Apparatus for producing depth effect in two dimensional pictures

• US 4,000,367 A
• Filed: 11/17/1975
• Issued: 12/28/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lester M. Field
• Original Assignee: Lester M. Field
• Inventors: Field, Lester M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US05/632,281
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 178/7.85, 178/7.82, 178/7.9, 178/7.91, 350/124
• US Class Current: 348/842
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/40 giving the observer of a single two-dimensional [2D] image a perception of depth
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/56 Projection screens
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2229/8901 Fixing of optical components to the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2229/8907 Image projection devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/89 Optical or photographic arrangements structurally combined or co-operating with the vessel H01J29/866 and H01J29/868 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus and design principles for its operation have been devised such that when these embodiments are placed at the screen of a television set (preferably color) or at a movie screen or at an appropriate photograph, a highly noticeable observation of depth is produced. This is done without apparatus at the eyes and without using multiple images as in stereoscopy.

Claims

1. Apparatus adapted to be disposed in front of a picture for enhancing the depth thereof comprising:

means defining a framing aperture aligned generally parallel with a picture to be viewed and spaced away therefrom, the outer dimensions of said means being larger than the picture to be viewed, the inner dimensions of said framing aperture being smaller than the picture to be viewed to conceal the edges thereof, whereby the distance to the picture is difficult to judge, and whereby different amounts of each edge of the picture are seen by each eye of a viewer, thereby suppressing the clues to flatness of the picture and enhancing the clues to depth thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said framing aperture is spaced away from the picture by a distance which is generally in the range of approximately 15 percent to 40 percent of the width of the picture.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 having the general configuration of an axially short tubular hood, the axial dimension generally being in the range of approximately 15 percent to 40 percent of the width of the picture.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the inner dimensions of said framing aperture are generally in the range of approximately 5 percent to 20 percent smaller than the width of the picture.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the end of said hood farthest from the picture flares outwardly from said framing aperture.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the inner surface of said hood has a texture and color such that said framing aperture is visible but not obtrusive.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which the end of said hood farthest from the picture has a light colored strip around the perimeter thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said hood is constructed of cloth having folds to define said framing aperture.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 having the general configuration of a mask in which the top thereof extends outwardly from said aperture toward a viewer farther than the bottom thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the sides of said mask taper from a relatively long axial dimension from the aperture at the top of said mask to a relatively short dimension at the bottom of said mask.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the top of said aperture is displaced outwardly away from a picture to be viewed more than the bottom of said aperture.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the outward dimension of the top of said mask is generally in the range of approximately 1.1 to 2 times greater than the outward dimension of the bottom of said mask.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the outward dimension at the top of said mask is generally in the range of approximately 1.1 to 2 times greater than the outward dimension of the bottom of said aperture.

14. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said framing aperture is aligned with the picture on a television receiver.

15. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said framing aperture is aligned with a projection screen.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which said projection screen is a motion picture projection screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which said projection screen is a slide projection screen.

18. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said framing aperture is aligned with a still photograph.

19. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said framing aperture is aligned with a painting.

20. Apparatus adapted to be disposed in front of the screen of a television receiver to enhance the depth of a television picture comprising:

an axially short generally tubular hood having a framing aperture therein, said framing aperture being spaced away from the end of said hood closest to the television screen by a distance which is generally in the range of approximately 15 percent to 40 percent of the width of the screen, the outer dimensions of said hood being larger than the television screen and the inner dimensions of said framing aperture being smaller than the television screen by an amount generally in the range of approximately 5 percent to 20 percent of the width of the screen, the axial dimension of said hood being generally in the range of approximately 15 percent to 40 percent of the width of the television screen.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the end of said hood farthest from the television screen flares outwardly from said framing aperture.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 in which the end of said hood closest to the television screen curves outwardly from said framing aperture so that no surface can be seen connecting said framing aperture to the television receiver and a substantial clearance exists between the last visible portion of said hood and the television screen.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 in which the inner surface of said hood has a texture and color such that said framing aperture is clearly visible but not obtrusive.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 in which the end of said hood farthest from the television screen has a highly visible strip around the perimeter thereof.

25. A television receiver comprising:

a cabinet;

a picture tube disposed in said cabinet for producing a television picture;

said cabinet having an opening for viewing said television picture; and

means defining a framing aperture disposed in said opening, said framing aperture being spaced away from said television picture, the inner dimensions of said framing aperture being smaller than said television picture by an amount generally in the range of approximately 5 percent to 20 percent of the dimensions of said television picture.

26. The television receiver of claim 25 in which a mirror is disposed within said cabinet to reflect said television picture from said picture tube through said opening.

27. Apparatus adapted to be disposed in front of a projection screen to enhance the depth of a projected picture comprising:

an axially short generally tubular hood having a framing aperture therein, said framing aperture being spaced away from the end of said hood closest to the projection screen by a distance which is generally in the range of approximately 15 percent to 40 percent of the width of the screen, the outer dimensions of said hood being larger than the projection screen and the inner dimensions of said framing aperture being smaller than the projection screen by an amount generally in the range of approximately 5 percent to 20 percent of the width of the screen, the axial dimensions of said hood being generally in the range of approximately 15 percent to 40 percent of the width of the projection screen.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said hood is disposed in front of a moving picture projection screen.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said hood is disposed in front of a slide projection screen.