Virtual easel
AssigneeThe Walt Disney Company
InventorsMarshall M. Monroe, Eric C. Haseltine, William G. Adamson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved computer graphic work station is disclosed of the type that includes a digitizer for allowing an artist or other user to input a drawing into a computer, and an imaging device to produce an image of the drawing as it is being drawn. A beam splitter reflects at least a portion of the produced image to the eye of the user. The position and orientation of the beam splitter may be varied by a user relative to the imaging device in order to allow the user to align the workstation by causing the reflected image to appear, in the user's eye, to be substantially coincident with the drawing. Once aligned, the user may adjust the position and orientation of the digitizing surface without upsetting the alignment.
Claims174
A computer graphic work station adapted for including a digitizer, an imaging device for producing an image of a drawing being drawn by a user on the digitizer, and a beam splitter for at least partially reflecting the image produced by the imaging device to the eye of the user, the work station comprising:
- first means for enabling the image produced by the imaging device to be pivoted about an image axis;
- second means for enabling the digitizer to be rotated about the image axis and rotated about a digitizer axis to variably position and orient the digitizer relative to the image;
- and
- third means for enabling the beam splitter to be nutated about the image axis and rotated about a beam splitter axis to variably position and orient the beam splitter relative to the image;
- wherein:
- said second and third means are operative to align the work station by causing the reflected image to appear, to the eye of the user, to be substantially coincident with the drawing being made by the user on the digitizer.
A computer graphic work station adapted for including a digitizer, an imaging device for producing an image of a drawing being drawn by a user on the digitizer, and a beam splitter for at least partially reflecting the image produced by the imaging device to the eye of the user, the work station comprising:
- first means for enabling the image produced by the imaging device to be placed in a desired vertical position, and to be pivoted about a first axis;
- second means for enabling the digitizer to be rotated about the first axis and rotated about a digitizer axis to variably position and orient the digitizer relative to the image;
- and
- third means for enabling the beam splitter to be nutated about the first axis and rotated about a beam splitter axis to variably position and orient the beam splitter relative to the image;
- wherein
- said second and third means are operative to align the work station by causing the reflected image to appear, to the eye of the user, to be substantially coincident with the drawing being made by the user on the digitizer;
- and
- said first means is operative to adjust the position and orientation of the digitizer relative to the user without causing the drawing and reflected image to become mis-aligned.
A computer graphic work station adapted for including a digitizer, an imaging device for producing an image of a drawing being drawn by a user on the digitizer, and a beam splitter for at least partially reflecting the image produced by the imaging device to the eye of the user, the work station comprising:
- first means for enabling the image produced by the imaging device to be vertically positioned, and to be pivoted about a first axis;
- second means for enabling the digitizer to be variably positioned and oriented relative to the image;
- and
- third means for enabling the beam splitter to be variably positioned and oriented relative to the image;
- wherein
- said second and third means are operative to align the work station by causing the reflected image to appear, to the eye of the user, to be substantially coincident with the drawing being made by the user on the digitizer;
- and
- said first means is operative to adjust the position and orientation of the digitizer relative to the user without causing mis-alignment of the drawing and the image.
A computer graphic work station adapted for including a digitizer, an imaging device for producing an image of a drawing being drawn by a user on the digitizer, and a beam splitter disposed for reflecting at least a portion of the image produced by the imaging device to the eye of the user, the improved work station comprising:
- first means for enabling the image produced by the imaging device to be pivoted about a first axis;
- second means for enabling the digitizer to be variably positioned and oriented relative to the image;
- and
- third means for enabling the beam splitter to be variably positioned and oriented relative to the image;
- wherein
- said second and third means are operative to align the work station by causing the reflected image to appear, to the eye of the user, to be substantially coincident with the drawing being made by the user on the digitizer.
A computer graphic work station adapted for including a digitizer, an imaging device for producing an image of a drawing being drawn by a user on the digitizer, and a beam splitter for at least partially reflecting the image produced by the imaging device to the eye of the user, the work station comprising:
- first means for enabling the digitizer to be variably positioned and oriented relative to the image;
- and
- second means for enabling the beam splitter to be variably positioned and oriented relative to the image;
- wherein
- said first and second means are operative to align the work station by causing the reflected image to appear, to the eye of the user, to be substantially coincident with the drawing.
A method for aligning a computer graphic work station adapted for including a digitizer, an imaging device for producing an image of a drawing being made by a user on the digitizer, and a beam splitter for at least partially reflecting the image produced by the imaging device to the eye of the user, said aligning method comprising the steps of:
- varying the position and orientation of the beam splitter relative to the produced image to cause the reflected image to be seen by the user;
- and
- varying the position and orientation of the digitizer relative to the produced image to cause the reflected image to appear to the user to be substantially coincident with the drawing.
A method for aligning a computer graphic work station adapted for including a digitizer, an imaging device for producing an image of a drawing being made by a user on the digitizer, and a beam splitter for at least partially reflecting the image produced by the imaging device to the eye of the user, said aligning method comprising the steps of:
- varying the orientation of the beam splitter relative to the image produced by the imaging device to cause the image reflected by the beam splitter to be seen by the user;
- and
- varying the orientation of the digitizer relative to the image produced by the imaging device to cause the image reflected by the beam splitter to appear to the user to be substantially coincident with the drawing being made on the digitizer;
- and
- varying at least on of the position and orientation of the digitizer relative to the user without mis-aligning the work station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.