated luminaires  844  and  846  cooperate to form a second overlaid three dimensional image  818  from beams  852  and  854  on screen  802 . Images  816  and  818  may separately provide portions of a single larger image which is viewable on screen  802 . Images  816  and  818  may be adjacent and aligned on screen  802 . Images  816  and  818  may contain a common image portion such that may be overlapped as shown by region  870 . Such overlap  870  may assist in presenting the two images as a single seamless overlapped image and the techniques for producing this overlap and controlling the brightness of the two images in this region are well known in the art. Motion and filtering of the two images produced by the respective luminaire pairs may be synchronized so as to maintain the appearance of a single large image. Although two pairs of luminaires are illustrated here the invention is not so limited and any number of pairs of luminaires may be abutted to form larger images of any shape or format. For example four pairs of luminaire may be used to form a large three dimensional image comprising 2×2 smaller three dimensional images. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the detail of an embodiment of the invention. Automated luminaire  900  contains an imaging light source  902 . Imaging light source  902  may comprise an illuminator and static image such as a projection slide or gobo or may comprise a video projector light source utilizing, but not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), digital micro mirror device (DMD) or other light valve image producing device as well known in the art. The light beam  904  produced by imaging light source  902  may pass through beam modulating devices such as an image polarizer  906  and zoom and focus lenses  908  and  910  before exiting through final lens  914  as output beam  916 . Image polarizer  906  may be rotated by actuator  912  so as to provide vertical polarization, horizontal polarization or any other angle of polarization. Additionally image polarizer  906  may be completely removed from light beam  904  by actuator  912  so as to leave the beam unaffected. Actuator  912  may be a stepper motor, servo motor, solenoid or other actuator as well known in the art. Zoom and focus lenses  908  and  910  may similarly be moved through actuators. All actuators may be either locally or remotely controlled. 
     The automated luminaire may be mounted on a pan and tilt yoke  918  connected to a fixed support or platform  920  allowing the motion in two orthogonal axes of the entire image producing chain. 
     While the disclosure has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the disclosure as disclosed herein. The disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.