Television – Stereoscopic – Picture signal generator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-15
2004-08-24
Philippe, Gims (Department: 2613)
Television
Stereoscopic
Picture signal generator
C382S154000, C359S023000, C348S014160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06781619
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
The present application claims priority to Japanese Application No. P10-234659 filed Aug. 20, 1998, which application is incorporated herein by reference to the extent permitted by law.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a parallax image string pickup apparatus to be used for picking up parallax images of a scene from a plurality of different viewing angles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A holographic stereogram is produced as a result of sequential exposure and recording operations conducted for a large-number of original pictures obtained by photographically shooting an object from so many different viewing angles so as to record them as strip-shaped or dot-shaped element holograms on a recording medium. When the viewer watches a holographic stereogram with one of his or her eyes from a specific angle, he or she recognizes only a two-dimensional image that is a collection of pieces of information on part of each of the element holograms. When the viewer watches the holographic stereogram from another angle that is on the level of the first viewing angle, he or she then recognizes another two-dimensional image that is a different collection of pieces of information on part of each of the element holograms. However, when the viewer watches the holographic stereogram with both of his or her eyes, the recorded pictures are perceived by him or her as a three-dimensional image. A holographic stereogram as described above is normally prepared by means of holographic stereogram preparing apparatus
100
as shown in
FIG. 1A
of the accompanying drawings. Referring to
FIG. 1A
, the holographic stereogram preparing apparatus
100
comprises a laser source
101
adapted to emit a laser beam L
1
showing a single wavelength and an enhanced level of coherence, a half mirror
102
for dividing the emitted laser beam L
10
into an object beam L
11
and a reference beam L
12
, optical parts
103
through
107
and display device
107
operating an optical system for the object beam L
11
and a hologram recording medium
112
on which both the object beam L
11
and the reference beam L
12
are converged. It may additionally comprise an electrically driven stage
113
.
The optical system of the object beam L
11
specifically includes a total reflection mirror
103
, a first cylindrical lens
104
for one-dimensionally diffusing the object beam L
11
, a collimator lens
105
for collimating the diffused object beam L
11
, a projector lens
106
and a second cylindrical lens
107
for leading the object beam L
11
to the hologram recording medium
112
of/recording section P
100
. The above listed optical components are arranged in the above mentioned order along the optical axis of the object beam L
11
. The display device
108
comprises a transmission type liquid crystal panel arranged between the collimator lens
105
and the projection lens
106
. As will be described hereinafter, the display device
108
is adapted to display an image formed on the basis of image data output from an image processing section (not shown).
The optical system of the reference beam
12
specifically comprises a cylindrical lens
109
for one-dimensionally diffusing the reference beam L
12
, a collimator lens
110
for collimating the diffused reference beam L
12
and a total reflection mirror
111
for reflecting the reference beam L
12
and leading it to the hologram recording medium
112
. The above listed optical components are arranged in the above mentioned order along the optical axis of the reference beam L
12
.
The hologram recording medium
112
is typically a photosensitive film and, as shown in
FIG. 1B
, held to the electrically driven stage
113
so that it is intermittently driven to move in the direction of arrow c in
FIG. 1B
by the electrically driven stage
113
.
As described above and shown in
FIG. 1A
, the laser beam L
10
is emitted from the laser sourced
101
to strike the half mirror
102
, where it is divided into the object beam L
11
and the reference beam L
12
.
The object beam L
11
is then made to enter the display device
108
by way of the cylindrical lens
104
and the collimator lens
105
and then, as it is transmitted through the display device
108
, it is modulated according to the element image being displayed there. The modulated object beam L
11
is then led to the hologram recording medium
112
located in the/recording section P
100
by way of the projection lens
109
and the cylindrical lens
107
. On the other hand, the reference beam L
12
is led to the hologram recording medium
112
located in the/recording section P
100
by way of the cylindrical lens
109
, the collimator lens
110
and the total reflection lens
111
.
Thus, the interference fringes generated as a result of interference of the object beam L
11
modulated by the image displayed on the display device
108
and the reference beam L
12
are sequentially exposed to light and recorded on the hologram recording medium
112
as strip-shaped or dot-shaped element holograms.
As described above, the image displayed on the display device
108
is formed from the image data output from the image processing section (not shown). The image is obtained by sequentially shooting an object from different angles by means of a parallax image string pickup apparatus (not shown) and appropriately processing the obtained images. The parallax image string pickup apparatus may comprise a single camera provided with a CCD (charge coupled device) and adapted to move one-dimensionally to shoot an object or a plurality of digital steel cameras adapted to shoot an object simultaneously.
A holographic stereogram is produced not necessarily from a single parallax image string but from parallax image strings obtained through a synthetic process using different pictures as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-78742.
However, with a known parallax image string pickup apparatus having a configuration as described above, the camera unit for shooting an object is visible from the object, that may be a living person, so that the person being shot can become nervous about the operation of the camera. Additionally, such a known parallax image string pickup apparatus is not provided with a viewing target for attracting the gaze of the person being shot.
Therefore, when shooting a person with such a known parallax image string pickup apparatus, the gaze of the person being shot is often unstable and unnecessarily moving to consequently damage the effect of the obtained picture.
When shooting a person with such a known parallax image string pickup apparatus, it is desirable that the shooting conditions selected for shooting the person such as the position within the frame of the viewfinder are knowable to the person in order to make the produced holographic stereogram meet the demand of the person.
Particularly when the picture obtained by shooting a person with a parallax image string pickup apparatus is synthetically combined with another picture to produce a holographic stereogram, it is desirable that the person can imagine the final image that is produced by the picture synthesis.
In view of these circumstances, it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a parallax image string pickup apparatus that can attract the gaze of the person being shot to make it stable without making the person nervous about the camera operation when the person is shot from a plurality of different angles and, at the same time, provide the person with necessary information including the position of the person in the frame of the viewfinder and other shooting conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by providing a parallax image string pickup apparatus adapted to generate a parallax image string by shooting an object from a plurality of different angles, said apparatus comprising:
an image pickup means for picking up parallax images of the object; and
a cover-up means to be arrange
Ashizaki Koji
Baba Shigeyuki
Kihara Nobuhiro
Shirakura Akira
Philippe Gims
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
Sony Corporation
LandOfFree
Parallax image string pickup apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Parallax image string pickup apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Parallax image string pickup apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3286831