Stereoscopic television system and apparatus

Claim 2

A stereoscopic remote viewing system comprising: a pickup for converting input images to a video signal; binocular object inspection means for simultaneously providing a pair of images of the same object as viewed from displaced locations along separate optical paths, said binocular inspection means including means for inverting one of said images before causing said images to be focused onto said pickup in side-by-side mirror-symmetric relationship; a remote receiver having a video display; means for transmitting said video signal to said receiver wherein side-by-side, mirror-symmetric images representative of said images focused on said pickup are displayed; binocular image viewing means including two eyepieces; optical means between said video display and said eyepieces for providing first and second isolated optical paths so that only one image can be viewed from each eyepiece; said optical means including means for separating said images, reversing said inverted image, and projecting one of said images onto each of said eyepieces of said viewing means so as to enable a stereoscopic view to be obtained of said object.

Claim 3

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 1 wherein said inspection means includes a plurality of reflective surfaces and a single lens system through which both of said images are simultaneously projected.

Claim 4

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 2 wherein said viewing means includes a plurality of reflective surfaces and a single lens system through which both of said images are simultaneously projected.

Claim 5

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 3 wherein a servo means is provided for causing said inspection means to follow movement of said viewing means and said optical means so that an observer can selectively scan a remote field of view by merely reorienting said viewing means.

Claim 6

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 4 wherein said lens system in said inspection means is of the variable focal length type so as to enable close up views of a selected object to be obtained.

Claim 7

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said inspection means includes at least two pivotable reflector means disposed along said optical paths and which are selectively orientatable so as to enable the selective range control of said inspection means.

Claim 8

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 6 wherein said inspection means includes an even number of reflective devices operatively disposed along one of said optical paths and an odd number of reflective devices operatively disposed along the other of said optical paths.

Claim 9

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 7 wherein said optical means includes an even number of reflective devices operatively disposed along one of the optical paths and an odd number of reflective devices operatively disposed along the other optical path.

Claim 10

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 8 wherein said viewing means, optical means and said display are operatively coupled together to form a unitary body which is adapted for being worn upon the head of the observer.

Claim 11

A stereoscopic remote viewing system comprising: a pickup for converting images to a video signal; binocular object inspection means for simultaneously focusing a pair of images of the same object as viewed from separate locations along separate optical paths onto said pickup; said inspection means including a plurality of reflective surfaces and a single lens system through which both of said images are simultaneously projected before reaching said pickup; said inspection means further including means for laterally inverting one of said images and causing said images to be projected through said lens system onto said pickup in a side-by-side mirror-symmetric relationship so that distortion symmetrical to an imaginary vertical axis between said side-by-side images will similarly affect both images; means for transmitting said video signal to a television receiver including a video display wherein side-by-side mirror-symmetric images representative of said images focused on said pickup are displayed; a binocular viewer including two eyepieces; optical means between said video display and said eyepieces for providing first and second isolated optical paths so that only one image can be viewed from each eyepiece, said first path being from one of said displayed images to one of said eyepieces and said second optical path being from said other displayed image to said other eyepiece; said optical means including a single lens system through which both of said images are simultaneously projected and means for reversing said laterally reversed image before projecting one of said images on each eyepiece so as to enable a stereoscopic view to be obtained of said object.

Claim 12

A stereoscopic remote viewing system comprising: a pickup for converting images to a video signal; binocular object inspection means for simultaneously focusing a pair of images of the same object as viewed from separate locations along separate optical paths onto said pickup; said inspection means including a plurality of reflective surfaces and a single lens system through which both of said images are simultaneously projected before reaching said pickup; said inspection means further including means for laterally inverting one of said images and causing said images to be projected through said lens system onto said pickup in a side-by-side mirror-symmetric relationship so that distortion symmetrical to an imaginary vertical axis between said side-by-side images will similarly affect both images; means for transmitting said video signal to a television receiver including a video display wherein side-by-side mirror-symmetric images representative of said images focused on said pickup are displayed; a binocular viewer including two eyepieces; optical means between said video display and said eyepieces for providing first and second isolated optical paths so that only one image can be viewed from each eyepiece, said first path being from one of said displayed images to one of said eyepieces and said second optical path being from said other displayed image to said other eyepiece; said optical means including a single lens system through which both of said images are simultaneously projected and means for reversing said laterally reversed image before projecting one of said images on each eyepiece so as to enable a stereoscopic view to be obtained of said object.

Claim 13

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 10 wherein said optical means includes a plurality of reflective surfaces and a single lens system through which both of said images are simultaneously projected.

Claim 14

A stereoScopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 11 wherein a servo means is provided for causing said inspection means to follow movement of said viewing means so that an observer can selectively scan a remote field of view by merely reorienting the viewing means.

Claim 15

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 12 wherein said lens system in said inspection means is of the variable focal length type so as to enable close up views of a selected object to be obtained.

Claim 16

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 13 wherein said inspection means includes at least two pivotable reflector means disposed along said optical paths and which are selectively orientatable so as to enable the selective range control of said inspection means.

Claim 17

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 14 wherein said inspection means includes an even number of reflective devices operatively disposed along one of said optical paths and an odd number of reflective devices operatively disposed along the other of said optical paths.

Claim 18

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 15 wherein said optical means includes an even number of reflective devices operatively disposed along one of the optical paths and an odd number of reflective devices operatively disposed along the other optical path.

Claim 19

A stereoscopic remote viewing system as recited in claim 16 wherein said viewing means, optical means and said display are operatively coupled together to form a unitary body which is adapted for being worn upon the head of the observer.