Image analysis – Image enhancement or restoration – Artifact removal or suppression
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-04
2004-07-13
Johns, Andrew W. (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Image enhancement or restoration
Artifact removal or suppression
C382S151000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06763145
ABSTRACT:
This invention is concerned with the field of lenticular imaging and, in particular, with the provision of autostereoscopic or animated images where different views of an object field are provided, the view or views which are seen being selected according to the observer's viewpoint.
BACKGROUND
It is a well established principle of lenticular imaging that information or image data be positioned in precise registration with and at the focal plane of a regular array of lens elements comprising a lenticular screen. Typically, these lenticular elements or lenticles are part cylindrical in form and have their axes running vertically. An observer views the image through the lenticular screen and, as his point of view changes, sees a different portion or aspect of it. In this way, it is possible to provide three-dimensional images, in which each eye sees a slightly different aspect of the same scene, as well as animated sequences and the like.
As it is a requirement for good lenticular images that the registration of image data be extremely precise relative to the longitudinal axis of each corresponding lenticle, it is normally both a requirement that the lenticular array have a totally constant and known pitch and also that the picture elements or pixels positioned behind it be printed with corresponding accuracy. This requirement imposes a cost penalty on the lenticular screen and assumes substantial precision from the printing process.
In Patent Application EP 0 801 324 A1 (Morton et al.) apparatus is described in which the magnification and registration of an integral composite image to a lenticular substrate, in order to provide a viewable lenticular image, is controlled by the provision of reference patterns. These reference patterns are widely spaced from each other and provide the necessary data to alter the scale, rotation and position of the integral image so that this can be made to match a regular lenticular array. The problems of image alignment are also addressed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,553 (Morton et al.). Neither of these documents addresses the problem of accommodating non-uniform distortions within the lenticular material, which would render simple magnification and alignment inadequate to provide a high quality lenticular image. In such a case a more general error correction mechanism is required, in which a contiguous map of errors covering the entire image area is needed. The generation of such a map and its use to rectify such general distortions is the subject of this invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the current invention to ensure that the precision of the printed image matches the geometry of the lenticular screen in combination with which it is to provide a good three-dimensional or animated image.
It is another object of the current invention to provide good lenticular images without the need to use a highly accurate array of lens elements, thus reducing the cost of the final product.
It is a further object of the invention to accommodate scale differences between different lenticular screens.
It is also an object of the invention to print in register with a lenticular screen without the need for manual intervention.
Thus, according to one aspect of this invention, means is provided for the production of a lenticular image or a component thereof, comprising means for detecting the position of at least one reference line associated with and/or an edge of an image bearing substrate, whereby, in use, an element of said image on said substrate is positioned relative to said at least one line and/or edge.
Preferably, the image bearing substrate comprises a sheet of print media.
The image bearing substrate may comprise a lenticular screen having juxtaposed elongate cylindrical lens elements on a first side and a second side which is image bearing.
The at least one line comprises, in use, a portion of a Moiré pattern formed by the combined action of the lenticular screen with a reference grid comprising an array of light blocking or absorbing regions.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, image elements are printed directly onto the second side of the lenticular screen.
According to a further aspect of the invention the detection means comprises a collimated source of light arranged to illuminate an area which includes, in use, a portion of an edge of the image bearing substrate. Typically, the source provides infrared light.
Advantageously the illuminated area comprises retro-reflective means partially obscured, in use, by the edge of the substrate which is positioned intermediate the source and the retro-reflective means.
According to another aspect of the invention the detection means includes a mask comprising an interleaved array of light blocking and transmitting regions positioned at the focal plane of the lens elements of the lenticular screen and means for viewing, at a location remote from said screen on the side of said screen opposite to that of said mask, the modulation pattern resulting from the combined action of said screen with said mask. Means is provided for converting this modulation or Moiré pattern into an error map.
Preferably the viewing means comprises a CCD camera. The Moiré pattern, produced by positioning a grid behind the lenticular screen, is captured in digital form and the deviations relative to the lines of said grid of the longitudinal axes of the lens elements of the lenticular screen are computed therefrom.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4346962 (1982-08-01), Holmes, Jr
patent: 5132839 (1992-07-01), Travis
patent: 5349419 (1994-09-01), Taguchi et al.
patent: 5424553 (1995-06-01), Morton
patent: 5661599 (1997-08-01), Borner
patent: 5708528 (1998-01-01), Furuya
patent: 5724188 (1998-03-01), Kumagai et al.
patent: 5825541 (1998-10-01), Imai
patent: 5835194 (1998-11-01), Morton
patent: 5838494 (1998-11-01), Araki
patent: 5959718 (1999-09-01), Morton
patent: 6211896 (2001-04-01), Morton
patent: 0 713 120 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 0 743 552 (1996-11-01), None
patent: 0 801 321 (1997-10-01), None
patent: WO 99/24862 (1999-05-01), None
International Search Report, dated Jan. 28, 1999 for PCT/GB 98/03308.
Alavi Amir
Johns Andrew W.
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