Optically multiplexed hand-held digital binocular system

• US 6,487,012 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sterevison Imaging, Inc.
• Original Assignee: StereoVision Imaging, Inc.
• Inventors: Khoshnevis, Behrokh, Steinthal, M. Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Spyrou, Cassandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US09/616,352
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 359/363, 359/400, 359/407, 359/410, 359/412, 359/462, 359/464, 359/629, 359/630, 348/42, 348/49, 348/53, 348/56
• US Class Current: 359/407
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/18 for binocular arrangements focusing binocular pairs G02B7/06; adjusting pupillary distance of binocular pairs G02B7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/35 using reflective optical elements in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• 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 13/211 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

A simplified hand held stereoscopic imaging system in which stereoscopic recording and three-dimensional playback of objects viewed with the device is provided with a single recording element and a single playback element.

Claims

1. A hand-held 3-D imaging system, comprising:

a) a pair of hand-held prism binoculars having at sleast two refracting telescopes mounted on a frame;

b) each of said refracting telescopes having an objective lens, a pair of prisms and an eyepiece whereby a primary optical path is defined within each telescope wherein a beam of light that enters in through the objective lens travels through the prisms and out of the eyepiece;

c) at least two beam splitters attached to said binoculars, at least one each within said primary optical path within each telescope, each said beam splitter being positioned such that it diverts a portion of the beam of light in said telescope from said primary optical path onto a secondary optical path;

d) a least two optical shutting devices attached to said binoculars, one of said devices within said secondary optical path downstream of each said beam splitter, each said shuttering device capable of cycling alternatively between the states of being transparent and of being opaque;

e) means for causing said shuttering devices to alternate between said transparent and opaque states in a coordinated fashion, such that when one device is opaque, the other is transparent;

f) a beam combiner attached to said binoculars within said secondary optical path and positioned downstream of each said optical shuttering device such that the separate beams of light being alternatively transmitted through said shuttering devices are recombined into a continuous beam;

g) a solid-state imaging sensor attached to said binoculars and positioned downstream of said beam combiner for receiving said continuous beam;

h) electronic storage media attached within said binoculars and electronically connected to said solid-state imaging sensor, said electronic storage media capable of electronically storing the images sensed by said sensor;

i) electronic processing circuitry attached within said binoculars and electronically connected to said electronic storage media and said solid-state imaging sensor for processing the electronic record signal in each refracting telescope and storing it as electronic data in the electronic storage media; and

j) a power source electronically connected to said processing circuitry, said electronic storage media;

said beam combiners, said shutter devices, said beam splitters, and said solid-state imaging sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an image display device attached to said binoculars and electronically connected to said electronic storage media and said processing circuitry, said image display device capable of re-creating the beam of images previously stored on said electronic storage media.

3. The system of claim 2 which further provides for stereoscopic replay of the stored images, wherein said beam of replayed images from said image display device are focused onto said beam combiner, which in turn redirects said beam onto each of said alternating optical shutters, which in turn, when in the transparent state, allows said beam to pass through said shutter to the beam splitter, which in turn redirects the beam through said prisms and eyepiece in each said telescope.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising means for causing said shutters during replay of the images from storage to cycle from the transparent state to the opaque state in a manner that is synchronized with the alternating images on the beam being replayed, such that only the image initially stored from each particular telescope is returned to the primary optical path within that particular telescope for viewing through said eyepiece thereof.

5. The system of claim 3 further comprising a focusing device attached to the binoculars and designed and constructed to focus said beam from said beam combiner onto said sensor.

6. The system of claim 3 further comprising a focusing device attached to the binoculars and designed and constructed to focus said beam from said image display device onto said beam combiner.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein said imaging sensor comprises a CMOS photoarray.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein said image display device comprises a liquid crystal display.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said shutters comprise a liquid crystal that is alternating between the states of transparency and opaqueness at a rate of speed that is faster than the human eye and brain can detect.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic processing circuitry is contained on a printed circuit board attached to said frame between said refracting telescopes.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic processing circuitry includes an embedded micro-controller.

12. The system of claim 1 in which said power source is attached within said frame.

13. The system of claim 1 in which said power source is contained in a separate unit that is electronically connectable to said binoculars.

14. The system of claim 13 in which said power source comprises a battery pack that is selectably connectable to said binoculars.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for image stabilization.

16. The system of claim 1 in which there are two telescopes, one of which provides a first primary optical path and the other of which provides a second primary optical path.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for generating an analog or digital video output, a input/output port physically attached to said binoculars in a way that it is accessible from outside said binoculars, said port electronically connected to said means for generating an analog or digital video output such that images replayed can be transmitted to said port.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for inputting a digital video input signal into the hand-held 3-D imaging system so that it can be viewed as a stereoscopic video signal through the eyepieces of said refracting telescopes.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising replaceable memory storage devices that are attached to said binoculars and electronically connected to said sensor.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pair of microphones mounted within said binoculars and electronically connected to said processing circuitry;

means for storing stereo sound signal received from said microphones simultaneously with the images being viewed; and

means for playback of stereo sound simultaneous with the replay of the stored images.

21. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for wireless transmission of images viewed through said telescopes.

22. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for wireless receipt of images for replay within the system of this invention.

23. A hand-held 3-D imaging system, comprising a pair of hand-held prism binoculars comprising two refracting telescopes mounted on a single frame, each of said refracting telescopes having a first optical system with magnification for viewing distant objects through the telescope along a first optical light path defined through an objective lens, a pair of prisms and an eyepiece;

said system further comprising;

a) an imaging emitter with imaging optics;

b) a beamsplitter placed in the primary optical light path between the objective lens and the eyepiece to split and/or combine a portion of a light beam traveling through the primary optical light path and/or originating from the imaging emitter;

c) an optical shutter between said beamsplitter and said imaging emitter;

d) a beam combiner;

e) an imaging sensor with imaging optics;

f) a record control device for activating the imaging sensor in each of the refracting telescopes to record;

g) a playback control device for activating the imaging emitter to playback in each of the refracting telescopes;

h) electronic storage media;

i) electronic processing circuitry for processing an electronic record signal in each of the refracting telescopes and storing it as electronic data in the electronic storage media and for retrieving electronic data stored in the electronic storage media and for processing it into an electronic playback signal which is sent to the imaging emitter in each of the refracting telescopes to create a stereoscopic image seen through the eyepiece of each of the two refracting telescopes; and

j) an internal telemetry device for wireless receiving and transmitting of remote real-time signals to and from the device.

24. The hand-held 3-D imaging system as recited in claim 23, further enabling overlaying remote real-time stereoscopic images while stereoscopically viewing the outside world.

25. The hand-held 3-D imaging system as recited in claim 23, where remote stereoscopic images can be recorded in 3-D within the device.

26. The hand-held 3-D imaging system as recited in claim 23, where remote stereoscopic images overlaid with images seen through the device can be recorded in 3-D within the device.

27. The hand-held 3-D imaging system as recited in claim 23, further enabling 3-D internal or external playback of recorded images.

28. The hand-held 3-D imaging system as recited in claim 23, where 3-D images viewed through the device can be remotely transmitted to a node processor that has Internet connectivity.

29. The hand-held 3-D imaging system as recited in claim 23, where transmitted 3-D images can be remotely viewed in real-time and in 3-D to a user logged on to the Web.