Eastman-kodak Company

Roger A Morton

Joshua Monroe Cobb

Jeffery Richard Hawver

Roy Y Taylor

Andrea S Rivers

Gabriel Fielding

Kenneth Alan Parulski

Timothy John Tredwell

James L Edwards

Wayne K Shaffer

Kevin C Scott

Steven D MacLean

Nestor M Rodriguez

Christopher L DuMont

Alan T Brewen

Thomas J Wetzel

Kenneth J Repich

Gary W Ahlquist

Christopher E Wheeler

Christian L Lurin

Michelle A Maurer

Christopher L Dumont

A method for digitally processing motion image signals comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining digital motion image signals that originated from a sequence of motion picture frames; (b) using a frame averaging technique to reduce noise in the digital motion image signals, thereby producing noise-processed motion image signals; and (c) producing output digital motion image signals by sharpening the noise-processed motion image signals with a sharpening filter designed in the spatial domain with a 2D kernel that increases the noise in order to provide a desired grain response.

Method and system for motion image digital processing

A method and apparatus for calibrating a sensor for highlights and for processing highlights is described. In an embodiment, a method includes identifying highlight regions in an image of a scene. The method further includes calculating flare intensity values for the image using the locations of the highlight regions. The method also includes subtracting the flare intensity values from the image.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a sensor for highlights and for processing highlights

A method is described for processing motion picture scene data through a process in which the scene data is initially acquired from a film or an electronic camera and ultimately projected onto a screen, wherein image losses potentially occur during distribution and projection stages of the process. The method includes the steps of: (a) representing the scene data in a non-linear space; and (b) compensating for the image losses associated with the distribution and projection stages at a point in the process before they occur by converting the scene data into an intermediate space representing the space in which the losses occur and filtering the scene data in the intermediate space to compensate the scene data for the losses. Additional steps provide additional benefits, including the steps of: (a) digitally scaling the digital scene data anamorphically to provide an image that makes full use of the available film space on the film; (b) recording multiple intermediate prints from the digital scene data and performing a single printing step to make each release print from an intermediate print; and (c) using motion compensated frame averaging to digitally remove noise.

Electronic and film theatrical quality

A process for transforming digital source image data to provide a desired image look at the end of an imaging step chain is described comprising: defining desired values for at least two image look parameters associated with the desired image look; sensing the values of the defined image look parameters for the digital source image data; and modifying the digital source image data to provide digital output image data with at least one image look parameter value closer to the defined image look parameter value associated with the desired image look. The desired image look parameters may be defined with respect to an image to be displayed after further processing of the digital output image data downstream of the modifying step, information may be provided on the characteristics of the downstream processing, and the modifying step may be designed to compensate for effects of the downstream processing on the desired image look parameters.

Methods for automatically and semi-automatically transforming digital image data to provide a desired image look

A method of sensing the pitch or relative location of a lenticular lens on a sheet of transparent lenticular material of the type having a repeating pattern of cylindrical lenses on one side and a flat opposite side, comprising the steps of: forming a beam of light; focusing the beam of light into a spot smaller than the pitch of the cylindrical lenses onto the lenticular material; moving the lenticular material relative to the beam in a direction perpendicular to the axes of the cylindrical lenses to modulate the angle of reflection or refraction of the beam of light; and sensing the position of the modulated beam of light to determine the pitch or relative location of lenticular material to the focused spot.

Detection of pitch variations in lenticular material

A system for compensating for film flutter in a motion picture film projector during projection of a motion picture film comprising multiple film image frames is described, the system comprising sensing the position of film image frames in a film gate of the projector relative to the focal plane of the projection lens assembly of the projector as the film image frames are being projected, and correcting the position of the film in the film gate of the projector or the position of the focal plane of the projection lens assembly to reduce the distance between the film image and the focal plane of the projection lens assembly as the film image frames are being projected, wherein the correction of the position of an individual film image frame in the film gate or that of the position of the focal plane of the projection lens assembly during projection of the individual frame image is based on the actual sensed position of the individual film image frame in the film gate, or on the position of a previously projected film image frame which was sensed as it was being projected.

System for compensating for film flutter in a motion picture projector

A system for providing motion picture photographic film with encoded information, such as unique film footage and frame identification, which can be machine read prior to film processing. This system provides machine readable encoded information markings on the raw stock film which may be read in a camera or other photoprocessing device with a reader prior to or concurrent with the film image capture process. The machine readable encoded information markings may be easily converted into a &ldquo;video image&rdquo; for display in a real time video from a CCD imager in the film camera or other device. Furthermore this pre-processing machine readable encoded information may be used in conjunction with optical latent image recorded information which becomes machine or human readable after processing as presently provided by film manufacturer's according to industry standards.

System for providing pre-processing machine readable encoded information markings in a motion picture film

A method and apparatus for printing large format lenticular images on a lenticular sheet ( ) having a plurality of generally parallel lenticules ( ) on a front side of the lenticular sheet ( ). A sensor ( ) senses a beginning of each lenticule ( ). A printhead ( ) prints interleaved image information on the lenticular sheet ( ) in a series of swaths ( ). A width of each of the swaths ( ) is less than a width of the lenticular sheet ( ). Each of the swaths ( ) is printed in a direction parallel to the lenticules ( ) and each of the swaths ( ) is printed in a direction perpendicular to the lenticules ( ).

Method and apparatus for printing large format lenticular images

A lenticular imaging product comprising: a lenticular lens element having an array of lenticules; and means for encoding characteristics of the lenticular lens element for use in processing the lenticular lens element.

Identification of lenticular material characteristics in lenticular printers

A method for producing lenticular images is suggested, which improves the image quality of the lenticular images. The images are written with a writing spot which is scanned over a recording material. The shape of the writing spot and at least one component of the recording material influence the image quality of the recorded image. The improvement of the present invention comprises to shape the writing spot or at least one of the contributing components of the recording material to obtain an overall response which is substantially trapezoidal. The summation of the overall responses is free from ripples and thereby improves the image quality.

Method for producing lenticular images

Several different methods alone or in combination can be used to reduce image jump or stutter. The image plane on which the original image is taken can be mechanically or electronically rotated about a point of rotation in the scene. The number of original images which are viewed could be increased by interpolation. The subtended viewing angle of the viewpoints can be reduced and viewpoints within the subtended viewing angle can be increased by interpolation. Reduced subtended viewing angle images can be created for each eye. The depth of focus of the images can be changed by identifying the images that jump and blurring the images outside the area of interest. The original images can be processed to move the image plane further back from the objects in the scene. Some of the images ordinarily existing between the right and left eye perspectives can be eliminated. The objects in the background of the scene being photographed can be identified and shifted forward in the scene. The highest detail volume of the images can be identified and the images can be processed to rotate around the volume. The highest detail area can be identified and the original images processed to displace the images to minimize the movement of the highest detail area. The original images can be viewed and a point within each image identified to align the point from view to view using a linear or other transformation.

Method and apparatus for optimizing the resolution of images which have

A CRT display system includes a CRT with a lenticular material placed upon the outward face of the CRT. The system further includes a sensing device in the field of view of the CRT and control circuitry connected between the sensing device and the CRT. The control circuitry is responsive to signals received from the sensing device to control the synchronization and formation of a composite of strips of visual input from four different perspective views of a scene to be presented on the CRT through the lenticular material such that a viewer perceives depth in the composite scene displayed on the CRT.

Depth image display on a CRT

A method for making large format lenticular 3-D images by enlarging a smaller source image utilizes an optical enlarger that is calibrated by forming a first reference image pattern from a first piece of lenticular material having the same pitch as a second piece of lenticular material, and a second reference image comprising lines having a pitch corresponding to the spacing between the same views of the source image. The source image is derived by photographing an original scene from different views taken from spaced apart positions. The first reference image is positioned at a copy plane and the second reference image is positioned at the source plane. The relative orientation of the reference images are adjusted to provide a Moire pattern that achieves desired spacing and parallelism. With the adjustment of the enlarger optics completed, the source image is positioned at the source plane and an enlargement is made at the copy plane. The enlarged image, formed at the copy plane, will accurately align with the lenticules of the second piece of lenticular material to provide a superior large format lenticular 3-D image.

Method for enlarging images for lenticular prints

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and an associated method for achieving alignment between an image on a film and a lenticular material that is to be bonded to the film to permit the image to be viewed in 3D. The apparatus imparts a controlled bending of the lenticular material over the film such that the slight differences in length between the lenticular material and the film, caused by the bending, adjusts for changes in the line spacing of the lenticular material and or in the spacing of the image segments. Other embodiments of the invention provide for a controlled stretching of the film along its length and from side-to-side to again compensate for variations in the line spacing of the lenticular material or spacing of the image segments.

Growing community of inventors

Penfield, NY, United States of America

Roger A Morton