Abstract: A filmless photographic printer for making 3D and/or animation pictures on lenticular print material. A video monitor is used to sequentially display the 2D images which are projected onto lenticular print material by a projection lens at different projection angles. The projection lens and print material are moved to different positions relative to the video monitor screen. The projection lens is maintained in proper focus on the monitor screen and print material during printing. The 2D images for composing the 3D photographs can be captured by an electronic camera or generated by computer.

Abstract: A 3D video viewing system is disclosed, wherein a special lenticular layer is attached on a video monitor which displays at least one interleaved image composed from a plurality of 2D views of a scene. A method of determining the parameters for the lenticular layer is disclosed. In particular, the width of the lenticules on the lenticular layer is determined by many factors, including the thickness, the curvature and the refractive index of the monitor; the number of 2D views to be composed into an interleaved image for display; the normal viewing distance; and the overall viewing angle of the lenticular layer itself. A number of interleaving methods for composing a plurality of 2D views into a composite view are also disclosed.

Abstract: A dual-lens camera which can be used to take single-frame images for 2D photography or dual-frame images for 3D photography. The camera has two taking lenses and two independently operable shutters. The unique feature of this dual-lens camera is that the camera comprises two shutter release buttons. On release button activates only the shutter associated with one taking lens to take a single-frame image. The other button activates both shutters to take a stereo image pair. A film advance mechanism is used to advance the film in accordance with the operating mode of the camera.

Abstract: This disclosure is concerned with an optical printer for making 3D and animation pictures from a plurality of 2D images on a lenticular print material. The 2D images are sequentially projected by a projection lens onto the print material at different projection angles. In order to change the projection angles, the print material and the projection lens are moved relative to the film to different positions. The method and apparatus, according to the present invention, use a tilting mechanism to tilt the print material about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lenticules and away from the optical axis of the projection lens so as to reduce the moving distance of the print material and the projection lens. In effect, the angular coverage of the printer is extended by the tilting of the print material and, therefore, the printer can make 3D and animation pictures on a print material having a wider viewing angle.

Abstract: The disclosure is concerned with an electronic flash module comprising a plurality of flash subunits to illuminate a photographed scene in flash photography. Each flash subunit comprises a flash-tube and associated charging and triggering circuits; a modeling lamp to allow a photographer to set up the lighting pattern. Each module comprises a trip circuit to synchronously trip all the triggering circuits in the module. It is preferred that the module further comprises a photosensor to activate the trip circuit upon sensing a trigger pulse sent out by a remote device. Preferably, the module comprises connection means so that two or more modules can be linked up to form a panel with a larger illuminating source area. Furthermore, it is preferred that the flash subunits can be selectively and individually disabled to allow the photographer to adjust the illuminating pattern.

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: The printer for making 3D and animation pictures from a series of 2D images, according to the present invention, uses an electronic displaying device for sequentially displaying the 2D images. A projection lens is used to sequentially projecting the displayed 2D images, each at a different projection angle through a view-separating screen onto a photosensitive emulsion layer. The projection angles can be achieved or extended by tilting the emulsion layer together with the view-separating screen away from the image plane. Preferably, the electronic displaying means is also tipped to improve the focusing of the projection lens on the tilted image plane. In order to correct for the distortion in the projected image due to tilting and tipping, the 2D images are warped in accordance with the tilting and tipping angles prior to being displayed for exposure.

Abstract: The method and apparatus for making a composite image of a scene a large-aperture lens to form an image of the scene on a photographic film through a lenticular screen or a barrier strip. The recorded image on film is digitized into a digital image and conveyed to a computer workstation for processing. Assuming the image area in the recorded image under each lenticule is digitized into an image zone composed of N pixel rows in the digital image. To correct the pseudoscopic effect, the order of each group of N pixel rows in each image zone is electronically reversed. Also, the entire digital image is electronically reversed to become a normal composite image. The image reversal process (for the entire image) can also be effected optically by forming the scene image through a plane mirror. The composite image in digital form can be used to produce 3D display, video and hard-copies by presenting the composite image behind a lenticular screen or a barrier strip.