Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus and method using a parallax scanning lens aperture

A method of steroscopic imaging, comprising the steps of:

• directing the optical axis of an imaging lens toward a scene to be imaged;
• moving a lens aperture relative to the lens optical axis in a parallax scanning pattern at a scanning cycle rate;
• and
• generating a succession of time-space images of the scene as viewed through the lens aperture at an imaging frame rate, wherein said imaging frame rate is not an integer multiple of the scanning cycle rate;
• the rate of motion of said lens aperture being such as to result in said images, when successively displayed, producing autostereoscopic images of the scene on a conventional, two-dimensional display.

Autostereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising, in combination:

• a lens having an optical axis;
• an optical element located adjacent said lens;
• and
• an operator coupled to activate said optical element such as to define a lens aperture, said lens aperture located, time displaced, in a plurality of different disparity positions to permit a succession of recordings of a scene to be taken having different parallax views of the scene, which, when successively displayed on a conventional two-dimensional display, produce an autostereoscopic image of the scene;
• wherein said operator activates said optical element such as to move said lens aperture in a cyclical scanning motion through more than four of the disparity positions during each scanning motion cycle, and wherein dividing a frame rate of the recordings by said cycle rate of scanning motion does not result in a whole number, such that the disparity positions of the lens aperture vary from cycle to cycle of the scanning motion.

A method of autostereoscopic imaging, comprising the steps of:

• providing a lens having an optical axis directed toward a scene to be imaged;
• positioning an optical element adjacent the lens;
• activating the optical element to define a lens aperture located, time displaced, in a plurality of variable disparity positions offset from the optical axis of the lens;
• and
• recording images taken with said lens aperture in the plurality of disparity positions, which, when displayed in succession on a conventional two-dimensional display, produce an autosteroscopic image of the scene;
• and
• setting a cycle rate of the scanning pattern to a value such that when dividing a frame rate of the recorded images by said cycle rate, a whole number does not result, so that as a result, the disparity positions of the recorded image vary from successive cycles of the scanning pattern.