Stereoscopic television (unaided) on standard bandwidth-method and apparatus

• US 4,290,083 A
• Filed: 12/28/1979
• Issued: 09/15/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert B. Collender
• Original Assignee: Robert B. Collender
• Inventors: Collender, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coles, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US06/107,838
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 358/88, 358/90, 358/92, 358/231, 358/236, 358/3, 358/2, 350/144, 350/3.5, 352/58
• US Class Current: 348/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/32 using arrays of controllable light sources; using moving apertures or moving light sources

Abstract

My invention relates to stereoscopic television using relative camera to scene translating motion and does not require optical aids at observer'"'"'s eyes, presents a horizontal parallax (Hologram like) 3-D full motion scene to a wide audience, has no dead zones or pseudo 3-D zones over the entire horizontal viewing field and operates on standard broadcast television signals requiring no changes to the television studio equipment or the home television antenna. The only change required at the receiving end is a special television projector. The system is compatible with prerecorded standard color television signals. The cathode ray tube is eliminated by substituting an array of solid state charge couple device liquid crystal light valves which have the property to receive television fields in parallel from memory and which are arrayed in an arc for scanning purposes. The array contains a scrolled sequence of successive television frames which serve as the basis for 3-D horizontal viewing parallax. These light valves reflect polarized light with the degree of polarization made a function of the scene brightness. The array is optically scanned and the sequence rapidly projected onto a cylindrical concaved semi-specular and segmented screen that returns all of the light to a rapidly translating vertical "aerial" exit slit of light through which the audience views the reconstructed 3-D scene.

Claims

1. A method of stereoscopically reproducing standard television signals for observation by plural observers without the need for visual aids at the eyes of said observers, comprising the steps of:

providing relative lateral motion between television camera and scene;

acquiring a number of sequential television frames or fields on an array of images;

scanning said image array by a scan projector having one or more identical facets;

causing any image of said image array to store a whole television field or frame during the scan interval by any single facet of said scan projector;

causing any image in said image array to advance to the next sequential television field or frame during the period between adjacent facets of said scan projector;

sensing the direction of said relative lateral motion between said camera and scene to assure stereoscopic viewing;

sequentially projecting said array of images onto a semi-specular screen, said scan projector being positioned during projection at successive positions about the arc of a projection circle, said screen being of larger radius compared with said projection circle;

causing said screen to vertically scatter and horizontally reflect light from said screen to intersect on a line essentially tangent to said projection circle;

causing said intersected light to move along said line;

causing said scan projector interval between adjacent facets to be within the period of persistence of vision of observers.

2. A construction for displaying stereoscopic television to observers situated in front of the viewing screen of said construction, said construction including:

a television antenna and receiver to generate audio for a loud speaker, video for storage in a multiple frame store, sync for timing a synchronous motor connected to a scan projector and timing for an image array;

an image direction sensor to retain a stereoscopic scene;

a fixed lamp to illuminate said image array sequentially through optics mounted on each facet of said scan projector, a light polarizer and analyzer on either side of said image array, said analyzer to sense the change in picture element polarization within said image array;

an array of roof mirrors to reflect said array images through projection optics, said projection optics mounted on said scan projector;

a stationary concaved semi-specular viewing screen to receive said projected images and return the incident projected light to a transversely moving aerial exit slit.