US5678089A — Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus and method usi…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 120 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in combination: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens, such that an object image is created by light passing through the lens and lens aperture, the optical element comprises a plurality of opaque leaf elements arranged in interleaved relation to define the lens aperture; and an operator coupled to individually position the said leaf elements, such as to produce a scanning motion of the lens aperture relative to the optical axis of said lens to permit a succession of recordings of the object image to be taken which, when successively displayed produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 120 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in combination: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens, such that an object image is created by light passing through the lens and lens aperture, the optical element comprises a plurality of opaque leaf elements arranged in interleaved relation to define the lens aperture; and an operator coupled to individually position the said leaf elements, such as to produce a scanning motion of the lens aperture relative to the optical axis of said lens to permit a succession of recordings of the object image to be taken which, when successively displayed produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 28 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus defined in claim 1, further including a member on which the leaf elements are individually mounted for pivotal movements to respective lens aperture-defining positions.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 37 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein the operator further includes a separate actuator for pivotally moving each leaf element, and a controller controlling the actuators to produce the scanning motion of the lens aperture.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 131 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in combination: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens, such that an object image is created by light passing through the lens and lens aperture; an operator coupled to move said optical element, such as to produce a scanning motion of the lens aperture relative to the optical axis of said lens to permit a succession of recordings of the object image to be taken which, when successively displayed produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display; an imaging plane on which the light of the object image is focused; and a housing removably positioned between the lens and the imaging plane and incorporating the optical element and the operator.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 131 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in combination: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens, such that an object image is created by light passing through the lens and lens aperture; an operator coupled to move said optical element, such as to produce a scanning motion of the lens aperture relative to the optical axis of said lens to permit a succession of recordings of the object image to be taken which, when successively displayed produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display; an imaging plane on which the light of the object image is focused; and a housing removably positioned between the lens and the imaging plane and incorporating the optical element and the operator.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 26 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises an optical relay including a plurality of lens elements through which object image light passes.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 5, wherein the lens elements are arranged in a set, such as to replicate a location of a pupil of said lens at a position between an adjacent pair of the lens elements.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 18 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 6, wherein the optical element is located at the replicated pupil location.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 21 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 6, wherein the optical relay further includes correction optical elements to correct for image rotation.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 125 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising, in combination: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element located adjacent said lens; and an operator coupled to activate said optical element such as to define the lens aperture located, time displaced, in at least two disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens to permit a succession of recordings of a scene to be taken having different parallax views of the scene which, when successively displayed, produce an autostereoscopic image of the scene on a conventional, two-dimensional display; 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 12

Dependent Claim 125 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising, in combination: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element located adjacent said lens; and an operator coupled to activate said optical element such as to define the lens aperture located, time displaced, in at least two disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens to permit a succession of recordings of a scene to be taken having different parallax views of the scene which, when successively displayed, produce an autostereoscopic image of the scene on a conventional, two-dimensional display; 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 13

Dependent Claim 39 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 9, 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 14

Dependent Claim 113 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element including a plurality of opaque leaf elements arranged in interleaved relation to collectively define a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens such that an image is created by light passing through the lens and lens aperture; and an operator coupled to move the leaf elements, such as to locate the lens aperture, time displaced, in at least two disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens to permit a succession of recordings of said image to be taken having different parallax views which, when successively displayed, produce an autostereoscopic image on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 113 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element including a plurality of opaque leaf elements arranged in interleaved relation to collectively define a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens such that an image is created by light passing through the lens and lens aperture; and an operator coupled to move the leaf elements, such as to locate the lens aperture, time displaced, in at least two disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens to permit a succession of recordings of said image to be taken having different parallax views which, when successively displayed, produce an autostereoscopic image on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 29 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 11, further including a mounting plate on which the leaf elements are individually mounting for pivotal movements to positions defining the lens aperture.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 43 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 12, wherein the operator includes: a separate actuator coupled to produce the pivot movement of each of the leaf elements; and a controller controlling the actuators in coordination to produce parallax scanning motion of the lens aperture.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 16 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the actuators is a galvanometer motor.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 20 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 14, wherein the galvanometer motors are mounted in quadrature positions about the optical axis.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 25 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller controls the actuators in coordination to adjustably establish an opening size of the lens aperture.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 52 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus defined in claim 13, wherein each actuator includes: a permanent magnet mounted on said plate; and an electromagnetic coil mounted on a corresponding one of the leaf elements, wherein electrical energization of one of said electromagnetic coils by the controller produces pivotal movement of the corresponding leaf element.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 78 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller includes: a processor generating a leaf element position command signal; a feedback circuit including a detector producing a current position signal indicative of a current position of said corresponding leaf element; and a differential circuit connected to receive the position command signal and the current position signal and connected to feed energization current to the electromagnetic coil such as to null the position command and current position signals.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 45 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 18, wherein the position detector includes: a light source mounted on each said corresponding leaf element; at least one light sensor; and a lens for focusing light emitted by the source to a spot impinging on the light sensor.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 48 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor generates digital position command signals, and the light sensor produces analog current position signals, the controller further including a converter for converting the digital position command signals to analog position command signals for input to the differential circuit.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 27 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller further includes a user interface connected to selectively control the position command signals generated by the processor.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 108 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: providing a lens having an optical axis directed toward a scene to be imaged; positioning an optical element adjacent the lens, the optical element including a plurality of leaf elements arranged in interleaved relation; activating the optical element to individually position the leaf elements to collectively define a lens aperture located, time displaced, in at least two disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens; and recording images taken with said lens aperture in the at least two disparity positions, which, when displayed in succession on a conventional two-dimensional display, produce an autostereoscopic image of the scene.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 108 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: providing a lens having an optical axis directed toward a scene to be imaged; positioning an optical element adjacent the lens, the optical element including a plurality of leaf elements arranged in interleaved relation; activating the optical element to individually position the leaf elements to collectively define a lens aperture located, time displaced, in at least two disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens; and recording images taken with said lens aperture in the at least two disparity positions, which, when displayed in succession on a conventional two-dimensional display, produce an autostereoscopic image of the scene.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of claim 22, wherein the activating step further includes individually moving the plurality of leaf elements to collectively define the lens aperture as moving in a scanning motion through the disparity positions.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 56 words

The method of claim 23, further including the steps of: generating a stream of position command signals for each leaf element; generating current position signals for each leaf element; nulling the position command and current position signals for each leaf element to produce leaf element positioning signals for moving the lens aperture in the scanning motion.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 138 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in combination: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens, such that an object image is created by light passing through the lens and lens aperture; and an operator coupled to move said optical element, such as to produce a scanning pattern of the lens aperture relative to the optical axis of said lens, the scanning pattern defined by the head of a rotating vector whose tail is fixed on said optical axis, such as to permit a succession of recordings of the object image to be taken at lens aperture positions along said pattern separated by less than a 90° rotation of said vector, which recordings, when successively displayed, produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 138 words

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in combination: a lens having an optical axis; an optical element defining a lens aperture, said optical element located adjacent said lens, such that an object image is created by light passing through the lens and lens aperture; and an operator coupled to move said optical element, such as to produce a scanning pattern of the lens aperture relative to the optical axis of said lens, the scanning pattern defined by the head of a rotating vector whose tail is fixed on said optical axis, such as to permit a succession of recordings of the object image to be taken at lens aperture positions along said pattern separated by less than a 90° rotation of said vector, which recordings, when successively displayed, produce an autostereoscopic image of said object on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 15 words

The autostereoscopic imaging apparatus of claim 25 further including means for changing the scanning pattern.

Claim 33

Independent Claim 116 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: directing the optical axis of an imaging lens toward a scene to be imaged; moving a lens aperture relative to the lens optical axis in a parallax scanning pattern defined by the head of a rotating vector whose tail is fixed on said optical axis; and generating a succession of time-spaced images of the scene as viewed through the lens aperture at successive positions along said pattern separated by less than a 90° rotation of said vector; the rate of motion of said lens aperture being such as to result in said images, when successively displayed, producing autostereoscopic images of the scene on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 34

Independent Claim 116 words

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of: directing the optical axis of an imaging lens toward a scene to be imaged; moving a lens aperture relative to the lens optical axis in a parallax scanning pattern defined by the head of a rotating vector whose tail is fixed on said optical axis; and generating a succession of time-spaced images of the scene as viewed through the lens aperture at successive positions along said pattern separated by less than a 90° rotation of said vector; the rate of motion of said lens aperture being such as to result in said images, when successively displayed, producing autostereoscopic images of the scene on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 27, further including the step of adjusting an opening size of said lens aperture.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 27, further including the step of adjusting the parallax scanning pattern of the lens aperture.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 44 words

The method of claim 27, wherein the moving step includes cyclically moving the lens aperture in the parallax scanning pattern at a scanning cycle rate to produce a view cycle rate for the resultant displayed images in the range of three to six Hz.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method of claim 27, further including the step of setting a cycle rate of the parallax scanning pattern to a value that is not divisible into a rate of the generation of the time-spaced scene images by a whole number, such that the disparity positions of the generated time-space scene images vary from cycle to cycle of the parallax scanning pattern.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-10-13	2001-04-14	2001-10-14	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-10-13	2005-04-14	2005-10-14	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-10-13	2009-04-14	2009-10-14	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus and method using a parallax scanning lens aperture

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