3D motion picture theatre

• US 7,180,663 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Arthur Collender, Robert Bruce Collender
• Original Assignee: Michael Arthur Collender, Robert Bruce Collender
• Inventors: Collender, Robert Bruce, Collender, Michael Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey; W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEVER, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US10/174,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 353/7, 353/10, 353/94, 353/13, 353/28, 353/50, 353/71, 353/122, 353/69, 353/98, 353/11, 359/456, 359/458, 359/460, 359/443, 359/449, 359/451, 359/454, 359/459, 359/462, 359/477, 359/478, 359/479, 348/744, 348/51, 348/52, 348/59, 352/57, 352/60, 352/61, 352/65
• US Class Current: 359/451
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 25/00 Viewers, other than projection viewers, giving motion-picture effects by persistence of vision, e.g. zoetrope
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/16 by sequential viewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388

Abstract

When any observer receives an image of a scene having the same relative size, shape and location on the retina of each of his two eyes at any instant and the image of the scene has some component of horizontal motion in any direction, the image viewed is three dimensional. If the motion occurs, all scene-object points are spatially located in playback since all of the original ray angles between camera and scene points are reproduced for both eyes by the ray cross-overs at the scene image points. When successive frames are presented, the brain cognizes the motion in linking the frames by persistence of vision. For the brain to perceive an item as moving it must connect these frames, but because of intersecting rays coming from any spatial location in successive frames, the brain cannot connect the frames without also locating the points in space.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a screen located substantially at the focal surface of a spherical concaved mirror of radius R;

a viewing volume located between the screen and the spherical concaved mirror such that an observer'"'"'s pair of eyes in the viewing volume can see a reflection from the spherical concaved mirror of a scene displayed on the screen, wherein;

the screen, in relation to the observer'"'"'s pair of eyes in the viewing volume, has a spherically convex surface of radius R/2;

the spherically concave mirror has a radius of R;

the screen and the spherically concave mirror are separated by a distance of at least R/2;

the spherically concave mirror and the spherically convex screen have a common center of curvature; and

any observer at substantially all locations within the viewing volume can see a three dimensional view of the scene displayed on the screen.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the observer'"'"'s left and right eyes in the viewing volume will see any point in the scene displayed on the screen as reflected in the mirror with about 1 arc minutes difference between each said eye.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the observer'"'"'s left and right eyes in the viewing volume will see any point in the scene displayed on the screen as viewed in the mirror as appearing to be at a distance of beyond 716 feet from the screen.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the spherical concaved mirror is composed of a mosaic of spherical concaved mirrors.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein

when the scene was captured by a motion picture camera, and the scene and the motion picture camera had a component of relative horizontal motion one to the other, then the observer'"'"'s pair of eyes in the viewing volume sees the reflection from the spherical concaved mirror of the scene displayed on the screen, and an identical image of the scene is reflected from the spherical concaved mirror so as to be received at similar locations on the retina of each eye of the viewer.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a spherically concave mirror of radius R;

a screen located substantially at the focal surface of the spherical concaved mirror; and

an area for a plurality of observers between the screen and the mirror such that each said observer in the area can see a substantially collimated reflection of an image on the screen that is reflected from the mirror to each said observer in the area;

wherein;

the screen, in relation to the observer'"'"'s pair of eyes in the area, has a spherically convex surface of radius R/2;

the spherically concave mirror has a radius of R;

the spherically concave mirror and the spherically convex screen have a common center of curvature;

the screen and the spherically concave mirror are separated by a distance of at least R/2; and

substantially all the observers in the area between the screen and the mirror can see a three dimensional view of the image on the screen.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein

the spherically concaved mirror comprises a plurality of mirror tiles.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein when:

the screen located behind each said observer shows a scene that was captured by a motion picture camera;

the scene and the motion picture camera had a component of relative horizontal motion one to the other; and

each said observers'"'"' pair of eyes sees a reflection of the scene in the concaved mirror, then;

an identical image of the scene is reflected from the concaved mirror so as to be received at similar locations on the retina of each eye of each said observer.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the screen shows a scene that is projected from the rear of the screen.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the observer'"'"'s pair of eyes will see any point in the scene displayed on the screen with about 1 arc minutes difference between each said eye.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the screen comprises rear lit passive picture elements.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the screen comprises active self emitting picture elements.

13. A movie theater comprising:

a screen located between the front and back of the movie theater;

a spherically concave mirror proximal the front of the movie theater and composed of a plurality of spherically concave mirrors; and

a viewing volume located between the screen and the mirror such that;

each observer in the viewing volume can see in their respective pair of eyes a reflection in the mirror of a scene that is displayed on the screen; and

any observer at substantially all locations within the viewing volume can see a three dimensional view of the scene displayed on the screen, wherein;

the screen has a spherically convex shape having a radius of R/2;

the spherically concave mirror has a radius of R; and

the screen is separated from the mirror by a distance of at least R/2.

14. The movie theater as defined in claim 13, further comprising a floor having a surface declining downwards from the back to the front of the movie theater and having an area for seating.

15. A motion picture theater comprising:

a substantially spherical convex screen;

means for making moving pictures visible on the screen;

a substantially spherical concave mirror; and

an area for a distribution of movie watchers located between the substantially spherical convex screen and the substantially spherical concave mirror, wherein for each said movie watcher;

a substantially identical reflection from the substantially spherical concave mirror of the moving pictures on the substantially spherical convex screen will be received at the movie watcher'"'"'s retinas; and

substantially all of the movie watchers in the area can see a three dimensional view of the moving pictures;

wherein the area for a distribution of movie watchers is a trapezoid with its longest edge nearest said substantially spherical concave mirror.

16. The motion picture theater as defined in claim 15, wherein the area for the distribution of movie watchers is suitable for a stadium seating arrangement.

17. The motion picture theater as defined in claim 15, wherein each said movie watcher'"'"'s left and right eyes will see any point in any said moving picture visible on the screen as reflected in the substantially spherical concave mirror with about 1 arc minutes difference between each said eye.

18. The motion picture theater as defined in claim 15, wherein each said movie watcher'"'"'s left and right eyes will see any point in any said moving picture visible on the screen as viewed in the substantially spherical concave mirror as appearing to be at a distance of beyond 716 feet from the screen.

19. The motion picture theater as defined in claim 15, wherein the substantially spherical concave mirror is composed of a plurality of spherical concaved mirrors.

20. The movie theater as defined in claim 15, wherein each said moving picture visible on the screen includes a picture having horizontal movement relative to a camera that took the picture.

21. The motion picture theater as defined in claim 20, wherein an intersecting of optical rays from any given point in one said moving picture visible on the screen can be used to determine the spatial location of said point in the one said moving picture visible on the screen in the area for the distribution of movie watchers, whereby the brain of any given movie watcher in the area for the distribution of movie watchers can cognize the depth information already contained in the moving pictures visible on the screen as the brain cognizes the horizontal motion of the moving pictures visible on the screen relative to the camera.

22. A motion picture theater comprising:

a substantially spherical mirror having a radius of R;

a substantially flat screen located at a distance of R/2 from the center of the substantially spherical mirror;

an area, between the screen and the mirror, for a distribution of theater patrons; and

means for making a substantially identical reflection of moving pictures on the screen from the mirror to the respective retinas of each said theater patrons in the area, wherein substantially all theater patrons in the area can perceive the moving pictures in three dimensions.