Method and apparatus for applying stereoscopic imagery to three-dimensionally defined substrates

An apparatus for forming a stereoscopic representation of an object, comprising a programmed computer with a program that when executed by the computer provides the following elements:

• (a) a stereogram generator for generating a stereogram comprising first and second views of the object;
• (b) a selector module for selecting from the first and second views a plurality of pairs of corresponding image points relating to three-dimensional features which represent a basic shape of the object, and for determining image coordinates for each selected point with reference to an image coordinate system of its respective view;
• (c) a locator module for determining a location of a natural convergence point or a forced convergence point related thereto in three-dimensional space for each selected pair of corresponding image points;
• (d) a substrate generator for generating a substrate having a surface defined by a set of coordinates in three-dimensional space, the set of coordinates corresponding to locations of the natural convergence points or forced convergence points, wherein the substrate is a three-dimensional representation of surface features of the basic shape of the object;
• and
• (e) an applicator module for applying the first and second views to the generated substrate with each pair of corresponding image points applied to their respective coordinates on the surface of the substrate such that surface parallax is substantially eliminated for each selected pair of corresponding image points, and residual surface parallax occurs for at least some nonselected pairs of corresponding image points.

An apparatus for forming a stereoscopic representation of an object, comprising an item comprising at least one of a record medium, a computer memory, or a read-only memory, the item having the following two elements stored therein:

• (a) a stereogram comprising first and second views of the object;
• and
• (b) a substrate having a surface defined by a set of coordinates in three-dimensional space, the set of coordinates corresponding to the location of at least one of natural convergence points and forced convergence points for each of a plurality of pre-selected pairs of corresponding image points relating to three-dimensional features which represent a basic shape of the object;
• and
• (c) a computer programmed to (i) select from the first and second views a plurality of pairs of corresponding image points relating to three-dimensional features which represent a basic shape of the object, and determining image coordinates for each selected point with reference to an image coordinate system of its respective view;
• (ii) determine a location of a natural convergence point or forced convergence point related thereto in three-dimensional space for each selected pair of corresponding image points;
• (iii) provide a substrate having a surface defined by a set of coordinates in three-dimensional space, the set of coordinates corresponding to locations of the natural convergence points or forced convergence points, wherein the substrate is a three-dimensional representation of surface features of the basic shape of the object;
• and
• (iv) apply the first and second views to the substrate with each pair of corresponding image points applied to their respective coordinates on the surface of the substrate such that surface parallax is substantially eliminated for the pre-selected pairs of corresponding image points and residual surface parallax occurs for at least some other pairs of corresponding image points.