US4597634A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Stereoscopic process and apparatus
Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Institute
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Filing: 1984-01-05
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Granted: 1986-07-01
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Expires: 2004-01-05
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for producing and viewing stereoscopic images through the use of a color coded image whereby the desired depth or distance is based upon the color of the portion of the image being viewed. Therefore the parts of the image which are to appear distant are colored red whereas the parts of the image to appear in the foreground are colored blue with the middle ground or intermediate distances being colored green or yellow. The color coded image is viewed through a prism glass constructed so that blue light which passes through the prism is bent toward a sharper angle than red light. Because the apex of the prism before each eye points toward the nose or center of the glasses the eyes must then turn more inward to see a blue object than to see a red object even though they are in actuality in the same plane on the display. This leads to brain to interpret, by means of parallax, that the blue image is closer and the red image is more distant unless the parallax is greatly contradicted by other depth clues such as relative size, position and perspective. In a preferred form, a double prism is used for each eye in order to eliminate single prism problems such as visual disorientation and eye strain.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard A. Steenblik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 10:09
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02C; G02C7/00; G02C7/14; G02B; G02B30/00; G02B30/20; G02B30/22; G02B30/23; G02B30/34; G02B30/36; G02B5/00; G02B5/04; G02B5/06; G02C7/02; H; H04; H04N; H04N13/00; H04N13/30; H04N13/332; H04N13/334; H04N13/339; H04N13/324; H04N13/337
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for producing and viewing stereoscopic images, comprising the steps of: color coding each portion of an image to be viewed according to the desired depth appearance of said portions with respect to the remaining portions of said image; displaying on a display means said image having each of said color coding portions; and viewing said display means through a viewer means comprising two prisms associated with each of the left and right eye, said two prisms being placed with their bases in opposition, one of said two prisms being constructed of a low dispersion material and the other of said two prisms being constructed of high dispersion material, said two prisms being designed so that a chosen wavelength of light entering said one prism passes through both said prisms and emerges from the other of said prisms parallel to the entering chosen wavelength of light.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
147 words
A method for producing and viewing stereoscopic images, comprising the steps of: color coding each portion of an image to be viewed according to the desired depth appearance of said portions with respect to the remaining portions of said image; displaying on a display means said image having each of said color coding portions; and viewing said display means through a viewer means comprising two prisms associated with each of the left and right eye, said two prisms being placed with their bases in opposition, one of said two prisms being constructed of a low dispersion material and the other of said two prisms being constructed of high dispersion material, said two prisms being designed so that a chosen wavelength of light entering said one prism passes through both said prisms and emerges from the other of said prisms parallel to the entering chosen wavelength of light.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said two prisms are placed adjacent each other so that no air gap exists between said two prisms.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said two prisms are constructed as a hollow acrylic liquid-filled double prism.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said two prisms are constructed as a Fresnel double prism formed of at least one of plastic, glass and liquid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said two prism elements are formed through the use of a plurality of prism elements to achieve the same effect as said two prisms with said plurality being greater than 2.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
133 words
A stereoscopic system for producing and viewing an image, comprising: a color coded display means for displaying a color coded image having each portion to be viewed colored according to the desired appearance depth of said portion with respect to the remaining portions of said image; and viewing means for viewing said displayed image having two prisms associated with each of the left and right eye, said two prisms being placed with their bases in opposition, one of said two prisms being constructed of a low dispersion material and the other of said two prisms being constructed of high dispersion material, said two prisms being designed so that yellow light entering said one prism passes through both said prisms and emerges from the other of said prisms parallel to the entering yellow light.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
133 words
A stereoscopic system for producing and viewing an image, comprising: a color coded display means for displaying a color coded image having each portion to be viewed colored according to the desired appearance depth of said portion with respect to the remaining portions of said image; and viewing means for viewing said displayed image having two prisms associated with each of the left and right eye, said two prisms being placed with their bases in opposition, one of said two prisms being constructed of a low dispersion material and the other of said two prisms being constructed of high dispersion material, said two prisms being designed so that yellow light entering said one prism passes through both said prisms and emerges from the other of said prisms parallel to the entering yellow light.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said two prisms are placed adjacent each other so that no air gap exists between said two prisms.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system according to claim 6 wherein said two prisms are constructed as a hollow acrylic liquid-filled double prism.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 6 wherein said two prisms are constructed as a Fresnel double prism formed of at least one of plastic, glass and liquid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system according to claim 6 wherein said two prism elements are formed through the use of a plurality of prism elements to achieve the same effect as said two prisms with said plurality being greater than 2.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1636450A
Cited
GB661194A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-06-30 | 1989-12-30 | 1990-07-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-06-30 | 1993-12-30 | 1994-07-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-06-30 | 1997-12-30 | 1998-07-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |