Three channel reflector imaging system

• US 8,964,004 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amchaelvisual Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Amchael Visual Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Fuhua
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thao X
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LONG HUYNH
• Application Number:
  US12/885,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 348/49, 396/324, 396/331, 359/353, 359/463
• US Class Current: 348/49
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/35 using reflective optical elements in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/003 Aspects relating to the "2D+depth" image format

Abstract

A system for providing a three-dimensional representation from a single image includes a reflector apparatus for providing an image of a scene comprising three adjacent views of the scene. The apparatus defines a left light path, a center light path, and a right light path, wherein each of the left light path and the right light path comprise opposed reflective surfaces for redirecting light, whereby light passing through the left light path, light passing through the right light path, and light passing through the center light path converge at a nodal point of an imager to create an image of the scene providing three adjacent views of the scene arrayed in a three-by-one rectangular grid. A client computing device receives data from the imager and transforms the data into a stereoscopic image or an image-plus-depth rendering, and/or converts or switches back and forth between two-dimensional and three-dimensional images.

Claims

1. A system for providing a three-dimensional representation of a scene from a single image, comprising:

a reflector apparatus for providing an image of a scene comprising three adjacent views of the scene, said apparatus defining a left light path, a center light path, and a right light path; and

an imager;

wherein each of the left light path and the right light path comprise opposed reflective surfaces for redirecting light;

further wherein the left light path and the right light path opposed reflective surfaces are arrayed whereby each of light passing through the left light path, light passing through the right light path, and light passing through the center light path converge at a nodal point of said imager.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reflective surfaces are fabricated of or coated with a material for substantially eliminating double images.

3. The system of claim 1, including an imager for converting the three-view image into digital data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein light passing through the left light path, light passing through the right light path, and light passing through the center light path converge at a nodal point of the imager to reach said imager'"'"'s image pickup device.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the imager is selected from the group consisting of a still camera, a video camera, a digital still camera, a digital video camera, and a Web camera.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the image of the scene comprises three adjacent views of the scene arrayed in a three-by-one rectangular grid;

further wherein the three adjacent views consist of a left view, a central view, and a right view, with the left view and the right view having a size dimension that is larger than the central view size dimension.

7. The system of claim 6, further including a client computing device for receiving data from the imager and for transforming said data into a stereoscopic image or an image-plus-depth rendering.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the step of rendering said data into a stereoscopic image comprises:

obtaining a three view image from a single scene;

identifying a region in the central view of said three view image;

identifying a corresponding region in the left view and the right view;

interlacing the left, and right images of the identified regions to generate an interlaced image of the identified region; and

outputting said interlaced image to a display panel for displaying stereoscopic images.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the reflector apparatus comprises a unitary body fabricated of a substantially transparent material and the reflective surfaces are provided by plating with a suitably reflective metal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the substantially transparent material is selected from one of polymethylmethacrylate or glass.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the suitably reflective metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silver, and mercury.

12. A computing system for rendering a single three view image into a stereoscopic image or an image-plus-depth rendering, comprising:

an imager for converting the three view image into digital data;

a reflector apparatus for providing an image of a scene comprising three adjacent views of the scene, said apparatus defining a left light path, a center light path, and a right light path, wherein each of the left light path and the right light path comprise opposed reflective surfaces for redirecting light whereby the left light path and the right light path reflective surfaces are arrayed whereby each of light passing through the left light path, light passing through the right light path, and light passing through the center light path converge at a nodal point of the imager; and

at least one computing device for receiving data from the imager;

wherein the computing device, for one region on a central view of the received three-view image, identifies corresponding regions on a left view and a right view in the three-view image;

further wherein the computing device, for the one region on the central view of the received three-view image, identifies corresponding regions on the right view and left view and interlaces the left, and right images of the identified one region;

said corresponding region data being interlaced to provide a stereoscopic image.

13. The computing system of claim 12, further including a display for displaying a three-dimensional image generated by the computing device.

14. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the reflective surfaces are fabricated of or coated with a material for eliminating double images.

15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein light passing through the left light path, light passing through the right light path, and light passing through the center light path converge at a nodal point of the imager to reach a CCD of said imager.

16. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the imager is selected from the group consisting of a still camera, a video camera, a digital still camera, a digital video camera, and a Web camera.

17. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the image of the scene comprises three adjacent views of the scene arrayed in a three-by-one rectangular grid;

further wherein the three adjacent views consist of a left view, a central view, and a right view, with the left view and the right view having a size dimension that is larger than the central view size dimension.