Interferential multistereoscopic camera with three-dimensional effect

• US 5,634,159 A
• Filed: 05/28/1996
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paolo Caregnato
• Original Assignee: Paolo Caregnato
• Inventors: Caregnato, Paolo
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAN, JANG K
• Application Number:
  US08/655,203
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 354/110, 354/112, 354/114, 354/115, 354/117, 354/120, 359/9, 359/10, 359/22, 359/23, 359/30, 359/737, 396/324, 396/326, 396/327, 396/333
• US Class Current: 396/327
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/10 having single camera with stereoscopic-base-defining system

Abstract

Camera provided with a lens, a diaphragm and a photographic film or plate arranged behind the diaphragm and located on a plane which is normal to the optical axis of the lens. The lens comprises: at least two light inlets; a doublet or triplet for each light inlet, suitable for collimating the incoming light and for correcting any aberrations; and a merging system, suitable for merging the homologous light rays which leave the doublets or triplets before they reach the photographic film. The photographic film or plate is a high-resolution film.

Claims

1. A camera provided with a compound lens and a diaphragm, the compound lens having an optical axis, the camera being adapted for receiving a hologram element in the form of one of a hologram film and a hologram plate for arrangement behind the diaphragm so as to be located on a plane which is normal to the optical axis of the compound lens, wherein said compound lens comprises:

a portion including a zone which does not transmit light and a distinct number of light inlets which transmit light;

a selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet of said light inlets adapted for collimating incoming light and for correcting any aberrations thereby providing a distinct number of homologous light rays; and

a merging system adapted for merging all the homologous light rays which leave the selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet into a single beam before the homologous light rays reach said plane of arrangement of said hologram element.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said merging system comprises a distinct number of mirrors comprising for each light inlet of said light inlets a mirror for receiving light arriving from the respective light inlet, at least one of said mirrors being arranged on a path of light reflected by at least one other mirror of said mirrors and said at least one of said mirrors being semitransparent in order to merge light beams arriving both from said at least one other mirror and from the respective selected one of a doublet and a triplet for the light inlet of said at least one mirror and to direct merged rays onto a selected one of at least one other mirror and said hologram element.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein each light inlet of said light inlets comprises a lens device.

4. A camera according to claim 1 further comprising at least one biconvex lens arranged upstream of the diaphragm with respect to a direction of light propagation.

5. A camera according to claim 1, wherein each of said light inlets comprises one of a stenopaic hole and a lens device.

6. A camera provided with a compound lens and a diaphragm, the compound lens having an optical axis, the camera being adapted for receiving a hologram element in the form of one of a hologram film and a hologram plate for arrangement behind the diaphragm so as to be located on a plane which is normal to the optical axis of the compound lens, wherein said compound lens comprises:

a distinct number of light inlets;

a selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet of said light inlets adapted for collimating incoming light and for correcting any aberrations thereby providing a distinct number of homologous light rays; and

a merging system adapted for merging all the homologous light rays which leave the selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet into a single beam before the homologous light rays reach said plane of arrangement of said hologram element;

and wherein said light inlets are stenopaic holes.

7. A camera according to claim 6, wherein a self-focusing optical fiber is provided between each light inlet and the respective selected one of a doublet and a triplet.

8. A camera provided with a compound lens and a diaphragm, the compound lens having an optical axis, the camera being adapted for receiving a hologram element in the form of one of a hologram film and a hologram plate for arrangement behind the diaphragm so as to be located on a plane which is normal to the optical axis of the compound lens, wherein said compound lens comprises:

a distinct number of light inlets mutually arranged about a center and each comprising one of a stenopaic hole and a lens device;

a selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet of said light inlets adapted for collimating incoming light and for correcting any aberrations thereby providing a distinct number of homologous light rays;

a merging system adapted for merging all the homologous light rays which leave the selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet into a single beam before the homologous light rays reach said plane of arrangement of said hologram element; and

a self-focusing optical fiber for each light inlet of said light inlets adapted to receive and light arriving from the respective light inlet and transmit light to the selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet;

and wherein said merging system comprises at least one Schlieren means capable of progressively deflecting light rays leaving the selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet until the light rays are directed parallel to the optical axis before reaching said plane of arrangement of said hologram element.

9. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said merging system comprises:

a first light deflection portion formed by a pack of plane-parallel lenses with a refraction index for each lens which increases progressively in a direction of light propagation;

a second light deflection portion coupled to the first light deflection portion and comprising said Schlieren means which has a higher refraction index than a last plane-parallel lens of the pack, so that the incident light rays are progressively deflected until they are parallel to the optical axis; and

a converging meniscus having an anamorphic function and a lens for focusing outgoing light beams, the converging meniscus being arranged between the merging system and the diaphragm.

10. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said light inlets are arranged so that they are spaced angularly along a circle which is concentric to the optical axis of the compound lens, and wherein each self-focusing optical fiber is inclined toward the optical axis to direct light toward the respective selected one of a doublet and a triplet for each light inlet and toward the merging system.

11. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said merging system comprises two mutually coupled Schlieren means.