Apple 3D Glasses-Free Patent Revealed

Apple [AAPL] has been granted a patent that allows a number of viewers to watch 3D content without special glasses.

Apple’s solution, simply put, is to first track viewers’ position and movement, and then use that information to guide the projection of pixels onto “a projection screen having a predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function.”

In other words, each projected pixel would be beamed onto a textured, reflective screen in such a way as to reflect into the eyes of each viewer at angles that separate the image into left and right views, thus producing a 3D effect.

When viewers move, a tracking sensor is able to adjust the angle of the projector and aim the image towards them where ever they sit.

The reason for creating a glasses-free 3D screen is because a number of people don’t want to wear expensive glasses. By doing away with glasses and allowing anybody to view 3D, it makes the whole 3D thing a lot more desirable.

Another image below explains the projector and reflection process in more details…

Of course, the patent might never make it to an actual product. We suspect Apple is already testing this though, perhaps waiting for a right time to enter the market with it.

Via: The Register