1. A method comprising:
receiving at least one tracking signal indicative of tracked navigational movements of a device navigated in motion in an object space with both device orientation movements with respect to a three-dimensional reference frame of said object space and device translatory position movements with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame of said object space, wherein said device translatory position movements comprise three-dimensional translations in position of said device with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame of said object space,
providing, in response to said tracking signal, a light control signal comprising successive computer generated images with a changing image direction of view and a moving image point of view with respect to a three-dimensional image space frame of reference in correspondence, respectively, with a changing device direction of view and a moving device point of view acquired in correspondence with said tracked navigational movements of said device with both said device orientation movements and with said device translatory position movements in said object space with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame of said object space, said successive computer generated images made for viewing in an image space separate from said object space and made for viewing in said image space in a passive viewing role, and
storing said light control signal comprising said successive computer generated images on a non-transitory storage medium for playback in said image space.
2. A non-transitory storage medium comprising a light control signal stored thereon as an encoded video signal configured for decoding and playback for presentation to a viewer of successive computer generated images with said viewer in a passive viewing role, said light control signal provided in response to a tracking signal indicative of tracked navigational movements of a device navigated in motion in an object space with both device orientation movements with respect to a three-dimensional reference frame of said object space and device translatory position movements with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame of said object space, wherein said device translatory position movements comprise three-dimensional translations in position of said device with respect to said thee-dimensional reference frame of said object space, said light control signal comprising said successive computer generated images with a changing image direction of view and a moving image point of view with respect to a three-dimensional image space frame of reference in correspondence, respectively, with a changing device direction of view and a moving device point of view acquired by said tracked navigational movements of said device with both said device orientation movements and with said device translatory position movements in said object space with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame of said object space, said successive computer generated images made for viewing in an image space separate from said object space and made for viewing in said image space in said passive viewing role.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing back said light control signal from said non-transitory storage medium to a viewer of said successive computer generated images, said viewer in said passive viewing role.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a motion control signal based on at least one of said tracked device orientation movements and translatory position movements and storing said motion control signal along with said light control signal on said non-transitory storage medium for playback in controlling a motion-controlled apparatus to change in at least one of orientation and translatory position of said motion-controlled apparatus in synchronization with said at least one of said tracked device orientation movements and device translatory position movements, wherein said motion control signal based on tracked device, orientation movements includes one or more of attitudinal roll, pitch, and yaw motion control signal components and wherein said motion control signal based on tracked device translatory position movements includes one or more linear motion control signal components.
5. A method comprising:
providing a light control signal produced with software by a computer workstation in response to a tracking signal, said light control signal comprising successive computer generated images having a moving image point of view and a changing image direction of view, wherein said image point of view moves and said image direction changes with respect to a three-dimensional image space frame of reference in correspondence, respectively, with movements in translatory position and changes in direction of a device tracked navigating in motion with respect to a three-dimensional frame of reference in an object space, wherein said movements in device translatory position comprise three-dimensional movements in translatory position with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame in said object space, said successive computer generated images made for viewing in an image space separate from said object space and made for viewing in said image space by a viewer in a passive viewing role, and
storing said light control signal comprising said successive computer generated images on a non-transitory storage medium.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said successive computer generated images include images indicative of changing visual fixations that each comprise a different combination of:
(i) a distinct position of said moving image point of view, and
(ii) a distinct position of a region of concentrated or highlighted informational content within a field of view.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein said successive computer generated images are stereoscopic images.
8. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a motion control signal based on at least one of said tracked movements in device translatory position and changes in direction of said device and storing said motion control signal along with said light control signal for playback by said playback device for controlling a motion-controlled apparatus in changing in at least one of translational position and direction of said motion-controlled apparatus in synchronization with at least one of said tracked changes in device translatory position and changes in direction of said device, wherein said motion control signal based on tracked changes in direction of said device includes one or more of roll, pitch, and yaw motion control signal components, and wherein said motion control signal based on tracked movements in device translatory position includes one or more linear motion control signal components.
9. A non-transitory storage medium comprising a light control signal stored thereon as an encoded video signal configured for decoding and playback for viewing by a viewer in a passive viewing role, said light control signal produced with software by a computer workstation in response to a tracking signal, said light control signal comprising successive computer generated images having a moving image point of view and a changing image direction of view, wherein said image point of view moves and said image direction changes with respect to a three-dimensional image space frame of reference in correspondence, respectively, with tracked movements in translatory position and changes in direction of a device navigated in motion with respect to a three-dimensional frame of reference in an object space, wherein said movements in device translatory position comprise three-dimensional movements in translatory position with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame in said object space, said successive computer generated images made for viewing in an image space separate from said object space and made for viewing in said image space by a viewer in said passive viewing role.
10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, wherein said successive computer generated images comprise a field of view with informational content concentrated or highlighted in a portion thereof that changes position within said field of view between said successive computer generated images.
11. The method of claim 5, wherein said successive computer generated images are provided by said computer workstation on which software is used to carry out post-production work on images of real objects taken from said device comprising at least one camera.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said camera comprises at least one head mounted camera.
13. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory including software, said memory and the software configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
receive at least one tracking signal indicative of a device navigated in motion in an object space with both changing device orientation movements with respect to a three-dimensional reference frame of said object space and changing device translatory position movements in said object space with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame of said object space as said device is navigated in motion in said object space, wherein said device translatory position movements comprise three-dimensional translations in position of said device with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame of said object space,
provide, in response to said tracking signal, successive computer generated images having a changing image direction of view and a changing image point of view with respect to a three-dimensional image space frame of reference in correspondence, respectively, with a changing device direction of view corresponding to said changing device orientation movements and a changing device point of view corresponding to said changing device translatory position movements with respect to said three-dimensional reference frame of said object space, said successive computer generated images made for viewing in an image space separate from said object space and made for viewing in said image space by a viewer in a passive viewing role, and
store said successive computer generated images.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said memory and the software are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide a motion control signal based on at least one of said changing device orientation movements and changing device translatory position movements and storing said motion control signal along with said successive computer generated images for playback in controlling a motion-controlled apparatus to change in at least one of orientation and translatory position of said motion-controlled apparatus in synchronization with said at least one of changing device orientation movements and device translatory position movements, wherein said motion control signal based on said changing device orientation movements includes one or more of roll, pitch, and yaw motion control signal components and wherein said motion control signal based on device translatory position movements includes one or more linear motion control signal components.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said successive computer generated images include successive nonuniform computer generated images, each successive nonuniform computer generated image having a highly detailed component and a lesser detailed component, wherein a position of the highly detailed component is changed in selected successive nonuniform computer generated images.
16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said device is a camera and wherein images acquired by said device are images of real objects in said object space acquired by said camera, wherein said successive computer generated images are provided in correspondence with said images acquired by said camera.
17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said device is a stereoscopic camera that acquires stereoscopic images, wherein said stored successive images are successive stereoscopic images provided as computer generated stereoscopic images from said processor in correspondence with said stereoscopic images acquired by said stereoscopic camera.
18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said stored successive images comprise a field of view with informational content concentrated or highlighted in a portion thereof that changes position within said field of view between said successive images, wherein among said successive images are distinct visual fixation images, each distinct visual fixation image comprising a distinct point of view with distinct resolution wherein said distinct resolution of said each distinct visual fixation image comprises a distinct position of said region of concentrated or highlighted informational content within said field of view.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a head mounted camera.
20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said device comprises a head mounted camera.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein said device is navigated by a person free to walk about with said device in navigating said device in motion, wherein said tracking signal is based on at least one of gyro, accelerometer, radio, magnetic, and light beam types of sensors.
22. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 2, wherein said device is navigated by a person free to walk about with said device in navigating said device in motion, wherein said tracking signal is based on at least one of gyro, accelerometer, radio, magnetic, and light beam types of sensors.
23. The method of claim 5, wherein said device is navigated by a person free to walk about with said device in navigating said device in motion, wherein said tracking signal is based on at least one of gyro, accelerometer, radio, magnetic, and light beam types of sensors.
24. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, wherein said device is navigated by a person free to walk about with said device in navigating said device in motion, wherein said tracking signal is based on at least one of gyro, accelerometer, radio, magnetic, and light beam types of sensors.
25. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said device is navigated by a person free to walk about with said device in navigating said device in motion, wherein said tracking signal is based on at least one of gyro, accelerometer, radio, magnetic, and light beam types of sensors.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An optical structure measuring apparatus comprising:
an optical probe having a thin and long sheath whose distal end is closed, an n-channel waveguide device in which n is an integer of three or more and which is inserted and fixed in the sheath along the longitudinal axis of the sheath so as to guide light beams, an irradiating device which is provided in a distal end portion of the sheath and which deflects a light beam emitted from each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device in a radial direction about the longitudinal axis of the sheath to irradiate a measuring object with the deflected light beam, a rotating device which rotates the irradiating device about the longitudinal axis, and a forwardbackward moving device which moves forward and backward the n-channel waveguide device and the irradiating device in the direction along the longitudinal axis;
a light source device which emits a light beam having wavelengths in a wide band;
a branching device which branches the light beam from the light source device to a measuring light beam and a reference light beam;
a branching and light guiding device which branches the measuring light beam to each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device to allow the branched light beam to be guided by each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device;
an n-channel interference light detecting device which detects an interference light beam obtained, for each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device, by making the reference light beam interfere with a return light beam as the measuring light beam which is returned from the measuring object by being guided by each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device via the branching and light guiding device;
an n-channel interference signal generating device which generates an interference signal representing a signal intensity in the depth direction of the measuring object on the basis of each of the interference light beams detected by the n-channel interference light beam detecting device; and
a tomographic structure image generating device which generates a tomographic structure image of the measuring object on the basis of each of the interference signals generated by the n-channel interference signal generating device.
2. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiating device is configured by an n-surface light deflecting and irradiating device which has a substantially n-sided pyramid shape formed in such a manner that a vertex side of an n-sided pyramid having a planar n-sided polygon shaped bottom surface is cut at a predetermined height from the bottom surface, and which has n light deflecting surfaces that are formed by the side surfaces of the substantially n-sided pyramid, and that are arranged to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis.
3. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the planar n-sided polygon shape is formed into a rotationally symmetrical shape about the longitudinal axis.
4. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating device is configured by including:
a torque transmitting coil, a distal end of which is integrally connected to the rotation center of the n-surface light deflecting and irradiating device, and which is rotatably inserted in the sheath along the longitudinal axis of the sheath; and
a motor, a rotary shaft of which is connected to the proximal end of the torque transmitting coil, and which rotates the torque transmitting coil about the longitudinal axis.
5. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating device is configured by a motor which is provided in the sheath on the distal end side from the n-surface light deflecting and irradiating device, and which uses, as its rotary shaft, the longitudinal axis integrally connected to the rotation center of the n-surface light deflecting and irradiating device.
6. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the branching device is configured by an n-channel branching device each channel of which is provided for each of the channels of the n-channel interference light detecting device.
7. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an n-channel reference light branching device that branches the reference light beam into channel reference light beams each of which corresponds to each of the channels of the n-channel interference light detecting device, and each of which is made to interfere with each return light beam as the measuring light beam that is guided from the measuring object by each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device via the branching and light guiding device.
8. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an optical path length correcting device which corrects the optical path length of the reference light beam.
9. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising n or n\u22121 channel optical path length correcting devices, each of which is provided for each of the channels of the n-channel interference light detecting device, so as to correct the optical path length of the channel reference light beam.
10. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source device is configured by n or less light sources each of which emits the light beam having wavelengths in the wide band.
11. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a three-dimensional structure image generating device which generates a three-dimensional structure image of the measuring object on the basis of a plurality of tomographic structure images taken along the longitudinal axis.
12. An optical structure measuring apparatus comprising:
an optical probe having a thin and long sheath whose distal end is closed, an n-channel waveguide device in which n is an integer of two or more and which is inserted and fixed in the sheath along the longitudinal axis of the sheath so as to guide light beams, an irradiating device which is provided in a distal end portion of the sheath and which deflects a light beam emitted from each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device in a radial direction about the longitudinal axis of the sheath to irradiate a measuring object with the deflected light beam, a rotating device which rotates the irradiating device about the longitudinal axis, and a forwardbackward moving device which moves forward and backward the n-channel waveguide device and the irradiating device in the direction along the longitudinal axis;
a light source device which emits a light beam having wavelengths in a wide band;
a branching device which branches the light beam from the light source device to a measuring light beam and a reference light beam;
a branching and light guiding device which branches the measuring light beam to each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device to allow the branched light beam to be guided by each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device;
an n-channel interference light detecting device which detects an interference light beam obtained, for each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device, by making the reference light beam interfere with a return light beam as the measuring light beam which is returned from the measuring object by being guided by each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device via the branching and light guiding device;
an n-channel interference signal generating device which generates an interference signal representing a signal intensity in the depth direction of the measuring object on the basis of each of the interference light beams detected by the n-channel interference light beam detecting device; and
a tomographic structure image generating device which generates a tomographic structure image of the measuring object on the basis of each of the interference signals generated by the n-channel interference signal generating device.
13. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when m is an integer of n or more, the irradiating device is configured by an m-surface light deflecting and irradiating device which has a substantially m-sided pyramid shape formed in such a manner that a vertex side of an m-sided pyramid having a planar m-sided polygon shaped bottom surface is cut at a predetermined height from the bottom surface, and which has m light deflecting surfaces that are formed by the side surfaces of the substantially m-sided pyramid, and that are arranged to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis.
14. The optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 13, wherein when n=2, m is set as m=3.
15. An optical probe of an optical structure measuring apparatus, comprising:
a thin and long sheath whose distal end is closed;
an n-channel waveguide device in which n is an integer of three or more and which is inserted and fixed in the sheath along a longitudinal axis of the sheath so as to guide light beams;
an irradiating device which is provided in a distal end portion of the sheath and which deflects a light beam emitted from each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device in a radial direction about the longitudinal axis of the sheath to irradiate a measuring object with the deflected light beam;
a rotating device which rotates the irradiating device about the longitudinal axis; and
a forwardbackward moving device which moves forward and backward the n-channel waveguide device and the irradiating device in the direction along the longitudinal axis.
16. The optical probe of the optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the irradiating device is configured by an n-surface light deflecting and irradiating device which has a substantially n-sided pyramid shape formed in such a manner that a vertex side of an n-sided pyramid having a planar n-sided polygon shaped bottom surface is cut at a predetermined height from the bottom surface, and which has n light deflecting surfaces that are formed by the side surfaces of the substantially n-sided pyramid, and that are arranged to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis.
17. The optical probe of the optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the planar n-sided polygon shape is formed into a rotationally symmetrical shape about the longitudinal axis.
18. The optical probe of the optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the rotating device is configured by including:
a torque transmitting coil, a distal end of which is integrally connected to the rotation center of the n-surface light deflecting and irradiating device, and which is rotatably inserted in the sheath along the longitudinal axis of the sheath; and
a motor, a rotary shaft of which is connected to the proximal end of the torque transmitting coil, and which rotates the torque transmitting coil about the longitudinal axis.
19. The optical probe of the optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the rotating device is configured by a motor which is provided in the sheath on the distal end side from the n-surface light deflecting and irradiating device, and which uses, as its rotary shaft, the longitudinal axis integrally connected to the rotation center of the n-surface light deflecting and irradiating device.
20. An optical probe of an optical structure measuring apparatus, comprising:
a thin and long sheath whose distal end is closed;
an n-channel waveguide device in which n is an integer of two or more and which is inserted and fixed in the sheath along a longitudinal axis of the sheath so as to guide light beams;
an irradiating device which is provided in a distal end portion of the sheath and which deflects a light beam emitted from each of the channels of the n-channel waveguide device in a radial direction about the longitudinal axis of the sheath to irradiate a measuring object with the deflected light beam;
a rotating device which rotates the irradiating device about the longitudinal axis; and
a forwardbackward moving device which moves forward and backward the n-channel waveguide device and the irradiating device in the direction along the longitudinal axis.
21. The optical probe of the optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 20, wherein when m is an integer of n or more, the irradiating device is configured by an m-surface light deflecting and irradiating device which has a substantially m-sided pyramid shape formed in such a manner that the vertex side of an m-sided pyramid having a planar m-sided polygon shaped bottom surface is cut at a predetermined height from the bottom surface, and which has m light deflecting surfaces that are formed by the side surfaces of the substantially m-sided pyramid, and that are arranged to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis.
22. The optical probe of the optical structure measuring apparatus according to claim 21, wherein when n=2, m is set as m=3.