Three-dimensional photography using incoherent light

Claim 1

A novel method of photographically recording and three-dimensionally reproducing an object so as to present to an observer of the reproduction a view of the object which changes in dependence upon the changing viewpoint of the observer, the method being of the type wherein the three-dimensional recording medium employed comprises a photographic plate and an aperture-raster plate which is parallel to but spaced a predetermined distance away from the photographic plate, the aperture-raster plate being provided with a multitude of regularly distributed apertures, the method furthermore being of the type comprising the steps of illuminating the object to be recorded and registering the light rays emanating from the illuminated object on the three-dimensional recording medium with respect to both intensity and direction of such rays, and thereafter three-dimensionally reproducing the object by illuminating the three-dimensional recording medium with light which is incident upon the recording medium in the direction opposite to that in which the observer views the recording medium, the improvement comprising using for the three-dimensional recording medium a recording medium of the type defined above, but with the thickness of the aperture-raster plate and the spacing between the aperture-raster plate and photographic plate having values such that, if the medium is exposed to omnidirectional light, the elementary images projected onto the photographic plate by the individual apertures substantially abut and are neither appreciably spaced apart nor overlapping, performing the recording of the light rays emanating from the illuminated object using omnidirectional light and without the use of a lens intermediate the object and the recording medium, and performing the three-dimensional reproduction using omnidirectional light.

Claim 16

An apparatus for making three-dimensional recordings of objects, comprising an interiorly blacked camera housing made of a material non-transparent for light and having an exposure opening, a three-dimensional recording medium located in the camera housing, a holder in the camera housing for properly positioning the recording medium therein, the holder being located immediately back of the exposure opening, a shutter wall operative for briefly unblocking the exposure opening to effect exposure of the three-dimensional recording medium, the three-dimensional recording medium comprising a photographic plate, and an aperture-raster plate, the aperture-raster plate being parallel to but spaced a predetermined distance away from the photographic plate, the aperture-raster plate being provided with a multitude of regularly distributed apertures, the thickness of the aperture-raster plate and the spacing between the aperature-raster plate and photographic plate having values such that, when the recording medium is exposed to omnidirectional light, the elementary images projected onto the photographic plate by the individual apertures substantially abut and are neither appreciably spaced apart nor overlapping, the portion of the exposure opening briefly unblocked by the shutter wall being of a shape and a size so great as to expose the recording medium to omnidirectional light.

Claim 17

An apparatus for making three-dimensional recordings of objects, comprising an interiorly blacked camera housing made of a material non-transparent for light and having an exposure opening, a three-dimensional recording medium located in the camera housing, a holder in the camera housing for properly positioning the recording medium therein, the holder being located immediately back of the exposure opening, a shutter wall operative for briefly unblocking the exposure opening to effect exposure of the three-dimensional recording medium, the three-dimensional recording medium comprising a photographic plate, and an aperture-raster plate, the aperture-raster plate being parallel to but spaced a predetermined distance away from the photographic plate, the aperture-raster plate being provided with a multitude of regularly distributed apertures, the thickness of the aperture-raster plate and the spacing between the aperature-raster plate and photographic plate having values such that, when the recording medium is exposed to omnidirectional light, the elementary images projected onto the photographic plate by the individual apertures substantially abut and are neither appreciably spaced apart nor overlapping, the portion of the exposure opening briefly unblocked by the shutter wall being of a shape and a size so great as to expose the recording medium to omnidirectional light.