CA1151453A - Stereo-photo viewing arrangement - Google Patents

Stereo-photo viewing arrangement

Info

Publication number
CA1151453A
CA1151453A CA000353349A CA353349A CA1151453A CA 1151453 A CA1151453 A CA 1151453A CA 000353349 A CA000353349 A CA 000353349A CA 353349 A CA353349 A CA 353349A CA 1151453 A CA1151453 A CA 1151453A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
stereo
print
image
upstanding
panel member
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000353349A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
George N. Stock
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1151453A publication Critical patent/CA1151453A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G02OPTICS
    • G02BOPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B30/00Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
    • G02B30/20Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images by providing first and second parallax images to an observer's left and right eyes
    • G02B30/34Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. 3D slide viewers
    • G02B30/35Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. 3D slide viewers using reflective optical elements in the optical path between the images and the observer

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Mirrors, Picture Frames, Photograph Stands, And Related Fastening Devices (AREA)
  • Stereoscopic And Panoramic Photography (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A stereo-photo viewing arrangement characterized by a support mounted upstanding panel member presenting a first or front surface mirror having a first stereo type image, in the form of a photographic print or drawing, disposed adjacent thereto and a second stereo type photographic image, with the same subject, disposed adjacent the opposite side of the upstanding panel member. The panel member provides a barrier that presents direct transmission of light between the two photographic images. Preferably, the user's right eye directly and unobstructedly views, in the area of the upper front corner of the upstanding panel member, the second stereo image, where the user's left eye, because of reflection from the first or front surface mirror receives a visual impression from the first stereo image;
however, and in contrast, i.e. with a reversal of components, the user's right eye may serve to receive the reflected image. In any event the aforesaid viewing combination creates a stereo type visual presentation, i.e.
one having a three dimensional or in-depth effect.
Typically, the stereo prints are disposed at an angle inclined with respect to the sides of the upstanding panel member.

Description

l:lS14~;3 As is known, photography provides an important field of interest to the public, either for avocation and/or vocational purposes. A widespread area of creativity has been developed in stereo reproduction and viewing, both in still life and motion picture presentations, for achieving an in-depth or third dimensional effect. In this connection, stereo type cameras are marketed offering three-dimensional end picture results, but a particular unsatisfied goal has been in achieving the effective viewing of very large stereo prints through the usage of simple and readily arranged and available components. As a matter of fact, practically all stereo picture viewing today is accomplished by small hand-held viewers which receive stereo pictures no larger than 1 3/8" x 1'. Restated, the individual photographer, either on a -----------------------.

,, ' ' '`.' " ' - . .
',i ~ ' ' ' . ' ' ' ' ~ , `` ` 1~5~;3 commercial or hobby basis, desires to achieve the realism afforded by viewing very large stereo pictures, but the shortcomings of past and present day stexeo equipment has strained the desire and enthusiams for stereo photography.

Arrangements for achieving stereo picture viewing have been considered for many years and, by way of example, the patent to Verbeck, No. 871,974, granted November 26, 1907, and entitled FOLDING STEREOSCOPE, is representative of early thinking. Difficulty inherent with the Verbeck structure, and other proposed arrangements of components directed to the same end purpose, is that of mechanical complexity, poor optical quality afforded, in part, by second or back surface mirrors and, actually, questionable workability and/or reliability.

Moreover, and as a matter of further example, the techniques of the earlier structures presented problems which could not oftentimes be overcome because of material availability, i.e. components developed and serving a particular purpose today were not then available, as, for example, front surface mirrors. Additionally, the results of the original forms of viewing equipment many times included distortion and other unwanted side effects, representing physical distress to the individual after viewing a series of stereo photoprints.

llS~s~3 According to the present invention there is provided a stereo-photo viewing arrangement comprising structure mounting an upstanding panel member, a first support surface disposed adjacent one side of said S upstanding panel member to receive a first stereo photographic print, and a second support surface disposed adjacent an opposite side of said upstanding panel member to receive a second stereo photographic print, said panel member presenting a continuous barrier between said support surfaces to prevent direct transmission of light between said surfaces and having a mirror covering at least a portion of one side of said panel member, all arranged for directly and unobstructedly presenting the image from said first stereo photographic print to one of the viewers eyes and the image from said second stereo photographic print by reflection from said front surface mirror to the other of the viewers eyes.
Each o~ the resulting stereo photographs are mounted on opposite sides of the aforesaid upstanding panel, i.e. one stereo print is disposed adjacent the first or front surface mirror and the other stereo print is disposed adjacent the second surface mirror or the plain side of the upstanding panel. In a preferred embodiment, the stereo prints are disposed at an angle inclined with respect to the sides of the upstanding panel.
In any event, the arrangement is such that the user can unobstructively view, from an angle over the .,~,~ .

. . .
:- -.

-1151~

upper front corner of the upstanding panel and with the right eye, one of the stereo prints, where, thereafter, both eyes, because of reflection of the other stereo print from the first or front surface mirror to the left eye, creates a stereo visual impression, i.e. one having a third or in-depth dimension. The preceding is based on the proposition that the right eye has direct access to the color sensing right half of the brain, where the access of the left eye to the color sensing right half of the brain is through optic chiasma. Thus, one of the important aspects of the invention lies in the fact that the viewer's right eye is in unobstructed visual contact with the stereo picture, with the left eye viewing image being reflected from the first surface mirror, the latter constituting, in effect, only a subtle "obstruction."

A better understanding of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a stereo-photo viewing arrangement in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, looking from right to left in Fig. 1, showing details of the disclosed arrangement;

llSl~S~

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the invention, showing the stereo print supporting surfaces angularly disposed with respect to the upstanding panel member forming part of the arrangement; and, Fig. 4 is another view in elevation, in this instance looking from left to right in Fig. 1, showing other details of the disclosed arrangement.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same.
It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications of the illustrated lS device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

~15~ 5~

Referring now to the figures, the invention typically includes a support 12 adapted to mount an upstanding panel member 14, where guides 15 serve further positioning purposes. The upstanding panel member 14 s includes a first or front surface mirror 17 on one side thereof and a second surface mirror 19 on the opposite side. In that a first surface mirror and a second surface mirror each have a known connotation in the art, no specific discussion is required of such herein.

It should be understood, however, that the second surface mirror 19 need not be used; instead, the plain surface of the side of the upstanding panel member 14 would be sufficient for the purposes of the invention.

The structure further includes supporting surfaces 21 and 23, respectively disposed on opposite sides of upstanding panel member 14. Typically, surfaces 21 and 23 are inclined, at a fold 21' and 23', to an angle in the range of 5 to 30 with respect to a horizontal plane, where Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred 20 relationship.

Surfaces 21 and 23 are adapted to receive stereo prints 31 and 33, equidistant from the actual viewing surface on the upstanding panel member 14, where, as evident in Fig. 1, a border 25 typically surrounds each stereo print 31 and 33, being darkened for anti-eye strain purposes. In further connection with eye strain, visually ll5~ S~3 soothing colored cardboard or like material 27 is placed over a portion of the viewing side ~Fig. 4) of the upstanding panel member 14 and, typically, over any uncovered surface of the non-viewing side (Fig. 2) of upstanding panel member 14, and over any uncovered surface of the second surface mirror 19, if used, in connection with the non-viewing side (Fig. 2) of upstanding panel member 14.

In order to facilitate handling, including positioning, a paperboard protective cover 29 overlies the rear portion of the first surface mirror 17 and the second surface mirror 19. In a preferred invention embodiment, the upstanding panel member 14 and associated mirrors 17 and 19 may be shielded with removable plastic material ~not shown) for further protective reasons. In any event, the front edge and, at least, a portion of the top edge of the upstanding panel member 14 includes a rim of resilient material 14a, such as sponge rubber, for eye safety during usage of the arrangement for stereo print viewing.

In this latter connection, a stereo picture is typically taken by means of a conventional stereo camera, where one of two negatives or slides, during processing, is flipped or reversed so that the image of each is facing oppositely to each other. In other words, the image on 115145~3 stereo print 31 may face to the left in Fig. 1, while the image on stereo print 33 faces to the right in the same figure.

One of the primary aspects of the invention lies in the viewing technique, i.e. the right eye of the user directly and unobstructedly views stereo print 33, where the viewer's left eye receives the image on stereo print 31 by reflection from the first surface mirror 17.
The preceding combination of impressions in the brain, received by each eye, effectively causes a stereo or third-dimensional viewing effect.

In the preferred practice of the invention, the viewer's head is somewhat to the left of the front upper corner of the upstanding panel member 14, where the right eye looks over the corner onto the stereo print 33, and the left eye is so positioned to receive the image from the stereo print 31 reflected from the first surface mirror 17. In other words, with a minimum of components, simply and effectively arranged, a positive visual stereo result is achieved.

In the alternative, and as stated, the upstanding panel member 14 presenting the first or front surface mirror 17 is on the opposite side thereof. In this instance, the right eye receives the reflected view from the first or front surface mirror 17. In the preferred _ g _ 51~$3 , embodiment, however, the viewer's left eye receives the reflected stereo image.

In any event, and as a matter of illustration, the size of the stereo picture that can be viewed with the stereo viewer of the invention ranges from 1 3/8" x 1" to 8 1/2" x 10", or conceivably, even several feet by several feet. The size of the stereo print is dependent only upon the size of the stereo viewer, although, in the preferred embodiment, 8 1/2" x 10" seems to approximate an ideal size for home use.

From the preceding, it should be apparent that the invention serves realistic stereo-photo viewing, where the illustrated components are susceptible to various changes within the spirit of the invention. In this connection, and while a second surface mirror is discussed, mostly for ready commercial adaptability in connection with a standard first or front surface mirror, other suitable types of upstanding panel member 14 may be employed for the first surface mirror. Moreover, overall proportioning and mounting details may also be varied, where, accordingly, the description hereabove should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims:

Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A stereo-photo viewing arrangement comprising structure mounting an upstanding panel member, a first support surface disposed adjacent one side of said upstanding panel member to receive a first stereo photographic print, and a second support surface disposed adjacent an opposite side of said upstanding panel member to receive a second stereo photographic print, said panel member presenting a continuous barrier between said support surfaces to prevent direct transmission of light between said surfaces and having a mirror covering at least a portion of one side of said panel member, all arranged for directly and unobstructedly presenting the image from said first stereo photographic print to one of the viewers eyes and the image from said second stereo photographic print by reflection from said front surface mirror to the other of the viewers eyes.
2. The stereo-photo viewing arrangement of claim 1 where said upstanding panel member is midway between said first and said second support surfaces.
3. The stereo-photo viewing arrangement of claim 1 where said first and said second support surfaces are inclined with respect to said upstanding panel member.
4. The stereo-photo viewing arrangement of claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3 where the portion of said one side surrounding said mirror is darkened to reduce eyestrain.
5. The stereo-photo viewing arrangement of claim 1 where means are provided to selectively cover portions of the viewing and non-viewing side of said upstanding panel member.
6. The stereo-photo viewing arrangement of claim 1 where means are provided to selectively cover portions of said front surface mirror.
7. The method of viewing stereo prints which comprises the steps of placing a first stereo print adjacent an upstanding front surface mirror with the image thereon facing in a first direction, placing a second stereo print on the opposite side of said front surface mirror with the image thereon facing oppositely to said image on said first stereo print, placing a barrier between said second surface and said mirror to prohibit direct transmission of light between said surfaces, viewing said second stereo print directly and unobstructedly with one eye, and causing said image on said first stero print to be reflected by said front surface mirror to the other eye to create a total three-dimensional stereo visual impression.
8. The stereo-photo viewing arrangement comprising selectively changeable mounting structures for a removable upstanding viewer panel presenting a front surface mirror on one side thereof, a first inclined support surface forming part of each of said mounting structures disposed adjacent one side of said removable upstanding viewer panel to receive a fixed first stereo photographic print, and a second inclined support surface also forming part of each of said mounting structures disposed adjacent an opposite side of said removable upstanding viewer panel receiving a fixed second stereo photographic print, all arranged for directly and unobstructedly presenting the image from said first stereo photographic print to one of the viewer's eyes and the image from said second stereo photographic print by reflection from said front surface mirror to the other of the viewer's eyes, where guide means on each of said mounting structures position said removable upstanding viewer panel at a location midway between said first and said second inclined support surfaces and said panel member prevents a continuous barrier to prevent direct transmission of light between said support surfaces.
9. The method of viewing stereo prints which comprises the steps of utilizing a mounting structure having a fixedly placed first stereo print on an inclined portion thereof with the image thereon facing in a first direction and having a fixedly placed second stereo print on another inclined portion thereof with the image thereon facing oppositely the said image on said first stereo print, placing a removable upstanding viewer panel having a front surface mirror on one side thereof between guide members disposed on said mounting structure, to present a barrier to prevent direct transmission of light between said inclined portions, where said first stereo print and said second stereo print are equidistant from said removable upstanding viewer panel, viewing said second stereo print directly and unobstructedly with one eye, causing said image on said first stereo print to be reflected by said front surface mirror to the other eye to create a total three-dimensional stereo visual impression, replacing said mounting structure with another mounting structure having different stereo prints thereon after removing said upstanding viewer panel, and returning said removable upstanding viewer panel between guide members on said another mounting structure.
CA000353349A 1979-06-18 1980-06-04 Stereo-photo viewing arrangement Expired CA1151453A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US4972779A 1979-06-18 1979-06-18
US049,727 1979-06-18

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1151453A true CA1151453A (en) 1983-08-09

Family

ID=21961367

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000353349A Expired CA1151453A (en) 1979-06-18 1980-06-04 Stereo-photo viewing arrangement

Country Status (4)

Country Link
JP (1) JPS5612616A (en)
CA (1) CA1151453A (en)
DE (1) DE3021350A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2052088A (en)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2131969A (en) * 1982-11-25 1984-06-27 Charles Douglas Wehner Stereoscopic viewers
DE3341933A1 (en) * 1983-11-21 1985-05-30 Werner 3554 Gladenbach Hahn Mirror device
GB2221054A (en) * 1988-07-22 1990-01-24 Peter Mcduffie White Viewer for stereoscopic images
DE19512293A1 (en) * 1995-04-05 1996-10-10 Astrid Kabus Method and device for generating spatial images
GB2312966B (en) * 1996-05-08 1998-08-26 Image Quest Limited Stereo image display system with mirror
ES2206073B1 (en) * 2003-12-09 2005-03-16 Educa Borras S.A. APPARATUS FOR COPYING IMAGES.
ES1064840Y (en) * 2007-02-19 2007-08-01 Farras Joan Maria Soler FRAMEWORK FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH STEREOSCOPICAL VISUALIZATION DEVICE

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3021350A1 (en) 1981-01-08
JPS5612616A (en) 1981-02-07
GB2052088A (en) 1981-01-21

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