Method and apparatus for creating cylindrical three dimensional picture

A cylindrical three dimensional picture capable of being viewed through an angle of 360.degree. includes a cylinder surrounded by a 3D photograph, in turn surrounded by a flexible lenticular lens through which a film strip, subsequently developed into the photograph, is exposed and the subsequent photograph viewed, resulting in an image of a subject which appears to have been shrunken and enclosed within the cylinder. The film strip is exposed to sequential multiple images taken of a subject by a multiple imaging camera as the subject rotates 360.degree.. The film strip is exposed to the multiple images through a lenticular lens as the lens and film are rotated 360.degree. in a first embodiment, and is exposed to the multiple images linearly through a flat lenticular lens as the lens moves linearly across the projection beam of the multiple images in a third embodiment of the invention. In a second embodiment, the lens and film are mounted for rotation into a modified conventional viewing camera and exposed directly to images of the rotating subject as the subject is photographed. The lenticular lens and film strip may be separate layers or a unitary film strip having a lenticulated surface.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This Invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a three 
dimensional picture, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for 
producing a cylindrical 3 D picture capable of being viewed through an 
angle of 360.degree.. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Since the birth of photography, photographers and viewers have strived to 
make pictures more realistic by creating three dimensional images. This 
has lead to the development of a wide range of methods and equipment for 
recording and viewing three dimensional images. Such methods included the 
viewing of the images through special lenses, such as 3 D glasses for the 
individual viewer; the creation of images on a flat surface through use of 
parallel circular lenses in conjunction with line screens having alternate 
opaque and transparent vertical lines; creating three dimensional images 
through use of a plurality of angularly spaced mirrors; viewing images 
through rapidly moving screens having spaced part openings; viewing a 
television screen through a series of vertically extending cylindrical 
lenses mounted to the television screen between the viewer and the 
television screen; and rapidly rotating a screen displaying a fast 
changing series of images generated by an external projector rotating 
synchronously with the screen. 
None of the prior methods of creating and viewing 3 D figures have resulted 
in the creation of a three dimensional fixed image that can be viewed 
through an angle of 360.degree.. In the past, fixed 3 D images have been 
limited to a viewing range substantially less than a full 360.degree. 
angle. Thus, although prior art 3 D images appeared to have depth, they 
were not capable of being viewed through an angle of 360.degree.. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The 3 D picture and the method and apparatus for creating the 3 D picture 
of the present invention overcome the foregoing limitations associated 
with creation and viewing of three dimensional images by creating a 
cylindrical 3 D picture which may be viewed through an angle of 
360.degree., such that the image of a photographed subject appears to be 
encased within a viewing cylinder. The cylinder on which the 3 D picture 
is mounted for viewing may be of any circumference. Surrounding the 
exterior of the cylinder is a photograph containing multiple, sequential, 
images of the subject, in turn surrounded by a lenticular lens through 
which the photograph is viewed. Although in the present embodiment of the 
invention, a cylindrical substrate is used to support the lenticular lens 
and underlying photograph, other geometric shapes may be used to achieve 
the desired result. 
In another embodiment of the invention, the cylindrical or other 
geometrically shaped support has a lenticulated outer surface with the 
photograph placed inside the support such that the photograph is viewed 
through the lenticulated surface of the support. Thus, the support 
functions as the viewing lens as well. 
To produce the three dimensional images, a multiple imaging camera is 
positioned to take multiple, sequential images of a subject as the subject 
is rotated 360.degree., creating a first sequential film strip depicting 
the subject from all angles of rotation. The images of the first film 
strip are then projected sequentially frame-by-frame through the 
lenticular lens and onto a second film strip surrounding an exposure 
cylinder as the cylinder is rotated 360.degree.. The exposure cylinder is 
enclosed within a housing having a vertical aperture for exposing the 
second film strip as the exposure cylinder is rotated within the housing. 
The aperture has a width equal to the subtended chord of the lobe angle of 
the lenticular lens. 
In a method for direct exposure of the film strip incorporating a second 
embodiment method of the present invention, the rotating subject is 
photographed with a conventional viewing camera modified by replacing the 
film holder with the housing and exposure cylinder mounted therein. A film 
strip is mounted onto the cylinder and surrounded by a lenticular lens. 
The vertical aperture is in alignment with the camera aperture for 
exposing the film through the lenticular lens. As the rotating subject is 
photographed, the exposure cylinder rotates within the housing at a rate 
of speed equal to the rate of rotation of the subject, thereby exposing 
the film strip through the lenticular lens as the exposure cylinder 
rotates past the aperture. 
In a method for linear exposure of the film strip incorporating a third 
embodiment method of the present invention, a film strip and a lenticular 
lens, both equal in width to the circumference of the desired viewing 
cylinder, are mounted onto a vacuum film holder positioned for linear 
movement along a track in a light tight housing, a housing sealed to 
prohibit penetration of light except through an appropriate aperture. The 
film strip is exposed through the lens as the vacuum film holder moves 
along the track past an aperture in the housing. 
Once exposed through the lenticular lens, the film strip is processed and 
the resulting photograph mounted surrounding a viewing cylinder having the 
same circumference as the exposure cylinder or same width as the linearly 
exposed film strip. A lenticular lens surrounds the photograph to create 
an illusion of the subject being reduced in size and encased within the 
cylinder. 
In production, the lenticular lens and second film strip consist of a film 
strip separate from the lenticular lens, or a unitary strip having the 
lenticular lenses extending transversely across the width of the film 
strip on one side with the photo emulsion bonded to a second side of the 
film strip opposite the lenticular lenses. The unitary strip is unwound 
from a first film canister, and is rotated around the exposure cylinder 
for sequential exposure of the entire length of film to a continuously 
repeated series of 3 D images, and subsequently wound onto a second film 
canister where the film is stored until it is processed. Once the 
lenticular film strip has been processed, each repeated series 
photographed is cut into a separate length equal to the circumference of 
the exposure/viewing cylinder. Thus, many separate cylindrical three 
dimensional pictures may be produced continually from a length of the 
unitary lenticular film strip. 
The lenticular surface of the unitary film strip is formed by rotating a 
continuous length of plastic film base material, coated on one side with 
an ultraviolet polymer, over the surface of a negative lenticulated 
cylinder while exposing the base material to an ultraviolet light source, 
creating the ribbed surface of the lenticular strip. The lenticular strip 
is then coated on the side opposite the textured surface with the desired 
photo emulsion, thereby creating a unitary film strip having a 
lenticulated surface through which the photo emulsion is later exposed to 
the projected multiple images.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to the Drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, 
there is shown a cylindrical three dimensional picture 10 capable of being 
viewed through an angle of 360.degree.. As the picture 10 is rotated by 
the viewer, such that it is viewed from a variety of different angles as 
represented in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the subject 12 appears to be encased 
within a viewing cylinder 14. 
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is illustrated a first embodiment 
method for producing the cylindrical 3 D picture of the present invention. 
To overcome the viewing angle limitations of prior art 3 D pictures 
necessary to accomplish the cylindrical 3 D picture of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, 
in a first embodiment of the present invention, the subject 12 is 
repeatedly photographed with a camera 16 through 360.degree. as the 
subject is rotated 360.degree. on a turntable 20 positioned for rotational 
movement about a vertically extending axis 18. In the first embodiment of 
the invention, the camera 16 is preferably a multiple imaging camera. The 
sequential, multiple images of the subject photographed are preserved on 
film 22, FIG. 5. 
The images are then projected through a projection device 24 onto an 
exposure cylinder 26, as the exposure cylinder 26 rotates through an angle 
of 360.degree. about a vertically extending axis 28. As illustrated in 
FIGS. 5 and 6, the exposure cylinder 26 is contained within a light tight 
housing 30 having an aperture 32 therein for projection of the multiple 
images from the film 22 onto the exposure cylinder 26 as it rotates 
adjacent the aperture 32. 
Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, surrounding the exposure cylinder 26 is a 
lenticular lens 34 formed of a plurality of individual, semi-circular, 
vertically extending, parallel lenticulars 36 defining a first 
lenticulated surface and a second smooth surface 40 opposite the 
lenticulated surface. Surrounding the exposure cylinder 26 and facing 
outwardly toward the smooth surface 40 of the lenticular lens 34 is a 
photo emulsion or film layer 42. As the exposure cylinder 26 rotates 
through an angle of 360.degree. about the vertically extending axis 28, 
the photo emulsion or film layer 42 is exposed to sequential, multiple 
images as the exposure cylinder 26 passes the aperture 32. 
The width 44 of the aperture 32 is equal to the subtended chord, FIG. 7, of 
the lens lobe angle 46, FIGS. 7 and 8. The lens lobe angle 46 is 
determined by the lens thickness and lens frequency or pitch. Although a 
variety of lobe angles may be used, in the preferred embodiment of the 
invention a lobe angle of 72.degree. has been chosen because it represents 
the maximum angle for the sharpest exposure of the underlying photo 
emulsion or film layer 42. 
Referring now to FIGS. 6, 7 & 8, the width 44 of the aperture 32 
corresponds to the lens lobe angle 46, which is determined by the formula: 
Lobe angle (.angle..degree.)=2[tan (0.5 P/C)], where P (pitch)=1/L and L 
is the number of individual lenticulars 36 per inch. C=T-r, where T is the 
thickness of the lenticular lens 34 (FIG. 8) and is the product of the 
index of refraction for the particular lens material and the radius of 
curvature of the individual lenticular 36. For a lens made from poly vinyl 
chloride, for example, T=2.7 r; and for polystyrene, T=2.43 r. 
The width 44 of the aperture 32 is equal to the subtended chord of the lens 
lobe angle 46, or 2[sin (Lobe.angle..degree./2) R], where R (shown at 52) 
is the radius 54 of the desired cylinder plus T, the thickness of the 
lenticular lens 34. 
Referring now to FIGS. 6, 9, and 10, as the exposure cylinder 26 rotates, 
the projection beam 100 strikes the surface of the individual lenticulars 
36 formed in lenticular lens 34 from a series of representative angles as 
shown at 102, 104, and 106 (FIG. 9). As the projected beam 100 strikes the 
surface of the individual lenticulars 36, the rays are refracted and 
converge at focal points 108, 110, and 112 (FIG. 9), corresponding to the 
contact angles shown at 102, 104, and 106 (FIG. 9), respectively, exposing 
the photo emulsion or film layer 42. 
As illustrated in FIG. 10, exposure of the photo emulsion or film layer 42, 
at focal points 108, 110, and 112 is repeated for each individual 
lenticular 36 represented by lines 114. It is understood that the photo 
emulsion or film layer 42 will be exposed along a multiplicity of focal 
points corresponding to angles of contact of the projector beam 100 
through the lenticular lens 34, with focal points 108,110, and 112 merely 
being representative for purposes of illustration of the present 
invention. Thus, each exposed individual lenticular 36 across the aperture 
32 (FIG. 6) continues to record its share of the sequential images 
projected thereon as it travels from one side of the aperture 32 to the 
other, finally exposing the entire 360.degree. of photo emulsion or film 
layer 42 surrounding the exposure cylinder 26 (FIG. 6) as the rotation is 
completed. 
Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 6, once exposed through the lenticular lens 
34, the photo emulsion or film layer 42 is processed and the resulting 
photograph 56 mounted surrounding the viewing cylinder 14 having the same 
circumference as the exposure cylinder 26. A second lenticular lens 58 
surrounds the photograph 56 to create an illusion of the subject 12 being 
reduced in size and encased within the viewing cylinder 14. Although in 
the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the photograph 56 is 
disposed between the viewing cylinder 14 and the second lenticular lens 
58, the second lenticular lens 58 may itself be shaped to form the viewing 
cylinder 14, such that the photograph 56 is placed within the second 
lenticular lens 58 for viewing without a separate viewing cylinder 14. 
Likewise although in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, 
the viewing substrate is cylindrical in shape, other geometrical shapes 
may be used. 
Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 6, there is illustrated a method for direct 
exposure of the photo emulsion or film layer 42, incorporating a third 
embodiment method for producing the cylindrical 3 D picture 10 of the 
present invention. In the direct exposure method, the camera 16 is a 
conventional viewing camera modified by replacing the film holder with the 
light tight housing 30 and exposure cylinder 26 mounted therein. The 
film/emulsion layer 42 is mounted onto the exposure cylinder 26 and 
surrounded by the lenticular lens 34. The vertical aperture 32 is in 
alignment with the camera 16 aperture for exposing the photo emulsion or 
film layer 42 through the lenticular lens 34. As the rotating subject 12 
is photographed, the exposure cylinder 26 rotates within the light tight 
housing 30 at a rate of speed equal to the rate of rotation of the subject 
12, thereby directly exposing the photo emulsion or film layer 42 to 
sequential images of the subject 12 through the lenticular lens 34 as the 
exposure cylinder 26 rotates past the aperture 32. 
Referring now to FIG. 11, there is illustrated a linear method for exposing 
the photo emulsion or film layer 42 through a lenticular lens 130, 
incorporating a third embodiment method for producing the cylindrical 3 D 
picture 10 of the present invention. Equal widths of photo emulsion or 
film layer 42 and the lenticular lens 130, representing the circumference 
of the desired viewing cylinder, are mounted onto a vacuum film holder 132 
for linear movement along a track 134 mounted within a light tight 
enclosure 138. The light tight enclosure 138 has an exposing aperture 136 
between the vacuum film holder 132 and the projection device 24. As the 
vacuum film holder 132 and photo emulsion or film layer and lenticular 
lens 130 mounted thereon move linearly in the direction indicated by arrow 
142 along the track 134 within the light tight enclosure 138, the photo 
emulsion or film layer 42 projection is exposed by the beam 100 through 
the lenticular lens 130 as the vacuum film holder 132, photo emulsion of 
film layer, and lenticular lens 130 pass the aperture 136. 
Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 11, the representative contact angles 102, 
104, and 106 (FIG. 9) of the image projection beam 100 projected from the 
projection device 24 are achieved through linear movement of the 
lenticular lens 130 across the projection beam 100. In the preferred 
embodiment of the invention, the length of the vacuum film holder 132 is 
equal to the circumference of the proposed viewing cylinder 14. As with 
the first embodiment method for making the cylindrical 3 D picture 10, the 
aperture 136 through which the photo emulsion or film layer 42 is exposed 
is equal in width to the subtended chord of the lens lobe angle 46 (FIG. 
7), where the projection angle 46 140 is equal to the lens lobe angle, and 
the length of the subtended chord is determined by the distance of the 
projection device 24 from the lens surface. 
It has been determined that a lens lobe angle 46 of 20.degree. produces a 3 
D image of suitable resolution when the film is exposed linearly. Due to 
the narrow lens lobe angle, linear exposure requires exposure of the photo 
emulsion or film layer 42 to multiple images of the subject 12 
photographed through a full 360.degree. angle of rotation, plus an 
additional one-fifth of the rotation to expose a length of photo emulsion 
or film layer 42 equal to the circumference of the viewing cylinder 14. 
Referring now to FIG. 12, a unitary lenticular lens film strip 150 may be 
substituted for the separate lenticular lens 34 and associated photo 
emulsion or film layer 42. A plastic film base material 152 having a first 
side 154 and a second side 156 is coated on the first side 154 with an 
ultraviolet polymer. The base material 152 is wound from a first film 
canister 158 over a negative lenticulated cylinder 160 and onto a second 
film canister 162. Adjacent, vertically extending parallel indentions 164 
cover the surface of the negative lenticulated cylinder 160 and correspond 
to the curvature of a desired lenticular lens. 
As the coated base material 152 passes over the negative lenticulated 
cylinder 160, it is exposed to an ultraviolet light source 166, which 
cures and solidifies the coating creating the lenses on the first side 154 
of the base material 152 corresponding to the indentions 164 in the 
surface of the negative lenticulated cylinder 160. The resulting 
lenticular lens film strip 168, is wound onto the second film canister 162 
from the negative lenticulated cylinder 160. 
Referring now to FIG. 13, the lenticular lens film strip 168 is coated on 
the second side 156 with a photo emulsion and wound onto a third light 
tight film canister 170 for storage and subsequent use in making the 
cylindrical 3 D picture 10 of the present invention. When exposing the 
lenticular lens film strip 168, sequential images from the multiple image 
film 22 are projected by the projection device 24 onto the lens film strip 
168 as it rotates around the exposure cylinder 26. The multiple image film 
strip 22 is a continuous loop such that the series of sequential multiple 
images taken of the subject as it rotates 360.degree. is repeatedly 
projected onto the lens film strip 168, with an exposure of one complete 
series equal in length to the circumference of the viewing cylinder 14. 
The exposed lens film strip 168 is then wound on a fourth film canister 172 
for storage and subsequent developing of the film strip 168. Upon 
developing the lens film strip 168, the resultant photographs of the 
repeated series of sequential, multiple images are separated by cutting 
the photographs produced from the film strip 168 into lengths equal to the 
circumference of the viewing cylinder 14. Each segment is then mounted to 
a viewing cylinder or can be cylinderized separately without a cylinder, 
thereby producing a plurality of cylindrical 3 D pictures 10. The use of 
the unitary lens film strip 168 alleviates blurring or fuzzy images as a 
result of improper alignment between a separate flexible lenticular lens 
and underlying photograph when mounted on the viewing cylinder 14, and 
allows production of multiple copies of the cylindrical 3 D picture 10 at 
one time. 
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been 
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing 
Detailed Description, it is to be understood that the same is by way of 
illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, 
the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only to the terms of 
the appended claims.