Method for exhibiting high-quality three-dimensional motion from a single strip of motion picture film

Abstract

A system is described for three-dimensional motion picture presentation. Films are shown at a high frame rate, such as 48 frames per second, through a projector equipped for double-shuttered display method. Frames intended to be seen through the left eye by the viewers are alternated on the same strip of film with frames intended to be seen through the right eye. Alternation of images between left and right eyes can be accomplished through use of a polarizing filter, the direction of which is electronically switched, so that light passes through complimentary polarizing filters on the glasses worn by the viewers. Alternatively, an infared-activated cueing device can switch between shutters provided as part of the viewers' viewing glasses, so that alternating images are seen through each eye separately. In the invention described here, the three-dimensional feature of presentation can be temporarily withdrawn, so three-dimensional and high-quality two-dimensional presentation methods can be used for different scenes of the same motion picture. In the practice of the invention, the cinematic image fills the entire frame of the chosen film format, and the frame rate of projection is double the frame rate of photography. No special optics are required in the system described.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.