By combining a super-fast proprietary panel driving technology with LCD, OLED or LED/micro-LED displays, Directional Pixel TechnologyTM (DPT) is able to deliver multiple 2D or 3D views at the same time, including look-around capability and in high quality, without glasses or any other accessories between the eye and the display, and with a minimum of added display depth.
Looking at earlier methods of producing 3D views from displays, especially for multiple viewers, a history of sacrifices or severe limitations begins to appear. The viewer/s have had to wear special glasses, sit in a very specific position in front of the display, or accept that the display resolution is cut in half or even less.
DPT is different, as Realfiction has been able to elegantly utilise a well-known concept known as time multiplexing. This basically means the ability to produce multiple views at the same time by displaying each view for only a fraction of a second before switching to the next one. Combined with a clever software driver package, unique and dynamic Spatial Light Modulators that can deliver views in many different directions, and eye position tracking, DPT is able to calculate and present correct views for each eye of each viewer, even when the viewers move around in front of the display, creating a holographic “look-around” effect.
DPT is thus able to offer the holy grail of 3D: different 3D views at the same time for multiple people moving freely in front of the display, with great viewing angles, full resolution and look-around capability.
DPT is compatible and ready to integrate into display products based on all of the three major display technologies: LCD, OLED and LED. This means that DPT is suitable as a next-generation upgrade for a wide variety of display products and formats, from tablet sizes to large TV sizes and beyond.
Due to the inherent characteristics of LCD, OLED and LED, each of them has their pros and cons to consider when developing a DPT-enabled product.
As the most well-establish display technology, LCD is the least expensive display type to use for most display applications. It has some limitations when it comes to colour volume and black levels, but these have been mitigated to some extent by using innovations such as quantum dots and full-array backlights.
Another limitation of LCD technology is its speed, and thus its update frequency. This is important when integrating DPT, as it poses some limits to the most demanding tasks such as 3D gaming for multiple persons at the same time. However, DPT and LCD is a perfect match if the main goal is to create a cost-effective display product that can reliably produce two different 2D views at the same time (Dualview), and if the goal is to recreate a glasses-free movie theatre 3D experience for multiple people watching the same 3D stereo content.
It is important to note that Realfiction has secured the rights to use a super-fast version of LCD, called ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC), from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). This enables DPT to mitigate some of the speed issues of regular LCD display technologies.
OLED displays are currently the golden standard when it comes to image quality, as this display technology is able to produce pitch blacks and thus exceptional contrast, combined with a large colour volume. This is done by self-illuminating pixels, compared to LCD’s that require a backlight. This means that OLED displays can be made both very thin and flexible, which is great for many application areas. OLED is also a more energy-efficient display technology compared to LCD.
The remaining challenge when it comes to OLED is the high development cost, which has led to a situation where only a few companies have been able to develop and produce large sized OLED panels in high volumes.
OLED is also an inherently super-fast technology, which means that it is ideally suited for DPT-enabled display products in almost all shapes and sizes. This includes the most demanding use cases, such as 3D gaming for multiple persons at the same time and high-end home cinema products. (professional use cases for multiple different personalized 3D perspectives)
Micro-LED is a term used for displays based on self-illuminated LED pixels, illustrating just how small these LED’s need to be. This is considered as a highly promising future display technology as it has many advantages: extremely high brightness, very high colour volume, and pitch blacks just like OLED due to each pixel’s ability to turn completely off. LED displays also generally consumes less power compared to LCD displays, are very flexible, and they can be built in a modular fashion to enable very large display sizes. An advantage compared to OLED is that the core LED technology is quite easy to develop, which means that many companies are active in this field, making it more democratic.
Currently, LED is mostly suitable for very expensive and large-sized displays, such as billboards or cinema displays. This is due to the main remaining challenge of microLED: to make each LED, and thus each pixel, so tiny that high resolution displays can be made reliably in regular TV sizes and smaller. There is also a need for cost-effective volume manufacturing.
As LED is an inherently superfast display technology, just like OLED, it is a perfect match for DPT in niche segments today, and on a broader scale when the display size and volume production challenges are solved.
Holographic 3D using eye position tracking:
Multiple persons can see individual 3D views based on where they are positioned in relation to the display, enabling full-resolution look-around capability to create immersive 3D experiences like never before. DPT has the potential to revolutionize several global market segments, from entertainment and gaming to professional use, as described in the use-cases section of this website.
The ability to create two separate 2D views from the same display with large eye boxes is of great interest in specific use-cases. This includes centre console displays in cars and other vehicles, where it is crucial that the driver is not distracted by for example entertainment content when the vehicle is moving.
DPT unlocks numerous use-cases where it is beneficial to display several different 2D or 3D views at the same time. It includes social entertainment and gaming, marketing and public information applications, educational settings, works of art and museums, and much more.
Our DPT platform is perfectly suited to enable e new level of person-specific privacy, where sensitive information can only be seen by persons granted security access beforehand. To everyone else, the display will be showing something completely different. This feature can be used in for example healthcare and law enforcement settings, as well as to enable work on sensitive information when sitting on a busy train.
Realfiction provides complete licensing packages with everything needed to include its Directional Pixel Technology (DPT) in LCD, OLED and microLED display products. The company is currently pursuing licensing and/or collaboration deals with relevant partners such as display manufacturers, display product providers, and providers of products including displays, in a wide range of relevant industries. To learn more about these opportunities, please contact the Realfiction team.