METHOD TO REPRESENT IMAGES FOR DISSOCIATIVE STEREOSCOPIC VISION AND RELATED SYSTEM

• US 20100053551A1
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SIFI S.p.A
• Original Assignee: Sifi Diagnostic S.P.A.
• Inventors: Mogentale, Irene, Tanassi, Cesare, Meneghini, Gianluigi, Zanette, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 8,075,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/201
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/08 for testing binocular or stereoscopic vision, e.g. strabismus
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters

Abstract

The following is a method to represent images for dissociative stereoscopic vision, which allows, by means of some simple operations on stereoscopic images, to develop a device comprising a processing card and LCD shuttering goggles, which together with a computer equipped with a graphic card with LVDS output and any image display device, enable to perform visual acuity tests on patients.

Claims

1. Method to represent images for dissociative stereoscopic vision, comprising the following steps:

a. fetching the right and left images for stereoscopic vision;

b. suppressing even columns for one of the two images and odd columns for the other image;

c. fusing images derived from step b in order to create one single image made up of the alternating columns belonging to the two images, so that the odd columns precisely belong to the first image and the even columns precisely belong to the second image;

d. splitting the image obtained in step c into the two images obtained in step b;

e. filling the generic empty column i with the data contained in column i+1, or as an alternative with the data contained in column i−

1, for both images obtained in step d;

f. alternately showing the two images obtained in step e, on a video at high frequency, synchronously blanking the right and left lenses worn by the patient, so that the right eye always sees image number one, and the left eye always sees image number two, or vice versa.

2. Image representation system for dissociative stereoscopic vision suitable to perform the method of claim 1, comprising the following features:

a clock unit (4), which spells out the synchronization time between the image processor (2) and the goggles (5) worn by the patient, said clock unit equipped with a communication system (4.1) to deliver the timing data to the goggles;

an image processing card (2), which at each clock event, in line with steps e and f of the method of claim 1, shows a video (3) alternating one of the two images obtained by duplicating the missing columns, starting from the adjacent previous or next one;

a pair of goggles (5) with liquid crystal lenses equipped with a communication system (5.1), and with an alternate high-frequency shutter system for the lenses.

3. Computer program which includes means to encrypt a program, suitable to perform steps a, b and c of the method of claim 1, when said program is run on a computer.

4. Computer readable means including a recorded message and means to encrypt a program used to perform steps a, b and c of the method of claim 1, when said program is run on a computer.