Digital stereo photographic system

• US 20070296809A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newbery Revocable Trust Indenture
• Original Assignee: Newbery Revocable Trust Indenture
• Inventors: Newbery, Billy
• Granted Patent: US 8,982,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/42
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/22 Stereoscopic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

The invention provides a complete system for three-dimensional (3D) (stereo) still photography in a digital format. This includes capturing the image or photo, viewing, printing and projecting it. Intermediate steps would include downloading images to a computer, editing, enhancing or modifying, saving, recording photo images to other storage medium, and the printing of still photos. This invention is a significant advancement of the traditional analog film stereo slides, in that the digital format will allow viewing of the image in the camera in 3D, prior to, during, immediately after exposure and at any other time after exposure. With significant computer processing capability after exposure in editing, enhancing, color correcting, adding text and art, the images are further improved. The system includes the ability to view images, in 3D (stereo), in the camera, in a hand held viewer, on a computer screen on a standard television set as well as printed pairs or in anaglyph formats. The images can also be viewed with conventional digital projectors using conventional polarized glasses. The camera is also a significant advancement over the standard digital still cameras because it provides the three-dimensional image capture in a digital format. It also retains the full 2-dimensional capability of digital photography.

Claims

1. A stand-alone digital camera capable of taking three dimensional as well as two dimensional photographs, comprising:

a pair of matched and synchronized lenses;

an image capture device for each of said lenses and in optical communication therewith;

a viewer for each of said image capture devices;

a means for capturing an image passing through said lenses;

a means for storing said captured image; and

a means for displaying said captured image on said viewer.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein said image capture device is a charge coupled device (CCD).

3. The camera of claim 1, wherein said viewer is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

4. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a means for recording audio.

5. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a viewer attachment removably positionable adjacent said viewers to view said captured image therethrough.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising computer software for editing digital photographs taken with the camera of claim 1 or any other stereo device includes standard 2D characteristics of brightness, contrast, intensity, equalization, color balance, gamma, hue/saturation, colors replacement, sharpen, etc performed on an individual image or both images simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 4 further comprising transferring stereo images and slide shows to a VHS tape or DVD disc, which then can be used to view the images on a standard TV using a standard liquid crystal shutter glasses and synchronizing hardware.

14. The method of claim 4, further comprising viewing before, during and after exposure in the camera.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising adding audio to images will also be heard when its corresponding image is viewed.

16. The method of claim 4, further comprising erasing undesirable exposures from a memory card.

17. The method of claim 4, further comprising the camera will also view digital photos taken with other cameras or generated by computer, including 3D.

18. The viewer attachment, of claim 2, aids in viewing 3D photos. 3D photos may be viewed on a standard computer in side-by-side format using standard viewing devices or in an anaglyph format using standard red/cyan filtered glasses. Pop-up phantograms can be viewed from an anaglyph photo held in a horizontal position, using the red/cyan glasses. The image will appear to pop-up off the photo. All stereo images can be viewed on a 3D computer/monitor such as the Sharp RD3D, directly with the unaided eyes (no glasses, etc.);

the camera of claim 1 can be set to expose left or right image or both as selected by the menu, with both being the default mode. This is useful for taking 2D photos only and for taking 3D hypo-stereo (lenses much closer together than the norm) or hyper-stereo photos (lenses much farther apart then the norm). For the latter, the first exposure is made and it remains visible in its LCD as the camera is moved on a slide bar or other means. The second image, being visible on the other LCD, is aligned, using the alignment lines shown in FIG. 11 and 12, and the scene is viewed in 3D by the unaided eye or by using the viewer attachment of claim 2 prior to exposure. When the user is pleased with the photo exposure is made by pressing the shutter button;

the procedure for hypostereo and hyperstereo of claim 11, may be repeated for different horizontal separation of the lenses. This accomplished by retaining (menu selection) the original first image, moving the camera and exposing the second image as described in claim 11;

and

stereo photographers will appreciate the depth-of-field (DOF) control included in the camera of claim 1. Focusing is automatic, but can be manually overridden. By moving the DOF lever, the camera provides a scale of the distance from the camera, a DOF range and a focus distance on an LCD (can be both). Moving the DOF lever changes the focus and the DOF. An algorithm in the internal software calculates the DOF range. The user decides the DOF limits needed to keep selected items of the scene in sharp focus. The distance-from-camera display range is from a very short distance (approximately 2 inches) to infinity. Only a portion of the full scale may be shown at any one time. The distance and DOF scale will show in yellow and the focus distance in red in the LCD as illustrated in FIG. 12.

6. A stereoscopic viewer, comprising:

a pair of viewers, each said viewer for viewing a separately captured image; and

a means for displaying said captured image on said viewer.

7. A method of operating a digital stereo photographic system having a pair of matched and synchronized lenses;

an image capture device for each of said lenses and in optical communication therewith;

a viewer for each of said image capture devices;

a means for capturing an image passing through said lenses;

a means for storing said captured image; and

a means for displaying said captured image on said viewer, said method comprising;

9. The method of claim 7 also includes 3D characteristics of horizontal, vertical and rotational alignment, cropping, apparent window location control, 3D printing in various formats including side-by-side, over-under, anaglyph, pop-up phantograms, and standard stereoscopic cards (Holmes).

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising adding text in 3D format, i.e. selecting the depth position relative to the window and scene.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising creating panoramic views by stitching two or more 3D images.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising transferring stereo images and slide shows to a CD, DVD, and other memory devices, which then can be used to view the images on a computer or similar viewing devices.

19. A stand-alone digital camera capable of taking three dimensional as well as two dimensional photographs, comprising:

a pair of matched and synchronized lenses;

an image capture device for each of said lenses and in optical communication therewith;

a viewer for each of said image capture devices;

a means for capturing an image passing through said lenses;

a means for storing said captured image; and

a means for displaying said captured image on said viewer.

20. The camera of claim 19 will display useful information on an LCD, including distance from camera, DOF, focus distance, camera focus status, alignment lines, battery status, shutter speed, f stop, date, time, image number identification, image number remaining in memory, etc. as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12.

21. The camera of claim 19 will include a built-in pop-up flash as well as a hot shoe enabling the use of an external flash unit.

22. The camera of claim 19 is equipped with high quality, variable focus, variable aperture, and zoom capability lenses. The zoom proportion will be displayed in an LCD. When taking hypostereo or hyperstereo photos the zoom proportion can be perfectly matched. The camera will remember the proportion.

23. The camera of claim 19 provides the capability to select the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) speed. This selection is made in the menu and can range as much as 25 to 2000. The higher numbers increased the DOF but also increases some undesirable effects such as noise.

24. The camera of claim 19 provides a variety of exposure modes. Automatic, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual. The aperture priority is useful in stereo photography because it controls the DOF. Shutter priority is useful for photographing moving objects. These options are selectable from the menu.

25. The software in the camera of claim 19 and the computer software of claim 4 has the capability if creating slide shows. Images are selected from memory and the sequence order identified. The length of time that all images are viewed is specified, however it can be overridden for individually selected images. If audio has been added, the minimum time is the length of the audio plus about 2 seconds.