3D digital painting

• US 9,440,484 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vladimir Vaganov
• Original Assignee: Vladimir Vaganov
• Inventors: Vaganov, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Zhengxi
• Application Number:
  US14/306,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B44D 2/002 Kits for drawing or painting
• CPC Class Codes: B44F 7/00 Designs imitating three-dimensional effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 Image signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing

Abstract

A method of digital continuous and simultaneous three-dimensional painting and three-dimensional drawing with steps of providing a digital electronic canvas having a screen and capable of presenting two pictures for a right eye and a left eye; providing means for continuous changing of a virtual distance between the digital electronic canvas and a painter by digitally changing a horizontal shifting between images for the right eye and the left eye on the digital electronic canvas corresponding to instant virtual canvas position; providing at least one three-axis input control device allowing digital painting or drawing on the digital electronic canvas; painting on the digital electronic canvas for any instant virtual positions of the digital electronic canvas providing simultaneous appearance of a similar stroke on the images for the right eye and the left eye.

Claims

1. A method of digital continuous and simultaneous three-dimensional painting and three-dimensional drawing, said method comprising:

providing a digital electronic canvas having a screen and capable of presenting two pictures for a right eye and a left eye;

providing means for continuous changing of a virtual distance between the digital electronic canvas and a painter by digitally changing a horizontal shifting between images for the right eye and the left eye on the digital electronic canvas corresponding to instant virtual canvas position;

wherein a resolution Δ

of continuity of changing of the virtual distance Z between the digital electronic canvas and the painter is defined by a size p of a pixel on the digital electronic canvas in horizontal direction and by a distance d between pupils of a painter'"'"'s eyes according to an expression;

Δ

≈

2p Z/d;

providing at least one three-axis input control device allowing digital painting or drawing on the digital electronic canvas;

painting on the digital electronic canvas for any instant virtual positions of the digital electronic canvas providing simultaneous appearance of a similar stroke on the images for the right and the left eye,

wherein a simultaneousness of appearance of said similar stroke on the images for the right and the left eye is limited by a smallest time interval equal to an inverted frequency of refreshment of frames on the digital electronic canvas and wherein a motion for making simultaneous and continuous strokes or lines in all three dimensions is provided simultaneously and continuously by free moving at least one part of a painter body.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein free motion of at least one part of the painter body for making said simultaneous and continuous strokes or lines in all three-dimensions is detected by a system of sensors providing an input information about free motion into input control device for said digital painting or drawing on the digital electronic canvas.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein an input control device for said digital painting or drawing on the digital electronic canvas is attached to or grabbed by at least one part of the painter body.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the system of sensors providing said input information about said free motion into said input control device for said digital painting or drawing on the digital electronic canvas comprises at least one sensor, which is remotely measuring the motion of at least one part of the painter body in at least one dimension.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the free moving at least one part of the painter body for making said simultaneous and continuous strokes or lines in all three-dimensions includes any part of a body that the painter can move.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the system of sensors providing said input information about said free motion into said input control device for said digital painting or drawing on the digital electronic canvas comprises at least two photo-sensor arrays configured to determine the change in position of pupils of both eyes of the painter and calculate a point of instant painter eyes focus in three-dimensional virtual space and determine a trajectory of motion of the point of instant painter eyes focus within said three-dimensional virtual space.

7. A method according to claim 6 further comprising a step of individual calibration of at least two photo-sensor arrays for increasing an accuracy of determining coordinates of a painter'"'"'s eyes focus within three-dimensional virtual space.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of individual calibration of at least two photo-sensor arrays includes:

putting on three-dimensional glasses with coupled photo-sensor arrays for each eye of the painter;

offering a series of three-dimensional images with predetermined positions of painter eyes focus within three-dimensional virtual space;

measuring positions of the pupils of both eyes for each position of painter'"'"'s eyes focus within three-dimensional virtual space;

calculating an individual correlation between the position of the painter'"'"'s eyes focus within three-dimensional virtual space and positions of both pupils on fields of photo-sensor arrays;

using said individual correlation for solving reverse task of calculating coordinates of the painter'"'"'s eyes focus within three-dimensional virtual space based on the positions of both pupils on the fields of photo-sensor arrays.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the at least two photo-sensor arrays configured to determine blinking or winking for coding action commands in a process of handless painting.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising multiple three-axis input control devices connected into a network of multiple users collectively and simultaneously participating in three-dimensional painting, drawing, gaming, studying, brain-storming, and researching, wherein working with three-dimensional imaging is required.

11. A system for digital continuous and simultaneous three-dimensional painting and three-dimensional drawing and digital recording of three-dimensional painted and three-dimensional drawn images, said system comprising:

a digital electronic canvas having a screen and capable to present two pictures for a right eye and a left eye;

means for three-dimensional digital vision comprising shutter glasses or polaroid glasses for splitting canvas on two canvases for the right eye and the left eye and switching the two canvases between the right eye and the left eye, projecting both pictures for the right eye and the left eye on the digital electronic canvas, or projecting pictures for the right eye and the left eye directly into retinas of corresponding eyes, wherein instant positions of virtual canvas in three-dimensional virtual space are displayed on the means for three-dimensional digital vision;

at least one three-axis input control device for digital painting or drawing on the digital electronic canvas;

means for three-dimensional image presentation comprising a processor;

wherein two inputs of at least one three-axis input control device are used by the means for three-dimensional image presentation for painting of lines or strokes along two orthogonal axes X and Y in a plane of the digital electronic canvas and a third input is used by the means for three-dimensional image presentation for painting or drawing the lines or strokes along Z axis between a painter and the digital electronic canvas by changing a distance between the painter and a virtual position of the digital electronic canvas along the Z axis, making three-dimensional paintings or drawings equally continuous in (XY) plane and (XZ) and (YZ) virtual planes; and

wherein a motion captured by the at least one three-axis input control device is used by the means for three-dimensional image presentation for making lines or strokes, and the motion is provided simultaneously and continuously in all three dimensions by movements of at least one part of a painter body; and

wherein the means for three-dimensional image presentation provides a description in digital format of images for the right eye and the left eye for every and all instant virtual positions of the digital electronic canvas and of corresponding positions of the digital electronic canvas;

wherein the means for three-dimensional image presentation provides complete two-dimensional images of a painting for the right eye and the left eye at any stage of painting as accumulation of all lines and strokes made up to that stage; and

wherein the means for three-dimensional image presentation provides complete three-dimensional images of the painting by superposition of all layers corresponding to all virtual positions of the digital electronic canvas and the means for three-dimensional image presentation provides two-dimensional left and right images to the means for three-dimensional digital vision for presentation of three-dimensional painting.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one three-axis input control device comprises two input control devices:

one two-axis input control device and one one-input control device.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the one two-axis input control device for painting or drawing is used by movements of hand and/or fingers in XY plane parallel to the plane of the screen, and the one-input control device for continuous changing the instant position of the virtual canvas along the Z-axis is used by movements of at least one eyeball of the painter.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein the digital electronic canvas has a multi-touch screen, which has an area used as the one two-axis input control device for painting or drawing by finger or stylus in XY plane parallel to the plane of the screen, and which has another area of the screen used as one-input control device for continuous changing the instant position of the virtual canvas along the Z-axis.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein said means for three-dimensional image presentation is configured to:

provide optical projection of two images with polarized light onto one screen and the two images are viewed by using polarized glasses, or

provide optical projection of two images with colored light onto one screen and the two images are viewed by using (i) corresponding colored glasses, or

provide shutter glasses and synchronous switching display between left and right eye, or

provide polaroid glasses and switching display between left and right eye polarized images, or

function as a three-dimensional monitor with a system of vertical cylindrical lenses and corresponding striped overlapping images for the right eye and the left eye for viewing stereoscopic images without any glasses, or

provide headsets or eyeglasses, which directly project left and right images onto the retina of the eyes.

16. A system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one three-axis input control device comprises a system of sensors providing an input information about movements of the at least one part of the painter body into input control device for said digital painting or drawing on the digital electronic canvas.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the system of sensors providing said input information about movements of the at least one part of the painter body into said input control device comprises at least one sensor remotely determining the motion of the at least one part of the painter body in at least one dimension.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the system of sensors providing said input information about movements of the at least one part of the painter body comprises at least two photo-sensor arrays configured to determine the change in position of pupils of both eyes of the painter, configured to calculate a point of instant painter'"'"'s eyes focus in three-dimensional virtual space, and configured to determine a trajectory of motion of the point of instant painter'"'"'s eyes focus in three-dimensional virtual space.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the at least two photo-sensor arrays coupled to a frame of glasses are used as said means for three-dimensional digital vision, and wherein the at least two photo-sensor arrays comprise an optical lens system for projecting an images of a painter'"'"'s eyes onto corresponding photo-sensor arrays.

20. A system according to claim 11 further comprising multiple three-axis input control devices, computers and digital electronic canvases connected into a network of multiple users collectively and simultaneously participating in three-dimensional painting, drawing, gaming, studying, brain-storming, or researching, wherein working with three-dimensional imaging is required.