Stereo camera with automatic control of interocular distance

1. A stereographic camera system, comprising:

a left camera and a right camera including respective lenses

plural mechanisms to synchronously set a focal length of the lenses, to synchronously set a focus distance of the lenses, to set a convergence angle between the left and right cameras, and to set an intraocular distance between the left and right cameras

a controller comprising circuits and software to perform actions comprising

receiving inputs indicating a maximum allowable disparity, the focal length of the lenses, and the focus distance of the lenses

determining a convergence distance based on the focus distance

causing the intraocular distance to be set to a value calculated from the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, the convergence distance, and a distance to an object in the scene

causing the convergence angle to be set to a value calculated from the intraocular distance and the convergence distance

wherein the interocular distance is calculated using the formula

IOD=[CD×EOD−MD× W ]/[EOD−CD)×FL]

wherein

IOD=the interocular distance

W=a width of an image sensor within each camera

FL=the focal length of the lenses

EOD=a distance to a background object furthest from the stereographic camera

MD=the maximum disparity as a fraction of a width of a scene recorded by the stereographic camera

CD=the convergence distance.

2. The stereographic camera system of claim 1 , wherein the actions performed by the controller are performed continuously in near-real time.

3. The stereographic camera system of claim 1 , wherein the convergence distance CD distance is determined from the focus distance FD using a formula selected from CD=FD, CD=FD+α, and CD=FD(1+β), wherein α and β are operator-defined values.

4. A stereographic camera system comprising:

a left camera and a right camera including respective lenses

plural mechanisms to synchronously set a focal length of the lenses, to synchronously set a focus distance of the lenses, to set a convergence angle between the left and right cameras, and to set an intraocular distance between the left and right cameras

a controller comprising circuits and software to perform actions comprising

receiving inputs indicating a maximum allowable disparity, the focal length of the lenses, and the focus distance of the lenses

determining a convergence distance based on the focus distance

causing the intraocular distance to be set to a value calculated from the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, the convergence distance, and a distance to an object in the scene

causing the convergence angle to be set to a value calculated from the intraocular distance and the convergence distance

wherein the interocular distance is calculated using the formula

IOD=[CD×MOD×MD× W ]/[(CD−MOD)×FL]

wherein

IOD=the interocular distance

W=a width of an image sensor within each camera

FL=the focal length of the lenses

MOD=a distance to the foreground object closest to the stereographic camera

MD=the maximum disparity as a fraction of a width of a scene recorded by the stereographic camera

CD=the convergence distance.

5. The stereographic camera system of claim 4 , wherein the actions performed by the controller are performed continuously in near-real time.

6. The stereographic camera system of claim 4 , wherein the convergence distance CD distance is determined from the focus distance FD using a formula selected from CD=FD, CD=FD+α, and CD=FD(1+β), wherein α and β are operator-defined values.

7. A stereographic camera system comprising:

a left camera and a right camera including respective lenses

plural mechanisms to synchronously set a focal length of the lenses, to synchronously set a focus distance of the lenses, to set a convergence angle between the left and right cameras, and to set an intraocular distance between the left and right cameras

a controller comprising circuits and software to perform actions comprising

receiving inputs indicating a maximum allowable disparity, the focal length of the lenses, and the focus distance of the lenses

determining a convergence distance based on the focus distance

causing the intraocular distance to be set to a value calculated from the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, the convergence distance, and a distance to an object in the scene

causing the convergence angle to be set to a value calculated from the intraocular distance and the convergence distance

wherein the interocular distance is calculated using the formula

IOD=minimum(IOD EOD ,IOD MOD )

wherein

IOD=the interocular distance

IOD EOD =[CD×EOD×MD× W ]/[(EOD−CD)×FL]

IOD MOD =[CD×MOD×MD× W ]/[(CD−MOD)×FL]

W=a width of an image sensor within each camera

FL=the focal length of the lenses

EOD=a distance to a background object furthest from the stereographic camera

MOD=a distance to the foreground object closest to the stereographic camera

MD=the maximum disparity as a fraction of a width of a scene recorded by the stereographic camera

CD=the convergence distance.

8. The stereographic camera system of claim 7 , wherein the actions performed by the controller are performed continuously in near-real time.

9. The stereographic camera system of claim 7 , wherein the convergence distance CD distance is determined from the focus distance FD using a formula selected from CD=FD, CD=FD+α, and CD=FD(1+β), wherein α and β are operator-defined values.

10. A method for controlling a stereographic camera, comprising:

determining a distance to one or more object in a scene

receiving inputs indicating a maximum allowable disparity, the focal length of left and right lenses associated with left and right cameras, and the focus distance of the lenses

determining a convergence distance based on the focus distance

causing the intraocular distance between the left and right cameras to be set to a value calculated from the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, the convergence distance, and the distance to one or more objects in the scene

causing the convergence angle between the lines of sight of the left and right cameras to be set to a value calculated from the intraocular distance and the convergence distance

wherein the interocular distance is calculated using the formula

IOD=[CD×EOD×MD× W ]/[EOD−CD)×FL]

wherein

IOD=the interocular distance

W=a width of an image sensor within each camera

FL=the focal length of the lenses

EOD=a distance to a background object furthest from the stereographic camera

MD=the maximum disparity as a fraction of a width of a scene recorded by the stereographic camera

CD=the convergence distance.

11. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 10 , wherein the method is performed continuously in near-real time.

12. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 10 , wherein the convergence distance CD is calculated from the focus distance FD using a formula selected from CD=FD, CD=FD+α, and CD=FD(1+β), wherein α and β are predetermined constants.

13. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 10 , wherein the interocular distance is varied during the recording of a scene.

14. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the focus distance and the focal length are varied during the recording of the scene.

15. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 13 , wherein the maximum disparity is varied during the recording of the scene.

16. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 10 , wherein the inputs indicating the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, and the focus distance are received from an operator interface.

17. A method for controlling a stereographic camera comprising:

determining a distance to one or more object in a scene

receiving inputs indicating a maximum allowable disparity, the focal length of left and right lenses associated with left and right cameras, and the focus distance of the lenses

determining a convergence distance based on the focus distance

causing the intraocular distance between the left and right cameras to be set to a value calculated from the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, the convergence distance, and the distance to one or more objects in the scene

causing the convergence angle between the lines of sight of the left and right cameras to be set to a value calculated from the intraocular distance and the convergence distance

wherein the interocular distance is calculated using the formula

IOD=[CD×MOD×MD× W ]/[(CD−MOD)×FL]

wherein

IOD=the interocular distance

W=a width of an image sensor within each camera

FL=the focal length of the lenses

MOD=a distance to the foreground object closest to the stereographic camera

MD=the maximum disparity as a fraction of a width of a scene recorded by the stereographic camera

CD=the convergence distance.

18. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 17 , wherein the method is performed continuously in near-real time.

19. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 17 , wherein the convergence distance CD is calculated from the focus distance FD using a formula selected from CD=FD, CD=FD+α, and CD=FD(1+β), wherein α and β are predetermined constants.

20. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 17 , wherein the interocular distance is varied during the recording of a scene.

21. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the focus distance and the focal length are varied during the recording of the scene.

22. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 20 , wherein the maximum disparity is varied during the recording of the scene.

23. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 17 , wherein the inputs indicating the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, and the focus distance are received from an operator interface.

24. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 17 , wherein the inputs indicating the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, and the focus distance are received from an operator interface.

25. A method for controlling a stereographic camera comprising:

determining a distance to one or more object in a scene

receiving inputs indicating a maximum allowable disparity, the focal length of left and right lenses associated with left and right cameras, and the focus distance of the lenses

determining a convergence distance based on the focus distance

causing the intraocular distance between the left and right cameras to be set to a value calculated from the maximum allowable disparity, the focal length, the convergence distance, and the distance to one or more objects in the scene

causing the convergence angle between the lines of sight of the left and right cameras to be set to a value calculated from the intraocular distance and the convergence distance

wherein the interocular distance is calculated using the formula

IOD=minimum(IOD EOD ,IOD MOD )

wherein

IOD=the interocular distance

IOD EOD =[CD×EOD×MD× W ]/[(EOD−CD)×FL]

IOD MOD =[CD×MOD×MD× W ]/[(CD−MOD)×FL]

W=a width of an image sensor within each camera

FL=the focal length of the lenses

EOD=a distance to a background object furthest from the stereographic camera

MOD=a distance to the foreground object closest to the stereographic camera

MD=the maximum disparity as a fraction of a width of a scene recorded by the stereographic camera

CD=the convergence distance.

26. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 25 , wherein the method is performed continuously in near-real time.

27. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 25 , wherein the convergence distance CD is calculated from the focus distance FD using a formula selected from CD=FD, CD=FD+α, and CD=FD(1+β), wherein α and β are predetermined constants.

28. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 25 , wherein the interocular distance is varied during the recording of a scene.

29. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 28 , wherein at least one of the focus distance and the focal length are varied during the recording of the scene.

30. The method for controlling a stereographic camera of claim 28 , wherein the maximum disparity is varied during the recording of the scene.