Viewing-zone (VZ) is an important research topic for stereoscopic displays. Although much research has been done to date, more studies need to be conducted to ascertain the VZ criterion. In this paper, we proposed a novel evaluation method based on optical theory, simulation and experiment to figure out the VZ. We find that the VZ is no more diamond-shaped as the past studies reported.

Optimal Viewing Distance (OVD) is a basic and important auto‐stereoscopic 3D (AS3D) display characteristic. A number of studies, especially in the 3D display design and metrology fields, have mentioned this item for a long time. Unfortunately, there have been few theoretical and empirical studies on OVD. In this paper, we study OVD based on designer's formula, and geometrical and ray tracing approaches are applied to the simulation and measured data. We find that the OVD no more exist in practical cases, and we suggest the thought OVD should be modified by designated eye position (DEP).

The optimal viewing distance was proposed as a parameter for designing a parallax barrier 3D display. It can be designed based on simple geometric method and by considering the pitches of image display pixels and parallax barrier, or even including the aperture ratios of the image display pixels and parallax barrier. It can be analyzed by using ray tracing method. By considering the optical refraction index of the cover glass, the angular behavior of the system becomes more realistic; however, the geometric method is difficult to be used. We propose a revised method for estimating the view distance and angular behavior. In this paper, we have demonstrated a designated eye position (DEP) for each view and shown that multiple DEPs make a circular curve around the center of the display. We prove the new concept by comparing the optical ray tracing calculations and optical measurement.

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Designated eye position (DEP) and viewing zone (VZ) are important optical parameters for designing a two-view autostereoscopic display. Although much research has been done to date, little empirical evidence has been found to establish a direct relationship between design and measurement. More rigorous studies and verifications to investigate DEP and to ascertain the VZ criterion will be valuable. We propose evaluation metrics based on equivalent luminance (EL) and binocular luminance (BL) to figure out DEP and VZ for a two-view autostereoscopic display. Simulation and experimental results prove that our proposed evaluation metrics can be used to find the DEP and VZ accurately.