Three-dimensional camcorder
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a three-dimensional camcorder comprising a three-dimensional imaging system acquiring the three-dimensional image information of an object and a three-dimensional viewfinder displaying three-dimensional image using at least one variable focal length micromirror array lens.
1. A three-dimensional camcorder comprising:
a) a variable focal length MicroMirror Array Lens (MMAL), wherein the MMAL comprises a plurality of micromirrors, wherein each of the micromirrors in the MMAL is controlled to change the focal length of the MMAL;
b) an imaging unit which captures images formed on the image plane by the MMAL; and
c) an image processing unit which produces three-dimensional image data using the images captured by the imaging unit and the focal length information of the MMAL.
2. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein each micromirror in the MMAL is actuated by the electrostatic force.
3. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the focal length of the MMAL is changed by controlling the rotation and translation of each micromirror in the MMAL.
4. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the optical axis of the MMAL is changed by controlling the rotation and translation of each micromirror in the MMAL.
5. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the aberrations of the three-dimensional camcorder is corrected by controlling the rotation and translation of each micromirror in the MMAL.
6. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , further comprising a three-dimensional viewfinder displaying three-dimensional images.
7. The three-dimensional viewfinder of claim 6 , comprising:
a) an image data input unit, receiving a pair of stereoscopic images from the image processing unit or from the storage medium;
b) a two-dimensional display, communicatively coupled to the image data input unit, displaying stereoscopic images in turns within the persistent rate of the human eyes; and
c) a stereoscopic glasses, viewing a three-dimensional image.
8. The three-dimensional viewfinder of claim 6 , comprising:
a) an image data input unit, receiving a pair of stereoscopic images from the image processing unit or from the storage medium; and
b) an autostereoscopic two-dimensional display, communicatively coupled to the image data input unit, displaying stereoscopic images in turns within the persistent rate of the human eyes.
9. The three-dimensional viewfinder of claim 6 , comprising:
a) an image data input unit, receiving depthwise images and the depth information for each depthwise image from the image processing unit or from the storage medium; and
b) a two-dimensional display, communicatively coupled to the image data input unit, displaying depthwise images sequentially within the persistent rate of the human eyes; and
c) a variable focal length MMAL, optically coupled to the two-dimensional display, receiving light from the two-dimensional display and forming a corresponding image of the depthwise image at the required location in the space using the depth information of the depthwise image by changing the focal length of the MMAL, wherein the variable focal length MMAL are synchronized with the two-dimensional display so that the variable focal length MMAL can have a focal length corresponding to the depth information of the depthwise image displayed in the two-dimensional display, wherein a set of depthwise image representing an object at a given moment is displayed at least at the persistent rate of the human eye, and wherein the focal length of the MMAL is changed by controlling the rotation and translation of each micromirror in the MMAL.
10. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit generates a set of depthwise images representing the object at a given moment and the depth information for each depthwise image using the images captured by the imaging unit.
11. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit generates an all-in-focus image and the depth information for each pixel of the all-in-focus image using the images captured by the imaging unit.
12. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit generates a pair of stereoscopic images using an all-in-focus image and the depth information for each pixel of the all-in-focus image.
13. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , further comprising a storage medium storing three-dimensional image data.
14. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the camcorder has auto focusing function by changing the focal length of MMAL.
15. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 14 , wherein the focal length of MMAL for auto focusing is determined by the depth information.
16. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , further comprising additional MMAL or MMALs for providing zoom function, wherein the MMALs magnify the image and keep the image in-focus by changing the focal length of each MMAL.
17. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , further comprising a vibration determination device, communicatively coupled to the MMAL, configured to measure vibration of the three-dimensional camcorder and to generate a vibration correction signal, wherein the MMAL is adjusted to change its optical axis by controlling the rotation and translation of each micromirror in the MMAL, based at least in part on the vibration correction signal to correct for the vibration of the three-dimensional camcorder.
18. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein image sensing and image processing time is faster than the persistent rate of human eyes to have real-time three-dimensional images.
19. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the MMAL is further controlled to compensate for chromatic aberration by satisfying the phase matching condition for each wavelength of Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) or Yellow, Cyan, and Magenta (YCM), respectively, to get a color images.
20. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , further comprising photoelectric sensors, wherein the photoelectric sensors comprises Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) sensors or Yellow, Cyan, and Magenta (YCM) sensors, wherein color images are obtained by treatments of the electrical signals from each sensor.
21. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the treatment of electrical signal from each sensor is synchronized and/or matched with the control of the MMAL to satisfy the phase matching condition for each wavelength of Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) or Yellow, Cyan, and Magenta (YCM), respectively.
22. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the MMAL is controlled to satisfy phase matching condition at an optimal wavelength to minimize chromatic aberration, wherein the optimal wavelength phase matching is used for getting a color image.
23. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the MMAL is tilted in the imaging system of the camcorder so that the normal direction of the MMAL is different from the optical axis of the imaging system.
24. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein the profile of MMAL is symmetric about an axis which is perpendicular to the optical axis and the tilting axis.
25. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , wherein each micromirror has one translational motion along the normal axis to the plane of each MMAL and two rotational motions about two axes in the plane of each MMAL.
26. The three-dimensional viewfinder of claim 1 , wherein the focal length of the variable focal length MMAL is fixed to be used as a two-dimensional viewfinder.
27. The three-dimensional camcorder of claim 1 , further comprising a two-dimensional viewfinder displaying the all-in-focus image.