Three-dimensional display methods and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for producing a three-dimensional illusion of a subject comprising the steps of:
- generating at a predetermined frame rate a single sequence of images of said subject as viewed by a camera carried by a moving vehicle spaced from said subject as said vehicle is moved at constant velocity and constant spacing with respect to said subject, andpresenting for viewing on a viewing surface alternately at a rate in the range of about four to thirty per second selected successive sets of images in said sequence that have a frame separation therebetween depending on the velocity and spacing of said camera with respect to said subject so as to differ in parallax in the direction of movement of said vehicle by an amount sufficient to create a resultant image which as viewed by an observer is perceived as having depth.
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Abstract
Three-dimensional images are produced from a sequence of images generated by a single camera mounted on a platform moving at constant velocity and spacing with respect to a subject to be imaged. Stereoscopically related images in the sequence are presented for viewing alternately at a rate of about ten per second so that the image seen by an observer is perceived as having depth. By recording the stereoscopically related images alternately on the same film, the images produced when the film is projected are perceived as three-dimensional. A video camera may be used to generate the original sequence of stereoscopically related images, in which case the images are digitized, stored, read out alternately at a rate of about ten per second and displayed to produce an image which is perceived by an observer as having depth.
126 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for producing a three-dimensional illusion of a subject comprising the steps of:
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generating at a predetermined frame rate a single sequence of images of said subject as viewed by a camera carried by a moving vehicle spaced from said subject as said vehicle is moved at constant velocity and constant spacing with respect to said subject, and presenting for viewing on a viewing surface alternately at a rate in the range of about four to thirty per second selected successive sets of images in said sequence that have a frame separation therebetween depending on the velocity and spacing of said camera with respect to said subject so as to differ in parallax in the direction of movement of said vehicle by an amount sufficient to create a resultant image which as viewed by an observer is perceived as having depth. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. Apparatus for producing a three-dimensional illusion of a subject comprising, in combination:
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electronic imaging means mounted on a vehicle for generating a sequence of electric signals representing a sequence of images of said subject as viewed by said imaging means from a location spaced from said subject as said vehicle is moved at constant velocity and constant spacing with respect to said subject, means for digitizing said electric signals, means for storing said digitized electric signals, means for selecting for readout from said storing means selected successive sets of spaced apart images in said stored sequence that differ in parallax in the direction of movement of said vehicle by an amount sufficient that when presented for viewing alternately at a rate of about ten per second they create a resultant image which as viewed by an observer is perceived as having depth, and means for displaying said selected sets of images alternately at a rate of about ten per second, whereby the resulting image displayed as viewed by an observer is perceived as having depth. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. Apparatus for producing in near real-time a three-dimensional illusion of a subject comprising, in combination:
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electronic imaging means supported on a platform carried by an airborne vehicle for generating at a predetermined frame rate a sequence of electric signals representing a sequence of images of said subject as viewed by said imaging means from a location spaced above said subject as said vehicle is moved at constant velocity and constant spacing with respect to said subject; means for digitizing said electric image-representing signals; means for storing said digitized image-representing means for selecting for readout from said storing means electric signals representing sets of images having a frame separation so as to differ in parallax in the direction of movement of said vehicle by an angle in the range from 1.9 degrees to 3.4 degrees such that when images represented by said selected sets of electric signals are presented on a viewing surface alternately at a rate of about ten per second a resultant image is created which as viewed by an observer is perceived as having depth; means for presenting for viewing on a viewing surface alternatively at a rate of about ten per second images represented by said selected sets of electric signals, and means for controlling the frame separation of images for readout from said storing means for optimizing the perception of depth in the displayed image. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method for producing a three-dimensional illusion of a subject comprising the steps of:
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recording at a predetermined frame rate a single sequence of images of said subject as viewed from an airborne vehicle moving at constant velocity and with constant spacing with respect to said subject, and sequentially displaying on a viewing surface at a rate in the range of about four to thirty per second sets of images of the subject selected from said single sequence that in each set are separated by a sufficient number of frames as to differ in parallax in the direction of movement of said vehicle by an amount sufficient to create on said viewing surface a resultant image which as viewed without the aid of stereoscopic viewing devices is perceived as having depth. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification