Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
IMPROVRD APPAR~TUS FOR STEREOSCOPIC PHOTOGRAPHY
The present invention pertains to three dimensional
photography and, more particularly, to apparatus at~achable
to a camera for obtaining a single photcgraphically recorded
full color content composite image containing the requisite
information content to provide a three dimensional view of a
photographed scene.
Stereoscopic photography has had cyclic public
appeal since approximately 1839 when the first black and white
stereo photographs were made. The stereo concept then employed
can be traced to thoughts first propounded by Leonardo de
Vinci in 1584.
Traditional stereo photography may be described as
follows. Two laterally displaced essentially simultaneously
exposed negatives, positives, or impressions in the case of
television, are taken to obtain two images of a scene. The
images are slightly different because of the lateral displace-
ment, resulting in slightly diferent lines of sight of the
scene. For best real life simulation, the lateral displacement
should be equivalent to the distance between the viewer's eyes.
The negatives, positives, or impressions are viewed through a
stereo opticon deviae, which device permits each eye to see
only one of the images portrayed by the negatives, prints, or
impressions. The difference in the two images seen by a
viewer is translated by the viewer's brain into a sense of
depth to give the viewed scene a three dimensional quality.
If colored dmages, rather than black and white
images, are feasible, image decoding t~chniques other than
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physical separation of two images when viewed can be used.
The separation may be effected by producing a ~irst image
along one line of sight of a scene which is limited in color
content by a filter to one half of the visible light spec-
~rum and producing a second image along another line of sight
of a scene which is limited in color content by a filter to
the remaining half of the visible colox spectrum. ~ach of
the two images are combined to form an anaglyph and projected
onto a common screen for a movie or slide show, or printed
upon a printing medium. The resulting anaglyph is viewed
by placing a different color filter in front of each eye.
The filters, usually being essentially, but not completely
mutually exclusive, permit each eye to see only one of the
color limited images of the scene. As each eye only sees one
of the images, each eye ~ees the same scene but as viewed along
a slightly different line of sight. Thus, a slight discrepancy
exists in the scene presented to each eye. This discrepancy is
translated by the brain to provide a sense of depth and hence,
provides a three dimensional effect to the scene photographed.
The advances since 1839 in both black and white and
color stereo photography have been essentially limited to
improvements in e~uipment resulting in greater registration,
better optics and improved projection systems. Despite the
amount of work done and the many improvements generated, no
si.gnificant substantive changes in the three dimensional image
reproduction have been developed. That is, the methods for
effecting stereo photography have remained unchanged by the
prior art.
In example, because of the requirement of double
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negatives in early stereoscopic photography, various devices
have been developed ~o portray the necessary information on
a single negative, United States Patent No. Z,639,653
illustrates apparatus using a rotatable disc or sliding
diaphragm adjacent to the obiective lens to obtain slightly
different views of the same scene. A specially constructed
viewing device displays one of the views to each eye of the
observer. Thus, a stereoscopic effect is achieved.
In United States Patent No. 2,317,875, a plurality
of rectangular prisms are employed to form a plurality of
picture strips, each strip conveying a part of the picture.
Alternative ones o the strips from the total picture are
transmitted through a first lens system. The remaining
strips from the total picture are transmitted through a sec-
ond lens system. The stereoscopic efect is obtained by
viewing the strip composite through a special viewer, which
viewer segregates one set of strips to impinge upon one eye
and the other set of strips to impinge upon the other eye.
In the apparatus described in United States
Patents Nos. 2,360,322 and ~,751,826, two color segregated
images taken along diferent lines of sight o the same scene
are received and simultaneously recorded on the same piece o
film. In operation, a first bundle of light rays are trans-
mitted through and limited in color con~ent by a first filter
impinging upon one surface of an angled semi-reflecting mirror
with some of the light rays being reflected therefrom and
the remaining light rays being transmitted therethrough. A
second bundle of light rays are transmitted through and
limited in color content by a second filter, reflected by a ;
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mirror to impinge upon the semi-reflecting mirror with some
of the light rays being reflected therefrom and the remaining
light rays being transmitted therethrough. The first and
second filtered bundle of light rays are essen~ially mutually
exclusive in color content by action of the first and second
filters. The light rays of the first bundle transmitted
through the semi-reflecting mirror are combined with the
light rays of the second bundle re1ected by the semi-reflecting
mirror to form an anaglyph. The anaglyph is recorded on film
and viewed through glasses having filters corresponding to
the first and second filters. A disadvantage of this system
is that neither image is of full color content. Moreover,
the images are not completely mutually exclusive in color as
reciprocally exclusive filters cannot be manufactured; thus,
color cross talk will be present. Further, less than half of
the light content of the light rays transmitted through the
corresponding filters and less than half of the light content
of the light rays is transmitted through the semi-reflecting
surface. Thus, the light content of the composite image
striking the film is less than one half of the total~ight
content of the two received llght rays.
Seml-reflecting mirrors or surfaces are normally
coated with a substance to render them semi-reflecting. The
coating substance deteriorates the guality of each image
because o~ the impurities inherent within the coating sub-
stance.
A recent United States Patent No. 3 t 712,199 teaches
apparatus for producing an image to provide a psychophysio-
logical illusion of depth. This system, contrary to most
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stereoscopic systems, does not capture two laterally dis-
placed images. Instead, a single line o~ sight is employed
in photographing the object. Within the lens system itself,
one half of the received light rays are filtered by a first
color filter while the second half of the received light
rays are filtered through a second color filter. Both
filtered light rays are combined to form an anaglyph. The
anaglyph is viewed through colored glasses having each lens
corresponding to one of the color filters. Thus, one eye of
the viewer can detect only that portion of the anaglyph
transmitted through the second color filter of the lens
system. As there is no initial lateral separation o the
two color segregated images, the anaglyph is not a true three
dimensional image but appears to present the illusion of a
three dimensional image.
It may be noted that all of the above described
apparatus produce a pair of superimposed color mutually ex-
clusive images through use o~ a pair of mutually exclusive
color filters and the resulting anaglyph is viewed through
colored glasses having lenses corresponding to the color
filters.
The closest prior art known ko applicank, and
¦ substantiated by Dr. Peter Franken/ Director of the Optical ``
Science Center at Arizona State University, is described in
an article entitled "An Astonishing New Theory of Color"
appearing in the May, 1959 issue of Fortune. The article
describes the exploratory work performed by Dr. Edwin H.
Land in 1955. In essence, Dr. Land obtained a first trans-
parency taken through a red filter and a second cor~ined
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transparency taken through a green filter and blue filter.
The image o the first transparency (first image) was
projected onto a screen after being filtered through a red
filter. The image o~ the second transparency (second
image) was superimposed onto the irst image by projecting
it with the aid of a white light source. Both projected
images were carefully adjusted to be in registration with
one another. The resulting composite image had a full color
content which Dr. Land could not explain. Instead, he con~
sidered it to be physiological phenomenon as he could not
capture it on a light sensitive medium, i.e. film. This work
by Dr. Land helped form the basis of the present invention.
Other United States Patents directed to various
three dimensional photographic apparatus include: Nos.
~75,08~; 1,595,984; 2,045,119; ~,386,413; 2,749,820; 2,895,374;
3,642,349; 2,301,254 and 2,568,327.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present
invention to provide apparatus for producing a composite
image of a scene, which image has a three dimensional quality.
Another object of the present invention is to
provide apparatus or simultaneously superimposing two
various color content but ull color images o the same scene
taken along di~ferent lines of sight. `~
Yet another object of the present invention is to
provide a dual input aperture ilter system for cameras,
which ilker system combines a filtered images and white
light image of a photographed scene and transmits the com-
bined image to a light sensitive medium.
A further object of the present invention is to
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provlde a means for combining two full color but diferent
color content images correspondiny to two views along various
lines of sight of the same object to produce a composite
decodable image, which image has a three dim~nsional quality
after decoding.
~ still further object of the present invention is
to provide an attachment for a camera to combine two full
color content images into a decodable composite image record-
able on the light sens itive medium of the camera.
A yet further object of the present invention is
to transform two white light images of a scene into a non-
anaglyph composite image formed of two segregable images with
a single color filter.
It is also an object of the present invention to
provide a means for combining two black and white images,
each image corresponding to one of two views taken along
different lines of sight of the same object to produce a
composite decodable image, which decodable image has a three
dimensional quality after decoding.
It is also another object of the present invention
to provide a mean~ for combining a black and white image
with a color filkered blaak and white image, each image
corresponding to one of two views taken along different
lines of sight of the same object to produce a composite
decodable image, which decodable image has a three dimensional
full color quality after decoding.
These an~ other objects of the present invention
will become apparent to those s~illed in th~ art as the -
description thereof proceeds.
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According to one aspect of the present inventionJ there is provided
an apparatus for simultaneously combining one image or light ray of an
object with anotherlmage or light ray of thc object, said apparatus compris-
ing: means for directing said one image or light ray along a first light 1
ray path; means ~or directing said other image or light ray along a second
light ray path that intersects said first light ray path; a color filter ~-
means disposed along only one of the light ray paths before the light ray
paths intersect to form one color filtered image or light ray; and means ~ :
for combining said color filtered image or light ray from said only one light
ray path with the image or light ray from the other light ray path to form
a non-anaglyph, full-colored composite image or light ray.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is pro-
vided a method for simultaneously combining one image of an object with ,
another image of the object, said method comprising: directing said one . ;
image along a first light ray path, directing said other image along a
second light ray path that intersects said first light ray path, placing a :~
color filter means along only one of the light ray paths before the light :
ray paths intersect to form one color fiItered image~ and combining said
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~ color filtered image from said only one light ray path with the image from j ~
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the other light ray path to form a non-anaglyph, full colored composite
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The present invention may be described with more
specificity and clarity with reference to the following
figures, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates the present invention attached
to the lens of a camera.
Figure la is a diagrammatic illustration of the
present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates the basic image combining
system of the present invention.
Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the system
shown in Figure 2.
Figure 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the
system shown in Figure 2.
Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of focus-
ing and alignment apparatus useable with the present invention.
Figure 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the
apparatus taken along lines 6-6, as shown in Figure 5.
The appearance of three dimensionality in images
can be created by superimposing two different views of the
same scene to form a composite image. The illusion of depth
is often enhanced if the composite image is viewed through an
image decoding device. If the two views are laterally dis-
placed from one another by an amount approximately e~ual to
the distance between a viewer's eyes, the resulting image
will have essentially the same three dimensional appearance
as if the viewer were seeing the scene personally. Where the
separation is greater than that between the viewer's eyes,
the three dimensional effect is exaggerated. Similarly, if
the distance is less, the three dimensional effect is minimized.
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The composi~e is in register at the point where the two
lines of sight cross one another. Those elements of the
scene being closer or further away, will be out of register.
This situation is similar to that which occurs in real lie.
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown apparatus
incorporating the present invention and used in conjunction
with a ca~ra or obtaining a composite image o a scene,
which scene is viewed along two dif~erent lines of sight.
Camera 1, which may be a highly complex instrument or a very
simple camera, such as those cameras sold by the Eastman
Kodak Compan~ under the trademark "Instamatic", includes a
lens system 2. A housing 3 is detachably secured to the
lens system. The exact means and mode of attaching the
housing may, of course, be varied to suit the lens system~ ;
Housing 3 includes a light interacting surface,
such as light transmissive element 4, which elemen~ may be
a color filter or a smooth surfaced transparent element and
a light reflective element 5, which may be a mirror. The
distance between the centers of elements 4 and 5 is approxi-
mately two and one half inches, or, the average distancebetween a person's pupils. For special needs or effects,
the dlstance may be increased or decreased.
An illustration of the operation of the present
, invention is shown in Figure la. A first bundle of light
I rays from object 9 will impinge upon the front surface of
light transmissive element 4. At least a part of the first
bundle of light raus will be transmitted therethrough into
camera 1. The transmitted irst bundle of light rays is
identified by numeral 91 and will define a first image of
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object 9. A second bundle of light ra~s, identified by
numeral 8, will impinge upon light reflective element 5.
The second bundle of light rays 8 are reflected by light
xeflective element 5 to the rear surface of light trans-
missive element 4 and de~ine a second image identified by
numeral 9".
In the embodiment illustrated in Figure la, the
light transmissive element is a color filter such as a red
filter. Hence, the first bundle of light rays impinging
upon the red filter is modified in color content by the
filtering action of the red filter. It now becomes evident
that each of two bundles of light rays, which differ in
color content, intersect one another at the light transmissive
element 4.
When two light beams intersect one another at a
light transmissive surface (i.e. light transmissive element
4), an interaction of the light beams will occur. That is,
the light beams will serve as mutual color filters for one
another such that each of the reflected and transmitted beams
of light of each impinging beam of light will be altered in
color content. Thus, the images identified by numerals 9'
and 9" correspond to the image presented by the first and
second bundle of light rays, respectively, except as modified
in color content by the light interaction occurring at
transmissive element 4.
More speclfically, the first bundle of light rays
has been limited in color content to one segment of the visi-
`ble light spectrum. This first bundle of lightrs rays, inter-
acting with the second bundle cf light rays will tend to
modify the color ¢ontent of the latter. Conversely, the
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second bundle of light rays, being initially essentially
white light, will modify or add to the color content o~
the first bundle of light rays ~ecause of the light
interaction occurring at transmissive element 4. Thus, each
of images 9' and 9" are not limited in color content to one
or another half of the visible light spectrum. Instead,
each image 9' and 9" may contain a full range o colors.
By experiment, it has been learned that the
composite image formed by images ~ and 9" contains two full
color images, one corresponding in subject content to the
first bundle o~ light rays and the other corresponding in
subject content to the second bundle of light rays. The two
images, after being recorded on a photo sensitive medium as
the composite image, are segregable from one another by
viewing the composite image through a pair o glasses baving
a red and a cyan lens. When so vlewed, the composite image
has the depth of a three dimensional representation.
The light paths wlthin housing 3 are shown schema-
tically in Figure 2. A first light ray 10 emanating from an
object to be photographed is received by and transmitted
through light transmissive element 14. I 1ight transmissive
element 14 is a color filter, it will transmit the filtered
light rays o the Eirst light ray 10 which form a part of
the bundle of light rays identified as composite ray 13.
A second light ray 11 represents the light rays
emanating rom the same object as light ray 10. EIowever,
light ray 11 is angularly displaced ~rom light ray 10, which
displacement results in some differences in subject matter
content between the two rays. The totality o light ray 11
is reflected by light reflective element 15 to the light
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transmissive element 14. If the light transmissive element
14 is a red color filter, it will reflect some of the light
rays of the second light ray 11 which form a part of the
bundle of ligh~ rays identified as composite ray 13. Numeral
12 identifies the light rays of light ray 10 and the trans-
mitted light rays of light ray 11.
From the above description, it may be understood ;
that the color content o~ the contrlbutions to composite
ray 13 of light rays 10 and 11 are altered in color content
such that each of the images represented therein is of full
color content.
In the preerred embodiment, the light trans-
missive element has been selected as a red color filter
because it comes close to transmitting half of the visible
light rays from a white light source and reflecting the
remaining visible light rays. Hence, it is believed that
the most complete interaction of light rays will therefore
occur at light transmissive element 14. However, it is to
be understood that other color filter~ may be employed without
departing from the teachings of the present invention.
The in~ormation contained within composite light
ray 13 is suf~icien~ to produce tWo ~uperimposed images o
an object where each image portrays the object as seen along
one of two angularly displaced views. One image is formed by
the light rays trans ~tted through a ilter while the other
image is formed by the light rays re1ected by the same filter.
These images are recorded upon a light sensitive medium.
The illumination provided by either light rays 10
and 11 is diminished by the light transmissive element 14.
However, as the light rays of light ray 10 that are filtered
by the red filter are combined with the re1ected light rays
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of light ray 11, the composite light ray 13 includes
essentially the same illumination as either of light rays
10 or 11. Thus, the aperture or speed of the lens system
2 of camera 1 (see Figure 1) using the pre~ent invention
may not need to be adjusted to accommodate the filtering of
the incoming light rays.
The photographic recording medium, either positive
or negative color film, within the camera exposed by compo-
si~e light ray 13 will respond to the composite light ray
and record both images thereon as a composite lmage. The
images will be essentially in registxation and the resulting
positive or print wiIl be of acceptable quality for general
viewing purposes. When the positive is projected onto a screen
for viewing or when a print of the negative or positive is
viewed, the viewer may or may not obtain a sensation of
third dimensionality. If the sensitivity of the viewer's ;~
eyes are mis-matched in color sensitivity, a sense of three
dimens~ionality may be readily apparent. To obtain the full
effect of a third dimension of the photographed object, the
viewer should don~a pair of glasses having a blue content
lens and a red content lens. The red content lens should be
used in front of the eye correspondlng to light ray 10 while
the blue content lens should be used in front of the eye
corresponding to the light ray lI. With this arrangement,
one of the viewer~s eyes will see the object as conveyed by
light ray 10 and the other eye will see the object as con
veyed by light ray 11. As each eye sees the object from a
different vantage~point,~ or line of sight, the object will ;~
appear to be dimensional. That is, the composite image will
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have depth.
Although the light ray interaction process which
occurs at the intersection of the two inter~ecting light
rays is not fully and wholly un~erstood, a hypothesis has
been developed. It is known that the light rays from a
light source are changed or altered in color and/or tone
content to one range of the visible light spectrum when the
liyht rays are re1ected from ~he surface of a color filter;
similarly, the light rays are changed or altered in color
and/or tone content to another range of the visible light
spectrum when the light rays are transmitted through same
color filters. AS a result, a color ~ilter is capable of
producing two different color content imayes, depending on
whether the received image is reflected from or transmitted
through the color filter. Based upon the above knowledge,
it is hypothesized that the following phenomenon occurs at
the plane of interaction between the two intercepting light
rays.
The light or image transmitted through the color
filter contains areas having the color of the color filter
and non-light areas representative of the refleated comple-
mentary color (i.e. if the color ~ilter is red, the transmitted
image contains red and not light areas representative of
blues, greens and yellows of the original image). The
light rays rom the white light image intercept the filtered
light rays. Due to the interaction of the intercepting light
rays, the color filter co~plementary colors (i.e. blues,
greens and yellows) impinging upon the non-light areas of the
filtered light ray are reflected. Thus, the filtered image
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striking the recording medium contains the color of the
light transmitted through the color filter and the comple-
mentary colors introduced by the non-filtered image and
reflected by the-non-light areas at the plane of interaction.
A similar but reversely operating color discrimination process
occurs for the received non-fil~ered image. That is, all
of the colors of the non-filtered image are reflected at ~he
plane of interaction to form one image of the composite,
which colors are complementary to the ilter. The non-comple-
mentary colors are not reflected as they are transmittedthrough the filter. Hence, they represent non-light areas
of the ~mage. These non~light areas will, however, appear
to have color due to the addition o color provided by the
colors of the filtered image transmitted through the ilter
at thc locations of the non-light areas. Thereby, the image
contributed by the received and initially filtered image and
the received initially non-iltered image to the composite
image each contains full color. Each image of the composite
image will have ull color and can be selectively viewed
through a colored eye-piece (red for the initially ~iltered
image and blue for the initially non-filtered eye-piece if
the ~ilter is red colored).
In further explanakion, one could categorize the
color combining phenomenon as employing both additive and
subtractive color processes. That is, a non-light area will
appcar as the complementary color of the filter yet the light
areas will appear in various colors and transmit the correct
amount of light through the color filter (non-light areas
appearing as blue will appear black when added to a red
filter, subtractive color, red areas of the same image will
appear as light through the same red ilter, additive color).
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By comparison with prior art devices, the dis-
tinction thereover becomes self evident. The prior are
composite image wa5 formed as an anaglyph (two mutually ex-
clusive color conte~t images superimposed on one another)
and viewed through eye pieces complementary to the filters.
Another embodiment of the present invention is
shown in Figure 3. A pair of light rays 20 and 21 angularly
displaced but emanating from the same object essentially
correspond to light rays 10 and 11, respectively. The light
transmissive element 24 is a transparent smooth surfaced
element. Light ray 20 is passed through and filtered at
element 24 by the interaction of intercepting light rays
and becomes a part of composite ray 23. Light~ray 21 is
passed thxough a non-mutually exclusive color filter 26
which filter may be of an~ chosen color. Light ray Zl is
partially reflected by light reflecting element 2$ to element
24. The reflected light rays of iight ray 21 becomes a part
of composite light ray 23 due to the interaction of light
rays and are transmitted through the lens system into the
camer~. The content of composite light ray 23 will be a
composite of the mechanically iltered and reflected light
rays contained within light ray 21 and the unfiltered light
rays contained within light ray Z0, both of which are modified
in color content due to the interaction of light rays at
element 24. Thus, light ray 23 contains sufficient infor-
mation to form a pair of full color content images, each
corresponding to the inform~tion contained by one of the
incoming light rays. The reflected portion of light ray 20
and transmitted portion of light ray 21 are depicted by
numeral 22~
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When light ray 23 impinges upon a color sensitive
medium, such as a color positive or print, a composite of
the two superimposed images will be ~ormed simultaneously.
The two images are segregable if the composite image i5
viewed through a pair of glasses having a red content filter
for one lens and a blue content filter or the other lens.
The orientation of the f1lters must match the orientation
of rays 21 and 20. One of the viewer's eyes will see the
image conveyed by light ray 21 while the other eye will see
the image conveyed by light ray 20. The somewhat different
images will be conver~ted by the viewer's brain to provide
a sense of three d~mensionality to the composite image.
Referring to Figure 4, there is shown a further
embodiment of the present invention described with respect
to Figure 2. Herein, a light ray 30, emanating from an
object, directly impinges upon and is iltered by a color
filter 36. A part of this light ray is transmitted through
a transparent, smooth surfaced element 34. The reflected
part of light ray 30 is identified by numeral 32. The
filtered and transmitted part of light ray 30 forms a part
of composite light ray 33. Ra~ 31, emanating ~rom the
same object as light ray 30 but along a different line of
sight, is reflected by reflecting element 35 to transparent
smooth surface element 34. A part of light ray 31 is again
re~lected by transparent smooth surace element 34 and forms
the remaining part of composite ray 33. The transmitted part
of light ray 31 is identified by numeral 32. Partial reflec-
tion and transmission o light rays 30 and 31, respectively,
occur at element 34 due to the interaction o the two inter-
secting light rays. The composite image formed b~ composite
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ray 33 is recorded upon color sensitive film to produce a
composite image. The two lmage~ of the composite image,
when viewed, are segregated by viewing the composite image
through a pair of filtered glasses as described above.
Thus, each eye of the viewer will receive the information
content of one of light rays 30 or 31.
If the distance between the two apertures needs
to be reduced to less than that possible with the above
de~cribed two element system, a simplified system is still
feasible which implements the use of interaction of light
in conjunction with a single color filter. By splitting the
incoming light within a camera lens into a let and right
side a~d filtering one side (such as the right side with a
red-orange filter) a composite image of the filtered and
unfiltered images will be formed on the light sensitive
recording medium (film). The composite image will be an
imaye containing the net result O;e the interaction of light
between the filtered and unfiltered images. Neither image
forming the composite ~mag~ will be mutually exclusive in
color and the composite image will possess a three dimensional
quality. Thus, such a camera lens system produces the same
results as the above described embodiment but requires less
lateral displacement.
,l As described in United States Letters Patent No.
3,846,810, which describes an invention of mine, various
means may be incorporated ~or color correction and light path
length extension or attenuation.
From experimentation with the apparatus of the
present invention, it has been learned that a ful~ color
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decodable composite image having a three dimensional quality
can be obtained from two black and white positives. A first
one of the black and white positives of an object is ob~ained
by conventionaL means. The second one of the black and white
positives of the object is taken through a color filter a~d
along a slightly laterally spaced line o sight. To obtain
the composite image, the first positive is placed in one of
light paths 11, 20 or 31 and the second positive is placed
in one~of light paths 10, 21 or 30, depending on whether the
apparatus shown in Figures 2, 3 or 4 is used. A light source
placed rearwardly of each positive projects the image of the
respective positive along one of the identified light paths.
The first and second images produced from the first and second
positives are combined in an interacting relationship at
element 14, 24 or 34, depending on which apparatus is employed.
The resulting composite image ~light ray 13, 23 or 33) has
a full color content which is directly viewable or recordable
upon a color sensitive recording medium. Moreover, the same
interaction can also be applied to pairs of previously non-
filtered black and white or colored images, which have beenobtained of a scene along slightly divergent lines of s~ght
(i.e. by conventional double image stereoscopic cameras).
It is to be understood thak the separate elements
shown in Figures 2-4 may be combined in a single monolithic
structure, such aS prism, without departing from the
teachings of the present invention. Similarly, anti-reflec-
tive coatings may be employed on the surfaces of the light
reflecting and light transmitting elements to reduce distor-
tion created by refraction.
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The housing 3 is shown in fuxther detail in
Figures 5 and 6. It is formea by a housing`80 containing
the various previously discussed light ~ransmissive and light
reflective elements as well as the var~ous filters when the
latter are employed~ An aperture 83 is ~isposed in the rear
surface 81 to receive the lens system of a camera. Retaining
elements, representatively shown and identified by numeral
83 secure the housing 3 to the lens system. It is to be
understood that the retaining means 83 may be varied to suit
particular applications. ;~
The light transmissive element (identiied in
Figures 2-4 as element 14, 24, 34, respectively) is normally
firmly lodyed within housing 80 to intersect the viewing
angle of the lens system 2. The reflecting element 5
(identified in Figures 2-4 as olements 15, 25, 35, respec-
tively) is normally pivotably mounted within housing 80 by . ;
mounting mechanism 850 It is to be understood that elements :
4 and 5 could be permanently , removably or adjustably
mounted within housing 3.
The mounting mechanism 85 may be ~ormed by a yo]ce
86 pivotally secured to base 87 at pivot point 88. A spring
biased adjustment screw mechanism 89 is disposed intermediate
a flange 90 extending upwardly from the base of yoke 86 and
side 91 of housing 80. As is well known to those skilled in
the art, the turning o~ screw 92 will cause yoke 86 to
pivot about its pivot point 88. Thus, adiustment mechanism ~:
89 may be:used to obtain registration between the two received
images. ~.
The rear surface of reflecting element 5 includes a
pair of flanges 93 and 94 e.xtending rearwardly therefrom and
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47~4
forming a part of mounting mechanism 85. ~ach of these
flanges is pivotally mounted upon one of the arms of yoke
86. A second adjustment mechanism 95 may be dispo~ed
intermediate flange 90 extending from the base of yoke 86
and the rear surface of reflecting element 5. By turning
the screw 97 of the adjustment mechanism 95, reflecting
surface 5 pivots about the pivot point intermediate flanges
93 and 94 and the arms of yoke 86. In this manner, vertical
alignment of the reflected element 5 with respect to the trans-
lQ missive element 4 may be obtained.
The previously discussed filters may be configuredto mate with the front o~ housing 3, as shown in Figure 6. A
first filter 99 is d.isposed across the light ray path striking
transmissive element 4 without also impeding upon the 1ight
ra~ striking element 5. Similarly, a second filter 99 is
secured to the ront of housing 3 to intercept the light ray
path .striking reflective element 5 without also impeding
upon the light ray striking transmi:ssive element 4.
. The present invention may also be used as a decoder
to permit a person to view the positives or color-prints
without the need.of ~pecially filtered glasses and yet obtain
the effect of a three dimehsional image. If a person holds
the housing 3 in ~ront o~ his eyes so that light transmissive
element 5 is in front o one eye and light re1ective element
4 is in front of the other eye, and light from the positive
or print enters through aperture 32., the housing (or decoder)
will segregate the two images. One eye will receive one
image while the other eye receives the other image. As
discussed above, the person's brain will at~ribute a sense
of three ~imensionality to image viewed because of the two
similar but not identical images.
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While the principles o~ the invention have now
been made clear in an illustrative embodiment, there will be :
immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modi-
fications of structure, arrangement, proportions, elements,
materials, and components t used in the practice of the invention
which are par~icularly adapted for specific environments and
operating requirements without departing from those principles.
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