MXPA99004044A - Method and device for lighting objects - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and a device for lighting an object, by taking at least one photograph (18) of the object, processing (26) the photograph by colouring, retouching, deleting and including elements and projecting the processed photograph on the object. The invention is particularly applicable to lighting buildings and monuments on festive occasions.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ILLUMINATING OBJECTS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a method and apparatus for illuminating objects such as monuments (churches, castles, structures, etc.) / 'scenarios or natural sites, for example. It is already known to illuminate monuments by colored light beams with the color, brightness and direction of the beams that vary at greater or lesser speed. However, it is difficult or impossible with currently known means to illuminate a surface such as a façade (of a structure, church, etc.) with continuous or changing polychromatic light beams which allows a large number of characteristics architectural or elements such as columns, windows, balconies, statues, etc., are emphasized or framed, and that are illuminated with colors with great precision, and optionally projecting a fixed or animated decoration on flat or non-flat surfaces of a building or construction, a stage, etc. An objective of the invention is to satisfy this requirement. For this purpose, the invention provides a method for illuminating an object, characterized in that it consists of taking at least one image of the object, processing the image, wherein the processing includes coloring the image, and projecting the processed image onto the object, which causes the contours and dimensions of the projected image to coincide with the contours and dimensions of the object. When the image processing consists only of coloring certain portions of an object such as a building, the projection of the processed image on the building makes it possible to illuminate it and at the same time decorate it, for example, by coloring the colonnades of blue, the statues of white for people and in other colors for clothes or accessories, door frames in red, windows in yellow, etc., with precision so that for the viewer the impression is identical to what would be obtained when painting those portions of the building. Included within the colored decoration for example is a fresco in the treated image, which gives the impression when the treated image is projected onto the object, of a fresco painted directly on the object. In a first embodiment of the invention, the method consists in taking at least one fixed or moving image of the object, in digitizing the image in digitally processing it, and exposing a fixed film or moving film with the processed image, in revealing the film to obtain the image processed on transparent film and to project it on the object.

In a variant, the method consists in taking at least one video image of the object, digitizing it, processing it digitally and projecting the processed image onto the object by means of a video projector by means of a laser beam illumination apparatus. The invention also provides an apparatus for illuminating an object, in particular for performing the method described above, the apparatus is characterized in that it comprises a camera means for taking at least one image of the object, a means for processing the image, and a medium to project the processed image onto the object. The camera means may be of the type having a video output, for example a CCD camera, in which case, the projection means is of the type having a video input, such as, for example, a video projector or at least one lighting apparatus. In a variant, the camera means can be a photographic camera for taking still or moving images, in which case the processing means comprises a means for digitizing the image, for digitally processing the image and for exposing the film or moving, in whose case the projection means is constituted by one or several conventional optical projectors. The invention will be better understood, and other features, details, advantages thereof will appear more clearly upon reading the following description provided by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagram showing how 5 images are taken and projected back onto objects such as a building; and Figure 2 is a flow diagram of the main steps in the method of the invention. Figure 1 diagrammatically shows a building 10 that will be illuminated in a special way at the occasion of an event, for example a commemoration, a festival, a light and sound show, etc. For this purpose, the invention provides to take at least one image of a portion of the construction to be illuminated by means of a camera 12 such as a fixed or film camera, for example a CCD video camera, which is locate in relation to the building 10 in a position P so that the image of the building 10 captured by the lens 14 of the camera 12 occupies a portion as large as possible of the photosensitive surface 20 on which the image is formed (photographic film or CCD sensor array). This image of the construction 10, after suitable processing performed by means of a data processing system 18, is reprojected onto the building 10 at night or in the dark, by means of at least one projector located in the P position mentioned above, projector which can be a conventional projector (of slides) or a video projector, or a laser lighting apparatus , depending on the type of image that will be projected. The main steps in the method of the invention, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 2, comprises a first step 18 of taking an image of the construction 10, followed by a development step 20 when the image is taken by means of a type of conventional camera that exposes a photographic film in black and white or color, after which the photographic image is digitized as indicated by the number 22 by means of a scanner, and is loaded into the memory of the processing system 16 of data, for example, a microcomputer or a minicomputer to which appropriate graphics processing software has been placed. When the building image 10 is taken by means of a CCD video camera or the like, the resulting image is digitized and then loaded into the data processing system which is to be processed therein, in the desired manner, as indicated by the number 24 of Figure 2. By way of example, the processing performed on the construction image 10 may comprise coloring and balancing the color: changes to the color and the brightness of certain portions or certain architectural characteristics in the image; inclusions of image elements; effects out of focus; retouched; etc. For example, window frames, columns of blue, statues of white, balconies of red, roofs of green, etc. can be colored yellow. It is also possible to add moiré, marbling or similar effects to certain portions of the image. In a variant, the image processing can also be done by hand (painting, retouching, etc.). The resulting image of the processing 16 can be applied by means of an appropriate interface to the input of a video projector, or of a laser beam lighting apparatus, as indicated by number 28, for projection onto the construction 10 of the position P specified above, or in addition, if a conventional projector of the slide projector type is used, the data processing system can be connected to a photographic imager that allows a photographic film to be displayed with the processed image, as indicated by the number 30, film which can be developed to provide a positive image on a transparent film which is subsequently projected onto the construction 10 from the position P, preferably using the same lens 14 as that used to take the image, or a lens that is identical to it. Therefore, it is possible, with great precision, to superimpose visible elements of the construction and corresponding elements of the processed image as it is projected onto the building. To project an image in a construction with a good intensity of light, good colors and good saturation of the same ones, it is necessary to use a projector that has a great luminous power, with high energy projection lamps, typically from 5,000 to 7,000 or 10,000, which produce a large amount of heat in operation. As shown diagrammatically in Figure 1, when the surface of the object to be illuminated is large, it is shared in adjacent areas, where each one has a certain maximum area (for example of approximately 400 m2) and the images are they project on each of the areas of the surface, by means of several projectors equal to the number of zones to be illuminated which allows to obtain altogether a good reproduction of colors, a good brightness and a high contrast. The distance between the projectors and the object to be illuminated as well as the size of the areas of the surface 20 of the object are generally in balance between the characteristics of the lenses, the terrain and the projection lamps. Typically, the distance can be several tens of meters, for example 30 m - 40 m. Naturally, this decorative lighting of the building 10 can vary with respect to time, for example when changing the colors, the saturation thereof, the intensity of light, etc. It is possible to project different decorative lighting for cross-fading effects, building images can be taken from different angles and the processed images can be projected successively or simultaneously from the same angles and positions as those used to take the images, for example for illuminate differently and from different angles the facade and the side walls of a building, and multiple special effects can be carried out and are well known by those familiar with the technique of illumination by refractors and laser beams. It is also possible to use a cinema projector to project a cinema film in the manner described above on the object, for example a film on which the processed images of the object and / or aesthetic images are to be exposed, wherein the film subsequently it is revealed. The initial images can be still images, movies or videos. By way of example, it is specified that it is possible to use equipment sold under the name "KODAK PREMIER" to digitize, process and expose a photographic film (operations 22, 26 and 30 in Figure 2) such equipment includes a reader for negative film, reversible, black and white or color and for lithographic film, accepting formats from 35 mm to 20 x 25 cm2, a workstation to perform the image processing specified before and an imager that allows the film to be exposed to any format from 35 mm to 20 x 25 cm2, at a resolution of 40 pixels / mm. An image or processed images reproduced on film can be projected by means of a commercially available projector using a high power lamp (from several hundred watts to several thousand watts). In general, the invention makes it possible to provide polychromatic decorative lighting of buildings, structures or monuments, of sculptures or scenarios, etc., or of natural elements such as rocks, cliffs, etc., and also to reconstruct paintings, frescoes, or animated scenes in ruins, on walls of buildings or on rocks, etc.

Claims (12)

1. A method for illuminating an object, characterized in that it consists of taking at least one image of the object, processing the image, wherein the processing includes coloring the image and projecting the processed image onto the object, which causes the contours and dimensions of the the projected image matches the corresponding contours and dimensions of the object.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing of the image includes retouching, adding and omitting elements of the image.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it also consists of varying the brightness and color characteristics of the image as it is processed and projected onto the object.

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists of taking at least one video image of the object, processing it digitally and projecting the processed image onto the object by means of a video projector or a beam illumination apparatus. To be.

5. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it consists of taking at least one fixed photographic image of the object, digitizing the image, processing it digitally when exposing the photographic film with the processed image, revealing the film to obtain a image processed on a transparent film and project it on the object.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the same lens or two identical lenses are used to take the image of the object and to project the processed image onto the object and where the processed image is projected from the same position to those from where the image of the object was taken.

7. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it consists in exposing a moving film with processed images of the object when the film is revealed and when projecting the film on the object.

8. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in order to illuminate a large-sized object, the surface of the object to be illuminated is divided into adjacent parts that have a determined maximum area and the processed images are projected onto parts different from the object by means of different projectors.

9. An apparatus for illuminating an object, in particular for performing a method as described in accordance with any of the preceding claims, the apparatus is characterized in that it comprises a camera means for taking at least one image of the object, a means for processing the image when coloring and a means to project the processed image onto the object.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a camera, for taking at least one image of the object on a fixed film or moving film, a means for digitizing the photographic image, for processing the digitally digitized image, and for exposing the processed image on a photographic film, and an optical means for projecting it onto the object, a positive of the processed image as provided on a transparent film.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the camera means is of the type having a video output, for example, a CCD camera.

12. The apparatus according to any of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the projection means is a movie projector or of the type having a video input, for example a video projector or a laser lighting apparatus.