Abstract:
A three-dimensional liquid crystal shutter glasses includes a frame and two lenses, where the frame includes two sub-frames, the two lenses can be deposed on the two sub-frames in any one of a plurality of specific angles, respectively, and the plurality of specific angles are for a user to watch a plurality of types of monitors whose images have different polarization directions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a pair of shutter glasses for viewing stereo images, and more particularly, to a pair of shutter glasses capable of viewing a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a construction of conventional three-dimensional (3D) glasses  100  and related optical principals thereof. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the 3D glasses  100  are utilized by a user for viewing a monitor  110  which generates an image light output with a polarization direction at 135 degrees. Each lens of the 3D glasses  100  comprises a front polarized lens  102 , a liquid crystal (LC) layer  104  and a back polarized lens  106 . In accordance with the operation of the 3D glasses  100 , the voltage V LC  on the LC layer  104  determines whether light is allowed to transmit through the lens. For example, when the voltage V LC  on the LC layer  104  is 0V, light transmitted through the LC layer  104  has its polarization direction changed to 45 degrees, and then transmits through the back polarized lens  106  successfully; on the contrary, when the voltage V LC  on the LC layer  104  is 12V, light transmitted through the LC layer  104  has its polarization direction still maintained at 135 degrees, and fails to transmit through the back polarized lens  106 . Therefore, by providing control voltages to LC layers corresponding to the left-eye lens and the right-eye lens alternately, 3D glasses  100  may let the user&#39;s left eye and right eye respectively receive suitable images, leading superimposed images regarded as stereo images in the user&#39;s brain. 
         [0005]    However, the 3D glasses  100  shown in  FIG. 1  are only suitable for monitors whose image light outputs have polarization directions at 135 degrees, rather than monitors whose image light outputs have other polarization directions, such as TN (Twisted Nematic) liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus whose polarization direction is 45 degrees, IPS (In-plane Switching) LCD apparatus whose polarization direction is 0 degree, VA (Vertical Alignment) LCD apparatus whose polarization direction is 90 degrees, etc. So, since 3D glasses  100  may not be suitable for all types of monitors, manufacturers have to redesign 3D glasses according to each monitor type, and the production cost is increased inevitably. Besides, one user has to buy a plurality of 3D glasses suitable for a plurality of types of monitors, resulting in unnecessary waste. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a pair of shutter glasses with a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions, in order to solve the problem described above. 
         [0007]    According to an aspect of the present invention, exemplary 3D glasses utilized for viewing stereo images comprise a frame and two LC polarized lenses, wherein the frame comprise two sub-frames, two LC polarized lenses may be disposed on two sub-frames of the frame according to any one of a plurality of different angles, and the plurality of different angles are respectively defined to view a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions. 
         [0008]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a construction of conventional three-dimensional glasses and related optical principals thereof. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of a pair of shutter glasses for viewing stereo images according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating two liquid crystal polarized lenses shown in  FIG. 2  disposed on the frame at 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees and 135 degrees, respectively. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of a plurality of lens installation indicators on a frame shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of a plurality of lens installation indicators on two liquid crystal polarized lenses shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of two liquid crystal polarized lenses of different shapes. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a diagram of a pair of shutter glasses for viewing stereo images according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a diagram of a rotating shaft shown in  FIG. 7  driving two liquid crystal polarized lenses to have rotations. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a diagram of a pair of shutter glasses for viewing stereo images according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating a plurality of lenses installation indicators on two liquid crystal polarized lenses shown in  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Please refer to  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a diagram of a pair of shutter glasses  200  for viewing stereo images according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the pair of shutter glasses  200  comprises a frame  210 , two LC polarized lenses  220 ,  230 , and a battery  216  disposed in the frame  210 , wherein the frame  210  comprises two sub-frames  211 ,  213 . Besides, two sub-frames  211 ,  213  comprise a plurality of connection points  212 ,  214 , respectively. In addition, edges of the LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230  also comprise a plurality of connection points  222 ,  234 . When the two LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230  are connected to the frame  210 , a control chip (not shown) connected to the battery  216  supplies power to the two LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230  by at least part of the connect points in the frame  210  and the LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230 . Besides, the two LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230  may be connected to the two sub-frames  211 ,  213  of the frame  210  by a latching manner, a magnetic coupling manner or a clipping manner. 
         [0020]    Please note that the plurality of the connection points  212 ,  214  on the frame  210  and the plurality of connection points  222 ,  234  on the edge of the LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230  shown in  FIG. 1  are for illustrative purposes only. In other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the frame  210  or edges of the LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230  may only have one connection point; and each of the LC polarization lenses  230  at the right side and the sub-frame  213  may have connection points on only one of the edges thereof. 
         [0021]    Besides, the two LC polarized lenses  220 ,  230  may be any forms of LC polarized lenses. For example, each of the two LC polarized lenses  220 ,  230  may comprise a first polarized lens, a front glass, an LC layer, a back glass and a second polarized lens in order, or may comprise a group of LC modules (which may comprise one LC layer or two LC layers), a glass, and a polarized lens in order. However, this is not meant to be a limitation of the present invention. Besides, the two LC polarized lenses  220 ,  230  are respectively disposed on the sub-frames  211 ,  213  of the frame  210  in any one of the plurality of different angles, and the plurality of different angles are defined for viewing a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions. For example, please refer to  FIG. 3 , which is a diagram illustrating the two LC polarized lenses  220 ,  230  being disposed on the frame  210  at 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 135 degrees, respectively. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the four installation manners of LC polarized lenses, as shown in sub-diagrams (A), (B), (C), and (D) in  FIG. 3 , are defined for viewing monitors whose image light outputs have polarized directions at 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees and 135 degrees, respectively. Thus, manufacturers do not have to redesign 3D glasses according to each monitor type. In this way, the production cost may be reduced greatly. Moreover, the user only needs to buy one pair of 3D glasses to view a plurality of different monitors, which prevents the user from wasting money on buying 3D glasses. 
         [0022]    Besides, regarding one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, please refer to  FIG. 4 . The frame  210  has a plurality of lens installation indicators MNT 1 , MNT 2 , TV, NB respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions (e.g. MNT 1 , MNT 2 , TV, NB respectively corresponding to monitors whose image light outputs have polarization directions at 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, 135 degrees), in order to indicate required lens installation directions of the two LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230 . 
         [0023]    Besides, regarding another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, please refer to  FIG. 5 . There are a plurality of lens installation indicators MNT 1 , MNT 2 , TV, NB disposed on the two LC polarized lenses  220 ,  230 , wherein the lens installation indicators MNT 1 , MNT 2 , TV, NB respectively correspond to a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions, in order to indicate required lens installation directions of the two LC polarization lenses  220 ,  230 . 
         [0024]    Besides, the two LC polarized lenses  220 ,  230  shown in  FIG. 2  have round shapes. However, it is not meant to be a limitation of the present invention. In other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the two LC polarized lenses of the present invention may have polygon shapes or any other shapes shown in  FIG. 6 . As shown in the sub-diagram (A) of  FIG. 6 , the pair of shutter glasses  610  comprises a frame  612  and two LC polarized lenses  614 ,  616 , and the two LC polarized lenses  614 ,  616  both have square shapes; as shown in the sub-diagram (B) of  FIG. 6 , the pair of shutter glasses  620  comprises a frame  622  and two LC polarized lenses  624 ,  626 , and the two LC polarized lenses  624 ,  626  both have diamond shapes; besides, as shown in the sub-diagram (C) of  FIG. 6 , the pair of shutter glasses  630  comprises a frame  632  and two LC polarized lenses  634 ,  636 , and the two LC polarized lenses  634 ,  636  both have octagon shapes. Besides, the LC polarized lenses  614 - 616 ,  624 - 626 ,  634 - 636  shown in  FIG. 6  are respectively disposed on the frames  610 ,  620 ,  630  in any one of the plurality of different angles, where the plurality of different angles are defined for viewing a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization angles. Please note that the LC polarized lenses may also be connected to the corresponding frame by a latching manner, a magnetic coupling manner or a clipping manner; however, this it is not meant to be a limitation of the present invention. 
         [0025]    Please refer to  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 7  is a diagram of a pair of shutter glasses  700  for viewing stereo images according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the pair of shutter glasses  700  comprises a frame  710 , two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730 , a rotating shaft  740  and a battery  716  disposed in the frame  710 , wherein a control chip (not shown), electrically connected to the battery  716 , supplies power to the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730 . Besides, the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730  may be any forms of LC polarized lenses. 
         [0026]    The two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730  have round shapes, and are rotatably fixed on the frame  710 , and the rotating shaft  740  is disposed between the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730 , and is respectively engaged with the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730  for driving the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730  to have rotations. Please refer to  FIG. 8 . The sub-diagrams (A) and (B) shown in  FIG. 8  are diagrams of the rotating shaft  740  driving the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730  to have rotations, respectively. With the rotating shaft  740  driving the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730  to have rotations, the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730  are disposed on the frame  710  according to any one of a plurality of different angles, where the plurality of different angles are defined for viewing a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions. For example, the two LC polarized lenses  720 ,  730  are respectively installed on the frame  710  at 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees and 135 degrees for viewing monitors whose polarization directions are at 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees and 135 degrees. Thus, manufacturers do not have to redesign 3D glasses according to each monitor type. In this way, the production cost may be reduced greatly. Moreover, the user only needs to buy one pair of 3D glasses to view a plurality of different monitors, which prevents the user from wasting money on buying 3D glasses. 
         [0027]    Please note that a plurality of rotating angle indicators MNT 1 , MNT 2 , TV, NB on the rotating shaft  740  are respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions, thereby indicating the required angle of the rotating shaft  740 . 
         [0028]    Please refer to  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 9  is a diagram of a pair of shutter glasses  900  for viewing stereo images according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the pair of shutter glasses  900  comprises frames  912 ,  914 , two LC polarized lenses  920 ,  930 , a battery  916  disposed in the frame  912  and a connection apparatus  918 , wherein the connection apparatus  918  is utilized for connecting the two LC polarized lenses  920 ,  930 , and providing a power transmission route in order to make a control chip (not shown) that is electrically connected to the battery  916  supply power to the two LC polarized lenses  920 ,  930 . Besides, the connection apparatus  918  may let the two LC polarized lenses  920 ,  930  connect to each other by a latching manner, a magnetic coupling manner or a clipping manner, and the two LC polarized lenses  920 ,  930  may be any forms of LC polarized lenses. 
         [0029]    Besides, regarding an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, please refer to  FIG. 10 . A plurality of lens installation indicators MNT 1 , MNT 2 , TV, NB are disposed on the two LC polarized lenses  920 ,  930 , respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions, in order to indicate required lens installation directions of the two LC polarized lenses  920 ,  930  for allowing the user to assemble the pair of shutter glasses  900  correctly. 
         [0030]    Besides, in the exemplary embodiments described above, two LC polarized lenses may be respectively disposed on the frame in any one of a plurality of different angles, and the plurality of different angles may be 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 135 degrees. However, this is not meant to be a limitation of the present invention. As long as the different angles comprise at least two of 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees and 135 degrees, any alternative design falls within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0031]    Briefly summarized, in the pair of shutter glasses for viewing stereo images according to the present invention, two LC polarized lenses are disposed on a frame according to any one of a plurality of different angles, where the plurality of different angles are defined for viewing a plurality of types of monitors whose image light outputs have different polarization directions. Thus, manufacturers do not have to redesign 3D glasses according to each monitor type. In this way, the production cost may be reduced greatly. In addition, the user only needs to buy one pair of 3D glasses to view a plurality of different monitors, which prevents the user to waste money on buying 3D glasses. 
         [0032]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.