Recording a stereoscopic image of a wide field of view
First Claim
1. A method for recording a stereoscopic image of a wide field of view, including the steps of:
- aligning at least two line scan devices within the field of view such that their optical axes are in a common plane, separated, approximately parallel, and pointed in the same direction;
rotating said line scan devices simultaneously about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being approximately perpendicular to said plane and disposed equidistant to and between said line scan devices, said rotation being at the rate of at least 500 rpm;
sampling the output of said line scan devices at least 1000 times each during said rotation, to produce scans from each sensor;
processing said scans so as to assemble a composite image having stereoscopic separation throughout the image; and
adjusting the convergence of the stereoscopic image by digital delays of the scans according to distance between the line scan devices and an object in the field of view.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A scanning camera with a rotating drum has one or more sensors characterized by a non-radial optical axis. With two sensors on opposite sides of the drum and facing in substantially the same direction, stereoscopic recording of a panorama is accomplished as the drum rotates. Rapid rotation of the scanning camera produces panoramic motion picture recording, with the final frame speed dependent on the sensitivity and speed of the sensor, the resolution desired, and the capabilities of the recording device. The preferred embodiment employs rotating fisheye lenses for a substantially fill-sphere field of view. Streamlining of the lens elements on the drum surface is described for quiet operation of the camera, even at high rotation speeds. The rapid rotation of the drum characteristic of motion picture frame rates can improve both the stability and portability of the camera. The gyroscopic effect of the rotating weight of the drum can increase the stability of the camera, and the apparent weight of the camera can be reduced by the lifting effect of aerodynamic elements such as rotors added to the rotating drum. The adjustment of convergence are described that improve the viewing of stereoscopic images. Additional sensors in the same arrangement are used to increase resolution through multiplexed recording of the image data. Recording image information using film, either internal or external to the camera drum, is also described as a cost-effective alternative to digital media storage.
63 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for recording a stereoscopic image of a wide field of view, including the steps of:
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aligning at least two line scan devices within the field of view such that their optical axes are in a common plane, separated, approximately parallel, and pointed in the same direction; rotating said line scan devices simultaneously about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being approximately perpendicular to said plane and disposed equidistant to and between said line scan devices, said rotation being at the rate of at least 500 rpm; sampling the output of said line scan devices at least 1000 times each during said rotation, to produce scans from each sensor; processing said scans so as to assemble a composite image having stereoscopic separation throughout the image; and adjusting the convergence of the stereoscopic image by digital delays of the scans according to distance between the line scan devices and an object in the field of view. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for recording a stereoscopic image of a wide field of view, including the steps of:
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aligning at least two line scan devices within the field of view such that their optical axes are in a common plane, separated, approximately parallel, and pointed in the same direction; rotating said line scan devices simultaneously about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being approximately perpendicular to said plane and disposed equidistant to and between said line scan devices, said rotation being at the rate of at least 500 rpm; sampling the output of said line scan devices at least 1000 times each during said rotation, to produce scans from each sensor; processing said scans so as to assemble a composite image having stereoscopic separation throughout the image; and placing duplicates of said line scan devices in rotated positions around said optical axis, and adjusting the timing of the recording of the additional scans produced by said duplicates so that they appear interleaved with the scans produced by the original line scan sensors.
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7. A method for recording a stereoscopic image of a wide field of view, including the steps of:
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aligning at least two line scan devices within the field of view such that their optical axes are in the same plane, separated, approximately parallel, and pointed in the same direction; rotating said line scan devices simultaneously about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being approximately perpendicular to said plane and between said line scan devices; sampling the output of said line scan devices during said rotation to produce plural scans from each sensor during each rotation; processing said scans so as to assemble a composite image having stereoscopic separation throughout the image; and adjusting the convergence of the stereoscopic image by digital delays of the scans according to distance between the line scan devices and an object in the field of view. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A rotating scan camera for recording a stereoscopic image of a wide field of view, comprising:
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at least two line scan devices within the field of view such that their optical axes are in a common plane, separated, approximately parallel, and pointed in the same direction; a rotating drum containing the line scan devices and rotating them simultaneously about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation being approximately perpendicular to said plane and between said line scan devices; means for sampling the output of said line scan devices during said rotation to produce plural scans from each sensor during each rotation and for processing said scans so as to assemble a composite image having stereoscopic separation throughout the image; and means for adjusting the convergence of the stereoscopic image by digital delays of the scans according to distance between the camera and an object in the field of view. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification