US5448322A — Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus and method usi…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 125 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in combination an imaging plane; a lens having an optical axis, said lens focusing images of a three-dimensional object on said imaging plane; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens, such that the object image is created from light passing through the lens aperture; and an operator coupled to move said optical element, such as to produce a parallax scanning motion of the lens aperture relative to the optical axis of said lens to record on said imaging plane a succession of recordings of the object image which, when successively displayed at a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 125 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in combination an imaging plane; a lens having an optical axis, said lens focusing images of a three-dimensional object on said imaging plane; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens, such that the object image is created from light passing through the lens aperture; and an operator coupled to move said optical element, such as to produce a parallax scanning motion of the lens aperture relative to the optical axis of said lens to record on said imaging plane a succession of recordings of the object image which, when successively displayed at a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 20 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical element is located between said lens and said imaging plane.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 19 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1 wherein said optical element is located between the object and said lens.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 20 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical element is located in an iris position of said lens.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scanning motion of the aperture is in a plane transverse to the optical axis of said lens.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scanning motion includes X and Y coordinate motions transverse to the optical axis of said lens and a Z component of motion parallel to the optical axis.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 24 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 5, wherein said optical element is an opaque sheet, and the aperture is a through-hole in said sheet.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 14 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the hole has a hard edge.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 14 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the hole has a soft edge.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 19 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the hole is one of circular, elliptical, polygonal and irregular configurations.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 25 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 5, wherein the scanning motion of the aperture is symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of said lens.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 25 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 5, wherein the scanning motion of the aperture traces one of circular, elliptical, figure eight, and polygonal scanning patterns.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 19 words

The autostereoscopic imagining apparatus of claim 5, wherein the scanning motion of the aperture traces a lissajous scanning pattern.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 18 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, further including means for adjusting an opening size of the aperture.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 22 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, further including means for changing a pattern traced by the scanning motion of the aperture.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 89 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical element is a first optical element defining a first aperture and said operator is a first operator, said first optical element being located behind said lens, said apparatus further including: a second optical element defining a second aperture, said second optical element located in front of and adjacent said lens; and a second operator coupled to move said second optical element, such as to produce scanning motion of the second aperture relating to the optical axis of said lens.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 109 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein said optical element includes: a first opaque sheet having a first through-slit elongated in a first direction, and a second opaque sheet having a second through-slit elongated in a second direction generally orthogonal to the first direction, said first and second sheets positioned in parallel juxtaposed relation, such that an intersection of the first and second slits defines the optical element aperture, and said operator includes: a first actuator coupled to reciprocate said first sheet in the second direction, and a second actuator coupled to reciprocate said second sheet in the first direction, whereby to produce scanning motion of the aperture.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 54 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein said operator further includes a controller controlling said first and second actuators to adjust at least one of relative phase, frequency and stroke of reciprocations of said first and second sheets, whereby to vary a pattern traced by the parallax scanning motion of the aperture.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 22 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional display is a conventional television receiver, computer monitor, or film projector screen.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 24 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 1 wherein said lens comprises one element of a lens system and said lens system include an iris.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 14 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 20 wherein said optical element comprises said iris.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 117 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising, in combination: an imaging plane; a lens having an optical axis, said lens focusing an image of a three-dimensional object on said imaging plane; an optical element located adjacent said lens; and an operator coupled to activate said optical element such as to define a lens aperture located in at least two disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens while recordings of the focused object image are taken, whereby to provide image recordings on said imaging plane having differing parallax views of the object which, when successively displayed a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 117 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising, in combination: an imaging plane; a lens having an optical axis, said lens focusing an image of a three-dimensional object on said imaging plane; an optical element located adjacent said lens; and an operator coupled to activate said optical element such as to define a lens aperture located in at least two disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens while recordings of the focused object image are taken, whereby to provide image recordings on said imaging plane having differing parallax views of the object which, when successively displayed a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 30 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 22, wherein said operator activates said optical element such as to move the lens aperture in a parallax scanning motion through the disparity positions.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 20 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 22, which further includes means for adjusting an opening size of the lens aperture.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 25 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 22, which further includes means for varying a pattern traced by the parallax scanning motion of the lens aperture.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 18 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 22, wherein said operator is conditioned to concurrently define plural lens apertures.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 45 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 22, wherein said optical element comprises a planar array of cells, and said operator electrically activates said optical element to selectively switch said cells between transparent and opaque states, said cells in the transparent state defining the lens aperture.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 39 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 27, which further includes means for controlling said operator such as to adjust a number of said cells activated to the transparent state, whereby to vary an opening size of the lens aperture.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 42 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 27, which further includes means for controlling said operator to continuously activate said cells between the transparent and opaque states in a manner to produce parallax scanning motion of the lens aperture through the disparity positions.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 22 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 22, wherein the two-dimensional display is a conventional television receiver, computer monitor, or film projector screen.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 18 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 22, wherein said optical element is an iris element of said lens.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 24 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 22 wherein said lens comprises one element of a lens system and said lens system includes an iris.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 14 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 32 wherein said optical element comprises said iris.

Claim 36

Independent Claim 108 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: providing an imaging lens having an optical axis directed toward a scene to be imaged; defining a lens aperture; moving the lens aperture relative to the lens in a parallax scanning motion through diverse disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens; and generating a succession of time-spaced images of the scene as viewed through the lens aperture from a plurality of the disparity positions; and recording the time-spaced images which, when successively displayed at a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, produce an autostereoscopic image of said scene on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 37

Independent Claim 108 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: providing an imaging lens having an optical axis directed toward a scene to be imaged; defining a lens aperture; moving the lens aperture relative to the lens in a parallax scanning motion through diverse disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens; and generating a succession of time-spaced images of the scene as viewed through the lens aperture from a plurality of the disparity positions; and recording the time-spaced images which, when successively displayed at a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, produce an autostereoscopic image of said scene on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method of claim 34, further including the step of adjusting an opening size of the aperture.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 34, wherein the moving step produces an adjustable parallax scanning motion of the lens aperture.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 34, further including the step of displaying the recorded time-spaced images on a conventional television receiver, computer monitor, or film projector screen.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 129 words

A camera for recording video images of scene, said apparatus including, in combination: an imaging plane; a lens for focusing images of the scene on the imaging plane said lens having an optical axis; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element positioned adjacent said lens such that the scene images recorded on said imaging plans are created by light passing through the aperture; and an actuator coupled to said optical element such as to produce parallax scanning movement of the lens aperture in directions transverse to the optical axis such that, when said images recorded on said imaging plane are successively displayed at a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, they produce an autostereoscopic image of said scene on a conventional two-dimensional display.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 129 words

A camera for recording video images of scene, said apparatus including, in combination: an imaging plane; a lens for focusing images of the scene on the imaging plane said lens having an optical axis; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element positioned adjacent said lens such that the scene images recorded on said imaging plans are created by light passing through the aperture; and an actuator coupled to said optical element such as to produce parallax scanning movement of the lens aperture in directions transverse to the optical axis such that, when said images recorded on said imaging plane are successively displayed at a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, they produce an autostereoscopic image of said scene on a conventional two-dimensional display.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 21 words

The camera of claim 38, further including means connected to selectively activate said actuator to produce controlled movement of the aperture.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 20 words

The camera of claim 39, wherein said means selective activates said actuator to produce parallax scanning motion of the aperture.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 20 words

The camera of claim 38, wherein the two-dimensional display is a conventional television receiver, computer monitor, or film projector screen.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 15 words

The camera of claim 38, wherein the camera is a conventional video or film camera.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 18 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 38, wherein said optical element is an iris element of said lens.

Claim 48

Independent Claim 98 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging using computer simulation, the method comprising the steps of: defining an object to be imaged; defining a scene to include the object; simulating a camera by defining parameters of an imaging plane, a lens and a lens aperture; rendering images of the object by simulating a desired parallax scanning pattern motion of the lens aperture using a ray tracing algorithm, said images, when successively displayed at a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, producing an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display; and storing the rendered images.

Claim 49

Independent Claim 98 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging using computer simulation, the method comprising the steps of: defining an object to be imaged; defining a scene to include the object; simulating a camera by defining parameters of an imaging plane, a lens and a lens aperture; rendering images of the object by simulating a desired parallax scanning pattern motion of the lens aperture using a ray tracing algorithm, said images, when successively displayed at a view cycle sequencing rate of three to six Hz, producing an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display; and storing the rendered images.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 44, wherein the two-dimensional display is a television receiver, computer monitor, or film projector screen.

Claim 51

Independent Claim 139 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: providing a camera incorporating an imaging lens and a lens aperture; moving the lens aperture in a parallax scanning motion through diverse disparity positions offset from an optical axis of the lens; pointing the camera at a scene including a reference object positioned a known distance from a target object; focusing the lens to the reference object; generating a succession of time-spaced images of the scene as viewed through the lens and the lens aperture at a plurality of the disparity positions; recording the time spaced images as autostereoscopic images; and quantifying the motion of the target object in the recorded autostereoscopic images relative to the motion of the recorded reference object in the recorded autostereoscopic images to determine the distance between the reference and target objects in the scene.

Claim 52

Independent Claim 139 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: providing a camera incorporating an imaging lens and a lens aperture; moving the lens aperture in a parallax scanning motion through diverse disparity positions offset from an optical axis of the lens; pointing the camera at a scene including a reference object positioned a known distance from a target object; focusing the lens to the reference object; generating a succession of time-spaced images of the scene as viewed through the lens and the lens aperture at a plurality of the disparity positions; recording the time spaced images as autostereoscopic images; and quantifying the motion of the target object in the recorded autostereoscopic images relative to the motion of the recorded reference object in the recorded autostereoscopic images to determine the distance between the reference and target objects in the scene.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 48 words

The method of claim 46, further including the steps of: mounting the camera on a piece of robotic equipment; and controlling the motion of the robotic equipment piece into an operative position relative to the target object based on the determined distance between the reference and target objects.

Claim 54

Independent Claim 134 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: providing a camera incorporating an imaging lens and a lens aperture; moving the lens aperture in a parallax scanning motion through diverse disparity positions offset from an optical axis of the lens; pointing the camera at a scene including a plurality of objects; generating a succession of time-spaced images of the scene viewed through the lens and the lens aperture at a plurality of the disparity positions; storing the time-spaced images as autostereoscopic images; detecting, from the stored time-spaced images of the scene, relative motions of the autostereoscopic images; and controlling the lens aperture moving step to adjust the optical axis offset of the disparity positions through which the lens aperture is moved in accordance with the detected relative motions of the object autostereoscopic images.

Claim 55

Independent Claim 134 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: providing a camera incorporating an imaging lens and a lens aperture; moving the lens aperture in a parallax scanning motion through diverse disparity positions offset from an optical axis of the lens; pointing the camera at a scene including a plurality of objects; generating a succession of time-spaced images of the scene viewed through the lens and the lens aperture at a plurality of the disparity positions; storing the time-spaced images as autostereoscopic images; detecting, from the stored time-spaced images of the scene, relative motions of the autostereoscopic images; and controlling the lens aperture moving step to adjust the optical axis offset of the disparity positions through which the lens aperture is moved in accordance with the detected relative motions of the object autostereoscopic images.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-09-04	1999-03-06	1999-09-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-09-04	2003-03-06	2003-09-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-09-04	2007-03-06	2007-09-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus and method using a parallax scanning lens aperture

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