3D television broadcasting system
Television broadcasting systems of this invention comprise an imaging system, and transmission system, and a displaying system. The imaging system captures two-dimensional images of an object at different focal plane, and generates an all-in-focused image and depth profile. A data signal carrying the image data is generated and transmitted over a broadcasting system compatible with commercial two-dimensional television broadcasting, cable, and/or alternative systems. The depth profile is transmitted by using vacant space in video/audio signal within the allocated channel bandwidth. The data signal is received by the displaying system and the extracts the all-in-focused image and depth information from the data signal. The object is restored from all-in-focused image and depth profile and displayed on the displaying system as a three-dimensional spatial image. Viewers having conventional two-dimensional display device can watch enhanced two-dimensional images.
1. A three-dimensional television broadcasting system comprising:
a three-dimensional imaging system, wherein the imaging system generates a three-dimensional image data comprising two-dimensional all-in-focused image and depth information;
an audio/visual signal transmission system, wherein the transmission system transmits a data signal carrying the three-dimensional image data comprising two-dimensional all-in-focused image and depth information; and
a displaying system, wherein the displaying system is a three-dimensional display device having at least one micromirror array lens comprising a plurality of micromirrors, wherein a focal length of the micromirror array lens is changed by controlling rotation and translation of the micromirrors;
wherein the displaying system receives the transmitted data signal and restores the three-dimensional image data as a three-dimensional image by changing the focal length of the micromirror array lens.
2. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the signal transmission system is compatible with conventional commercial two-dimensional broadcasting systems, cable systems and/or other alternative methods.
3. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device includes at least one micromirror array lane comprising a plurality of micromirrors, wherein a focal length of the micromirror array lens is changed by controlling rotation and translation of the micromirror, wherein the three-dimensional image data is generated by changing the focal length of the micromirror array lens.
4. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the variable focusing system further comprises a conventional zoom lens system.
5. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging device includes an image processor that generates three-dimensional image data comprising a two-dimensional all-in-focused image and depth profile.
6. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 5 , wherein the all-in-focused image and depth profile are created from a set of two-dimensional image frames having different focal planes and/or different angles of view.
7. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 5 , wherein the all-in-focused image is used to improve image quality of a conventional two-dimensional broadcasting system.
8. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 5 , wherein the all-in-focused image is constructed from plural sets of images which are captured at different angle of view but captured synchronously.
9. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 5 , wherein the all-in-focused image and the depth profile are created from computer generated images.
10. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 5 , wherein the all-in-focused image and the depth profile are created by combining two or more sets of captured images and computer generated images.
11. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 5 , wherein the three-dimensional image data is transmitted using a conventional two-dimensional commercial television broadcasting system.
12. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 11 , wherein the depth profile is carried on the vacant space in the data signal that is not occupied by video/audio data.
13. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the displaying systems restores a three-dimensional image using the two-dimensional all-in-focused image and the depth profile.
14. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional display device displays qualitatively enhanced two-dimensional images.
15. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the all-in-focused image is synthesised from two or more two-dimensional images having different focal planes and/or different angles of view.
16. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the all-in-focused image and depth profile are created from computer generated images.
17. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the all-in-focused image is constructed by combining two or more sets of captured images and computer generated images.
18. The three-dimensional television broadcasting system of claim 1 , wherein the displaying system further comprises a signal processor that extracts pixels of the depthwise images and the corresponding depth information from the all-in-focused image and the depth profile.
19. A method for broadcasting three-dimensional images by using a micromirror array lens, comprising:
capturing a set of two-dimensional image frames of an object with an imaging system;
processing the set of two-dimensional image frames to generate corresponding three-dimensional image data comprising all-in-focused image and depth information;
transmitting a data signal carrying the three-dimensional image data comprising all-in-focused image and depth information over a television broadcasting system;
receiving the image data by a displaying system;
extracting and restoring the image data in the displaying system; and
broadcasting the object on the displaying system as a three-dimensional spatial image by changing a focal length of at least one micromirror array lens.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the television broadcasting system is compatible with conventional commercial two-dimensional broadcasting systems, cable systems and/or other alternative methods.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the sat of two-dimensional image frames are captured with a unit time of less than or equal to the afterimage of the human eye.
22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the imaging system comprises an imaging device having a micromirror array lens comprising a plurality of micromirrors, wherein a focal length of the micromirror array lens is changed by controlling rotation and translation of the micromirrors, wherein the three-dimensional image data is generated by changing the focal length of the micromirror array lens.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the three-dimensional image data comprise a two-dimensional all-in-focused image and depth profile.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the two-dimensional all-in-focused image and depth profile is created from a set of two-dimensional image frames having different focal planes and/or different angles of view.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the all-in-focused image is constructed from a synchronised set of two-dimensional image frames captured at different angles of view.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the all-in-focused image and the depth profile are created from computer generated images.
27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the all-in-focused image and the depth profile are created by combining two or more sets of captured images and computer generated images.
28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the depth profile is carried on the vacant space in the transmitted data signal that is not occupied by video/audio data.
29. The method of claim 23 , wherein the three-dimensional image is restored by using the two-dimensional all-in-focused image and the depth profile.
30. A three-dimensional television broadcasting system comprising:
a three-dimensional imaging system having at least one micromirror array lens comprising a plurality of micromirrors, wherein a focal length of the micromirror array lens is changed by controlling rotation and translation of the micromirror, wherein the imaging system generates a three-dimensional image data comprising two-dimensional all-in-focused image and depth information by changing the focal length of the micromirror array lens;
an audio/visual signal transmission system, wherein the transmission system transmits a data signal carrying the three-dimensional image data comprising two-dimensional all-in-focused image and depth information; and
a displaying system comprising a conventional two-dimensional display apparatus and using all-in-focused image data to display qualitatively enhanced two-dimensional images;
wherein the displaying system receives the transmitted data signal and restores the image data as an image.
31. A method for broadcasting three-dimensional images by using a micromirror array lens, comprising:
capturing a set of two-dimensional image frames of an object with an imaging system, wherein the imaging system has at least one micromirror array lens comprising a plurality of micromirrors, wherein a focal length of the micromirror array lens is changed by controlling rotation and translation of the micromirrors, wherein the two-dimensional image frames are captured by changing the focal length of the micromirror array lens;
processing the set of two-dimensional image frames to generate corresponding three-dimensional image data comprising all-in-focused image and depth information;
transmitting a data signal carrying the three-dimensional image data comprising all-in-focused image and depth information over a television broadcasting system;
receiving the image data by a conventional two-dimensional display apparatus;
extracting and restoring the image data in the displaying system; and
broadcasting the object on the conventional two-dimensional display apparatus by using the all-in-focused image data to display qualitatively enhanced two-dimensional images.