Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Detail of image placement or content
Reexamination Certificate
1996-02-16
2001-05-01
Evans, Arthur G. (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Detail of image placement or content
C358S001180
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226093
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a photographic printer, and more specifically a printer for making 3D pictures or animation pictures on lenticular print material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In making a lenticular-type 3D picture or animation picture, the basic process involves exposing a plurality of 2D images, each at a different projection angle, onto a lenticular print material to form a plurality of optically-compressed line-form images on the photosensitive coating underlying the lenticules of the lenticular print material. It is well-known that, in making a 3D picture of a scene, it is necessary to select a common point in each 2D image of the scene as the registration point (also known as the key subject in 3D photography) for aligning these 2D images during exposure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,449 (Lam) discloses a single-stage printer for making 3D pictures from 2D images recorded on film; U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,950 (Fritsch) discloses a dual-stage printer for making 3D pictures from 2D images recorded on film. In both disclosures by Lam and by Fritsch, the key subject in each 2D image must be first captured by an electronic camera and the key subject location determined by a computer. After the key subject location is known, the alignment of the key subject is accomplished by separately adjusting each of the negatives on which the 2D images are recorded.
Presently, in order to produce a 3D picture, it is necessary to take a series of 2D images and record them on film. The printing of 3D pictures can only be carried out after the film is processed. This requirement renders real-time 3D photography not plausible. Furthermore, determining the key subject location and the alignment of the key subject during printing requires precision optical means and mechanical means. Each of the above-mentioned disclosed methods requires a printer of high degree of complexity. Furthermore, the images recorded on film are difficult to change or combine or edit at the time of printing.
It is desirable to provide a lenticular printer which operates on a simple principle and allows the images to be manipulated before or at the time of printing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a filmless photographic printer for making 3D and/or animation pictures on lenticular material composed from at least two 2D images. The printer uses a video monitor to sequentially display the 2D images, and a projection lens to project the displayed 2D images onto a lenticular print material at different projection angles. In order to change the projection angles, the projection lens and print material are moved to different positions relative to the video monitor screen. At all times, the print material is maintained substantially parallel to monitor screen and the projection lens is maintained to properly focus on the monitor screen and the print material. It is understood that the moving direction of the projection lens and the print material is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the lenticules. The 2D images for composing the 3D photographs can be of real objects or generated by a computer. The 2D images generated by a computer or captured by an electronic camera (digital or analog) can be directly conveyed to the video monitor for displaying and exposing. They can also be stored in a computer workstation which is also used for controlling the printer operations and processing the 2D images if desired or necessary. The 2D images can also be retrieved into the computer workstation from other devices such as a tape drive, image scanner, CD-ROM drive and other optical, electronic and magnetic devices. The 2D images can also be transferred electronically through a network such as Ethernet or Internet. The printing can be done in real-time.
In the filmless printer according to the present invention, key subject alignment is achieved electronically. The key subject in the 2D images stored in the computer workstation can be located by electronically comparing the pattern around the key subject image to find out whether the key subject in each 2D image is located at the same pixel location. Based on the result of this pattern comparison, 2D images can be electronically shifted to achieve key subject alignment. Thus, the filmless printer according the present invention does not require a highly complex optical and mechanical means for locating the key subject and the alignment of the key subject. As for computer-generated graphics, key subject alignment can be easily eliminated by keeping the key subject at the same pixel location when rendering and generating the graphics. Even in 3D pictures of a real object, key subject alignment can also be eliminated by aiming the electronic camera at a common point in the scene while acquiring the 2D images.
It should be noted that, using 2D images acquired by an electronic camera or generated by a computer, the difference in the viewing angle between two sequentially displayed 2D images can be made very small. Thus, a 3D picture produced by this filmless printing method can be composed of a very large number of 2D images and can still have a proper parallax. Consequently, the image on a 3D picture made by this filmless method will look continuous and not jumpy as the image appears on 3D photograph made from a small number of 2D images taken by a multi-lens camera and recorded on film.
It is the objective of the present invention to provide a method of making 3D and animation pictures using a video monitor screen for exposing a plurality of 2D images sequentially displayed thereon through a projection lens onto a lenticular print material.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a method of making 3D and animation pictures on lenticular print material in real-time.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a method of making 3D and animation pictures on lenticular print material wherein the scenes in the pictures can be edited, combined or altered electronically prior to or at the time of printing.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a method of making 3D pictures on lenticular print material wherein the key subject alignment can be achieved by only using electronic means.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a photographic printer for making lenticular pictures (3D or animation) comprising a video monitor for sequentially displaying 2D images for exposure, and means for moving the projection lens and the print material for changing the projection angle and filling the photosensitive layer underlying the lenticules with optically compressed line-form images.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a filmless 3D photographic printer for making lenticular pictures wherein the locating and aligning of the key subject in each 2D image can be achieved electronically in a computer workstation thereby eliminating the need of a highly complex optical and mechanical means as those used in a conventional 3D printer which makes 3D pictures from 2D images recorded on film.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a photographic printer for making lenticular pictures wherein 2D images can be electronically transferred to the printer and the printing can be carried out in real-time if desired.
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patent:
Lao Kenneth Quochuy
Lo Allen K. Wah
Evans Arthur G.
Marquis Harold L.
Schneider Ryan A.
Troutman Sanders LLP
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