United States Patent [19] [li] Patent Number: 4,559,556
Wilkins [45] Date of Patent: Dec. 17,1985
[54] SYSTEM FOR VIEWING THREE DIMENSIONAL IMAGES
[76] Inventor: Vaughn D. Wilkins, 19163 Olympia St., Northridge, Calif. 91326
[21] Appl. No.: 681,932
[22] Filed: Dec. 14, 1984
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 550,137, Nov. 9, 1983, abandoned.
[51] Int. Q.4 H04N 9/54
[52] U.S. a 358/88
[58] Field of Search 358/88, 92, 3
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
3,050,870 8/1962 Heilig 358/88
4,151,549 4/1979 Bautze 358/89
Primary Examiner—Richard Murray
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Pastoriza, Kelly & Lowry
[57] ABSTRACT
A viewing system is provided for viewing images with
a three-dimensional effect, wherein the system is particularly adapted for viewing television images in full color. The viewing system comprises a filter mat having two juxtaposed polarizing filters for placement over a television viewing screen or other rear surface projection device in substantial registry with two similarly juxtaposed and slightly different images of a common scene or subject. The polarizing filters are oriented on different axes to polarize the light from the two images on different axes. The viewer observes these polarized images through eyeglasses having lens openings covered by polarizing lenses oriented with respect to the polarizing filters of the filter mat such that the two images are respectively observed by the viewer's right and left eyes. The eyeglass lens openings are further covered by movable image shifting lenses supported for simultaneous adjustment to merge the observed images into superimposed relation thereby providing a highly realistic three-dimensional effect. Magnification of the merged images is also provided in preferred forms of the invention.
