UK news outlet, The Register, reports that Apple has been granted a patent for a projection system that would allow multiple viewers to experience 3D without the need for specialized glasses.
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The patent, which is known as the Three-dimensional display system, details a very complex system. Interestingly enough, this very complicated system has been designed to provide uncomplicated 3D for the user through autostereoscopic screens that eliminate the need for active shutter or passive polarized glasses, which is the current standard of 3D technology.
The Register quotes Apple's patent: "...most voyages into virtual reality are currently solitary and encumbered ones: users often wear helmets, special glasses, or other devices that present the 3D world only to each of them individually."
While Apple isn't the only one in the autostereoscopic game, they aim to be the best. They set out to not only prove their technology with their patent, but point the limitations of their competitors systems which are broken down into three categories.
These categories, as outlined in the patent, are volumetric displays, which present ghosted or transparent images, the parallax barrier method, which requires the observer to remain stationary, and dynamically presented holographic images, which require a great deal of computational power and bandwidth to run.
Related Articles and Content
For more information, read our related articles: 3DFusion Aims to Create Perfect 3D Without Glasses, 3DFusion Glasses Free Technology Accepted by Industry Experts, and Update: Toshiba Officially Announces 3D Without Glasses. You can find more information in our 3D HDTV News and Review sections. The original article by The Register can be found here.
Apple's plan is to create a system that that will track the viewer's position and movement and then feed that information into a system that will guide the projection of pixels to create a 3D effect regardless of the viewer's position or movement. This system would also allow viewers to interact with the display should future technologies allow for it.
