Patent No. 5886818 Multi-image compositing

 

Patent No. 5886818

Multi-image compositing (Summer, et al., Mar 23, 1999)

Abstract

Image compositing apparatus and methodology for the creation, in a defined volume of three-dimensional space, of a composite organization of plural images/visual phenomena, including at least one projected real image, displayed in formats including (a) front-to-rear, (b) side-by-side and (c) overlapping and intersecting, adjacency. The apparatus incorporates different unique arrangements of visual sources, and optical elements including concave reflectors, beam splitters and image-forming/image-transmissive scrim/screen structures. In one important modification of the system, which does not necessarily require compositing, a projected real image is derived from an image-producing data stream containing three-dimensional image cues selected from the group consisting of shading, occlusion, perspective, motion parallax, size vs. depth, light (chroma value) vs. depth and definition vs. depth. In a further important modification of the invention, a system is proposed which allows a viewer/user to interact directly with a projected real image, in a manner allowing the manipulation of one or more characteristics or aspects of the image.

Notes:

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatus and methodology for the compositing of multiple, viewable phenomena/sight-stimulators, such as multiple images and real objects, and in particular, to such apparatus and methodology which includes the incorporation into such compositing formation of at least one projected real image.

The power of visual imagery has fascinated and captured people for decades, and as new visual-imagery technology has emerged in recent years, the possibilities for presenting startling, dramatic visual phenomena have leapt onto the communicating landscape with powerful, attention-getting boldness. Long recognized, for example, have been the striking, attention-capturing power of motion pictures, of television, of three-dimensional graphics and displays, of magical floating-in-space images, and of others, and this attention-getting capability is widely recognized as a powerful tool in the creative communication "playing" fields of amusement, advertising, basic information conveyance, clarification of hard-to-otherwise-visualize phenomena and relationships, medical diagnostics, and many, many others.

In this setting, the present invention steps onto the "communication stage" with a highly innovative and advanced systemic apparatus and methodology that allows for the selective compositing, in a defined viewable volume of space, of wonderfully innovative multiple-layer, adjustably positionable composite images, including at least one three-dimensional real image, which advance opens important doors in all of the fields mentioned above (as well as many others) neither openable, nor even approachable with prior art technology.

Described hereinbelow, and illustrated in the plates of drawings which form part of this invention disclosure, are numerous key embodiments of the system and methodology of the invention, with all embodiments offering the core capability of compositing, in three-dimensional space, multiple images, including at least one real image, where any two images (or visual phenomena) are organized, at any given point in time, with at least one of formats (a) front-to-rear, (b) side-by-side and (c) overlapping and intersecting, adjacency. If desired, these formats may be combined in different ways. Each of these formats is, of course, taken with reference to the specific point of view of an observer. So, for example, the front-to-rear format may exist with respect to a viewer looking at the created composite imagery generally along a horizontal axis, as well as such a person viewing the composite imagery along a more upright axis. The imagery, or any component thereof may be moveable in the composite setting, either by virtue of the fact that the related source involves movement, or by virtue of the provision of moveable optical structure which plays a role in the creation of the composite whole.

A special feature of the present invention includes the cooperative relationship, for example, between: (a) a source of three-dimensional imagery (other than a real object source), which source includes a visual-image database itself containing "entrained" psychological optical cues that dramatically promote the perception of real three dimensionality; (b) a two-dimensional screen device, such as a video monitor, which forms from a data stream provided by this database a related image (moving or still) which contains the relevant three-dimensional cues; and (c) a real-image optical projection system that acquires such a screen-device-borne image and projects the same into space in a setting which is free of (unencumbered by) physiological impediments, such as a frame or a border, that might detract from the apparent, real, three-dimensionality of the projected real image.

Still another important feature of the invention described and claimed herein is the presence of an organization, in certain embodiments, of a system which allows a viewer/user to interact directly with a projected real image, in effect to manipulate one or more characteristics or aspects of the image. For example, and to illustrate this notion, one can imagine the projection into space of a real image of a piece of fruit, such as a pear, in a setting which permits the viewer/user to "grasp" the pear, and to rotate or otherwise move it, for example.

One of the extraordinary capabilities of the system of the present invention, as will be described and illustrated more fully hereinbelow, is that it is possible to composite, in essentially or approximately a single plane, slightly staggered/offset pixelated or rastered, images (and the like), as, for example, might be derived from a video source, in a manner resulting in a composite projected real image having greatly enhanced image resolution. In such an application, of course, the several sources which result in the end-result composite image would be drawn from precisely the same foundation image source material. In other words, were, for example, three video images composited in this fashion and to this end, the same image material would be occurring at the same moment of time on all of the three original video sources.

As will be apparent from a reading of the description which follows, along with a viewing of the respective, different drawing plates, each of the systems described herein has, as a part of what is referred to as viewing-enabling structure, one or more optical elements which are common to other disclosed systems, though each system specifically shown herein has, generally speaking, an optical arrangement or organization which is specifically different from the arrangements of the other systems. Also, and with respect to the illustrated and described systems, various sources (image-effecting, sight-stimulator-effecting) of ultimately viewable imagery, occupying suitable location stations, are common from one system to another, but somewhat differently arranged in order to cooperate appropriately with related optical elements (system optical structure). The different optical elements (arrangements) which are combined in the systems described are individually known and understood in the world of optics, and accordingly, great detail about the positioning, sizing and relative locating of these elements, which is well understood by those skilled in the art, is omitted from this text. The materials specifically incorporated into this document by reference above, taken together with the drawings and description herein, afford an abundant base of information for one of ordinary skill in the art fully to appreciate the respective operations of the several systems shown and discussed, as well as to understand the powerful potential for the core contribution of this invention in enabling the spatial compositing of multiple images as contemplated by the invention.

Further explaining something in general terms about the apparatus descriptions which are to follow, it will be immediately evident that the various optical elements and imagery sources in each disclosed system must be, and are, integrated interactively and operatively with one another so that their respective positions relative to one another result in the placement and compositing of images in a spatial station (visual staging station) which is easily viewable by an observer. In some instances, it will be immediately apparent from the drawing figures that the nature of this system integration structure takes the form of a cart or a housing or some other evident kind of framework but in certain other illustrations of systems, the details of specific system integration structure are omitted in favor of a bracket in the figure which is presented there specifically to symbolize the presence of such structure.
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From the foregoing, it should be quite apparent and evident how the system and methodology of the present invention open the "important doors" referred to above for the creation of exciting, visually striking and commanding, volume-occupying composited and other images, including at least one projected real image. The potential applications and fields of use are nearly as wide as the creative imagination. The numerous embodiments disclosed and discussed herein show and suggest the various many ways in which optical elements and visual sources can be combined, according to the invention, to achieve the kind of compositing on which this invention centers. We know, therefore, that other specific arrangements of such components, well within the scope of this invention, will come to the minds of those skilled in the relevant art.