360 Degree panoramic television system

• US 3,872,238 A
• Filed: 03/11/1974
• Issued: 03/18/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John W. Herndon
• Original Assignee: John W. Herndon
• Inventors: Herndon, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US05/450,125
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 178/6,6.5,7.85,6.8,DIG.1 352/69
• US Class Current: 348/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/005 using at least one opto-electrical conversion device

Abstract

A 360* panoramic television system in which a plurality of stationary angularly spaced single line scan cameras receive 360* scene image inputs via a motor driven first optic system and pass amplified and processed video signals to a plurality of stationary, angularly spaced single line scan projectors which, via a motor driven second optic system, synchronized with said first optic system, provide a continuous 360* image display of said scene on a suitable curved screen.

Claims

1. A 360* panoramic television system for taking continuous images covering a 360* scene and projecting the same on a 360* screen, the taking and projecting emanating along radii from central vertical axes respectively of said scene and screen comprising:

a plurality of stationary vertical, single line scan, camera tubes equally, angularly spaced and each aimed inwardly along an associated radius of said scene toward the vertical axis thereof;

a plurality of stationary vertical, single line scan, projectors equally, angularly spaced and each aimed inwardly along a radii of said screen toward the vertical central axis thereof;

amplifying and processing control until means connectd to pass video signal information from said cameras to said projectors;

a first optical system including a plurality of image collection optical prism and lens means and a second optical system including a plurality of image projection optical prism and lens means, each having rotatable mounting means for prism portions thereof and positioned respectively in relation to said cameras and projectors to pass images from said scene to said cameras and from said projectors to said screen, and synchronized motor drive means for rotating said prism portions of optical systems in unison to produce a 360* panoramic transfer of image to said screen.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 said first optical system including for each camera first dove prism means and means mounting the same with its entrance and exit surfaces on its associated scene radius and supported for rotation about said radius as a rotational axis to pass image light to its associated in line camera;

stationary first right angle prism means and means mounting said prism on said scene vertical and associated dove prism axes;

first additional rotatable right angle Prism means and rotatable mounting means therefor;

said additional prism means beging positioned to collect scene images and pass the same through said stationary right angle prism to said dove prism;

said second optical system including for each projector;

second dove prism means and means mounting the same with its entrance and exit surfaces on its associated screen radius and supported for rotation about said radius as a rotational axis;

stationary second right angle means and means mounting said prism on said screen vertical and dove prism rotational axes for causing light projected by said projector through said dove prism means along said radius to be redirected along said screen vertical axis;

second additional rotatable right angle prism means and rotatable mounting therefor;

said second additional prism means being positioned to direct said projector light radially outwardly toward said screen.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 said synchronous motor drive means including for said first and second optical systems drive means for rotating said first and second additional prism means about their associated scene and screen vertical axes while rotating said first and second dove prism means about their associated scene and screen radii at one-half the angular speed of rotation of said additional prism means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 said first and second stationary right angle means, each including a pair of right angle prisms mounted back to back to effect direction change between vertical and radial on a first common level and where the radial directions are 180* apart;

said first and second additional prism means each including a pair of radially spaced prisms positioned on 180* displaced radial axis of a second common level, series spaced prisms for directing image rays in one vertical direction between one of said spaced prisms and one of said stationary prisms, and back to back radially spaced right angle prism means for reversing image rays and directing the same between the other of said stationary and spaced prisms to provide a minimum space requirement for said first and second optic systems.