Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-18
2004-09-28
Hjerpe, Richard (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
C345S008000, C345S418000, C345S419000, C359S630000, C359S631000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06798390
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a 3D image reconstructing apparatus and a 3D object information inputting apparatus and, more particularly to a 3D image reconstructing apparatus for reconstructing a 3D still or moving image and permitting an observer to observe the 3D image in a natural state and without strain on an observer's eyes and a 3D objective information inputting apparatus that can pick up and record an image of a 3D object readily.
2. Related Background Art
Various methods have been attempted heretofore as methods for three-dimensionally reconstructing a 3D object. Among them, methods for achieving an observer's stereoscopic vision using binocular parallax (a polarizing spectacle method, a lenticular method, etc.) are popularly used; however, since there occurs contradiction between three-dimensional recognition by the accommodation function of eye and stereoscopic recognition by the binocular parallax, the observer often feels tired or incompatible. There are thus many attempts to find methods for reconstruction of 3D images to satisfy the other three-dimensional recognition functions of the eye without relying on only the binocular parallax.
Such 3D image reconstructing methods include, for example, the following two prior art methods, which will be described with problems of the respective methods.
The first prior art method is a method of IP (Integral Photo) system utilizing pinholes, as proposed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 6-133340 and as shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
is a schematic view to show the major part of the “stereoscopic image reconstructing apparatus” used in this method. This apparatus is composed of a pinhole panel
114
and a multi-image surface
112
. In the pinhole panel
114
pinholes
113
are disposed horizontally and vertically at small intervals and in parallel, and the other portions have a light intercepting property. When an object
116
is present in front of the pinhole panel
114
, small images
111
are formed by rays passing the respective pinholes on the multi-image surface
112
.
When these small images all are recorded as multi-photos
115
and again placed on the multi-image surface, such rays as to reversely trace the rays emitted from the object
116
upon recording go out through each pinhole
113
, thereby reconstructing a stereoscopic image similar to the object
116
. However, since the rays are sampled only at positions of the pinholes both upon recording and upon reconstruction, all the rays emitted from the actual object cannot be reconstructed.
Then the method described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 6-160770 uses an electronic display panel capable of displaying a dynamic image for each of the pinhole panel
114
and the multi-image surface
112
; the pinhole position is moved at high speed in time division and a group of small images according to pinhole positions at respective times are displayed at high speed on the multi-image surface
112
, thereby preventing decrease in the number of rays upon reconstruction. The observer can observe a stereoscopic image with improved luminance and as if the rays radiate from the entire surface of the pinhole panel
114
, thanks to the afterimage effect of the eye. Dynamic stereoscopic images can also be reconstructed by use of the electronic display panel.
Meanwhile, the 3D object information input apparatus dedicated to this 3D image reconstructing apparatus can be constructed by placing an image pickup element instead of the display panel on the multi-image surface
112
in the same structure.
The stereoscopic image reconstructing apparatus shown in
FIG. 1
permits many people to observe a stereoscopic image simultaneously without any special device such as spectacles and also permits an observer to observe a stereoscopic image from different observing points.
However, the stereoscopic image reconstructing apparatus shown in
FIG. 1
has the following problems.
First, since the diameter of the pinholes cannot be set below a certain value in view of the luminance of reconstructed image, it is unavoidable for the rays after passage through the pinholes to have some considerable spread. This causes decrease in the resolution of the reconstructed image.
Second, the observer's eyes must be focused on the image surface, which makes a contradiction against recognition by binocular parallax and which exerts a great stress on the observer's eyes.
Third, since the resolution of the small images recorded on the multi-image surface is reflected to that of the reconstructed stereoscopic image as it is, a display panel with a very high resolution needs to be used in order to achieve a stereoscopic image in a sufficient resolution.
Further, the second prior art method is a method for reconstructing a 3D object by use of the holography technology, for example, as proposed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 64-84993.
FIG. 2
is a schematic view of a real-time hologram reconstructing apparatus using a liquid-crystal dot matrix display device used in this method.
In the drawing, a microprocessor
25
-
1
and a video control apparatus
25
-
2
produce interference fringe patterns to enable reconstruction of a desired three-dimensional image and a driver circuit
25
-
3
writes the above interference fringe patterns as bright and dark patterns on a liquid-crystal dot matrix device
25
-
4
.
The patterns are irradiated by laser light emitted from a laser emitting circuit
25
-
5
and observed along direction A, whereby the observer can observe a three-dimensional image displayed on the liquid-crystal dot matrix device
25
-
4
. Further, the apparatus permits the observer to observe a three-dimensional dynamic image, by dynamically changing the interference fringe patterns written on the liquid-crystal dot matrix device
25
-
4
.
However, the real-time hologram reconstructing apparatus as a 3D image reconstructing apparatus shown in
FIG. 2
has the following problems.
First, the resolution of the liquid-crystal dot matrix device as a space modulator for displaying the interference fringe patterns is considerably lower than that of photosensitive materials such as the conventional film, so that angles of diffraction of reconstructing light cannot be made so large. Therefore, the observation area of reconstructed image becomes narrow.
Second, the effective area of the space modulator capable of forming such fine interference fringe patterns, as used in the real-time hologram reconstructing apparatus, cannot be made so large in general. Therefore, the size of reconstructed image is limited.
Third, utilization efficiency of diffracted light of the space modulator capable of forming such fine interference fringe patterns, as used in the real-time hologram reconstructing apparatus, is generally very low.
Fourth, information amounts of the interference fringe patterns displayed on the space modulator are too large to be processed by the arithmetic and process system of the interference fringe patterns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the first aspect of the present invention, an object is to provide a 3D image reconstructing apparatus that permits the observer to observe a 3D image in a natural state and without strain and a 3D object information input apparatus that can perform input and record of 3D object information from an existing object by a simple structure, and the apparatus for solving the problems of the first prior art described above is constructed as follows.
A 3D image reconstructing apparatus is a three-dimensional image reconstructing apparatus for reconstructing a three-dimensional image and permitting the three-dimensional image to be observed at an observation position by use of image display means for displaying image information, spatial light modulating means for forming a fine aperture, an optical system disposed near the spatial light modulating means, and control means for controlling the image display means and the spatial light modulating means so that som
Osaka Tsutomu
Sudo Toshiyuki
Hjerpe Richard
Nguyen Kimnhung
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