Method and apparatus for recording stereoscopic images and lenticular recording material used therefor

• US 5,697,006 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Seiichi, Igarashi, Shunkichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/469,866
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 396/324, 396/327, 396/330, 348/42, 348/43, 348/46, 348/47, 348/48, 359/462, 359/463, 355/22, 355/23
• US Class Current: 396/330
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/123 Multibeam scanners, e.g. using multiple light sources or beam splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/005 arranged along a single direction only, e.g. lenticular sheets G02B3/0043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/24 using apertured or refractive resolving means on screens or between screen and eye
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/133 Equalising the characteristics of different image components, e.g. their average brightness or colour balance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/221 using the relative movement between cameras and objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/229 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/349 Multi-view displays for displaying three or more geometrical viewpoints without viewer tracking for viewing without the aid of special glasses using fly-eye lenses H04N13/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388

Abstract

The improved method and apparatus for recording a stereoscopic image read a plurality of original images photoelectrically, split each original image into linear images of a desired pitch, perform any necessary image processing operations such as arranging the linear images in the recording order, and record the linear images by scan exposure on a lenticular light-sensitive material having a lenticular sheet and a recording layer. The method and apparatus permit the lenticular light-sensitive material to be scan exposed from the rear side and they also enable the linear images to be recorded with increased line width and a stereoscopic image to be formed with satisfactory registration between the principal objects of the original images. The improved lenticular light-sensitive material has an anti-halation layer provided between the lenticular sheet and the recording layer, thus permitting scan exposure to be effected from the rear side. According to the present invention, stereoscopic images of high quality that have no perceivable unnaturalness such as flickers can be recorded with great ease and at any desired magnification.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording stereoscopic images, which records a plurality of original images from different viewpoints on a lenticular recording material having recording material provided on the rear side of a lenticular sheet, comprising:

image processing means which obtains image information on said plurality of original images, which forms linear images to be recorded for each of said original images, which determines positions in which the linear images are to be recorded on said recording material in accordance with conditions for recording the original images, such that a completed stereoscopic image will be correctly produced when viewed from a front side of said lenticular sheet, and which outputs linear image information;

image forming means that comprises;

means which issues a light beam modulated in accordance with the linear image information provided by said image processing means, and which deflects said light beam one-dimensionally in a fast scan direction which is parallel to a generatrix of said lenticular sheet; and

means which moves said lenticular recording material relative to the light beam deflected in said fast scan direction in a slow scan direction, the slow scan direction being generally perpendicular to said fast scan direction, said image forming means exposing the recording material of said lenticular recording material from the rear side with said light beam; and

means for determining positions for image recording on said lenticular recording material.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming means calculates an angle of deviation based on a relationship between a scan rate in the fast scan direction and a scan rate in the slow scan direction, and corrects the fast scan direction by the angle of deviation, such that said light beam is deflected in a direction which coincides with a direction of a generatrix of the lenticular recording material.

3. An apparatus for recording stereoscopic images, which records a plurality of original images from different viewpoints on a lenticular recording material having a recording material provided on the rear side of a lenticular sheet, comprising:

image processing means which obtains image information on said plurality of original images, which forms linear images to be recorded for each of said original images, which determines positions in which a sequence of the linear images are to be recorded on said recording material in accordance with conditions for recording the original images, such that a completed stereoscopic image will be correctly produced when viewed from a front side of said lenticular sheet, and which outputs linear image information;

a display on which said linear images are represented in accordance with said linear image information delivered from said image processing means; and

means for determining the positions for image recording on said lenticular recording material,

wherein the image represented on said display is recorded on a rear surface of said lenticular recording material as a longitudinal direction of said linear images is brought into substantial registry with a direction of a generatrix of said lenticular sheet while the sequence of said linear images in a transverse direction is brought into correspondence with the pitch of lenticular lenses in said lenticular recording material.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said display has a means of adjusting the size of images to be displayed.

5. An apparatus for recording stereoscopic images, with which linear images as produced from a plurality of original images from different viewpoints are recorded to produce a stereoscopic image on a lenticular recording material having a lenticular sheet and a recording layer, comprising:

image processing means which obtains image information on said plurality of original images, which splits each of said original images into linear images to be recorded, which determines positions in which said linear images are to be recorded on said recording layer, and which outputs image information;

image forming means, comprising;

a light beam issuing unit for issuing a light beam modulated in accordance with the image information delivered from said image processing means; and

a scanning unit which deflects said light beam one-dimensionally in a fast scan direction which is generally parallel to a generatrix of said lenticular sheet while, at the same time, said lenticular recording material and the light beam deflected in said fast scan direction are moved relative to each other in a slow scan direction which is generally perpendicular to said fast scan direction; and

means for increasing the width of said linear images to be recorded on said lenticular recording material.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means for increasing the recording width of said linear images increases the spot diameter of the light beam emitted from the light beam issuing unit in accordance with a pitch of lenticular lenses on the lenticular sheet.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means of increasing the recording width of said linear images is provided on said image processing means and it is such that the number of times by which the linear images of the same original image are recorded within one pitch is adjusted in accordance with the pitch of lenticular lenses in said lenticular recording material.

8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 5-7, wherein the recording width of said linear images is increased by said recording width increasing means, such that said linear images are recorded without any overlap and without producing any blank portions in stereoscopic image recording regions of the lenticular recording material.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming means calculates an angle of deviation based on a relationship between a scan rate in the fast scan direction and a scan rate in the slow scan direction, and corrects the fast scan direction by the angle of deviation, such that said light beam is deflected in a direction which coincides with a direction of a generatrix of the lenticular recording material.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the means for increasing the width of said linear images is a beam expander.

11. An apparatus for recording stereoscopic images, by which a plurality of original images from different viewpoints are recorded on a lenticular recording material having a recording material provided on the rear side of a lenticular sheet, comprising:

an image processing means comprising;

means which obtains image information on said plurality of original images and information on principal objects of the original images, and which splits each original image into linear images to be recorded; and

means for determining positions in which the linear images are to be recorded on said recording material, such that a completed stereoscopic image will be correctly produced when viewed from a front side of said lenticular sheet and such that those linear images which carry at least central portions of the principal objects of the original images are recorded within a same pitch of lenticular lenses in the lenticular recording material;

an image forming means comprising;

means which issues a light beam modulated in accordance with the linear image information delivered from said image processing means and which deflects said light beam one-dimensionally in a fast scan direction which is parallel to a generatrix of said lenticular sheet; and

means by which said lenticular recording material and the light beam deflected in said fast scan direction are moved relative to each other in a slow scan direction which is generally perpendicular to said fast scan direction, said image forming means exposing the recording material of said lenticular recording material with said light beam; and

means for determining positions for image recording on said lenticular recording material.