Method and apparatus for generating three-dimensional image information

• US 9,442,362 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Steropes Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Steropes Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Mitchell, Thomas N., Shinkoda, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Anyikire, Chikaodili E
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABIMBOLA, KEHINDE
• Application Number:
  US13/382,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,255 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00194 adapted for three-dimensional imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/02 by sequential recording
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/04 with movement of beam-selecting members in a system defining two or more viewpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/211 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing

Abstract

A method and apparatus involves directing light captured within the field of view of the lens to an aperture plane of the lens, receiving the captured light at a spatial discriminator located proximate the aperture plane, the discriminator including a first portion disposed to transmit light having a first optical state through a first portion of the single imaging path and a second portion disposed to transmit light having a second optical state through a second portion of the single imaging path. The first and second portions of the single imaging path provide respective first and second perspective viewpoints within the field of view of the lens for forming respective first and second images at an image sensor disposed at an image plane of the lens. The first and second images together being operable to represent three dimensional spatial attributes of the objects.

Claims

1. A method for generating three-dimensional image information using a lens having a single imaging path and an associated field of view, the method comprising:

directing light captured within the field of view of the lens to an aperture plane of the lens;

receiving said captured light at a spatial discriminator located proximate said aperture plane, said discriminator including a first portion disposed to transmit light having a first optical state through a first portion of the single imaging path and a second portion disposed to transmit light having a second optical state through a second portion of the single imaging path, said first and second portions of said single imaging path providing respective first and second perspective viewpoints within the field of view of the lens for forming respective first and second images at an image sensor disposed at an image plane of said lens, said first image representing objects within the field of view from said first perspective viewpoint and said second image representing said objects from said second perspective viewpoint, said first and second images together being operable to represent three dimensional spatial attributes of said objects;

receiving said first image at a first plurality of selective elements on said image sensor, each of said first plurality of selective elements overlying at least one sensor element of said image sensor and being configured to transmit light having said first optical state; and

receiving said second image at a second plurality of selective elements on said image sensor, each of said second plurality of selective elements overlying at least one sensor element of said image sensor and being configured to transmit light having said second optical state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first portion of said discriminator comprises a first polarizer portion disposed to transmit light having a first polarization state through said first portion of the single imaging path and wherein said second portion of said discriminator comprises a second polarizer portion disposed to transmit light having a second polarization state through said second portion of the single imaging path and wherein:

receiving said first image comprises receiving said first image at a first plurality of selective elements disposed to transmit light received from said first polarizer portion to a corresponding plurality of sensor elements and to block light received from said second polarizer portion; and

receiving said second image comprises receiving said second image at a second plurality of selective elements disposed to transmit light received from said second polarizer portion to a corresponding plurality of sensor elements and to block light received from said first polarizer portion.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

receiving said captured light comprises receiving light having a left-handed elliptical polarization state through said first portion of said polarizer and receiving light having a right-handed elliptical polarization state through said second portion of said polarizer; and

each selective element comprises;

a quarter-wave plate configured to render linearly polarized one of light received from said first portion of said discriminator and light received from said second portion of said discriminator; and

a linear polarizer between said quarter-wave plate and said at least one sensor element, said linear polarizer disposed to transmit one of light from said first portion of said discriminator and light received from said second portion of said discriminator.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said left-handed elliptical polarization state comprises a left-handed circular polarization state and wherein said right-handed elliptical polarization state comprises a right-handed circular polarization state.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein receiving said captured light comprises receiving light having a first linear polarization orientation through said first portion of said polarizer and receiving light having a second linear polarization orientation through said second portion of said polarizer, said first linear polarization orientation being oriented orthogonal to said second linear polarization orientation and wherein:

receiving said first image at said first plurality of polarizer elements comprises receiving said first image at a plurality of polarizer elements disposed to transmit light having said first linear polarization state and to block light having said second linear polarization state; and

receiving said second image at said second plurality of polarizer elements comprises receiving said second image at a plurality of polarizer elements disposed to transmit light having said second linear polarization state and to block light having said second linear polarization state.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first portion of said discriminator comprises a first filter portion configured to transmit light having a first set of wavelengths through the first portion of the single imaging path while blocking light of a second set of wavelengths and wherein said second portion of said discriminator comprises a second filter portion configured to transmit light having a second set of wavelengths through a second portion of the single imaging path while blocking light of said first set of wavelengths, and wherein:

receiving said first image comprises receiving said first image at a first plurality of selective elements operable to transmit light having at least one of said first set of wavelengths while blocking light having any of said second set of wavelengths;

receiving said second image comprises receiving said second image at a second plurality of selective elements operable to transmit light having at least one of said second set of wavelengths while blocking light having any of said first set of wavelengths; and

each of said first and second sets of wavelengths includes red, green and blue wavelengths.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

each one of said first plurality of selective elements overlies one sensor element and is operably configured to transmit light having one of said first set of wavelengths while blocking light having any other of said first and second sets of wavelengths; and

each one of said second plurality of selective elements overlies one sensor element and is operably configured to transmit light having one of said second set of wavelengths while blocking light having any other of said first and second sets of wavelengths.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein:

each one of said first plurality of selective elements overlies a plurality of sensor elements and is operably configured to transmit light having said first set of wavelengths; and

each one of said second plurality of selective elements overlies a plurality of sensor elements and is operably configured to transmit light having said second set of wavelengths.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

generating an image signal representing said first and second images; and

processing said imaging signal to generate a first imaging signal representing said first image received by said first plurality of sensor elements and to generate a second imaging signal representing said second image received by said second plurality of sensor elements, and wherein said processing comprises processing the first and second image signals to cause the first and second images to have the same color appearance.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising combining image information from the first and second images to generate third and fourth images having a reduced separation between respective perspective viewpoint locations.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said combining comprises scaling an intensity of said first and second images.

12. An apparatus for generating three-dimensional image information using a lens having a single imaging path and an associated field of view, the apparatus comprising:

a lens having a single imaging path operable to direct light captured within a field of view of the lens to an aperture plane of the lens;

a spatial discriminator located proximate said aperture plane, said discriminator including a first portion disposed to transmit light having a first optical state through a first portion of the single imaging path and a second portion disposed to transmit light having a second optical state through a second portion of the single imaging path, said first and second portions of said single imaging path providing respective first and second perspective viewpoints within the field of view of the lens for forming respective first and second images at an image plane of the lens, said first image representing objects within the field of view from said first perspective viewpoint and said second image representing said objects from said second perspective viewpoint, said first and second images together being operable to represent three dimensional spatial attributes of said objects; and

an image sensor disposed at said image plane of said lens, said image sensor comprising a first plurality of selective elements transmissive to light having said first optical state, and a second plurality of selective elements on said image sensor transmissive to light having said second optical state, each selective element overlying at least one sensor element of said image sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

said first portion of said discriminator comprises a first polarizer portion disposed to transmit light having a first polarization state through said first portion of the single imaging path;

said second portion of said discriminator comprises a second polarizer portion disposed to transmit light having a second polarization state through said second portion of the single imaging path;

said first plurality of selective elements is disposed to transmit light received from said first polarizer portion to a corresponding plurality of sensor elements and to block light received from said second polarizer portion; and

said second plurality of selective elements is disposed to transmit light received from said second polarizer portion to a corresponding plurality of sensor elements and to block light received from said first polarizer portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein:

said first polarization state is left-handed elliptical polarization and said second polarization state is right-handed elliptical polarization; and

each selective element comprises

a quarter-wave plate disposed to render linearly polarized one of light received from said first portion of said discriminator and light received from said second portion of said discriminator; and

a linear polarizer between said quarter-wave plate and said at least one sensor element, said linear polarizer disposed to transmit one of light from said first portion of said discriminator and light received from said second portion of said discriminator.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said left-handed elliptical polarization state comprises a left-handed circular polarization state and wherein said right-handed elliptical polarization state comprises a right-handed circular polarization state.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said first polarization state is a first linear polarization orientation and said second polarization state is a second linear polarization orientation, said first linear polarization orientation being oriented orthogonal to said second linear polarization orientation and wherein:

said first plurality of selective elements each comprises a polarizer element disposed to transmit light having the first linear polarization state and to block light having the second polarization state; and

said second plurality of selective elements each comprises a polarizer element disposed to transmit light having the second linear polarization state and to block light having the second polarization state.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first linear polarization orientation is oriented at one of −

45 degrees and +45 degrees with respect to vertical.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said discriminator is operably configured to be selectively rotated by one of about +90 degrees and about −

90 degrees to generate images in one of a landscape orientation and a portrait orientation.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

said first portion of said discriminator comprises a first filter portion disposed to transmit light having a first set of wavelengths through the first portion of the single imaging path while blocking light of a second set of wavelengths;

said second portion of said discriminator comprises a second filter portion disposed to transmit light having the second set of wavelengths through a second portion of the single imaging path while blocking light of said first set of wavelengths;

said first plurality of selective elements is transmissive to light having at least one of said first set of wavelengths while blocking light having any of said second set of wavelengths;

said second plurality of selective elements is transmissive to light having at least one of said second set of wavelengths while blocking light having any of said first set of wavelengths; and

each of said first and second sets of wavelengths includes red, green and blue wavelengths.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein

each one of said first plurality of selective elements overlies one sensor element and is operably configured to transmit light having one of said first set of wavelengths while blocking light having any other of said first and second sets of wavelengths;

and

each one of said second plurality of selective elements overlies one sensor element and is operably configured to transmit light having one of said second set of wavelengths while blocking light having any other of said first and second sets of wavelengths.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein:

each one of said first plurality of selective elements overlies a plurality of sensor elements and is operably configured to transmit light having said first set of wavelengths; and

each one of said second plurality of selective elements overlies a plurality of sensor elements and is operably configured to transmit light having said second set of wavelengths.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein each of said first and second sets of wavelengths comprises red, green, and blue wavelengths.

23. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said discriminator comprises a discriminator coating applied to a surface of a lens element disposed proximate to said aperture plane.

24. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said discriminator is operable to vary a distance between a centroid of said first portion of the imaging path and a centroid of said second portion of the imaging path to cause said first and second perspective viewpoints to change location while forming said first and second images, said change in perspective viewpoint location providing a corresponding change in said representation of said three dimensional spatial attributes.

25. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said discriminator comprises a first adjustable aperture disposed to limit light transmitted through said first portion of said discriminator and a second adjustable aperture disposed to limit light transmitted through said second portion of said discriminator.