Infitec GmbH is a family-owned company based in

Gerstetten Gerstetten is a municipality in the district of Heidenheim in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It consists of the following villages: * Gerstetten (population: 7,534) * Dettingen (population: 2,042, incorporation 1972) * Gussenstadt (po ...

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

, Germany) that develops, produces and markets products for the projection of 3D content. The registered name INFITEC is an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

of Interference Filter Technology, which was invented and patented by the founder of the company, Helmut Jorke.

Background

The INFITEC or Wavelength Multiplex Technology (WMT) is based on the fact that the

visible light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...

spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...

can be divided into different

wavelength In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats. It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, tro ...

ranges using steep-edged

optical filter An optical filter is a device that selectively transmits light of different wavelengths, usually implemented as a glass plane or plastic device in the optical path, which are either dyed in the bulk or have interference coatings. The optical ...

s. Some of these wavelength ranges are presented to the left eye, the others to the right eye. By an appropriate design of the transmission spectra of the filters it can be ensured that both eyes are reached by wavelengths in the red, green, and blue range of the visible light, so both eyes will see a fully colored image. Such multi-bandpass optical filters can currently be made only as so called

interference filter An interference filter or dichroic filter is an optical filter that reflects one or more spectral bands or lines and transmits others, while maintaining a nearly zero coefficient of absorption for all wavelengths of interest. An interference filte ...

s. The WMT requires filters for the glasses as well as for the

projectors A projector or image projector is an optical device that projects an image (or moving images) onto a surface, commonly a projection screen. Most projectors create an image by shining a light through a small transparent lens, but some newer types ...

(except laser projectors).

History

Previous history

INFITEC GmbH emerged from a research project at the former

DaimlerChrysler The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacture ...

research center in

Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

, Germany. In this project it was studied under the name of wavelength multiplex visualization system, whether a new technical approach was suitable for an improved and functionally enhanced imaging in

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...

systems. For the resulting technology based on

s the brand INFITEC was registered.

Foundation

In 2003 Helmut Jorke founded his own start-up enterprise called INFITEC GmbH. The aim was the utilization and further development of the INFITEC method. The head office was located in

at that time.

Cooperation with Barco N.V.

The single-projector solution with INFITEC 3D filter wheel was developed in 2004 by the Belgian company Barco. The relevant patents by Barco were purchased by INFITEC GmbH in 2010.

Cooperation with Dolby Inc.

In 2006 the WMT was licensed to the American company Dolby Laboratories, Inc. for

digital cinema Digital cinema refers to adoption of digital technology within the film industry to distribute or project motion pictures as opposed to the historical use of reels of motion picture film, such as 35 mm film. Whereas film reels have to be sh ...

, and it was marketed under the name

Dolby 3D Dolby 3D (formerly known as Dolby 3D Digital Cinema) is a marketing name for a system from Dolby Laboratories, Inc. to show three-dimensional motion pictures in a digital cinema. Technology Dolby 3D uses a Dolby Digital Cinema projector that ...

. As Dolby uses different wavelength ranges than INFITEC, Dolby glasses are not compatible with projectors equipped with INFITEC filters, and vice versa.

New filter generation

In 2011 INFITEC introduced a new generation of filters under the designation ''Excellence in 3D''. By a new design of the transmission bands of the filters a balanced

color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

impression for both eyes is achieved.H. Jorke and A. Simon, ''New high efficiency interference filter characteristics for stereoscopic imaging'', ''Proc. SPIE 8288, Stereoscopic Displays and Applications XXIII'', 82881D (28 February 2012) Before, an elaborate color correction was needed for both stereoscopic channels that partially required special video processors. Now, if necessary at all, the simple color adjustment included in many projectors is sufficient.

Operating establishments

In 2010 the production of 3D glasses as well as the administration was relocated from

( District of Heidenheim,

, Germany). Since 2013 INFITEC GmbH runs a sales office in the United States. In 2014 INFITEC GmbH acquired a 50% share of VisionOptics GmbH in Chemnitz (

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

, Germany). The headquarters, the sales department, and the research and development department of INFITEC GmbH moved from Ulm to Gerstetten in 2015. Global-offices include Russia, China, and USA.

Business activity

INFITEC GmbH develops, manufactures and markets

s for 3D projection technology and glasses fitted with these filters. In some cases the retrofitting of filters to projectors is done as well. INFITEC GmbH is internationally active regarding purchase and sales. The INFITEC GmbH holds all patents and licensing rights (aside from the cinema market held by Dolby Inc.) from simulation in industry and research institutes, planetariums and

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

s, to large venue events,

theme parks An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

, and

home cinema Home cinema, also called home theaters or theater rooms, are home entertainment audio-visual systems that seek to reproduce a movie theater experience and mood using consumer electronics-grade video and audio equipment that is set up in a room ...

solutions.

References

{{reflist

External links

Infitec homepage
Video Technology Blog Stereoscopy 3D cinema Technology companies of Germany Companies based in Baden-Württemberg