Single Lens 3D Imaging via Lenticular Data Rearrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing 3D images using lenticular screens are complex, require identical multi-camera lenses, and are not suitable for close-up images due to parallax issues, resulting in pseudo-stereoscopic views.
Innovation Solution
A single camera lens captures images through a lenticular screen or parallax barrier, with an image processor rearranging the image data to create a stereoscopic view by flipping or rearranging image portions, allowing a viewer to see a 3D image using a lenticular screen or parallax barrier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple identical camera lenses are used to capture images from different viewing angles, then a multi-view 3D image can be produced, but the device complexity increases and the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image capture function into multiple segments by using a single camera lens with a lenticular screen that captures light from different angles, effectively segmenting the viewing angles into multiple image strips on a single sensor. This replaces the need for multiple complete camera systems while maintaining the multi-view 3D effect.
Solution Approach 2:
A single camera lens is made multi-functional by placing a lenticular screen in front of it, allowing one lens to capture images from multiple viewing angles simultaneously. The single camera system performs the function of multiple cameras, reducing device complexity while maintaining 3D image quality.
2Reliability
If multiple camera lenses with fixed separation are used, then a multi-view 3D image can be produced, but the system becomes unsuitable for close-up objects due to excessive parallax
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the effective baseline distance dynamic by allowing the camera lens to be moved closer to the object. Since only a single lens is used with a lenticular screen, the parallax can be controlled by adjusting the lens-to-object distance rather than being fixed by the separation between multiple lenses. This enables close-up 3D imaging that would be impossible with fixed multi-lens systems.
3Reliability
If multiple camera lenses are used to capture images, then component images can be composed, but the ease of manufacture decreases due to requirements for identical focal length and color balance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the multi-angle capture function from the camera lens itself and transfers it to the lenticular screen positioned in front of the sensor. This separates the angle-diversification function from the imaging function, allowing a single standard camera lens to be used without requiring matching of focal lengths or color balances between multiple lenses.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using multiple physical camera lenses that would require precise matching, the patent creates virtual copies of the imaging process by using a single lens to capture multiple angle views through the lenticular screen. The lenticular screen effectively creates multiple virtual image paths from one physical lens, eliminating the need for expensive lens matching.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Simplifies the 3D imaging process, eliminates the need for identical camera lenses, and enables accurate stereoscopic viewing by rearranging image data to provide a spatial relationship between display segments and parallax separation units, resulting in an ortho-stereoscopic image.
Implementation Method 1
a first parallax sheet comprising a plurality of first parallax separation units... an image sensor configured to capture the image through the first parallax sheet to form a sensed image
Implementation Method 2
a camera lens arranged to form an image... an image sensor configured to capture the image through the first parallax sheet
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging system includes a camera, a display panel and a processor for providing image data to the display panel. The camera has a sensor with pixel rows for capturing an image taken by a camera lens through a lenticular sheet with first lenticules, such that each first lenticule covers at least two pixel rows. The display panel is used to show a displayed image based on the image data. The display panel is covered by a viewing lenticular sheet with second lenticules. The displayed image has a plurality of segments, with each segment under a second lenticule and each segment has sub-segments corresponding to pixel rows under a first lenticule. Image data provided to the image display panel is arranged such that image contents in the sub-segments under each second lenticule and image contents in the pixel rows under each first lenticule have different arrangement orders.