Production of three dimensional motion pictures

• US 4,420,230 A
• Filed: 10/26/1981
• Issued: 12/13/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert H. Mcelveen
• Original Assignee: Robert H. Mcelveen
• Inventors: McElveen, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Monroe H.
• Application Number:
  US06/314,799
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 352/57, 352/60, 352/86, 352/59, 352/62, 352/65, 352/43, 352/53, 352/89
• US Class Current: 352/43
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/00 Stereoscopic photography
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays

Abstract

A process for recording and projecting a three dimensional visual scene onto a receiving surface from which the scene may be viewed in stereopsis by the unaided human eye. A scene is recorded from right and left view positions which are laterally separated by a distance of no more than about 1 inch, and separated in a direction generally perpendicular thereto by a distance of no more than about 1 inch, groups of one or more recorded right and recorded left views are alternately projected onto a receiving surface in sequence such that the visual duration of each group varies from a minimum to a maximum time which is generally proportional to the distance of the nearest non-moving object of special regard in the scene from the recording positions and is approximately equal to the visiopsychological supression rate of the human eyes. In addition, the central points of focus of the left and right views may be selectively set at different distances during the recording to reduce keystoning effect of the projected views during visualization.

Claims

1. An improved process for reproducing a visual scene which may be viewed in stereopsis by the unaided human eye comprising the steps of:

(a) recording a plurality of right and left views of a common visual scene from corresponding recording positions displaced from each other in a first direction at a distance of no more than about one inch and displaced from each other in a second direction generally perpendicular to said first direction at a distance of no more than about one inch, and

(b) continuously projecting, in alternation, a sequential group of one or more of said right recorded views and a sequential group of one or more of said left recorded views onto a receiving surface for viewing by the human eye, said duration of projection of said alternating groups being such that the visual duration of each group on said surface varies from a minimum to a maximum duration which is generally correspondingly proportional to the distance of the nearest non-moving object of special regard in the scene from said recording positions, and wherein said duration is approximately equal to the visiopsychological alternation rate between right and left views of the human visual apparatus.

2. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the distance of displacement of said recording positions in said first direction is substantially equal to the distance of displacement of said recording positions in said second direction.

3. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said displacement distances are around 7/8 inch when said nearest non-moving object is at a distance greater than about 12 feet from said recording positions.

4. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said displacement distances of said recording positions are around 3/4 inch when said nearest non-moving object in the scene is about 12 feet from said recording positions.

5. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said displacement distances are at around 1/2 inch when said nearest non-moving object is about 6 feet from said recording positions.

6. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said displacement distances are around 1/4 inch when said nearest non-moving object is about 2 feet from said recording positions.

7. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said duration of projection of each said groups of right and left views varies from between about 1/24 to 1/4 second.

8. A process as defined in claim 7 wherein said duration of projection is from about 1/24 second to 1/12 second when said nearest non-moving object in the scene is about 2 feet from the recording positions.

9. A process as defined in claim 7 wherein said duration of projection is from about 1/12 to 1/2 second when said nearest non-moving object in the scene is about 6 feet from the recording positions.

10. A process as defined in claim 7 wherein said duration of projection is from about 1/12 to 1/16 second when said nearest non-moving object in the scene is about 12 feet from the recording positions.

11. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said right and left views are recorded by recording means in which the central point of focus of one of said views is located at a point from said recording means which is approximately two-thirds the distance between said recording means and the nearest non-moving object in the scene, and the central point of focus of the other of said views is located at a point from said recording means which is approximately one and one-third the distance between said recording means and said nearest non-moving object in the scene.

12. An improved process for reproducing a visual scene which may be viewed in steropsis by the unaided human eye comprising the steps of:

(a) continuously recording right and left views of a common visual scene from corresponding recording positions located approximately the same distance from the common visual scene and displaced from each other in a generally horizontal direction at a distance of no more than about 1 inch, and displaced from each other in a generally vertical direction at a distance or no more than about 1 inch;

while

(b) maintaining the central point of focus of one of said recording position views at a point which is approximately two-thirds the distance from said one recording position view to the nearest non-moving object of special regard in the scenes, while maintaining the central point of focus of the other of said recording position views at a point which is approximately one and one-third the distance between said other recording position and said nearest non-moving object in the scene; and

(c) continuously projecting said right and left recorded views, in alternation, onto a receiving surface for viewing by the human eye, said duration of projection of each of said alternating views varying from a minimum of about 1/24 second to a maximum of about 1/4 second in duration and generally correspondingly in proportion to the distance of the nearest non-moving object of special regard in the scene from said recording positions.

13. A improved process as defined in claim 12 wherein said right and left views are recorded on motion picture film utilizing two cameras and two film strips, and wherein said film strips are continuously projected in alternation in accordance with step (c) of claim 12 while views are re-recorded on a single motion picture film strip to produce a film strip product which may be projected from a single conventional movie projector for visualization on a receiving surface in three dimension by the unaided human eye.