Abstract: A hologram-reproducing method is adapted to obtain a reproduced image by irradiating a hologram-recording material with a reference-light beam so that a reproduction signal-light beam is generated and picking up an image of the reproduction signal-light beam. The hologram-reproducing method includes the steps of generating a plurality of reproduced images by irradiating the hologram-recording material with a plurality of reference-light beams and generating a single reproduced image by performing image processing for the plurality of reproduced images.

Abstract: A hologram recording device for recording interference fringes between reference light and signal light modulated by data displayed in a spatial modulator in a hologram recording material, the hologram recording device including a phase mask for diffusing light, the phase mask being disposed in an optical system that the signal light passes, wherein a minimum unit of a light diffusing pattern formed in the phase mask is a natural number of times a minimum unit of display data of the spatial modulator.

Abstract: When a hologram recording material is changed in volume and refractive index during hologram recording, if one sheet of non-defective reconstructed images cannot be obtained even if conditions are changed so as to conform with Bragg's law most closely by changing the angle or position of a reference beam, a hologram reconstructing apparatus and a hologram reconstructing method are provided, in that a plurality of sheets of partially non-defective and favorable reconstructed images (51, 52, and 53) are obtained and favorable parts of these reconstructed images are connected together so as to have one sheet of non-defective and favorable reconstructed images (54).

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed which can reproduce multi-value data with high reproducibility from a hologram recording medium having data recorded in multi-values therein and can reduce the error rate of reproduction data. A reference gradation pattern is recorded in a medium, and luminance unevenness of a gradation pattern obtained by reproducing the gradation pattern is corrected. A gamma characteristic of the medium is determined based on the reproduction gradation pattern, and a modulation pattern produced using easily separable luminance values determined based on the gamma characteristic is displayed on a spatial light modulator to record data in multi-values into the medium. Thereupon, the data are oversampled and recorded, and a block of the reproduced data is decoded depending upon a sequence of relative luminance levels of pixels in the block to decode the entire reproduced multi-value data.

Abstract: In a merchandise order receiving system, an order controlling server receives an order of a merchandise from a user terminal; a charging and settlement server performs the charging and the settlement of the merchandise; an order receiving server receives an order of the delivery of a merchandise; a print-out apparatus prints image data from an image storing server to generate printed material such a as hologram or holographic stereogram; and a merchandise assembling apparatus generates an assembled merchandise by incorporating the printed matter in the merchandise and supplies the assembled merchandise to a shipping terminal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hologram apparatus for recording interference fringes formed from reference light and signal light optically spatially modulated by a spatial light modulator on a hologram recording material or picking up an image of reproduction signal light produced by irradiating illumination reproduction light on the hologram recording material by means of an image pickup device to obtain a reproduction image signal. The hologram apparatus includes a matching data acquisition section, an arithmetic operation section, and a positioning control section. The matching data acquisition section directly picks up an image of the signal light optically spatially modulated with a pixel matching pattern displayed on the spatial light modulator by means of the image pickup device to obtain a reproduction image signal. The arithmetic operation section performs predetermined arithmetic operation using a luminance value of the reproduction image signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed wherein, even if the multiplicity in multiplexing of recording data is increased, positioning of data upon reproduction can be performed with a high degree of accuracy without decreasing the recording capacity. Interference fringes generated by interference of a light beam spatially optically modulated by a spatial light modulator on which a marker data page is displayed with reference light are recorded at a recording spot on a hologram recording medium. Similarly, interference fringes corresponding to recording data page are recorded at another recording spot on the hologram recording medium. The multiplicity of such marker data pages upon recording is set to a value with which recognition of markers upon reproduction can be performed with a high degree of accuracy so that, even if the multiplicity of the data pages is raised, positioning information of high accuracy can be obtained.

Abstract: The imaging device reads out a first time spatial parameter required for image capturing of an object from various time spatial parameters stored in the storage server and/or recorded on the recording medium, captures the images of the object and produces the captured image data on the basis of this time spatial parameter. The imaging device causes the captured image data and the time spatial parameter corresponding thereto to be stored in the storage server, and/or to be recorded on the recording medium. These captured image data and the time spatial parameter corresponding thereto are supplied to the image data processing unit in the holographic stereogram producing device, in which this supplied time spatial parameter is used as a second time spatial parameter which is required at the time of producing a holographic stereogram.

Abstract: A printed material production apparatus comprises: a picture image input section for inputting a picture image string; a picture image conversion section for converting an inputted picture image string inputted into a panoramic picture image; a picture image processing section for generating a viewing point converted picture image string including a plurality of viewing point converted picture images in accordance with the panoramic picture image generated; and a printing section for producing printed material in accordance with the viewing point converted picture image string generated.

Abstract: In a holographic stereogram creating device for creating a holographic stereogram by sequentially recording interference fringes between reference light and object light, which is obtained by sequentially spatial-modulating a plurality of images picked up from different observing points, as strip or dot elemental holograms, on one hologram recording material of an object light projection optical system for irradiating the hologram recording material with the spatially modulated object light, the object light projection optical system includes a slit arranged at a conjugate position of the hologram recording material for eliminating unnecessary light and a lens attached to the slit.

Abstract: A hologram-reproducing method adapted to obtain a reproduced image by irradiating a hologram-recording material with a reference-light beam so that a reproduction signal-light beam is generated and picking up an image of the reproduction signal-light beam is provided. The hologram-reproducing method includes the steps of generating a plurality of reproduced images by irradiating the hologram-recording material with a plurality of reference-light beams and generating a single reproduced image by performing image processing for the plurality of reproduced images.

Abstract: A hologram recording device for recording interference fringes between reference light and signal light modulated by data displayed in a spatial modulator in a hologram recording material, the hologram recording device including a phase mask for diffusing light, the phase mask being disposed in an optical system that the signal light passes, wherein a minimum unit of a light diffusing pattern formed in the phase mask is a natural number of times a minimum unit of display data of the spatial modulator.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hologram apparatus for recording interference fringes formed from reference light and signal light optically spatially modulated by a spatial light modulator on a hologram recording material or picking up an image of reproduction signal light produced by irradiating illumination reproduction light on the hologram recording material by means of an image pickup device to obtain a reproduction image signal. The hologram apparatus includes a matching data acquisition section, an arithmetic operation section, and a positioning control section. The matching data acquisition section directly picks up an image of the signal light optically spatially modulated with a pixel matching pattern displayed on the spatial light modulator by means of the image pickup device to obtain a reproduction image signal. The arithmetic operation section performs predetermined arithmetic operation using a luminance value of the reproduction image signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed which can reproduce multi-value data with high reproducibility from a hologram recording medium having data recorded in multi-values therein and can reduce the error rate of reproduction data. A reference gradation pattern is recorded in a medium, and luminance unevenness of a gradation pattern obtained by reproducing the gradation pattern is corrected. A gamma characteristic of the medium is determined based on the reproduction gradation pattern, and a modulation pattern produced using easily separable luminance values determined based on the gamma characteristic is displayed on a spatial light modulator to record data in multi-values into the medium. Thereupon, the data are oversampled and recorded, and a block of the reproduced data is decoded depending upon a sequence of relative luminance levels of pixels in the block to decode the entire reproduced multi-value data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed wherein, even if the multiplicity in multiplexing of recording data is increased, positioning of data upon reproduction can be performed with a high degree of accuracy without decreasing the recording capacity. Interference fringes generated by interference of a light beam spatially optically modulated by a spatial light modulator on which a marker data page is displayed with reference light are recorded at a recording spot on a hologram recording medium. Similarly, interference fringes corresponding to recording data page are recorded at another recording spot on the hologram recording medium. The multiplicity of such marker data pages upon recording is set to a value with which recognition of markers upon reproduction can be performed with a high degree of accuracy so that, even if the multiplicity of the data pages is raised, positioning information of high accuracy can be obtained.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus that can easily obtain a train of parallax images to be for preparing a holographic stereogram, without the necessity of laying rails. The apparatus comprises a camera and a position data recording section. The camera takes pictures of an object. The position data recording section for recording position data when the camera takes pictures of an object.

Abstract: A parallax image string pickup apparatus can attract the gaze of the person being shot to make it stable without making the person nervous about the camera operation when the person is shot from a plurality of different angles and, at the same time, provide the person or object 31 with necessary information for the shooting operation including the position of the person in the frame of the viewfinder of the camera of the camera unit 32 and other shooting conditions. The parallax image string pickup apparatus 1 includes a camera unit 32 screened from the object 31, and a half mirror 40 is arranged between the camera unit 32 and the object 31. As the half mirror 40 shows an image of the object 31, the gaze of the object 31 is attracted to the half mirror 40 before and during a shooting operation.

Abstract: In a system in which images having parallax data, and which are made up of plural images containing the parallax information, are processed with viewing point conversion, and the resulting new images having parallax data are used, as in a system of generating a holographic stereogram, a unit for generating the images having parallax data is to be independent from other unit or units. To this end, the information necessary to perform viewing point conversion processing of converting the viewing point for an object is attached to images having parallax data when the images having parallax data have been produced. When the images having parallax data is exchanged between the unit for generating the images having parallax data and other unit or units, the exchanged images having parallax data need to be those to which the information has been attached.

Abstract: A holographic stereogram print order receiving system and method wherein an order receiving server which, upon completion of a connection and user inquiry, receives a two-dimensional image and the parameter information indicating a zooming zone from a user terminal and sends this information to an image processing server. Zooming image processing is executed relative to the two-dimensional image using the parameter information such that the zooming image can be observed when viewed by changing its viewpoint. This zooming image processed data is sent to the user terminal as preview image data. Then, the zooming image processed data is sent from the image processing server to the image storing server. A printout device supplied with the zooming image processed data from the image storing server generates a holographic stereogram.

Abstract: A holographic stereogram printing system capable of printing a holographic stereogram by selectively performing a desired image processing on a still picture image or a motion picture image entered. The printing system is comprised of an image processing server for selectively performing an image processing on an image data, an image storage server for storing the image data processed in the image processing server, and a printing device for printing a holographic stereogram in accordance with the processed image data stored in the image storage server.