Methods for Acquiring, Storing, Transmitting and Displaying Stereoscopic Images

摘要

Improved methods for acquiring, storing, transmitting and displaying stereoscopic images are disclosed. Some of the benefits of these include simultaneous left/right view acquisition, transmitting and displaying images remotely from a stereoscopic camera, stereoscopic digital zooming wherein a subset of pixels is displayed, pan-tilt-zoom choosing of the displayed image, and interactive adjustment of images. Methods of using embodiments of the disclosed apparatus are capable of producing high resolution, real-time, stereoscopic image data while avoiding or mitigating the deleterious effects of spurious parallax.

主权项

1. A method for acquiring at least one stereoscopic image of an object, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing at least one image sensor comprising pixel cells configured to generate pixel data; (b) providing at least one optical instrument comprising at least one channel comprising an optical path and at least one optical component wherein said at least one optical component is configured to illuminate at least a portion of the pixel cells of the at least one image sensor, wherein the at least one optical instrument is capable of providing a plurality of optical views corresponding to a left view and a right view of the at least one stereoscopic image of the object; (c) generating, via an acquisition controller, at least one data stream corresponding to at least one pixel data for each view of the plurality of optical views from the instrument wherein at least one first data stream corresponding to the left view is simultaneously generated with at least one second data stream corresponding to the respective right view; (d) combining, via a data processor, the at least one first and second data streams into a third, single data stream wherein timing among the first and second data streams is known and maintained, wherein the single data stream is effective to represent the at least one stereoscopic image of the object in real time; and (e) transmitting, via a first interface, the single data stream.