Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Over the years, there has been an increasing interest in presenting visual
infoFmation in progressively more realistic lifelike form. For example9 in the field of
movie making, after the introduction of black and white silent films, there came
synchroni~ed sound9 then color, and then attempts to produce three-dimensional
effeets. The latter-mentioned effeets were typically viewable only through the use of
special viewer equipment, such as polarized or specially filtered eyeglasses. In the
field of television the introduction of black and white television was shortly followed
by the introduction of color, and there has been some talk and experimenting in the
10 field of thre~dimensional color television. In still another field--that of fixe~display
presentation, sueh as in advertising or home entertainment projections attempts
have been made to create a thre~dimensional effect. In advertising, for example,
what has been tried is printing under what is known as a lenticular surface. Such
printing is capable of producing a slight sensation of depth.
With respect to attempts to introduce three-dimensional effects into the
several visual areas generally mentioned above, these have not been especially
successful. More particularly, and with respect to motion pictures, the techniques
which have been tried heretofore are costly to implement, and are often considered
inconvenient by viewers who must wear or use special viewing equipment. Three-
20 dimensional television is still in a very formative stage as different concepts are beingexperimented with. Three dimensional fixed displays have not progressed significantly
beyond that described above.
A general obje~t of the present invention is to provide a unique, simple, and
highly effective method for producing a three-dimensional image~ which method is
readily usable in each of the several fields of visual display discussed above.
r Recognizing the fact that visual depth perception, i.e-J three-dimensional
peroeption, results from the spacing between the eyes, the present invention rests on
the concept of employing in a special manner what might be referred to as "left-eye"
and "~ight-eye" views of a particular scene~ For example, and in the case of motion
30 pictures, camera lenses displaced by about the same distance as the usual human-eye
spacing may be employed, with appropriate shuttering techniques9 to place alternate
left-eye/right~eye successive images on a strip of film. In the case of television, the
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sQme basic approach may be used to produce either real-time-available or magnetic-
tape-stored electronic data re~lecting such alternat~eye points of view. What has
been discovere!d, according to this invention, is that with such alternate eye viewpoints
available in projectable or otherwise visually presentable form, an e~tremely striking
an~ realistic thre~dimensional image can be created by projecting or pPeSenting these
alternate images at a rate no less than fifty~four presentations per second~ andpreferably at some rate exceding this rate.
As will be pointed out below in several specific examples, the method of
the invention can simply and effectively be incorporated into the preparation and
projection of motion pictures, into the field of television, and also into the field of
fixed-display presentation. Other fields o~ use will also become evidentO
These and other objects and advantages which are attained by the invention
will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in
conjunctlon with the accompanying drawings.
Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a simplified fragmentary schematic view illustrating how the
method of the invention may be used in conjunction with motion picture film.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating use of the invention in the field
of broadca~t television.
Fig. 3 is a simplified schematic drawing illustrating use of the invention
with a data-processo~controlled video display.
Fi~ 4 is a schematic showing of use of the invention in the field of ixed-
display image projection.
Detailed Description of he Invention
The basic concept of the invention is thnt the rapid altern~te presentation
to the eyes of views of a scene taken from spaced-apRrt viewpointst typically
separated by about the usual distance between a person's eyes, produces a striking and
extremely realistic three-dimensional image. More particularly, such successive
alternate views must be presented at a rate no less than eifty-four views per second in
order satisfactorlly to aohieve this result. Accordingly, the method of the invention
includes steps such as the folIowing~ from each of a pair of spaced points ~ view of
,
a seene deri-ring or producing related scene data; (2) alternately and recurrently using
sueh data to produce alternate-viewpoint visible representations thereot; and
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~3) suitably presenting such alternate representations for viewing at a rate no less than
fifty four representations per second.
As will be discussed with reference to specific examples below, the step of
deriving or producing space~viewpoint scene data of a scene may be done
photographically, as for example on motion picture or a projectable slide film, or it
may be done electronically, as through the use of a television camera. In case of the
use of film, of course, the data is stored as emulsion irnages on the film. In case of
electronic equipmentl the data may be directly broadcast without recordin~, or may be
recorded on something such as magnetic tape or in something such as the memory bank
of a digital computer. The step of alternately and recurrently producing visiblerepresentations of the data, in the case of film, may be accomplished through light-
projection through the film, and in case ~ electronic equipment, may be accomplished
through the transport of magnetic tape or the calling-out of data from a memory bank.
The step of presenting ~hese representa~ions for viewing at the named rate, in the case
of film, may be done through projecting motion picture film onto a screen at thedesired rate, and in the case of still or slide film, projecting alternate viewpoint
images onto a screen utilizing a shuttering arrangernent which establishes the desired
rate of presentation. With electronic e~uipmerlt, presentation may be made on a
conventional video monitor.
Referring now to Fig. 1 in the drawings, indicated generally at 10 therein is
a fragmentary length of a conventional motion picture film. According to the
invention, alternate space~viewpoint images of a selected scene have been recorded
on this film in any suitable manner, as through the use of a camera equipped with a
pair of laterally spaced lenses, with appropriate shuttering used whereby successive
adjacent image frames on the film alternately receive exposure from the two different
lenses. The precise kind of mechanism used to accomplish such e~cposure can take a
wide variety of forms all within the capability of those skilled in the art, and forms no
part o~ the present invention. Successive adjacent individual image frames are shown
on film 10 at 12, 14. Frames like frames 12 are shown with shading~ and rames like
3Q frarnes 14 are shown clear. It will be noted that frames 1? alternate with frames 14.
Shaded frames 12 contain images taken from one point of view, which might typically
be the "left-eye" point of view, and clear ~rames 14 contain images taken from the
- spaced ~'right-eye" point of view.
According to the invention, it is important that successive alternate
viewpoint images be projected or viewed at a rate no less than fifty-four images per
second. Acco~dingly, and where motion picture film is used, it is preferred that the
s~lccessive alternat~viewpoint images be recorded on the film at an appropriate rate
which wiU permit such proje~tion. A specific filming and projection rate which has
been found to be highly effective is seventy-two images per second. Accordingly, the
successiYe images in frames 12, 14 have been recorded at the rate of seventy-two
frames per second.
IUustrated schematically in Fig. 1 as bounded by dash-dot lines 16 is the
10 proiection zone in fl conventional motion picture film projeetor, on one side of which
zone is a projec$ion lamp 18, and on the other side of which is suitable lensing and
shuttering mechanism 20. The conventional transport or drive mechanism for driving
film 10 is shown in block form at 2a, this mechanism being operable to drive the film in
a convent;onal manner past and through the projection zone, but at the hi~hly elevated
speed of seventy-two Prames per second mentioned above. Shown at 24 in ~ig. 1 is a
conventicnal motion picture projection screen onto which images from film 10 are
projected.
In operation, and assuming that film 10 has been prepared as described, the
film is driven throu~h the prsjection equipment and the elevated speed mentioned
20 whereby, in succession? ~lternate left-eye/right-eye images, or image components, are
projected on screen 24. A viewer watehing this screen under these circumstances will
observe a three dimensional image~ the depth perception in which depends upon the
actual spacing between the two different points of view used in preparing film 10. In
the case o~ these points of view being spac0d by about the normal spacing of a person's
eyes, a viewer will experience depth perception very closely approximating his normal
real-life ~epth perception.
~ nother WAy in which film 10 could be prepared is as follows. Right-eye
and left-eye images of a vlew, on ~wo separate synchronized film strips, could be taken
simultaneously at, SRy, a ~filming rate of thirty six images per second. Through the use
3d of an optical printer, the like, these images could later be alternately divided or
separated, and then meshed onto a single film strip which is then projected at the rate
of seventy-two irnages or frames per second. ~ `~
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Fig. 2 illustrates an electronic ~ystem including a video tape playback
machine 26 having a video tape 28 ca~ried on transport reels 30, 32. The output of this
playback machine is eoupled to conventional video transmitting apparatus represented
by block 34 which feeds a broadcastable video signal to antenna 36. At 38 is a
conventional ~ideo receiver which receives signals from its antenna 40.
According to the invention~ alternate viewpoint images, similar to those
discussed in connection with film 10 above, are suitably recorded on video tape 28.
Such recording can be accomplished in a number of different ways, none of which
forms any part of the present invention. For example, a conventional television
10 camera may be equipped with an optical system including a pair ~ later~lly spaced
lenses and suitable shuttering equipment for eontrolling the specific times and rates
when views are taken alternately through such lenses. In any event, successive
aSternate-viewpoint data is recorded on tape 28 at a rate no less than fifty-~our
alternate views per second.
It is conventional in television broad~asting today to transmit successive
"frames" at the rate of sixty frames per second. Th~ls, and to avold the necessity for
modifying this industry-wide standard, alternat~viewpoint views are preferably
recorded on tape 28 at the rate of sixty views per second.
To produce ~ three-dimensional image from this recorded inforrllation,
20 playback machine 26 is operated so as to operate the tape at the same speed used
during recorciing, and the cons~quence of this is the presentation on the screen in
receiver 38 of successive alternate-viewpoint images at the rate of sixty images per
second. A viewer watching the screen in the receiver, under these circumstances, will
see a thre~dimensional image. Again, the depth perception of this image is directly
related to the spacing between the points of view used during r~acording o~ tape 28.
Recent advances in the field of electronics have used digital equipment,
such as a digital processor and an associated memory bank, to store vide~displayable
information. Such a system can, of course, easily lend itself to use accordmg to the
present ;nvention. Thus, and re~erring to ~i~. 3, indicated in block form at 42 is digital
3U equipment including a digital processor 44 and an associated digital memory bank 46.
The output of equipment 42 is shown caupled to a conYentional video monitor 48.
Alternate viewpoint scene data (i.e., left-eye/right-eye scene data) is
sui~ably recorded in digi~a~ foPm in memory bank 46. This may be done in any suitable
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conventional manner. Further, and where such data is intended to reflect a moving
image, appropriate rate information is also recorded isl memory bank 46. To produce a
three-dimensional irnage from this data, such alternate viewpoint data is "called out"
of memory bank 46 under the control of processor 44, and fed as video control
information to monitor 48. Under this circumstance, a viewer of the scre~n in monitor
48 will obesrve a three-dimensional image. The depth perception perceived by theviewer will again be directly relatable to the point-oI-view spacing, such irlformation
also being suitably stored in memory bank 46.
As has been mentioned earlier, the method of the present invention has
10 appli~ability to the field of fixed-display presentation, such as in advertising. Fig. 4
represents in very simplified schematic form a way in which the invention rnay be used
for such a purpose. Thus, at 5U, 52 are shown a pair of conventiorlal photographic
slides--slide 50 having been taken of a particular scene from what might be thought of
as the left-eye point of view, and slide 52 having been taken of the same scer.e from
what might be thought of as the right-eye point of view. These two slides are suitably
fixed in position, as within the projection zone of a conventional slide projector, and
projection lamps 54~ 56 are provided for projecting lighlt through slides 50, S2,
respectively. ~uitable focusing lenses are provided for use with the slides. Indicated
at 58 in ~ig. 4 is a rotary interference shutter including a radially extending projection
20 slot 58a - disk 58 baing mounted for rotation about Em axiæ 58b. Shown at 60 in Fig. 4
is a conventional projection screen~
In operation, with lamps 54, 56 turned on~ and with the ima~es on slides 50,
S2 normally focused on screen 607 dlsk 58 is driven so ns to expose, alternately, the
images on slides 50, 52 for projection onto the screen, at the rate of seventy-two
images per second. A viewer viewing the screen will pereeisre a three-dimensional
image of the scene depicted in the slides.
It will thus be apparent that the method of the invention provides a unique,
simple, and extremely effective way of presenting a three dimensional image. It is
obviolls that the invention is readily adaptable for use with conventional visual
30 entertainment modes, such as film and television, and that further it has other
widespread applicability, such as in the Eield of fixe~display presentatiorl.
While preferred steps of the invention haYe been descrlbed herein
specifically, it is recogni~ed that variations and modifications are possible without
departing ~rom the spirit of the invention.
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