Omni-directional moving picture taking and exhibiting apparatus

• US 4,098,550 A
• Filed: 03/29/1976
• Issued: 07/04/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John W. Randolph
• Original Assignee: John W. Randolph
• Inventors: Randolph, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Monroe H.
• Application Number:
  US05/671,316
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 352/69, 350/96 B, 350/120, 355/133, 354/94, 354/95
• US Class Current: 352/69
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/00 Panoramic or wide-screen photography; Photographing extended surfaces, e.g. for surveying; Photographing internal surfaces, e.g. of pipe

Abstract

Motion picture apparatus is disclosed herein having a light source supplying light to a collective end of a plurality of light wave carrier bundles. A film carrying a plurality of images per frame is interposed between the light source and the light wave carrying bundles so the images are conducted to the opposite or terminal ends of the carriers for application to a segmented or curved screen surface via a lens system. The respective light wave carrier ends are mounted on dynamic scanning plates so that synchronous movement of the carrier ends is produced for improved picture resolution during picture taking and picture viewing.

Claims

1. Omni-directional moving picture apparatus for conducting a visual image from one place to another comprising the combination of:

a housing having lens means for sensing the image and means remote from said lens means for storing the sensed image;

a plurality of elongated light wave carriers intercommunicating between said lens means and said storage means for conducting the image therebetween;

dynamic scanning means operably connected to the opposite ends of said light wave carriers for providing synchronous movement of said opposite light wave carrier ends in a random pattern for improved image resolution;

each of said light wave carriers is a coherent multiple optical fiber bundle for conducting the visual image between the opposite ends of said bundle;

said dynamic scanning means includes a fixed housing and plates carrying the opposite ends of each of said bundles so as to be movably mounted with respect to said housing;

means carried on said housing for moving said plates in said synchronous random pattern with respect to said housing;

an image storage means for holding the visual image conducted by said coherent optical fiber bundles;

said plate moving means includes a plurality of eccentric means carried on each of said plates and means operably coupled to each of said eccentric means for imparting movement thereto;

a selected end of all of said fiber bundles are carried on a common one of said movable plates and said fiber bundles radiate outwardly therefrom whereby the opposite ends of said bundles are carried on individual and spaced apart plates;

said storage means is a substantially curved screen and said moving picture apparatus is a film image projector having said housing and said lens systems at the center thereof;

said lens means includes a projection mirror arrangement for conducting the respective number of film images from said light wave carriers to said screen; and

said screen is composed of two or more flat screens arranged with their opposing adjacent ends together at an acute angle.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said screen is composed of at least three flat screen angularly disposed with respect to each other at least 60°

apart.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said lens means includes projection mirrors of equal number to said flat screens and angular 60°

with respect to each other as well as 45°

with respect to the optical axis of said associated lens.