Abstract: An apparatus for photographing a pair of diagonally related left and right images of a stereoscopic image couple on to film frames of a horizontally moving 65 mm film having 15 film perforations per frame.

Abstract: A film projector has side-by-side lamphouses each containing a xenon light source, light beam reflectors and a condensor lens for reshaping the reflected circular light beams into horizontal ellipsoidal light beams flattened by masking for the projection of stereo images by a pair of projection lenses having their optical axes coincident with diagonally related images of a stereoscopic image pair. Non-stereo images may likewise be selectively projected.

Abstract: A stereoscopic camera with two lenses, in which each lens is supported by a support table fixed rigidly to two parallel resilient plates. Simultaneous focussing and convergence of the lenses is brought about by a cam urging the plates to bend, thereby constraining both lenses to follow the required straight line loci.

Abstract: An apparatus for three-dimensional photography provides left and right eye images alternately along the lens axis of a camera for recording alternately on a film strip. The left and right eye images are received along spaced first and second axes separated by a distance substantially consistent with the interocular distance of natural eyes, and are resolved alternately along the lens axis of the camera. Lens assemblies are provided for each eye image to provide a horizontal spread of between 40.degree. and 60.degree. which substantially matches the natural horizontal field of vision. The convergence of the first and second axes is adjustable. The camera may be provided with a viewfinder in which the left and right eye images are separated out again.

Abstract: A camera assembly is provided for photographing a scene or subject from two slightly different positions with controlled three-dimensional effects for subsequent viewing, for example, with the assistance of special eyeglasses having appropriately filtered lenses. The camera assembly comprises a pair of cameras, such as two motion picture cameras, mounted onto a rigid frame for photographing a common scene or subject, with one of the cameras receiving light transmitted through a beamsplitter and the other camera receiving light reflected from the beamsplitter. One of the cameras is stationary on the frame whereas the other camera is movably supported by a mechanical control linkage to controllably vary three-dimensional effects by adjusting the lateral or interocular spacing between the nodal points of lens units for the two cameras and further by adjusting the movable camera to select the point of intersection, or convergence distance setting, of the camera sight lines within their fields of view.

Abstract: A lens system is provided for being coupled to a camera. The lens system has two prime lenses for receiving light from objects being filmed. Light passing through the prime lenses is reflected by a pair of prisms and a pair of mirrors to a relay lens. Light from the relay lens is used to expose the film in a conventional movie camera so that the image from one prime lens is recorded above the image from the other prime lens. Each film frame is divided in half, one half storing the image recorded by one prime lens, the other half storing the image recorded by the other prime lens. The two prime lenses are displaced both vertically and horizontally. As the two prime lenses are focused by being moved horizontally, one of the prime lenses moves vertically to insure that the object being focused on appears at the same height within its half frame as the object appears in the half frame storing the image from the other prime lens.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of producing a parallax stereogram, i.e., free vision stereogram, and particularly for the accurate registration of a plurality of film images in order to ensure stereographic reproduction. The images on a film strip are optically viewed to establish homologous points for each film frame image. In one embodiment two images are optically superimposed to establish a stereo base distance. Each film frame is marked in accordance with the homologous points or stereo base distance. The marking may be mechanical or optically generated. Each film frame is thereafter aligned or sensed while in an enlarger, the marks establishing the accurate registration of each frame. Each film frame is exposed onto a photosensitive material using a movable line grid. A lenticular screen is superimposed over the developed picture to form the stereoscopic photograph.

Abstract: A stereoscopic optical system for use in a camera to simultaneously photograph two separated views of a three-dimensional scene with lenticular type film and a viewing system by which the stereo pairs recorded on the lenticular film can be projected and combined on a screen so that they can be seen in proper stereo relief with spectacles having orthogonally polarized lenses. The stereoscopic optical system comprises a dual optical path for providing the two separated views of the scene. The two separated views of the scene are optically encoded through the use of orthogonal polarizers and are then combined to travel along a single system optical path through the use of a polarizing beamsplitter. An objective taking lens images the combined encoded scene views through an apertured polarizing mask which spatially separates the two separate views so that each travels along separate paths to the film.

Abstract: Right and left projected image fields of stereoscopic images must have even illumination. If audiences are subjected to uneven illumination intensity of right and left pairs of stereoscopic images, the result for most people will be discomfort. Complimentary colored filters are used in the optical paths of the right and left projected fields, and the resultant additive color mixture is used for evaluation of symmetrical illumination. A means is thus presented for quickly, accurately, and inexpensively calibrating right and left image fields for both equal and even illumination intensity.

Abstract: A stereo photographic measurement system having two wide angle lenses conted to a high speed motion picture camera by fiber-optic imaging bundles, and a target system, the camera and lenses being mounted upon one object and the target being mounted upon another object subject to motion relative thereto within the overlapping views of the lenses. In one embodiment head motion relative to the subject's torso during parachute opening is measured by this system with the target mounted on the back of the head and the lenses mounted near the base of the neck. Measurements of target position in each frame of stereo film by comparison of position of squares on the target are used to calculate head motion with respect to the upper torso.

Abstract: A process for recording and projecting a three dimensional visual scene onto a receiving surface from which the scene may be viewed in stereopsis by the unaided human eye. A scene is recorded from right and left view positions which are laterally separated by a distance of no more than about 1 inch, and separated in a direction generally perpendicular thereto by a distance of no more than about 1 inch, groups of one or more recorded right and recorded left views are alternately projected onto a receiving surface in sequence such that the visual duration of each group varies from a minimum to a maximum time which is generally proportional to the distance of the nearest non-moving object of special regard in the scene from the recording positions and is approximately equal to the visiopsychological supression rate of the human eyes.

Abstract: Paired movie cameras, each having synchronized movements and in phase shutters, are provided with focus and zoom optics of identical, but conventional and commercial manufacture. The paired lenses are first rotated relative to one another to obtain a coincidence between the centration vector for each lens for either zoom or focus. Once the centration vectors are aligned identically on a polar basis, mounting to the camera with provision for synchronous zoom between the respective cameras thereafter occurs. Typically, and before each stereo shooting, the zoom optics are set to a maximum magnification and registered to the appropriate distance with the lens finders and reticules. Upon change of the focus and/or zoom setting, a variable prism affixed to one camera is moved relative to the remaining camera to maintain identical centration between the respective lens cameras.

Abstract: This invention provides a high efficiency polarized light source and system for the projection of 3D motion pictures adaptable to a standard motion picture projector device. The projected light beam is compressed into a shape more nearly approximating the aperture shape so that substantially less than 40% of the light is lost at the gate.

Abstract: A process for recording and projecting a three-dimensional visual scene onto a receiving surface from which the scene may be viewed in stereopsis by the unaided human eye. The scene is recorded from right and left view positions laterally separated by a distance of no more than about one inch, and groups of recorded right and recorded left views are alternately projected onto a receiving surface in sequence such that the visual duration of each group varies from a minimum to a maximum time which is generally proportional to the distance of the nearest non-moving object of special regard in the scene from the recording positions and is approximately equal to the visio-psychological suppression rate of the human eyes.

Abstract: Dual projection lens systems are housed together to project adjacent stereo images onto a screen in stereoscopic position relationship. An ultra-violet filter is positioned on the optical axis of each lens system, and toward the screen a separate polarizer is positioned on each axis to provide polarized images to be seen by the viewer through binocular-polarized eyepieces. Heat sinks are attached to the filters for removing heat.

Abstract: Stereo pairs suitable for motion picture projection are derived from conventionally taken motion picture film by selection of frames and rearrangement thereof in side by side relationship upon a continuous strip of motion picture film. The pairs so prepared may be incorporated into film containing conventionally photographed stereo frames to provide a compatible system for 3-dimensional motion picture projection.

Abstract: An optical device, useful for three-dimensional stereo viewing not requir any mechanical shuttering, including two liquid crystal lenses, each comprising: (1) a thin layer of liquid crystal material, preferably nematic liquid crystal; (2) two plates of conductively-coated transparent material enclosing the liquid crystal, each plate being connectable to a source of voltage, and each plate being insulated from the other; (3) a front polarizing sheet forming the outside surface of the crystal lens; and (4) a rear polarizing sheet forming the inner surface of the crystal lens. The axes of polarization of the front and rear polarizing sheets are at right angles to each other, with the result that maximum light transmission through each of the lenses occurs when no voltage is applied across the conductively-coated plates, and minimum light transmission occurs when a voltage is applied across the coated plates.

Abstract: Stereo pairs which have printed on a single film strip are directed and focused upon a screen by an attachment for a standard motion picture projector. The images are overlapped and polarized at right angles to the other upon the screen by an optical device having abutting elements. The stereo pairs on the film are separated by an opaque band to define the edges of the projected image and mask element abutment. Indicia marks are provided on the film to enable the positioning of the right and left images on the film in the gate to avoid pseudo stereo projection. A film format for stereo pairs uses a dark bar centered at the aperture on the film or gate.

Abstract: Stereoscopic inputs given by a display, where the stereo images are centered on respective intersecting optical axes, which images both stereo inputs on a field lens at the intersecting which forms, in turn, exit pupils at a predetermined focal distance from the field lens on the respective optical axes. The input lenses are spaced such that the distance between the formed pupils is equal to the interpupillary distance of the viewer. The viewer merely positions himself such that his right eye is coincident with the one exit pupil and the left eye becomes coincident with the other exit pupil. Selection of the proper optics for any given stereo application first requires consideration of the parameters involved and their influence on the application at hand. Some of the display parameters are necessarily linked to sensor parameters and vice versa. Also, certain visual system parameters are dictated.