Stereographic book
A handheld stereographic book-type device which includes a content support portion (8) configured to position and support stereographic content (1A, 1B), and a stereoscopic viewer (5) configured to enable interocular adjustment. The stereoscopic viewer includes adjustable left and right lenses and respective adjustable occluding apertures to enable perception of stereographic content configured with left and right peripheral monocular fields (FIGS. 7-9, 2DL & 2DR). A viewer pivotal chassis (3) is configured to couple the stereoscopic viewer to the content support portion (8). The viewer pivotal chassis includes a plurality of pivotal axes (3) parallel to a line which bisects the left and right lenses of said viewer to enable the user to visually scan and traverse up and down the length of said content while maintaining focus of said content therewith said viewer (5).
This application is a U.S. national application of international application Ser. No. PCT/US97/18028 filed Oct. 3, 1997, which claims priority to U.S. provisional applications Ser. Nos. 60/026,761 and 60/044,736 filed Oct. 4, 1996, and Apr. 18, 1997, respectively.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to an articulated apparatus which enables stereographic and textual content to be conveyed and presented to the user in a manner similar and related to a book; a brochure; and a format for advertisement and presentation in concert with pre-existing publishing and packaging formats.
The present invention may also be configured with transparent sleeves which operate in a manner similar to a plurality of pivotally-mounted pages, so it may convey stereographic photoprints mounted back-to-back in a manner similar to a photo album.
The present invention can convey high resolution stereographic digital hard copies sent and received via an electronic network, to be printed at the site of reception, and then mounted into the device.
The present invention can be configured to convey stereographic charts and maps to enhance the user's comprehension of geographical and topological features.
More particularly, the present invention as contemplated herein is directed to providing a stereographic device which is very affordable to produce with pre-existing materials and manufacturing techniques extant in the publishing industry, including materials such as cardboard, bristol board, fabric, linen, etc. (with the exception of the lens elements, which are plastic or glass) and with such manufacturing methods as die-cutting, folding, laminating, etc. and other pre-established methods of fastening and page binding, including staple, wire, etc. The present invention can be secured together and also releasably secured into a storage configuration with various printable adhesives, tapes and also tab and slot fastening techniques common to the traditional publishing industry and well known to those skilled in the art. However, the present invention should not be limited to these suggested aspects of material preference and said rendering techniques, as other means may be utilized to render the device in its various configurations.
Stereographic/stereoscopic devices are numerous and various in type and well-known in the art. Generally, a stereoscope is an optical instrument configured to view stereographic imagery. The primary objective of the stereoscopic/stereographic art is to provide the user with a visual medium that approximates the experience of natural human visual perception of three-dimensional space. Depth perception is a phenomenon that naturally occurs as the right and left eyes each perceive simultaneously the spacial world in parallax, from two slightly different, horizontally displaced perspective viewpoints, which the brain fuses together and interprets, providing three-dimensional perception. A stereographic image typically consists of two separate images produces in a flat, planar, two-dimensional medium. The images of corresponding left and right perspective views are appropriately positioned next to each other so that their perspective viewpoints are horizontally displaced from each other by a distance that corresponds to the average inter-pupillary distance of the left and right eyes. The two images, commonly referred to as a stereograph or a stereo-pair, when viewed with an optical viewer possessing two lenses with the appropriate optical and focal properties, enable each eye to see the corresponding image intended for it, thereby creating in the brain a perceived three-dimension effect.
The present invention is designed to take advantage of the high-tech synthesizing power of computer imaging as well as high resolution digital printing to provide an affordable, accessible stenographic book that is capable of communicating complex three-dimensional visual concepts which are accompanied and augmented with textual information. Because of its ability to store and convey both stereographic imagery and readable text, the present invention can be utilized extensively for educational and entertainment purposes. In particular, the present invention is useful for visual novels and children's books, including reading primers, and also as an affordable, take-home visualization tool and study aid in the fields of chemistry, molecular biology, medicine, architecture, artistic sculpture, and other areas which benefit from seeing and understanding complex three-dimensional imagery.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONStereoscopic Viewer
The stereoscopic viewer, including its various adaptations as disclosed herein, has the primary objective of conveying stereographic content to the user. Further, the objective is to simulate natural human vision and to inclusively provide an immersive, full-field-of-view stereographic viewing experience to a wide audience, especially those who do not have access to expensive electronic systems.
One of the key capabilities necessary to achieve this objective is interocular adjustment. The present viewer substantially improves this capability over the previously disclosed and claimed embodiments of this inventor's work as originally filed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,136, wherein interocular adjustment was achieved by configuring the lenses to be adjustable to the user's individual interpupillary distance, with occluding apertures in a fixed and integral position in the viewer body, This capability is effective to a certain extent, however, it is determined that remarkably improved perception of the immersive image field can be attained by configuring the apertures which frame the left and right images to also be adjustable, to therewith enable right-stereographic content to be occluded from the left eye viewpoint and left-stereographic content to be occluded from the right-eye viewpoint, respectively.
Further, adjustable occluding apertures greatly improve the user's ability to fine-tune and thus see an immersive visual-field that simulates natural vision, with a central stereo-field bordered by left and right peripheral monocular fields. The apertures' close proximity to the user's eyes renders the perception of the shielding edges of the apertures as a soft blur. This soft blur of occlusion is actually very important, because it blends said stereo and mono fields seamlessly together, to create an immersive visual field.
It is annotated that the viewer of the present invention may be configured with any type of lense optics common to the stereographic art, including but not limited to the double convex, double convex wedge, plano convex, piano convex wedge, anastigmatic and any other optical lense form or arrangement of lense forms which facilitate optical utilization of the stereoscopic viewer.
CHASSIS PIVOTAL GEOMETRIESThe pivotal geometries of the chassis portions designated herein as the viewer pivotal chassis (VPC) achieves a substantial improvement over the previous viewer pivotal array (VPA) geometries disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,136, specifically in embodiments 13C, 14D, and 15E of said patent, which are concerned with enabling the device to achieve a first and second viewing position so that two pivotally-exposed stereographic pages may be viewed sequentially. The VPC geometries presently contemplated achieve not only first and second viewing positions, but are also capable of a linear scanning movement between the first and second viewing positions while retaining focus of the two pivotally-exposed pages. This enables stereographic content on said pages to be arranged in new ways, for example, a double-page spread of a single stereographic image can be viewed. This viewing procedure provides a sensation similar to one surveying a space with binoculars, in the aspect that one can roam and traverse up and down the double page spread and the 3D space of the image. This capability cannot be achieved by the VPA geometries of said previous embodiments. The present VPC geometries are substantially different as to function, and also achieve said functional articulation with a greater economy of pivotal movement. Other distinctions between said previously disclosed VPA geometries and the present VPC geometries are:
Specifically, said previous VPA geometries as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,136 in embodiments 13C, 14D, and 15E in
However, the embodiments presently contemplated herein are directed towards material preferences and manufacturing techniques that are traditional to the publishing industry, i.e. cardboard and fabric. Said previous VPA geometries as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,136 may rapidly fatigue and damage cardboard and fabric pivotal means, so the present VPC geometries disclosed herein are contemplated as pivotal solutions to these material concerns. However, it should be understood that these stated aspects of material preference do not exclude the application and rendering of these herein disclosed pivotal configurations with other materials and techniques, i.e. the present invention can also be rendered in plastic or metal or other materials.
According to another aspect of distinction, the present VPC geometries disclosed herein do not require a mid-point pivotal axis to rotate 180° as in said previous embodiments. The present VPC geometries do not possess a mid-point pivot and the pivotal axes have been changed so that no pivot apex of the VPC shifts from an inverse to an obverse position. All pivot apexes of the present VPC geometries retain an obverse angular relationship. Further, the present VPC geometries require less pivotal rotation and do not require any pivotal axis to rotate 180°. Thus, pivotal wear is substantially reduced, and the aforesaid linear scanning function is an additional benefit to the present invention. The drawings disclosed herein will provide a corresponding description of these objectives and said geometries.
A complete understanding of the present invention and other advantages and features thereof may be gained from a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to the drawings,
It is annotated that the primary objective of abutting stereofields 2L and 2R is to achieve perception of the largest stereofield possible. If a wide central border were interposed between 2L and 2R, said border would occupy space that can be utilized by the stereographic content and decrease and narrow the perceived stereofield, thus the objective of attaining an immersive visual field would be diminished. However, it should be understood that non-immersive stereographic content can also be conveyed with the present invention, for example, the perceived visual field can convey a series of 3D images, in a manner similar to comics.
When properly occluded, centerline 13 is blocked out by apertures 6A (See
When the apertures 6A are adjustable to the user's exact visual requirements said field merging effect is virtually indistinguishable from natural visual perception.
Page 1J and 1K are supported in a generally common plane by extended and rigid cover/content support portion 7C, and are shown with a diagram of multiple stereographic panels as a suggestion to how said pages may convey stereographic comics. As previously stated herein (refer to description of
Whereby publication 9M (pictured here as a magazine, however, the brochure 19 may be inserted into other publishing formats) is attached thereto planar sheet/content support portion 7E with any number of well-known and conventional means thereto 9S, and may also be removed from publication 9M by common means, an example of which is illustrated here as perforated line 7F. Also indicated are suggested corresponding configurations for releasably securing viewer 5C and VPC3C into a flat configuration parallel therewith planar sheet 7E, whereby when so conformed, tab 8D engages slot 8E, tab 8F engages slot 8G, tab 9A engages slot 9B and tab 9C engages 9D in a fastening manner commonly known in the art. It is annotated that these suggested and indicated fastening means, methods, and typical locations of engagement are simply a few of a myriad of ways the present invention can be releasably fastened to achieve the objective of said flat configuration.
Viewer 5C is functionally the same as viewer 5, except that it is thinner in profile, and is pivotably coupled to VPC3C which is very similar in function to VPC3B pivotal geometry of book 18 shown in
It should be understood that an additional purpose for this particular
It should be understood that planar sheet/content support portion 7E may also be easily configured with a plurality of pivotable pages in a manner similar to that illustrated in
Whereby stereographic content 1R is either integral or affixed to package 7G, and VPC3E is, in the example shown here, attached thereto package 7G by glued flap 8H. A suggested example is indicated of releasably fastening viewer 5C and VPC3E into a flat configuration, parallel to the plane defined by 1R, wherein tab 9E engages slot 9F, and tab 9G engages slot 9H. It is understood that VPC3E and viewer 5C function in the same manner as previously disclosed
It should be understood that said apertures and lenses in all the embodiments disclosed may be configured with other means to achieve the stated objectives of the present invention, and that, for example, the apertures could be arranged on the opposite side of the lenses so that they are closer to the user's eyes than said lenses.
Said units fit and function in the viewer 5D in the same manner as units 4I and 6D described in FIG. 27.
A wide interocular adjustment is achieved when the user grasps eyepiece thumb switch 3S and slides it outward as indicated by arrows 61 and 65. It is understood that the user may grasp either the left or right thumb switch. For this sequential example, the user slides the left switch 3S in the direction indicated by arrow 61, which causes linear gear 3Z to also slide, as indicated by arrow 62, which in turn pivots pinion gear 3G in a clockwise motion around gear pivot pin 3H as indicated by arrow 63, thus driving the method teeth of opposing linear gear 3T in the direction indicated by arrow 64, thereby sliding eyepiece 3K in a synchronized manner away from eyepiece 3J, as indicated by arrow 65.
The pivotal page support 8N, which includes two pivotal axes 3M, also functions as a cover flap and can be releasably secured to 8M with sewn velcro patches or other means common in the art, whereby patch 81 engages patch 8J and 8K engages 8L, respectively.
The content packet 7Y is shown in place, positioned, as shown in
Stereographic content 7X is thereby positioned to be viewable as depicted in previous figures.
Whereas the present invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, the embodiments suggested in the drawings will herein be described in sufficient detail. It should be understood, however, it is not the intention to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but to indicate the general spacial alignments and inherent geometries and thus define the functional and objective parameters of the present invention.
Claims
1. A stereographic device comprising:
- a content support portion, a handheld stereoscopic viewer, and a viewer pivotal chassis;
- the content support portion being configured to position and support textual, stereographic, and immersive content;
- the content support portion being proportioned to convey, when said content support portion occupies a full field of view of the viewer when said viewer is at a position of focalization, content which is configured to convey four visual fields, including a left peripheral monocular field, a left binocular stereo field, a right binocular stereo field, and a right peripheral monocular field, respectively;
- the viewer being configured to enable interocular adjustment, including adjustable left and right lenses and adjustable left and right occluding apertures configured to enable the right binocular stereo field and the right peripheral monocular field to be occluded from the left eye viewpoint and left binocular stereo field and the left peripheral monocular field to be occluded from the right eye viewpoint, respectively, the left and right occluding apertures being located in a common plane and being movable in the common plane to adjust the locations of the left and right occluding apertures;
- said adjustable lenses and occluding apertures configured to facilitate interpupillary alignment with said content, to thereby enable fusion of the content of the left binocular stereo field with the content of the right binocular stereo field, to thus enable perception of a central binocular stereo field of three dimensional content, and with alignment of the respective occluding apertures, to also enable perception of the left and right peripheral monocular fields of two dimensional content, so that the full field of view, as perceived after fusion, consists of three fields of content including the left and right peripheral monocular fields of two dimensional content interposed by the central binocular stereo field of three dimensional content;
- the viewer pivotal chassis being compatibly configured with said viewer and said content support portion to enable the viewer pivotal chassis to couple to said viewer and said content support portion so that the viewer pivotal chassis is interposed between said viewer and said content support portion;
- the viewer pivotal chassis being configured to enable said viewer to be positioned in alignment with said content support portion and said content to facilitate perception of said content;
- the viewer pivotal chassis including a plurality of pivotal axes parallel to a line which bisects the left and right lenses of said viewer, said axes being configured to enable a distance between said viewer and said content to be adjustable, so as to facilitate focalization; and
- said viewer pivotal chassis axes also being configured to enable said viewer to function and be movable in a plane that is parallel to a plane common to the surface of said content so that said content is visually scannable with said viewer by moving said viewer in said plane up and down a length of said content while maintaining focus during movement of the viewer relative to the content to facilitate focalized optical conveyance of content having an image area greater in its entirety than is optically accessible with the viewer at one time.
2. A variation of the content support portion of the device of claim 1, wherein said content support portion is configured to position and support a page axis to enable a plurality of pages to be pivotable, the page axis being parallel to the line which bisects the left and right lenses of the viewer, each of said pages having first and second opposite surfaces, each of said surfaces being pivotally positionable to convey said content optically with said viewer, so that two pivotally exposed page surfaces, which are adjacent to and opposite each other and disposed one on each side of said page axis, in an arrangement commonly known as two spread pages, are visually scannable with said viewer while maintaining focus.
3. A modification of the content support portion of the device of claim 2, wherein said content support portion is configured to provide a rigid, generally planar surface to position and support said page axis and said plurality of pages, to enable at least two pivotally exposed pages, which are adjacent to and opposite each other and disposed one on each side of said page axis, in an arrangement commonly known as two spread pages, to be supported in a generally common plane.
4. A modification of the content support portion of the device of claim 2, wherein said content support portion is configured to provide an articulated, pivotable page support surface, with at least one pivotable axis to thereby enable the device to be conformable into a compact size when in a storage configuration.
5. An adaptation of the plurality of pages of the device of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of pages is configured as a transparent sleeve to enable at least two photographic stereographic pairs of said content to be placed back to back and slidably inserted into each sleeve; so that the first and second opposite surfaces of each page display the image-bearing surfaces of said photographic stereographic pairs to enable said photographic stereographic pairs to be optically conveyed with said viewer.
6. A modification of the device of claim 2, wherein said plurality of pages and said content support portion are configured to be compatible with each other to enable releasable attachment to each other.
7. A variation of the content support portion of the device of claim 1, wherein said content support portion is configured to provide a rigid, generally planar surface to position, support in a generally common plane and releasably attach at least one surface of a page provided with said content, to enable said content to be positioned to be optically conveyed and visually scanned with said viewer while maintaining focus.
8. A variation of the page of claim 7, wherein said page is configured as at least one transparent sleeve, to enable at least one photographic stereographic pair of said content to be slidably inserted into said sleeve so that said content is positioned to be conveyed optically and visually scanned with said viewer while maintaining focus.
9. A variation of the content support portion of the device of claim 1, wherein said content support portion is configured as a generally planar surface provided with said content, which is positioned to be optically conveyed and visually scanned with said viewer while maintaining focus.
10. A variation of said stereoscopic viewer of the device of claim 1, wherein said adjustable left and right lenses and respective occluding apertures are configured to enable independent adjustment relative to each other.
11. A variation of said stereoscopic viewer of claim 1, wherein said adjustable left and right lenses are integrally merged and molded in one piece with said left and right occluding apertures, respectively, so that adjustment of said left and right lenses determines a corresponding adjustment of said merged occluding apertures.
12. A variation of said stereoscopic viewer of claim 1, wherein said left and right lenses are merged with said respective occluding apertures and provided with a means of adjustment to enable synchronized equidistant movement towards and away from each other, and at least one slidable adjustment switch to facilitate rapid and precise interocular adjustment of said left and right lenses with said merged occluding apertures.
13. A variation of said viewer of claim 12, wherein said means of adjustment to enable synchronized equidistant movement is a pivotable arm provided with first and second pivotal ends and positioned by a fulcrum; said respective first and second ends of said arm being compatibly configured for coupling thereto said respective left and right lenses and said merged occluding apertures; a pivotal axis of said fulcrum and pivotal axes of said ends of said pivotal arm being perpendicular to a plane that is common to the left and right lenses.
14. A variation of said stereoscopic viewer of claim 12, wherein said means of adjustment to enable synchronized equidistant movement included a pinion gear meshed with first and second opposing linear gears, each of which slide therein a linear path parallel to the line which bisects the left and right lenses, said respective first and second linear gears being integrally merged and molded in one piece with said left and right lenses and said merged occluding apertures, a rotational axis of said pinion gear being perpendicular to a plane that is common to the left and right lenses.
15. A structural conformation of the device of claim 1, wherein said content support portion, said viewer, and said viewer pivotal chassis are pivotally conformable into a storage configuration that interposes the lenses of said viewer into a shielded position between said viewer pivotal chassis and said content support portion.
16. A modification of the structural conformation of claim 15, wherein said content support portion, said viewer and said viewer pivotal chassis are maintained in said storage configuration with releasable fasteners.
17. A stereographic device comprising:
- a content support portion, a handheld stereographic viewer, and a viewer pivotal chassis;
- the content support portion being configured to position and support textual, stereographic, and immersive content;
- the content support portion being proportioned to convey, when said content support portion occupies a full field of view of the viewer when said viewer is at a position of focalization, content which is configured to convey four visual fields, including a left peripheral monocular field, a left binocular stereo field, a right binocular stereo field, and a right peripheral monocular field, respectively;
- the viewer being configured to enable interocular adjustment, including adjustable left and right lenses and adjustable occluding apertures configured to enable the right binocular stereo field and the right peripheral monocular field to be occluded from the left eye viewpoint and left binocular stereo field and the left peripheral monocular field to be occluded from the right eye viewpoint, respectively;
- said adjustable lenses and occluding apertures configured to facilitate interpupillary alignment with said content, to thereby enable fusion of the content of the left binocular stereo field with the content of the right binocular stereo field, to thus enable perception of a central binocular stereo field of three dimensional content, and with alignment of the respective occluding apertures, to also enable perception of the left and right peripheral monocular fields of two dimensional content, so that the full field of view, as perceived after fusion, consists of three fields of content including the left and right peripheral monocular fields of two dimensional content interposed by the central binocular stereo field of three dimensional content.
- the viewer pivotal chassis being compatibly configured with said viewer and said content support portion to enable the viewer pivotal chassis to couple to said viewer and said content support portion so that the viewer pivotal chassis is interposed between said viewer and said content support portion;
- the viewer pivotal chassis being configured to enable said viewer to be positioned in alignment with said content support portion and said content to facilitate perception of said content;
- the viewer pivotal chassis including a plurality of pivotal axes parallel to a line which bisects the left and right lenses of said viewer, said axes being configured to enable a distance between said viewer and said content to be adjustable, so as to facilitate focalization; and
- said viewer pivotal chassis axes also being configured to enable said viewer to function and be movable in a plane that is parallel to a plane common to the surface of said content so that said content is visually scannable with said viewer by moving said viewer in said plane up and down a length of said content while maintaining focus, said content support portion being configured to position and support a page axis to enable a plurality of pages to be pivotable, the page axis being parallel to the line which bisects the left and right lenses of the viewer, each of said pages having first and second opposite surfaces, each of said surfaces being pivotally positionable to convey said content optically with said viewer, so that two pivotally exposed page surfaces, which are adjacent to and opposite each other and disposed one on each side of said page axis, in an arrangement commonly known as two spread pages, are visually scannable with said viewer while maintaining focus, and wherein said plurality of pivotable pages, each having first and second opposite surfaces provided with said content, are configured so that the upright direction of said content is oriented towards the pivotal axis of the pages and said pages and said content support portion are compatibly configured to be releasably attachable to each other; so that said upright content of said first surfaces is oriented, attached, positioned, pivoted and viewed sequentially with said viewer and then be released, reoriented, reattached, and repositioned to enable said upright content of said opposite second surfaces to be pivoted and thereby viewed sequentially with said viewer.
18. A stereographic device comprising:
- a content support portion having stereographic content which includes a left peripheral monocular field, a left binocular stereo field, a right binocular stereo field, and a right peripheral monocular field;
- a stereoscopic viewer including adjustable left and right lenses and left and right adjustable occluding apertures associated with the left and right lenses, respectively, the viewer being configured so that content of the left binocular stereo field is visually merged with content of the right binocular stereo field to enable perception of the fields of content including the left and right peripheral monocular fields of two dimensional content and a central binocular stereo field of three dimensional content located therebetween, the left and right occluding apertures each being located in a common plane and being movable in the common plane to adjust the locations of the left and right occluding apertures; and
- a viewer pivotal chassis configured to couple the viewer to the content support portion.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the adjustable left and right lenses and the respective left and right occluding apertures are configured to enable independent adjustment of the left and right lenses and left and right occluding apertures, respectively, relative to each other.
20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the viewer pivotal chassis is configured to enable said viewer to be positioned in alignment with said content support portion and said content to facilitate perception of said content, the viewer pivotal chassis being configured to enable a distance between said viewer and said content to be adjustable to facilitate focalization and configured to enable the viewer to be movable in a plane that is parallel to a plane of said content so that said content is visually scannable with said viewer by moving said viewer in said plane up and down a length of said content while maintaining focus.
21. A stereographic device comprising:
- a content support portion having stereographic content which includes a left peripheral monocular field, a left binocular stereo field, a right binocular stereo field, and a right peripheral monocular field;
- a stereoscopic viewer including adjustable left and right lenses and left and right adjustable occluding apertures associated with the left and right lenses, respectively, the viewer being configured so that content of the left binocular stereo field is visually merged with content of the right binocular stereo field to enable perception of three fields of content including the left and right peripheral monocular fields of two dimensional content and a central binocular stereo field of three dimensional content located therebetween, the adjustable left and right lenses being integrally formed with the left and right occluding apertures, respectively, so that adjustment of said left and right lenses causes a corresponding adjustment of the left and right occluding apertures respectively; and
- a viewer pivotal chassis configured to couple the viewer to the content support portion.
22. A stereographic device comprising:
- a content support portion having stereographic content thereon;
- a hard held stereoscopic viewer including left and right lenses to permit the content to be optically conveyed to enable perception of a binocular stereo field of three dimensional content; and
- a viewer pivotal chassis configured to couple the viewer to the content support portion, the viewer pivotal chassis including means for enabling a distance between the viewer and the content to be adjustable to permit focalization and for enabling the viewer to be movable in a first plane that is parallel to a second plane common to a surface of the content so that the content remains in focus during a scanning movement of the viewer in the first plane up and down a length of the content to facilitate optical conveyance of content having an image area greater in its entirety than is optically with the viewer at one time.
23. The device of claim 22, wherein the viewer includes adjustable left and right lenses.
24. The device of claim 23, wherein the viewer includes adjustable left and right occluding apertures associated with left and right lenses, respectively.
25. A stereographic device comprising:
- a content support portion having stereographic content thereon;
- a hand held stereographic viewer configured with left and right lenses to enable the content to be optically conveyed to facilitate perception of a binocular stereo field of three dimensional content; and
- a viewer pivotal chassis configured to couple the viewer to the content support portion, the content support portion being configured to position and support a plurality of pages which are pivotable about a page axis, the page axis being parallel to a line which bisects the left and right lenses, each of the plurality of pages having first and second opposite surfaces provided with content, with an upright direction of the content being oriented towards the page axis, the pages being configured to be releasably attached to the content support portion to enable the content on the first surfaces to be oriented, attached, positioned, pivoted and viewed in the upright direction sequentially with the viewer and then released, reoriented, reattached, and repositioned to enable the content on the second surfaces of the pages to be pivoted and thereby viewed sequentially in the upright direction with said viewer.
26. The device of claim 25, wherein the viewer includes adjustable left and right lenses.
27. The device of claim 26, wherein the viewer includes adjustable left and right occluding apertures associated with the left and right lenses, respectively.
28. A stereographic viewing device comprising:
- a stereoscopic viewer configured to enable interocular adjustment, including adjustable left and right viewpoint lenses and adjustable left and right viewpoint occluding apertures; respectively;
- the lenses and apertures being configured for viewing immersive stereographic content having a format which presents the content in four visual fields, including a left peripheral monocular field, a left binocular stereo field, a right binocular stereo field, and a right peripheral monocular field, respectively, when the content is presented in a plane of focalization with the respective left eye and right eye viewpoints of the viewer;
- the adjustable left and right lenses being configured to enable interpupillary alignment, stereoscopic fusion and perception of the content presented in the left and right binocular stereo fields as a central binocular stereo field of three dimensional content;
- the adjustable left and right occluding apertures being configured to enable the right binocular stereo field and the right peripheral monocular field to be occluded from the left eye viewpoint and the left binocular stereo field and the left peripheral monocular field to be occluded from the right eye viewpoint, respectively; and
- the adjustable left and right occluding apertures being movable in a common plane in close proximity to the user's eyes, to enable the occluding edges of the apertures to softly blur and optically blend the perception of the bordering edges of the fused central binocular field with the perception of the left and right peripheral monocular fields, so that the perception of the immersive stereographic content conveyed by the viewer includes a central binocular field of fused stereoscopic three dimensional content seamlessly blended with and interposed between left and right peripheral monocular fields of two dimensional content.
29. The device of claim 28, wherein the adjustable left and right lenses and respective occluding apertures are configured to enable independent adjustment relative to each other.
30. The device of claim 28, wherein the adjustable left and right lenses integral with the respective left and right occluding apertures so that adjustment of the lenses also determines adjustment of the occluding apertures.
31. The device of claim 30, wherein the function of adjustment is characterized by synchronized equidistant movement of the left lens and integral occluding aperture toward and away from the right lens and integral occluding aperture.
32. The device of claim 31, wherein the function of adjustment is enabled with a pivotal arm positioned by a fulcrum with one end of the pivotal arm pivotally attached to the left lens and integral occluding aperture, and the other end of the pivotal arm pivotally attached to the right lens and integral occluding aperture; the axis of the fulcrum and the axes of the pivotal ends of the pivotal arm being generally perpendicular to a plane common to the left and right lenses.
33. The device of claim 31, wherein the function of adjustment is enabled by rotational movement of a pinion gear meshed with two opposing linear gears, each of which slide on a line parallel to a line which bisects the left and right lenses, one of the linear gears being attached to the left lens and integral occluding aperture, the other linear gear being attached to the right lens and integral occluding aperture; the axis of the pinion gear being generally perpendicular to a plane common to the left and right lenses.
34. The device of claim 28, wherein the viewer is configured as a hybrid stereographic book having a content support portion and a chassis that releasably attaches to the viewer so that the viewer is separable from the chassis and the content support portion; the content support portion being configured to support a multiple paged content packet having an axis to enable a plurality of pages to be pivotable, the page axis being parallel to a line which bisects the left and right lenses, the pages having immersive stereographic content thereon; the content support portion and chassis being configured to enable the viewer to be maintained in alignment with the content during viewing and pivoting of multiple pages of content.
35. The device of claim 34, wherein the plurality of pivotable pages, each having first and second opposite surfaces provided with stereographic content, the upright direction of the content oriented towards the pivotal axis of the pages; the axis and pages being configured for releasable attachment to the content support portion, so that the upright content of the first surfaces can be oriented, positioned, viewed with the viewer, released, reoriented, and repositioned to enable the upright content of the second opposite surfaces to be viewable with the viewer.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 3, 1997
Date of Patent: Mar 4, 2008
Inventor: Charles W. Jones (Knightstown, IN)
Primary Examiner: Mark A. Robinson
Assistant Examiner: Lee Fineman
Attorney: Baker & Daniels LLP
Application Number: 10/950,224
International Classification: G02B 27/22 (20060101);