Digitally enhanced depth imaging

Abstract

A stereoscopic image arrangement includes at least one stereoscopic data source, at least one utilization device and a distribution channel. The at least one stereoscopic data source records images from which a stereoscopic image set can be generated. The utilization device is provided to facilitate viewing, printing, or otherwise utilizing the stereoscopic image set. The distribution channel facilitates transferring information between the stereoscopic data source and the utilization device, the information including the images as recorded by the stereoscopic data source or the stereoscopic image set itself. A number of stereoscopic data sources of diverse configurations are disclosed, including fixed and moving mirrors, prisms, and lenses, which may be used in the stereoscopic data source in the stereoscopic image arrangement.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE [0001] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 396,248, filed Sep. 16, 1999, in the names of Shmuel Peleg, et al., entitled “System and Method for Generating and Displaying Panoramic Images and Movies,” (hereinafter referred to as “the Peleg I patent application”) assigned to the assignee of the present application, incorporated herein by reference. [0002] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 726,198, filed Nov. 29, 2000, in the names of Shmuel Peleg, et al., entitled “Stereo Panoramic Camera Arrangements For Recording Panoramic Images Useful In A Stereo Panoramic Image Pair,” (hereinafter referred to as “the Peleg II patent application”) assigned to the assignee of the present application, incorporated herein by reference. [0003] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 792,638, filed Feb. 24, 2001, in the names of Shmuel Peleg, et al., entitled “System And Method For Facilitating The Adjustment Of Disparity In A Stereoscopic Panoramic Image Pair,” (hereinafter ref...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] In brief summary, the invention provides an arrangement for recording images for use in generating and utilizing images comprising a stereoscopic image set. The arrangement includes at least one stereoscopic data source, at least one utilization device and a distribution channel. The at least one stereoscopic data source records images from which a stereoscopic image set can be generated. The utilization device is provided to facilitate viewing, printing, or otherwise utilizing the stereoscopic image set. The distribution channel facilitates transferring information between the stereoscopic data source and the utilization device, the information including the images as recorded by the stereoscopic data source or the stereoscopic image set itself. If a stereoscopic image set is to comprise a plurality of mosaic images, the mosaic images may be generated by the stereoscopic data source, the image utilization device and / or the distribution channel.

Problems solved by technology

However, since the displacement is vertical, the recorded images are inappropriate for human stereo panoramic perception.

Images