Abstract: A photographic printer for making 3D pictures or animation pictures from at least two 2D images on lenticular print material. The printer uses a monitor for sequentially displaying 2D images. A projection lens is used to project the displayed 2D images onto the print material. A tilting mechanism is used to tilt the print material for changing the projection angles. In order to correct for the distortion of images projected on the print material due to tilting, the 2D images are geometrically transformed according to the tilting angles. The same printer can be used to make 2D prints on regular photographic paper. The printer can be equipped with a plurality of projection lenses with different focal lengths so that pictures of different magnification factors can be made.

Abstract: The filmless method and printer for making 3D and animation pictures, using a matrix display to sequentially display a series of 2D views, and a projection lens to project the displayed images onto a lenticular print material, each at a different projection angle. In order to fill the image area underlying each lenticule on the lenticular print material with different 2D views, each 2D view must be projected onto the lenticular print material at different projection angle. Two methods can be used: 1) In the scanning method, two of the three elements including the matrix display, the projection lens and the lenticular print material are moved by mechanical means to different positions to change the projection angle; 2) In the non-scanning method, a large-aperture projection lens is used to project the 2D views sequentially displayed on the matrix display onto the lenticular print material such that each 2D view is projected through a different section the lens aperture.

Abstract: The filmless method and printer for making 3D and animation pictures using a digital reflection-type matrix display device such as a digital micro-mirror device to sequentially display a plurality of 2D views, a light source to illuminate the display device to produce a reflected beam, and a projection lens to form an image from the reflected beam and expose it on a lenticular print material. To fill the image area underlying each lenticule on the print material, each 2D view is projected at a different angle. Two methods can be used: 1) In the scanning method, two of the three elements including the display device, the projection lens and the print material are moved to different positions to change the projection angle; 2) In the non-scanning method, the projection lens has a large aperture sufficient for covering the total viewing angle of the lenticules.

Abstract: This disclosure is concerned with a lenticular or barrier strip picture with changeable scenes wherein a trimmed lenticular screen or a barrier strip plate is used to view a composite image. On a conventional lenticular picture, the focal plane of the lenticules on the lenticular screen coincides with the backside of the lenticular screen and, therefore, the composite image must be placed in contact with the backside of the lenticular screen. On the lenticular picture according to the present invention, the thickness of the lenticular screen is trimmed such that the focal plane of the lenticules is located further away from the backside of the lenticular screen. In order that a composite image can produce a properly focused composing scene when viewed through the trimmed lenticular screen, it must be positioned on the focal plane of the lenticules away from the backside of the screen, leaving an airgap therebetween. With in such an airgap, a holding plate is disposed to hold down said composite image.

Abstract: A 3D camera for acquiring and recording a plurality of 2D images at different viewing angles without relocating the camera wherein a large-aperture taking lens is used for image forming and an aperture controlling means is used to select the section of the lens' aperture through which light rays are transmitted to form a 2D image at one viewing angle at a time. The 3D camera can also have a mirror assembly to direct light rays traversing different sections of the lens' aperture to form 2D images on different image planes.

Abstract: A dual-mode photographic printer which can be used to make both two-dimensional and three-dimensional photographs of different sizes having a plurality of print material cassettes which separately supply 2D and 3D print material of different sizes or types of 2D print material or of 3D print material. An easel is transported to one of the cassettes to pick up a section of print material according to the printing mode and the magnification. The same easel moves the print material to different locations for 3D printing. A chemical processor is included in the printer so that photo-processing is part of the on-line printing process.

Abstract: A 3D printer that has a chemical processor in-line with the printer. The preferred printer is a single-stage printer that uses two video cameras with different magnification powers for acquiring images from 2D negatives for editing and key subject alignment. One video camera takes full view image for key subject selection and picture cropping, the other video camera which is used for acquiring image data for key subject alignment sees only an enlarged section of the image around the key subject. The single-stage printer uses an automated image matching algorithm to find the relative location of the key subject in each negative frame. The single-stage printer also includes a chemical processor so that photo processing can be part of an in-line printing process.

Abstract: A 3D photographic printer and printing method wherein a stationary projection lens is used to project a series of 2D views each at a different projection angle onto a stationary lenticular print material. The aperture of the projection lens is sufficient large to cover the entire width of each of the lenticules on the print material. The lens aperture is mechanically or optically partitioned into a number of sections so that only one section is opened to allow a 2D view to be exposed at a different projection angle.

Abstract: A filmless 3D printing method for producing 3D photographs on lenticular print material. The 3D photograph is composed of a series of 2D images of a scene acquired by a video camera and displayed on a video monitor screen. During printing, the projection lens and the print material are moved to different positions to change the projection angles and fill the lenticules with compressed images. While the video camera is moved in relation to the scene to acquire 2D images, it aims at the key subject of the scene at all times so that the location of key subject image on the images displayed on the screen is always the same. Thus, the 2D images exposed on the print material are automatically aligned. The 2D images of a scene at different viewing angles can also be generated on a computer.

Abstract: A 3D printer for producing 3D photographs on lenticular print material in which a video monitor is used to display stored digital 2D images of different views of a scene for exposure. Prior to printing, one of the stored 2D image is displayed on a viewing monitor and the key subject image of the displayed 2D image is selected. Based on the location of the selected key subject image, the computer searches for the key subject location of each of the other stored 2D images and electronically shifts the 2D images so that the key subject location of all different views is the same. During printing, the electronically shifted 2D images are sequentially displayed on the video monitor and projected through a projection lens onto the lenticular screen at different projection angles.

Abstract: A 3D camera having a plurality of taking lenses fixedly spaced to take a plurality of 2D images of a scene at different viewing angles wherein the parallax in 2D images can be controlled by adjusting the spacing between diaphragm stops behind the taking lenses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-lens camera that can be used for taking three-dimensional and two-dimensional photographs. The multi-lens camera is constructed so that it is capable of exposing a series of 2-D images of a scene onto the photographic film corresponding to the number of lenses of the camera. The multi-lens camera of this invention has a film plane for one of the lenses which is from 1.5 to 4 times wider than the film plane behind the other lenses. Baffles are used to optically separate the film planes behind the lenses. In a preferred embodiment, the wider film plane is a full frame (e.g., 35 mm) and the other film planes one-half frame. The wider film plane results in a broader field of view of a scene for producing a normal or panorama 2-D print. The multiple images of the scene exposed by the camera can be used for producing a conventional 2-D print.

Abstract: A dual-mode photographic printer which can be used to make both two-dimensional and three-dimensional photographs having two print material cassettes which separately supply 2D and 3D print materials. An easel is transported to one of the cassettes to pick up a section of print material according to the printing mode. The same easel moves the print material to different locations for 3D printing. A chemical processor is included in the printer so that photo-processing is part of the on-line printing process.

Abstract: A 3D printer that uses two video cameras with different magnification powers for acquiring images from 2D negatives for editing and key subject alignment. One video camera takes full view image for key subject selection and picture cropping, the other video camera which is used for acquiring image data for key subject alignment sees only an enlarged section of the image around the key subject. The printer also uses an automated image matching algorithm to find the relative location of the key subject in each frame. In particular, the algorithms are divided into a crude computation step and a fine computation step which reduces computation time. The printer uses a criterion to check whether the actual key subject alignment is satisfactory. The optics for printing and key subject alignment are assembled on a single mechanical stage to reduce mechanical errors.

Abstract: A 3D printer and method which uses a beamsplitter or a mirror to form a reflected image which is a mirror image of the actual image exposed on the print material. A CCD detector array is placed on the reflected image plane to monitor the key-subject registration. The beamsplitter or mirror is physically linked to the print material cassette so that the CCD detector array shares the same projected image that is exposed on the print material regardless of the printing position. With such an approach, the CCD detector array can directly detect any off-alignment due to mechanical errors or distortion/aberration by the projection lens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-lens camera that can be used for both 3-D photography and 2-D photography. When the camera is used in the 3-D mode, a series of slightly different two-dimensional images of the scene are exposed by all the taking lenses onto the film in the respective film planes in a half-frame format. When the camera is used in the 2-D mode, a wider frame image is exposed onto the film by one of the taking lenses. The negative is exposed in all film planes in the camera when used in the 2-D mode. When the camera is used in the 2-D mode, lens attachments change the angle of view of the taking lens and viewfinder.