Personalized animation by selective reflection

A kit for making an amusement device providing an animated display of a person's photo comprising:

• means for providing an optical prism having a front, optical face and first and second, inclined rear faces;
• a first picture of a first half of a character's body in a first position and a second picture, of a complementary half of the character's body in a second position, sequentially different from the first position;
• the first picture and the second picture defining adjacent areas on the respective character's body halves for mounting a photo of a person's face;
• means for holding said first picture and a first half of said photo mounted thereon on the optical prism with a first half of the person's face aligned behind said first rear face and for holding said second picture and a second half of said photo mounted thereon showing a second half of the person's face aligned behind said second rear face,
• so that, when viewed through the front face at a first angle, a image of the first picture and first half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the first rear face and the front face and a mirror image of the first picture and first half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the first rear face, total internal reflection at the second rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that the direct and mirror images combine to provide a completed image, apparently of the character's whole body in the first position with apparently the person's whole face thereon and, when view d through the front face at a second angle, an image of the second picture and second half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the second rear face and front face and a mirror image of the second picture and second half of the person's face will be seen by transmission through the second rear face, total internal reflection at the first rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that the direct and mirror images combine to provide a completed image apparently of the character's whole body in the second position with apparently the person's whole face thereon,
• whereby a spectator looking through the front face of the prism and rapidly switching between different angles sees apparently whole images of the character's body mounted with the persons face in the first position and in the second position alternatively, thereby providing an amusing impression of personalized animation.

An amusement device comprising:

• an optical prism and having a front, optical face and first and second, inclined rear faces;
• a first picture showing a first half of an object in a first position and a second picture, showing a complementary half of the object in a second position, sequentially different from the first position;
• a picture frame surrounding the front face of the prism for mounting said first picture aligned behind said first rear ace and said second picture aligned behind said second rear face,
• so that, when viewed through the front face at a first angle, a direct image of the first picture will be seen by direct transmission through the first rear face rear and front face and a mirror image of the first picture will be seen by direct transmission through the rear face, total internal reflection at the second rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that direct and mirror images combine to provide an image, apparently of a whole object in the first position and, when viewed through the front face at a second angle, an image of the second picture will be seen by direct transmission through the rear and front faces and a mirror image of the second picture will be seen by transmission through the rear face, total internal reflection at the first rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that direly transmitted and and mirror images of the complementary half of the object combine to provide a completed image, apparently of a whole object in the second position,
• whereby a spectator looking through the front face of the prism and rapidly switching between different angles sees apparently whole images of the object in the first position and in the second position alternatively, thereby providing en impression animation by object movement.

An amusement device comprising:

• an optical prism and having a front, optical face and first and second, inclined rear faces;
• a first picture showing a first half of an object in a first position and a second picture, showing a complementary half of the object in a second position, sequentially different from the first position;
• a picture frame surrounding the front face of the prism for mounting said first picture aligned behind said first rear face and said second picture aligned behind said second rear face,
• wherein the first picture and the second picture are on a single sheet and show respective half objects with respective axes of symmetry aligned with a central vertical axis dividing the sheet into left and right halves, respectively, the sheet being folded about the central vertical axis and located with left and fight halves aligned, respectively, behind adjacent rear faces of the prism so that the central vertical axis is aligned with the intersection of the first and second rear faces of the prism,
• so that, when viewed through the front face at a first angle, a direct image of the first picture will be seen by direct transmission through the first rear face rear and front face and a mirror image of the first picture will be seen by direct transmission through the rear face, total internal reflection at the second rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that direct and mirror images combine to provide an image, apparently of a whole object in the first position and, when viewed through the front face at a second angle, an image of the second picture will be seen by direct transmission through the rear and front faces and a mirror image of the second picture will be seen by transmission through the rear face, total internal reflection at the first rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that directly transmitted and and mirror images of the complementary half of the object combine to provide a completed image, apparently of a whole object in the second position,
• whereby a spectator looking through the front face of the prism and rapidly switching between different angles sees apparently whole images of the object in the first position and in the second position alternatively, thereby providing an impression animation by object movement.

A kit for making an amusement device providing an animated display of a person's photo comprising:

• means for providing an optical prism having a front, optical face and first and second, inclined rear faces;
• a first picture of a first half of a character's body in a first position and a second picture, of a complementary half of the character's body in a second position, sequentially different from the first position;
• the first picture and the second picture defining adjacent areas on the respective character's body halves for mounting a photo of a person's face;
• a picture frame surrounding the front face of the prism for holding said first picture and a first half of said photo mounted thereon on the optical prism with a first half of the person's face aligned behind said first rear face and for holding said second picture and a second half of said photo mounted thereon showing a second half of the person's face aligned behind said second rear face,
• so that, when viewed through the front face at a first angle, a image of the first picture and first half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the first rear face and the front face and a mirror image of the first picture and first half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the first rear face, total internal reflection at the second rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that the direct and mirror images combine to provide a completed image, apparently of the character's whole body in the first position with apparently the person's whole face thereon and, when viewed through the front face at a second angle, an image of the second picture and second half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the second rear face and front face and a mirror image of the second picture and second half of the person's face will be seen by transmission through the second rear face, total internal reflection at the first rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that the direct and mirror images combine to provide a completed image apparently of the character's whole body in the second position with apparently the person's whole face thereon,
• whereby a spectator looking through a the front face of the prism and rapidly switching between different angles sees apparently whole images of the character's body mounted with the persons face in the first position and in the second position alternatively, thereby providing an amusing impression of personalized animation.

A kit for making en amusement device providing an animated display of a person's photo comprising:

• a dear walled prismatic shaped container for holding water providing an optical prism having a front, optical face and first and second, inclined rear faces;
• a first picture of a first half of a character's body in a first position and a second picture, of a complementary half of the character's body in a second position, sequentially different from the first position;
• the first picture and the second picture defining adjacent areas on the respective character's body halves for mounting a photo of a person's face;
• means for holding said first picture and a first half of said photo mounted thereon on the optical prism with a first half of the person's face aligned behind said first rear face and for holding said second picture and a second half of said photo mounted thereon showing a second half of the parson's face aligned behind said second rear face,
• so that, when viewed through the front face at a first angle, a image of the first picture and first half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the first rear face and the front face and a mirror image of the first picture and first half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the first rear face, total internal reflection at the second rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that the direct and mirror images combine to provide a completed image, apparently of the character's whole body in the first position with apparently the person's whole face thereon and, when viewed through the front face at a second angle, an image of the second picture and second half of the person's face will be seen by direct transmission through the second rear face and front face and a mirror image of the second picture and second half of the person's face will be seen by transmission through the second rear face, total internal reflection at the first rear face and subsequent transmission through the front face so that the direct and mirror images combine to provide a completed image apparently of the character's whole body in the second position with apparently the person's whole face thereon,
• whereby a spectator looking through a the front face of the prism and rapidly switching between different angles sees apparently whole images of the character's body mounted with the persons face in the first position and in the second position alternatively, thereby providing an amusing impression of personalized animation.