Patent
1984-12-04
1987-06-23
Corbin, John K.
G02B 2722
Patent
active
046748377
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an apparatus for producing complete three-dimensional images of a spatial object, with an image transmitter on which are shown one after the other in time two-dimensional images corresponding to sections lying one behind the other in space, and with an optical element disposed between the image transmitter and an observer, said element being synchronously controlled by the image transmitter and changing the spatial positioning of the image between image transmitter and observer.
Numerous methods and apparatuses are already known which permit stereoscopic imaging. In a first known kind, a two-dimensional image is provided with a shadow pointing in a certain direction so that there is a three-dimensional impression. However, this method merely makes use of an optical illusion and does not increase the information content of what is shown.
Another known method employs a binocular imaging technique, for example with two cameras disposed eye distance apart. With this method, the three-dimensional impression gained by the observer can be produced by the fact that the two imaging channels work in different colours and the observer wears spectacles, of which one glass is tinted in one colour and the other glass in the other colour. Similar techniques have also become known using polarized light and suitably polarized spectacles. Although this kind of three-dimensional imaging exhibits a higher information content, it does not go beyond the sum of the information content of two two-dimensional images received from the two imaging elements. The observer is offered merely a three-dimensional impression corresponding to that gained by an observer who is fixed in relation to an actual three-dimensional object.
Furthermore, apparatuses and methods are known for producing three-dimensional images based on the principle of holography. In this connection, a three-dimensional object is illuminated by a viewing beam, usually a laser beam, and the light reflected by the object is mixed with a reference beam. The resulting interference pattern is stored in the holographic recording so that with suitable lighting of the developed holographic recording there results a three-dimensional impression. With this kind of imaging, the three-dimensional impression is more complete than with the last-mentioned method because, due to the holographic recording technique, the observer is able to go "round the object" since the surface of the imaged object appears to hover freely in space.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,832 discloses another device for achieving apparently three-dimensional images in which pictures are shown consecutively on a screen and the screen is viewed by the observer through a curved mirror whose curvature is depth-modulated synchronously with the timed succession of images on the screen. Through the mirror the observer sees a succession of different images with successive positioning of the mirror so that he gains a three-dimensional impression.
However, the known arrangement has the disadvantage that a relatively large deflectable mirror is used which has the form of a variable-curvature concave mirror which is clamped at the edge and is disposed in a loudspeaker housing in place of a loudspeaker diaphragm and is deflected by the excitation coil of the loudspeaker. This arrangement is mechanically very elaborate and thus also susceptible to trouble. For example, to obtain the deflection frequency of approx. 25 Hz necessary for flicker-free image formation, a mechanical resonator is provided without which such rapid deflection of the large mirror would not be possible at all. Furthermore, changing the curvature of the mirror results in constant modulation of the image size which has to be compensated for by an elaborate computer program. Finally, due to the mechanical resonator used, there is a sinusoidal deflection of the mirror over time with the result that the rate of change of spatial deflection is minimal in the extreme positions and is maximal at the zero crossing. Due to this non-linear
REFERENCES:
patent: 2258903 (1941-10-01), Mitchell
patent: 2544624 (1951-03-01), Whittaker
patent: 4130832 (1978-12-01), Sher
Knuttel Alexander
Knuttel Bertold
Bruker Medizintechnik GmbH
Corbin John K.
Lemmo Vincent J.
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