JPH10239785A - Stereoscopic picture recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily take and record a stereoscopic picture without using a coherent light source by recording the stereoscopic picture by the combination of pinhole-photographed pictures and radiating incoherent light to the same combination so that a light beam from an object is reproduced. SOLUTION: Photographing is executed by setting the distance between an object 1 and a far-field forming lens 3 nearly as a focal distance f1 so that the position of the pinhole of a pinhole array plate 4 may be in the far-field area of the object 1. The pinhole camera picture of the object 1, to which a viewing angle is different at every pinhole, is taken and recorded on a recording medium 5 by the number of the pinholes. Plural recording pictures formed on film for reproducing a stereoscopic picture 9 are respectively illuminated by plural minute light sources constituted by the respective pinholes on a pinhole array plate 8 by radiating the light from a white light source 7. The projected pictures of the respective recorded pictures are synthesized and formed by an image-formation lens 10 at a position distant by a focal distance f2 from the lens 10, thereby, the reproduced picture 11 of the object 1 is formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording / reproducing apparatus for stereoscopic images, which can easily record and reproduce color stereoscopic images and moving images without using a coherent light source such as a laser. To provide an easy three-dimensional image recording / reproducing apparatus.

[0002] The present invention can be widely applied in many fields such as movies, advertisements and decorations.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional three-dimensional image recording / reproduction technology basically records a three-dimensional image by some method, reproduces the three-dimensional image,
The one that the observer observes as it is and the right-eye and left-eye plane images are recorded instead of the stereoscopic image, and the right-eye plane image is the left-eye plane image during playback. Can be broadly divided into two types, a stereoscopic system designed to be seen with the left eye. A typical example of the former is a hologram, and a typical example of the latter is a three-dimensional movie using polarized glasses or a three-dimensional television using a lenticular. The latter looks stereoscopically, but does not actually reproduce a stereoscopic image, so even if you change the viewing position, the image hardly changes, and it can not be said that the back side of the image is visible, It can be said that it is pseudo three-dimensional image reproduction. On the other hand, in the holography of the former example, the appearance changes when the viewing position is changed.
This is an ideal three-dimensional stereoscopic image recording / reproducing method that looks as if there is actually an object there. At present, it is only holography that has spread to some extent and can record and reproduce stereoscopic images in the true sense.

In holography, wavefront information of light from an object is used to record stereoscopic image information. The wavefront information is recorded by interfering the separately placed reference light with the scattered light from the object and recording the interference fringes. For this reason, the optical system and the recording medium need to have a spatial resolution close to the light wavelength, and a coherent light source such as a laser is required at least for recording, and the image information itself we need The required amount of recording information is much larger than the amount of information. For recording and reproducing materials, a film requires a special material having a resolution of 1000 lines / mm or more. For example, if a liquid crystal or the like is used, a very large number of pixels are required, and there are technical problems. In addition, it is expensive and raises economic problems. It becomes a bigger problem when it comes to video. Also, since the interference fringe depends on the wavelength, a hologram cannot handle a color image as it is. To record in color, not only three lasers of three primary colors are required, but also a complicated device is required. is there. For these reasons, holography is used not only for credit cards and ornaments, but also for recording media for digital information, but has not been used for real-time stereoscopic image display or stereoscopic movies.

[0005] On the other hand, the stereoscope method is familiar at an exposition or the like and can be enjoyed as it is. However, the method without glasses has many imperfect parts, and is lacking in reality because it is simulated after all. ing. In any case, at present, there is no stereoscopic image recording / reproducing apparatus or system that is practical.

[0006] Stereoscopic images, especially moving images, are the most important image information media, and are useful in various fields such as information, broadcasting, movies, and entertainment, and have the potential to become a large industry in the future. Until now, both in Japan and overseas,
Attempts have been made in many companies, universities, private and public research institutions, but as yet, no such thing has been obtained yet.

[0007]

In the conventional stereoscopic image recording / reproducing technology, only holography records and reproduces a stereoscopic image in the true sense. In holography,
The wavefront information of the light from the object is used to record the stereoscopic image information, and the scattered light from the object and the reference light placed separately interfere with each other, and the wavefront information is recorded by recording the interference fringes. ing. Therefore, the optical system requires high wavelength accuracy and a coherent light source such as a laser.
However, since it is obvious that we humans perform recording and reproduction of a stereoscopic image only with light beam information, it should be possible to reproduce a stereoscopic image without artificially relying on wavefront information. An object of the present invention is to provide means for recording and reproducing a three-dimensional image without using such wavefront information.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] Although we take in video information through vision, we basically take in the energy distribution of space through light rays, and do not feel the wavefront and phase of light. . Therefore, only light beam recording is originally sufficient, and three-dimensional information should be able to be taken in by geometric optical information and light beam information. In fact, three-dimensional information can be completely recorded by photographing an object with a camera from all directions. However, conventionally, there was no means for reproducing this as a three-dimensional image. The inventor of the present application has been studying optical pulse generation and high-speed optical deflection for many years, using Fourier optics,
We have devised and demonstrated a unique method of projecting various information of light, such as time information and frequency information, into space and processing it here, and have obtained many results. Then, on the basis of the extension of these technologies, it was thought that the recording of the light beam including the direction could be eventually performed.

The present invention provides a Fourier transform to a simple method of recording a ray trajectory, a ray direction and intensity, and a color by using a combination of a pinhole and a photographed image without using an advanced technique such as recording a wavefront. By combining optics, it is possible to perform both three-dimensional image recording with incoherent light and reproduction of a three-dimensional image.

The present invention has been made in view of such a viewpoint, and a system for recording a ray trajectory, a direction and intensity of a ray, and a color by combining a pinhole photographed image,
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image recording / reproducing apparatus comprising a system for irradiating the same combination with incoherent light to reproduce a light beam from an object and reproducing a three-dimensional three-dimensional image with an imaging lens.

The principle of the device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 1A shows the basic configuration of a stereoscopic image recording system in the apparatus of the present invention by an exemplary method, and FIG.
The basic configuration of a three-dimensional image reproduction system for reproducing a three-dimensional image from a recorded image recorded by the three-dimensional image recording system of FIG.

[0012] In the stereoscopic image recording system shown in FIG. 1 (a), 1 (indicated by ~f ₁₎ the object to be imaged, 2 white light source for irradiating the object 1, 3 are approximately the focal length f ₁ from the object 1 far-field generation lens provided apart, 4 are arranged at right angles to the optical axis to rearward position apart from the far-field generation lens 3 on the optical axis of the far-field generation lens 3 by the focal length f _1, two A pinhole array plate 5 having a plurality of dimensionally arranged pinholes is a recording medium such as a photographic film for a movie arranged behind the pinhole array plate 4 in parallel with the pinhole array plate. However, the recording medium 5 can also record image information in video as an image pickup device such as a CCD.

The size of the pinhole of the pinhole array plate 4 is sufficiently large as compared with the wavelength of light, but small enough to take a pinhole photograph. The object 1 is positioned so that the position of the pinhole is in the far-field area of the object 1 to be photographed.
And the distance between the far-field generation lens 3 and the distance f1 is approximately f ₁ , so the recording medium 5 on the rear surface of the pinhole has a pinhole camera image of an object having a different viewing angle for each pinhole.
As many as the number of pinholes are recorded. In this case, the images projected from the respective pinholes on the surface of the recording medium 5 need not to overlap each other. Therefore, the magnitude of the deviation of the viewing angle between the pinholes is adjusted, Means may be taken between the array plate 4 and the recording medium 5 such as inserting a grid-like partition plate for isolating the image from each pinhole. Further, a convex lens may be provided in each pinhole of the pinhole array plate 4, and the recording medium may be placed at the focal length position of the convex lens, whereby the resolution of the image on the recording medium can be improved.

Next, the stereoscopic image reproduction system shown in FIG. 1B will be described. In FIG. 1B, reference numeral 6 denotes a small light source array for generating a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged small light sources. In the illustrated example, a pinhole similar to the pinhole array plate 4 in FIG. It is composed of an array plate 8 and a white light source 7 for irradiating light from behind. 9
Denotes a film for reproducing a three-dimensional image as obtained from the recording medium 5 in FIG. 1A, 10 denotes an imaging lens, and 11 denotes a reproduced image.

In the illustrated small light source array 6, light from a white light source 7 having a large area is applied to a pinhole array plate 8, and light leaking from each pinhole is used as a small projection light source. The imaging lens 10 of the imaging system has a focal length f ₂ from the pinhole surface.
The three-dimensional image reproducing film 9 is placed between the pinhole array plate 8 and the imaging lens 10.

A plurality of recorded images formed on the three-dimensional image reproducing film 9 are respectively illuminated by a plurality of minute light sources formed by the respective pinholes on the pinhole array plate 8, and a projected image of each recorded image is the imaging lens 10 of the imaging system, is synthesized imaged from the imaging lens 10 to the focal length f ₂ away. As a result, a reproduced image 11 of the original object is generated at the image forming position.

In FIG. 1B, the minute light source array 6 is composed of a large-area white light source 7 and a pinhole array plate 8, but the minute light source is arranged at each pinhole position. The distance from the minute light source array 6 to the imaging lens 10 can be changed.

[0018]

The operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the characteristics of the far-field surface of the far-field generating lens 3 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the pinhole array plate 4. In Figure 3, the far field generation lens 3 having a focal length f _1, an imaging lens 10 having a focal length f ₂ is placed at a distance of f ₁ + f _2, near the position of the front f ₁ of far-field generation lens 3, The object 1 is arranged. Thus, an image 14 that can be stereoscopically viewed by the observer's eye 13 is formed at a position f ₂ behind the imaging lens 10.

[0019] The specific location on the rear f ₁ side of the far-field generation lens 3 (hyperopia Nozura 12), are just only light scattered toward the object 1 in a particular direction is, any one point Information from the whole of the object 1 instead of a part thereof is fading (for example, light scattered in the front direction from the object surface is gathered at the center of the far field plane). Such a state is a far field. In contrast to this is the near field, which is in the immediate vicinity of the object or near where the image of the object is formed, where a particular point only has information about the vicinity of a particular part of the object. Therefore, in the near field, if a part of the area is covered with the mask, part of the object will be chipped, whereas in the far field, even if the part of the area is covered with the mask, the image information will be slightly weakened as a whole. It is. Therefore, if the pinhole array plate 4 is placed on the far-field surface as shown in FIG. 3, the image formed by the light transmitted through the pinhole array plate 4 only darkens, and the entire information of the object 1 remains unchanged. Is left.

Now, assuming that the armrests are placed immediately behind the pinhole array plate 4 in FIG. 3, all the holes on the pinhole array plate 4 become the pinholes of the pinhole camera, respectively. You should see images with slightly different viewing angles. Therefore, if this image is photographed and recorded on a recording medium such as a film, and then placed at the photographing place, and projected from the pinhole position with a point light source, the same light rays as in FIG. 3 are reproduced. As a result, FIG. Will enter the imaging lens 10, and the same reproduced image 11 as in FIG. 3 will be obtained.

The arrangement of a recording medium behind the pinhole array plate 4 in FIG. 3 is the configuration of a part of the stereoscopic image recording system in FIG. Also, in FIG. 3, if the same light beam as when there was an object behind the pinhole is reproduced even if the object 1 is removed, a similar image is reproduced.
If the object 1 is removed and light is injected and projected through the pinhole at the same location on the recording medium, almost the same light beam as when there is no object 1 behind the recording medium is reproduced. Will be. As a result, a three-dimensional reproduced image can be observed through the imaging lens 10. FIG.
The configuration of the part of the stereoscopic image reproduction system shown in (b) corresponds to only this reproduction unit.

According to the present invention, a coherent light as in holography is not required as a light source, and a three-dimensional image can be easily recorded and reproduced using natural light or an incandescent light bulb. Outdoor photography including is also possible. It is not necessary to use an ultra-high resolution recording medium, and a normal color film can sufficiently cope with the problem.

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration shown in FIG. 1A is suitable for close-up photography, but is not suitable for long-distance photography. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1A, for example, a lens having a focal length of 10 m is required for photographing an object beyond 10 m, and the photographing system becomes large like a telescope. By the way, since it is sufficient that the entire image of the target object can be observed through any of the pinholes, the far-field generating lens 3 may not be provided if the object is located at a sufficiently large distance compared to the pinhole size and the interval. FIG. 4 shows a configuration in which the far-field generating lens 3 is removed from the configuration of FIG. The configuration shown in FIG. 1B can be used as it is for reproduction of an image photographed with this configuration.

In order to obtain a three-dimensional effect with the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the wider the line of sight of the pinhole array viewed from the object 1, the better. Further, in order to obtain a three-dimensional effect comparable to that seen with the naked eye, a pinhole array having a diameter about the distance between eyes is required. However, the area of the recording surface and the aperture of the imaging lens are also increased to the same extent, and there remains a problem in economical efficiency. The configuration of FIG. 5 solves these problems.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the objective lens 13 having the focal length f ₃ is replaced with the far-field generation lens 3 in the configuration shown in FIG.
Front of the one in which was placed at the f ₃ + f _1. By the objective lens 15, a distant image is formed substantially at the position of the object 1 having the configuration shown in FIG. As a result, the distant object apparently moves forward f from the far-field generating lens 3.
Thus, it is possible to record an image with a wide viewing angle even with a far-field generation lens having a small diameter and a recording surface.

Next, recording and reproduction of a color stereoscopic image will be described. The intensity and color angular distribution of the light passing through the pinhole are all of the image information passing through the pinhole, but if the effective angle is limited, it can be recorded in a pinhole photograph. The original light beam can be reproduced from this record by radiating the spread light beam from the pinhole and projecting it onto a pinhole photograph. For color pinhole photographs, color images can be reproduced by irradiating white light.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, light rays from one point of the object and coming in N different directions, each having a very small spread, advance to the image forming system via N pinholes. Proceed to observer. Since a pinhole sufficiently larger than the wavelength does not bend the light, the light corresponding to this light will follow the same path when the pinhole array is removed. If any of these N rays reaches the observer's retina, this point is visible to the observer, otherwise it is invisible. If no light from a point that can be seen when the pinhole is removed cannot reach due to the insertion of the pinhole, the image is darkened to the observer, and the image information of this portion cannot be obtained, which poses a problem. If N is increased, the problem is solved. However, if the density of the pinholes is too high, the pinhole image becomes small and the image information decreases, so that it becomes necessary to increase the size of the entire pinhole array. The whole becomes big. Therefore, any of the N light beams that have a small spread due to the spread on the object corresponding to the resolution of the eye or the finite diameter of the pinhole does not affect the position of the observer so much that it is within the effective diameter of the eye. It is necessary to devise and set the position and number of pinholes, the imaging optical system, and the approximate position of the observer so that one is included. This situation is the same because the reproduction system of the present invention reproduces the same light beam as in FIG. 3 on the observation side.

Therefore, for example, the position of the pinhole is moved temporally faster than the response speed of the eye, and the position of the light source is correspondingly moved during reproduction, so that the image is always within the response time of the eye. Can be seen. For example, in FIG. 1 (a), the pinhole array plate 4 is movingly recorded (in a plurality of frames) on the recording medium 5 while vibrating the pinhole array plate 4 at high speed in the vertical and horizontal directions parallel to the surface. The pinhole array plate 8 is synchronized with the frame of the three-dimensional image reproduction film 9 shown in FIG.
The stereoscopic image reproduction may be performed while vibrating in the vertical and horizontal directions parallel to the surface in the same manner as the pinhole array plate 4 described above.

[0029]

According to the present invention, a coherent light source is not required, and natural light and an incandescent light bulb can be used for recording and reproduction. Therefore, outdoor photographing including an infinite background, for example, spectacle recording is possible. In addition, since an ordinary high-resolution recording medium is not required and a normal color film can be used, it is possible to take a movie and to be widely used in fields such as advertisement and decoration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of characteristics of a far-field surface in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of a pinhole array plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a stereoscopic image recording system according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of the stereoscopic image recording system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Object to be photographed 2: White light source 3: Far field generating lens 4: Pinhole array plate 5: Recording medium 6: Micro light source array 9: Film for stereoscopic image reproduction 10: Imaging lens 11: Reconstructed image 12: Far Field of view 13: Eye 14: Image 15: Objective lens

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A three-dimensional image recording unit having a pinhole array plate, an image recording medium disposed behind the pinhole array plate, a minute light source array, and a focal distance from the minute light source array. A three-dimensional image recording / reproducing device, comprising: a formed imaging lens; and a three-dimensional image reproducing unit having a reproduction image recording medium disposed between the minute light source array and the imaging lens. . 2. The three-dimensional image recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional image recording unit includes a far-field generating lens separated by a focal length in front of the pinhole array plate. 3. The three-dimensional image recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional image recording unit includes an objective lens further forward of the far-field generating lens. 4. A three-dimensional image recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pinhole array plate has a convex lens disposed at each pinhole position. 5. A three-dimensional image recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the minute light source array comprises a large-area white light source and a pinhole array plate. 6. The stereoscopic image recording unit according to claim 1, wherein the pinhole array plate of the stereoscopic image recording unit and the minute light source array of the stereoscopic image reproducing unit vibrate at high speed in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction in parallel to respective surfaces. A three-dimensional image recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing a three-dimensional image using a plurality of frames. 7. It has a far-field generating lens, a pinhole array plate disposed behind the far-field generating lens by a focal length, and an image recording medium disposed behind the pinhole array plate. Characteristic stereoscopic image recording device. 8. A micro light source array, an imaging lens arranged at a focal distance from the micro light source array, and a reproduction image recording medium arranged between the micro light source array and the imaging lens. A stereoscopic image reproducing device characterized by the above-mentioned.