Optical: systems and elements – Stereoscopic
Utility Patent
1998-04-06
2001-01-02
Henry, Jon (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Stereoscopic
C359S477000, C359S613000
Utility Patent
active
06169629
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a method and system for recording and reproducing or regenerating a stereoscopic image which enables an observation of a bright and clear three dimensional image.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, as a method for recording and reproducing a stereoscopic image making use of a multiplicity of minute or fine light transmitting portions such as pinholes, there is a method for recording and reproducing a stereoscopic image as proposed by Lipman. The basic principle of this method for recording and reproducing the stereoscopic image is explained referring to FIG.
6
.
As shown in FIG.
6
(
a
), a light control panel
51
being made of an opaque material and having a multiplicity of minute light transmitting portions
52
is disposed in front of a recording panel
53
which is made of photographic dry plate. An image of a object
50
arranged in front of the light control panel
51
is recorded on the recording panel
53
as a multiplicity of small pictures through the respective minute light transmitting portions
52
.
In observing such a recorded stereoscopic image, as shown in FIG.
6
(
b
), while the recording panel
53
is illuminated from a back light
56
disposed behind the recording panel
53
, a reproduced stereoscopic image
55
can be observed through the light control panel
51
a
which is disposed in front of the recording panel
53
and has a multiplicity of minute light transmitting portions
52
a.
Namely, to explain more precisely, in a recording apparatus as shown in FIG.
6
(
a
), an arbitrary point P on the object
50
is recorded as small pictures P
1
, P
2
, P
3
, . . . on the recording panel
53
through the respective minute light transmitting portions
52
. Then, in a reproducing method as shown in FIG.
6
(
b
), when the light is radiated from the back light
56
onto the respective small pictures formed on the recording panel
53
, the light beams generated from these points P
1
, P
2
, P
2
, . . . pass through the respective minute light transmitting portions
52
a
and converge on a point P′ so as to reproduce the stereoscopic image
55
on this part.
However, the conventional method for recording and reproducing a stereoscopic image is of a so-called parallel optical axes type, wherein the respective minute light transmitting portions
52
on the light control panel
51
are arranged at positions located in front of a multiplicity of perpendicular lines m which are disposed at the center of a multiplicity of small picture record areas S on the recording panel
53
. Therefore, in the above mentioned method, there arise problems that unnecessary scattered light enters the recording areas from things other than the object
50
, and the image of the object is chipped or becomes defective partially except for a group of small pictures located near the center of the object.
There is another problem that it is difficult to get a vivid and clear stereoscopic image. Namely, since areas where the respective small pictures are recorded are not defined actually, the neighboring small pictures overlap and interfere with each other.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned conventional method for reproducing a stereoscopic image, the concaves and convexes of the reproduced stereoscopic image are observed in a reversed mode. In view of the above, it is proposed in the Japanese laid-open patent publication HG6-133340 that respective small pictures on a recording panel are further reversed and such reversed small pictures are recorded on another recording pannel and a stereoscopic image is reproduced from this recording panel in a way as shown in FIG.
6
(
b
). However, this method also has a problem that the stereoscopic image is always formed on the back area of the light control panel
51
a,
not on the front area of the light control panel
51
a.
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for recording and reproducing a bright and clear stereoscopic images while forming the same stereoscopic image as that of the original object in front of the light control panel.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the first invention, there is provided an method for recording and reproducing a stereoscopic image which comprises arranging a first light control panel having a multiplicity of minute light transmitting portions in front of a recording panel, recording an object disposed in front of the first light control panel as a multiplicity of small pictures on the recording panel through the respective minute light transmitting portions, displaying a multiplicity of the recorded small pictures on a picture display panel, and reproducing a stereoscopic image through a second light control panel having a multiplicity of minute light transmitting portions which are disposed in front of the respective small pictures, wherein a shielding panel having an opening portion through which the object can be observed from the first light control panel is disposed between the first light control panel and the object or around the object, and the respective minute light transmitting portions on the first light control panel are formed at positions where neighboring small pictures of the opening portion of the shielding panel can be recorded on the recording panel without overlapping each other, and a transforming operation is carried out such that the respective small pictures of the object including the opening portion whose images are formed on the recording panel are reversed symmetrically by 180 degrees with respect to a point where a straight line which connects a central point of the opening portion of the shielding panel with the respective light transmitting portion of the first light control panel intersects the recording panel, and thereafter the transformed small pictures are displayed on the picture display panel.
In this manner, respective small pictures of the object having the opening portion whose images are formed on the recording panel are transformed or converted by reversing symmetrically by 180 degrees on a plane with respect to a point where a straight line connecting the central point of the opening portion in the shielding panel with the minute light transmitting portion of the first light control panel intersects the recording panel, and thereafter the respective transformed or converted small pictures are displayed on the picture display panel. Therefore, the concaves and convexes of the reproduced stereoscopic image can be displayed in a normal posture. Namely, it is possible to reproduce the same stereoscopic image as observed from the front of the object by reversing the small pictures symmetrically with respect to the central point of the opening portion.
Further, to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the second invention, there is provided a method for recording and reproducing a stereoscopic image, comprising arranging a first light control panel having a multiplicity of minute light transmitting portions in front of a recording panel made of an opaque material, recording an object disposed in front of the first light control panel as a multiplicity of small pictures on the recording panel through the respective minute light transmitting portions, displaying a multiplicity of the recorded small pictures on a picture display panel, and reproducing a stereoscopic image through a second light control panel having a multiplicity of minute light transmitting portions which are disposed in front of the respective small pictures, wherein a shielding panel having an opening portion through which the object can be observed from the first light control panel is disposed between the first light control panel and the object or around the object, and the respective minute light transmitting portions on the first light control panel are formed at positions where neighboring small pictures of the opening portion of the shielding panel can be recorded on the recording panel without ever over
Armstrong, Westerman Hattori, McLeland & Naughton
Henry Jon
Otsubo Makoto
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for three-dimensional image... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for three-dimensional image..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for three-dimensional image... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2539654