Optical: systems and elements – Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels – By surface composed of lenticular elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-30
2001-09-11
Mack, Ricky (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Single channel simultaneously to or from plural channels
By surface composed of lenticular elements
C359S627000, C359S245000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06288843
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to image scanning. More particularly, the present invention is related to scanning three-dimensional images of an object to create a holographic image or to create a panoramic view of a scene into a digital or analog format.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY
Holographic images have delighted people for many years. However, creating realistic holographic images has been a problem. The most difficult problem is not with the camera, but with the mechanisms used to position the camera around the object of the hologram. In one prior art system, the object is placed on a bench and the camera is moved slowly around the object, taking pictures along the way. Fairly heavy and cumbersome equipment must be used to minimize the vibration of the camera as it circumnavigates the object. Otherwise the resulting holographic image is blurred. Even with the heavy equipment, however, vibration-induced blurring cannot be eliminated.
An alternative prior art system places the object on a turntable. While this allows the camera to remain stationary, this alternative prior art system merely shifts the vibration problem from the camera to the object with similar blurred results. As with the moveable-camera prior art system, the holographic image is subject to additional blurring if the mechanism used to monitor the rotation of the camera or the rotation of the object is out of alignment.
Prior art systems for taking panoramic images suffered from problems similar to their holographic counterparts. For panoramic photographs, the camera is mounted onto a turntable and rotated while taking periodic snapshots of the surrounding scene. Again, as with the prior art holographic systems, the panoramic systems of the prior art are subject to vibration-induced blurring. Solutions have been devices to minimize or eliminate the vibration-induced blurring problem, however, these solutions often entail stopping the camera periodically, allowing the deceleration forces to dampen, and then snatch a photograph before moving on. Unfortunately, while this solution does reduce blurring, it does take considerably longer and is not suited to real-time or near real-time image (data) acquisition.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for a system and method for taking holographic and panoramic images quickly and with little or no blurring.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the problems inherent in the prior art by providing a system, apparatus, and method for obtaining scanned images of objects, holographic images of objects, and panoramic images of scenes.
The system of the present invention provides two sets of prisms. The first set of prisms is transparent and is typically made of glass or a standard fiber optic material. Each set of prisms has at least two prisms that are arranged in a sawtooth pattern of alternating prisms (teeth) and gaps. The first set of prisms has a base-down orientation. The second set of prisms is made of an opto-electric material or electro-optical material that changes its reflective properties in either the presence or absence of an electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field can be induced by, for example, an electric current. Specifically, the electro-optical material would become reflective when, for example, an electric current is run through it but the same material would be transparent in the absence of an electric current. Conversely, another suitable electro-optical material could be reflective in the absence of an electric current and become transparent when an electric current is applied. Other suitable electro-optical materials may be activated thermally or by other methods in addition to, or in lieu of, being activated electrically without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
As with the first set of prisms, the second set of prisms has at least two prisms arranged in a sawtooth pattern having prisms (teeth) and gaps. The second set of prisms, however, are oriented differently from the first set of prisms. The prisms of the second set of prisms are constructed and arranged to fit within the gaps of the first set of prisms and, likewise, the prisms of the first set of prisms are designed to fit within the gaps of the second set of prisms in order to form a solid, but potentially flexible, prism sheet.
An image receptor, such as a camera or digital light receiver, is the second device of the imaging system of the present invention. The image receptor is designed to receive images reflected from the prisms of the second set of prisms. A third device, called a sequencer, is connected to each of the prisms of the second set of prisms. The sequencer is designed to apply and remove an electromagnetic field to each of the prisms of the second set of prisms in order to change the reflection properties of the affected prism. The sequencer can apply (or remove) the electromagnetic field individually to each prism of the second set of prisms, or it can do so to two or more prisms simultaneously. Typically, the sequencer is connected either to a separate microprocessor, or to the microprocessor in the image receptor so that the reflecting prisms can be synchronized with the image receptor.
In operation, the sequencer sequentially applies and then removes the electromagnetic field to each of the prisms of the second set of prisms. As the electromagnetic field is applied to the prism, the electro-optical properties of the prism change and allow an image of a portion of an object to be reflected by the prism affected by the electromagnetic field. The reflected image passes through the prisms of the first set of prisms as well as the unaffected prisms of the second set of prisms until the image is received by the image receptor that is positioned at one end of the prism sheet. The sequencer then removes the electromagnetic field from the first prism and then applies it to the next prism in order to reflect an image from a different portion of the object into the image receptor. The process of applying and then removing the electromagnetic field to different prisms of the second set of prisms is repeated until all of the desired images of the object are obtained. Once the images are obtained, post-processing of the images can be made in order to construct a single image of the entire object.
In order to take holographic images, the ends of the prism sheet are rolled into a cylinder and joined together with a junction prism. In this case, instead of the image receptor being positioned at one end of the prism sheet, it is now positioned outside of the cylinder in line of sight with the junction prism. The cylinder is then placed around the object to be scanned. As before, the sequencer is used to sequentially apply and remove an electromagnetic field to one or more of the prisms of the second set of prisms to induce those prisms to reflect an image of a portion of the object. This image is then passed through the interior of the cylinder (i.e., through the prisms of the first set of prisms and the prisms of the second set where no electromagnetic field is applied) until the image reaches the junction prism, which then reflects the image into the image receptor. As before, this process is repeated with different prisms of the second set of prisms until all of the desired images are obtained. As with the previous example, once all of the images are obtained, post-processing of the images can be made in order to construct a single holographic image of the entire object. The post-processing can be done with an embedded microprocessor in near real-time to provide near instantaneous, or even animated holographic images of objects.
The present invention is also able to take panoramic images of scenes. As with the holographic image process, the ends of the prism sheet are rolled into a cylinder and joined together with a junction prism. However, unlike the holographic procedure, the prism sheet is rolled in the opposite direction so that the base of the prisms of the first set of prisms are facing out of the
Angelo Michael F.
Prakash Ramkrishna
Whiteman William (Bill) Floyd
Compaq Computer Corporation
Mack Ricky
Williams Morgan & Amerson P.C.
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