3D IMAGE TAKING APPARATUS

• US 20130342660A1
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: IWASAKI, Yoichi
• Application Number:
  US14/013,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/14 operating by reflection only
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/10 having single camera with stereoscopic-base-defining system
• 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 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

A 3D image taking apparatus includes: a monocular photographic lens; a first and second solid-state imaging devices that receive one part and another part of incident light coming from a subject via the photographic lens in parallel; a light splitting member that splits the incident light into the one part and the other part of the incident light using a boundary region that extends perpendicularly to an optical axis, and causes the one part and the other part of the incident light to enter the first and second solid-state imaging devices, respectively; a parallax separation member that prevents a part of the incident light entering the boundary region from entering the first and second solid-state imaging devices; and an image processing unit that generates 3D image data of the subject by performing image processing on respective output signals of the first and second solid-state imaging devices.

Claims

1. A 3D image taking apparatus comprising:

a monocular photographic lens;

a first and second solid-state imaging devices that receive one part and another part of incident light coming from a subject via the photographic lens in parallel;

a light splitting member that splits the incident light into the one part and the other part of the incident light using a boundary region that extends perpendicularly to an optical axis, and causes the one part and the other part of the incident light to enter the first and second solid-state imaging devices, respectively;

a parallax separation member that prevents a part of the incident light entering the boundary region from entering the first and second solid-state imaging devices; and

an image processing unit that generates 3D image data of the subject by performing image processing on respective output signals of the first and second solid-state imaging devices.

2. The 3D image taking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit that controls a width of the boundary region.

3. The 3D image taking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit controls the width of the boundary region according to a shooting condition.

4. The 3D image taking apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the control unit increases the width of the boundary region as an f-number decreases, a shooting scene becomes brighter, or the focal length of the photographic lens decreases, and

the control unit decreases the width of the boundary region as the f-number increases, the shooting scene becomes darker, or the focal length of the photographic lens increases.

5. The 3D image taking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the parallax separation member is configured by a liquid crystal shutter disposed before the light splitting member, and cuts that part of the incident light entering the boundary region by a vertical-strip-shaped light non-transmissive region which is located at a center of the liquid crystal shutter.

6. The 3D image taking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light splitting member and the parallax separation member are integrally formed,

the light splitting member is configured by disposing two mirrors in such a manner that they form a right angle and their front edges are in contact with each other, and

the parallax separation member is configured by variably control a reflectance of a portion, including the front edge and having a prescribed width, of each of the two mirrors.

7. The 3D image taking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the light splitting member and the parallax separation member are integrally formed,

the light splitting member is configured by two mirrors which form a right angle, and the parallax separation member is configured by a gap between the two mirrors.

8. The 3D image taking apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a third solid-state imaging device that receives a part of the incident light passing through the gap between the two mirrors.