Abstract: When a whole image having a large area or high resolution is displayed, the boundary lines are made less noticeable with a small amount of calculation by displaying partial images by a plurality of image projection units. An apparatus has a division position creation unit to create division positions such that the division positions vary at given timings, an image division unit to divide images at the division positions created by the division position creation unit, and plural image projection units PJ1, PJ2, . . . , PJN to display the images divided by the image division unit.

Abstract: An image alignment system for rear projection in which a portion of the normally changing pixel pattern contains a pixel reference mark, which appears in each of the side-by-side pixel images projected onto a screen. A camera having a field of view large enough to encompass the pixel reference mark of each of the images on the screen captures the location of the pixel reference marks to enable a computer to determine the coordinates of the each of the pixel reference marks and generate a deviation signal represented of the visual misalignment of the side-by-side images. A drive member controllable by the deviation signal from the computer repositions one of the side-by-side images with respect to the other to thereby align the images to produce a single visually seamless image. The camera and computer can continually monitor both of the pixel reference marks to continually generate a deviation signal so that the side-by-side images can automatically be brought into a single visually seamless image.

Abstract: A panoptic camera system that can be used to capture all the light from a hemisphere viewing angle is disclosed. The panoptic camera comprises a main reflecting mirror that reflects light from an entire hemisphere onto an image capture mechanism. The main reflecting mirror consists of a paraboloid shape with a dimple on an apex. The surface area around the dimple allows the main reflector to capture light from behind an image capture mechanism or a second reflector. When two panoptic camera systems that capture the light from an entire hemisphere are placed back to back, a camera system that “sees” light from all directions is created. A stereo vision panoramic camera system is also disclosed. The stereo vision panoramic camera system comprises two panoramic camera systems that are separated by a known distance. The two panoramic camera systems are each placed in a “blind spot” of the other panoramic camera system.

Abstract: An omnidirectional or panoramic viewer/projector uses a single camera and a mirror with a curved surface. The curved mirror provides a single virtual optical center or viewpoint.

Abstract: In a image pickup apparatus having three cameras for use in picking up a seamless panoramic image for a multi-screen, angles of view of the three cameras are jointed with each other without any overlapping or dead areas by making a side boundary line of one camera match with a complimentary side boundary line of another camera, the two outside cameras receiving an image in reverse through two reflection mirrors. The two reversed images are electrically or optically inverted by inversion sections to obtain original images.