METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL STEREOSCOPIC IMAGES

• US 20100321474A1
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Martinez, Juan, Berger, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/487,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321474A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing

Abstract

A method for capturing a three-dimensional image is disclosed. The method comprises capturing a combined beam of light having a first polarized beam of light and a second polarized beam of light, sampling the combined beam of light using one or more imagers, and providing an electrical signal representing a mixed polarization image having a first polarized image and a second polarized image as a single output. The first polarized beam of light and the second polarized beam of light are orthogonally polarized. The one or more imagers include a set of first polarized pixels for sampling the first polarized beam of light to produce the first polarized image, and a set of second polarized pixels for sampling the second polarized light to produce the second polarized image.

Claims

1. A method for capturing a three-dimensional image comprising:

capturing a combined beam of light having a first polarized beam of light and a second polarized beam of light, wherein the first polarized beam and the second polarized beam are orthogonally polarized;

sampling the combined beam of light using one or more imagers, the imagers including a first set of polarized pixels for sampling the first polarized light to produce a first polarized image, and second set of polarized pixels for sampling the second polarized light to produce a second polarized image; and

providing an electrical signal representing a mixed polarization image having the first polarized image and the second polarized image as a single output.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising processing the electrical signal using a processing module.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of processing further comprises at least one of applying a gamma correction, a white balance correction, and a color correction on the electrical signal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the processing module outputs the electrical signal in a raw format.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising optimizing stereoscopic effects by adjusting separation and convergence of a lens module using a lens control module.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising subsequently separating the electrical signal into the first polarized image and the second polarized image using a switch module.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising encoding the separated first polarized image and the separated second polarized image received from the switch module using an encoding module.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing step comprises:

capturing a first unpolarized beam of light representing a first image and a second unpolarized beam of light representing a second image using a lens module;

converting the light into the first polarized beam of light and the second polarized beam of light using a filter module; and

combining the first polarized image and the second polarized image into the combined beam of light using a polarization array.

9. An apparatus for capturing a three-dimensional image comprising:

one or more imagers for capturing a first polarized image and a second polarized image from a combined beam of light, the combined beam of light having a first polarized beam of light and a second polarized beam of light, and wherein the imager is comprised of one or more first polarized pixels for capturing a first polarized image and one or more second polarized pixels for capturing a second polarized image, wherein the first polarized beam and the second polarized beam are orthogonally polarized, and providing an electrical signal representing a mixed polarization image having the first polarized image and the second polarized image as a single output.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a processing module for processing the electrical signal received from the single output.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing module outputs the electrical signal in a raw format.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a switch module for subsequently separating the electrical signal into the first polarized image and the second polarized image.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first polarized image and the second polarized image are separated on a basis of time multiplexing.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an encoding module for encoding the separated first polarized image and the separated second polarized image received from the switch module.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a lens control module operatively coupled with the imager for optimizing stereoscopic effects by adjusting separation and convergence of a lens module.

16. An apparatus for capturing a three-dimensional image comprising:

an optical module for generating a combined beam of light, the combined beam of light having a first polarized beam of light and a second polarized beam of light;

one or more imagers for capturing a first polarized beam of light and a second polarized beam of light from the combined beam of light, wherein the imager is comprised one or more first polarized pixels for capturing a first polarized image and one or more second polarized pixels for capturing a second polarized image, wherein the first polarized beam and the second polarized beam are orthogonally polarized and providing an electrical signal representing a mixed polarization image having the first polarized image and the second polarized image as a single output; and

an output module for processing, and separating the electrical signal to produce the three-dimensional image.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the output module comprises a processing module for processing the electrical signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the processing module outputs the electrical signal in a raw format.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the output module comprises an encoding module for encoding the separated first polarized image and the separated second polarized image received from the switch module to generate the three-dimensional image.