Method and apparatus for transferring data

Abstract

A cartographic means and method employs two or more compound microscopes having optical paths combined through semireflective means. One of the microscopes has means for receiving an input record in its object plane while the other has an output record in a horizontal object plane beneath its objective. Image modification means including a zoom system and preferably an image rotation mechanism and an anamorphic system are included in the input microscope system to permit the input image to be matched to the output image as both are viewed through the eyepieces. Various apparatus and methods for mounting, illuminating and scanning inputs, handling outputs, supporting the instrument, photographing the superimposed images and transferring data from input to output are described.

We claim: 
     
       1. An instrument for use by a human operator in transferring graphical information from an input record to an output record, comprising: a. a first compound microscope having a first optical axis and objective and eyepiece means disposed at cooperative optical conjugates along said first optical axis;   b. a second compound microscope having a second optical axis and objective and eyepiece means disposed at cooperative optical conjugates along said second optical axis; said eyepiece means being in common with the eyepiece means of said first compound microscope;   c. semireflective beam combiner means disposed across said first and second optical axes for transmitting and reflecting portions of rays directed along said axes by said first and second compound microscopes toward said common eyepiece means;   d. means for mounting an input record in an object plane conjugated to said objective of said first compound microscope;   e. means for focusing said first compound microscope on said object plane;   f. output record receiving means including means defining a substantially planar surface adjacent a human operator station;   g. lens means disposed in said first compound microscope between said beam combiner means and said objective, and conjugated to an eyepiece focal plane of said common eyepiece means for focusing rays emanating from said input record to form an image of said input record in said eyepiece focal plane;   h. lens means disposed in said second compound microscope between said beam combiner means and said objective and conjugated to an eyepiece focal plane of said common eyepiece means for focusing rays emanating from said output record to form an image of said output record in said eyepiece focal plane superimposed over said image of said input record;   i. means for mounting said second compound microscope at a fixed object conjugate above said planar surface;   j. means including means for disposing said common eyepiece means adjacent said human operator station in position to receive at least one of said human operator's eyes in correspondence with an exit pupil of said eyepiece means while simultaneously having said planar surface in position to receive manual transfer of data by said human operator from said input record to said output record; and   k. means in said first compound microscope between said objective and said beam combining means, including at least a variable magnification system which is continuously variable over a range of magnifications without variance of the object conjugate, for modifying an image of said input record to correspond with an image of said output record.   
     
     
       2. The instrument of claim 1 further including means for rotating the image of said input record to an orientaion corresponding to the orientation of an image of said output record. 
     
     
       3. The instrument of claim 2 wherein said image rotating means comprises a rotatable input record mounting stage. 
     
     
       4. The instrument of claim 2 wherein said image rotating means comprises a rotatable optical member aligned along said optical axis to provide an odd number of reflections of said optical axis. 
     
     
       5. The instrument of claim 4 where said rotatable optical member is a pechan prism. 
     
     
       6. The instrument of claim 2 further including means disposed between said image rotating means and an input record mounting stage, for stretching said image in one direction and for varying the azimuth of said direction of stretch. 
     
     
       7. The instrument of claim 1 further including means for illuminating said input record and said output record, said illuminating means including means for adjusting the relative brilliance of illumination of said input and output records. 
     
     
       8. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said common eyepiece means includes binocular eyepieces, each having an eyepiece focal plane, and said beam combiner means includes means for splitting sets of rays emanating from each of said input and output records into transmitted and reflected portions, one of each of such portions forming an image in each of said eyepiece focal planes. 
     
     
       9. The instrument of claim 1 including rotatable periscope means between said input record mounting means and said .[.first objective.]. .Iadd.image modifying .Iaddend.means of said first compound microscope. 
     
     
       10. The instrument of claim 1 equipped for stereo-viewing by further having a third compound microscope having a third optical axis and objective and eyepiece means disposed at cooperative optical conjugates along said third optical axis, and having means for mounting a second input record in an object plane of said third microscope objective lens, said instrument having at least triple semireflective means including beamsplitting means in said second compound microscope for splitting rays emanating from said output record into two portions and at least two beam combining means, one of which is disposed in each of said first and third compound microscopes for receiving one of said portions of said output record rays and for combining said portions of said output record rays with said input record rays. 
     
     
       11. The instrument of claim 8 wherein said beam combiner means includes means for displacing said ray splitting means and also means for replacing said ray splitting means with additional optical means for directing one of said sets of rays exclusively to one of said binocular eyepieces and for directing the other of said sets of rays exclusively to the other of said binocular eyepieces. 
     
     
       12. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said input record mounting means includes means for rotating said input record in said object plane. 
     
     
       13. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said input record mounting means includes means for raising and lowering said input record. 
     
     
       14. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said input record mounting means includes film supply reel means, intermediate roller means, and film take-up reel means disposed adjacent said input record mounting means for receiving uncut roll film inputs. 
     
     
       15. The instrument of claim 9 wherein said objective of said first compound microscope is disposed within said rotatable periscope. 
     
     
       16. The instrument of claim 9 wherein said rotatable periscope is demountably disposed on said instrument for interchanging with additional periscope means. 
     
     
       17. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said objective of said second compound microscope is disposed in laterally displaceable mounting means. 
     
     
       18. A method of transferring data from an input graphic record to an output graphic record, including the steps of: a. directing first illuminating rays upon an input graphic record;   b. after said first rays have contacted said input graphic record, collecting said first rays with a first objective lens;   c. further modifying the path of said first rays with additional lens means, at least by varying the magnification afforded by said first rays;   d. directing said first rays upon semireflective means for passing at least a portion of said first rays therebeyond;   e. directing said portion of said first rays along an optical path to form an image of said input graphic record with said passed portion of said first rays in an eyepiece focal plane;   f. directing second illuminating rays upon an output graphic record;   g. after said second rays have contacted said output graphic record, collecting said second rays with a second objective lens;   h. directing said second rays upon said semireflective means for passing at least a portion of said second rays therebeyond along said optical path with said first rays to form an image of said output graphic record with said passed portion of said second rays in said eyepiece focal plane;   i. simultaneously viewing both said images in said eyepiece focal plane through an eyepiece lens;   j. varying the magnification and orientation of said images until said images substantially match; and   k. guiding recording means on said output graphic record to record data thereon from said input graphic record.   
     
     
       19. Apparatus including an instrument for use in transferring graphical data from, for instance, a photograph to a recording sheet, comprising: means for supporting said graphical data in a first object plane;   means for illuminating said graphical data for generating image-bearing light rays;   a first optical train, comprising in optical alignment along a first optical axis;   an objective lens system for receiving said image-bearing light rays from said graphical data;   a collimating lens;   a decollimating lens;   a rotatable and variable anamorphic optical system disposed between said collimating and decollimating lenses;   a continuously variable magnification lens system, and   odd-multiple reflective means rotatably mounted for rotating said image-bearing light rays about said first optical axis;   means for illuminating said recording sheet to produce image-bearing rays, said sheet lying in a second object plane;   a second optical train comprising in optical alignment along a second optical axis:   an objective lens system, having associated therewith an object conjugate distance, for receiving said image-bearing light rays from said sheet; and   optical relay means disposed for directing said second optical axis toward said first optical axis;   semireflective means for combining said axes and said image-bearing rays from said sheet and from said graphical data;   both said first and second optical trains including lens means adapted to focus said image-bearing rays through said semireflective means to form images in a common focal plane;   eyepiece means disposed in said instrument along said combined axes, said eyepiece means being adapted for viewing at least one of said images so formed in said common focal plane; and   support means for said instrument including means defining said second object plane and means for positioning said objective lens system of said second optical train at its associated object conjugate distance relative to said second object plane.   
     
     
       20. A cartographic method, comprising the steps of: illuminating a photograph of terrain corresponding to a map to generate rays bearing an image of said photograph;   collecting said rays with first microscope objective means;   varying the magnification of said rays;   illuminating said map to generate rays bearing an image of a portion of said map;   collecting said rays from said map with second microscope objective means;   superimposing said rays from said photograph over said rays emanating from said map;   focusing said superimposed rays in at least one eyepiece focal plane to form superimposed images of said photograph and said map;   viewing said images so combined in said eyepiece focal plane, with eyepiece means, while further varying the magnification of said rays from said photograph, until a plurality of points in said image of said photograph are seen to match with points from said partially completed map;   observing differences between information carried by said photograph and said map; and   while viewing said rays so combined, and with said points so matched, recording said differences on said map.   
     
     
       21. The cartographic method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of: with said superimposed rays from said first photograph and said map focused in only one eyepiece plane and while viewing said superimposed rays with only one eye, illuminating a second photograph of said terrain, said second photograph having been taken from a different perspective than said first photograph, to generate rays bearing an image of said second photograph;   collecting said rays from said second photograph with third microscope objective means;   varying the magnification of said rays;   focusing said rays from said second photograph in a second eyepiece plane;   viewing said rays from said second photograph with only the observer's second eye with second eyepiece means in said second eyepiece plane;   further varying the magnification of said rays from said second photograph until stereofusion of said rays from said first and second photographs is achieved; and   with said rays from said map still superimposed over the rays from at least one of said first and second photographs, and with said rays from said first and second photographs stereofused, recording said differences on said map.   
     
     
       22. The cartographic method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of: interfering with and restoring said illumination of said photograph alternately with said illumination of said partially completed map to make first one of said photograph or said map to appear dominant and then the other, as an aid to perceiving differences between said map and said photograph; and   while viewing said map and said photograph and while interfering with and restoring said illumination of said map alternately with said photograph, recording said differences upon said map.   
     
     
       23. The cartographic method of claim 20, further comprising, following the collecting of said rays from said terrain photograph with said first microscope means, and before superimposing said rays over said map rays, the steps of: collimating said collected rays;   stretching said rays from said photograph in one azimuthal direction as required to substantially correct image displacements in said photograph to match said image of said photograph with said image of said map; and   decollimating said rays.   
     
     
       24. The cartographic method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of: photographically recording a plurality of matched, superimposed images of said photograph and said map, each such image being chosen to cover terrain adjacent other such images; and   assembling photographs so recorded to form a mosaic of said terrain. .[.25. Apparatus for transferring graphical data, said apparatus including:   a support means;   b. a first optical system secured to said support means, said first optical system including a first optical axis and first objective lens means, said support means including means for positioning said first objective lens means relative to a first plane transverse to said first optical axis in which graphic data may be positioned;   a second optical system secured to said support means, said second optical system including a second optical axis and second objective lens means said support means including means for positioning said second objective lens means relative to a second plane transverse to said second optical axis in which graphic data may be positioned;   d. eyepiece means secured to said support means;   e. semireflective beam combiner means disposed across said first and second optical axes between said first and second objective lens means and said eyepiece means for transmitting and reflecting portions of rays directed along said first and second optical axes toward said eyepiece means whereby an image of graphic data in said first plane and an image of graphic data in said second plane may be superimposed upon one another; and   f. zoom means in one of said first and second optical systems between said semireflective beam combiner means and the corresponding one of said first and second objective lens means, said zoom means including a variable magnification system which is continuously variable over a range of   
     
     
        magnifications..]. .[.26.  The instrument as set forth in claim 25 further including graphic data supporting means, said graphic data supporting means being coincident with said first plane, said support means including means for varying the position of said graphic data support means relative to said first objective lens means..]. .[.27. The instrument as set forth in claim 25 further including image rotation means disposed along one of said first and second optical axes between said semireflective beam combiner means and the corresponding one of said first and second objective lens means..]. .[.28. The instrument as set forth in claim 25 further including anamorphic means disposed on one of said first and second optical axes between said semireflective beam combiner means and the corresponding one of said first and second objective lens means..]. 
     
     
        .[.9.  Apparatus for transferring graphical data, said apparatus comprising: a. a first optical system including a first optical axis and first objective lens means;   b. a second optical system including a second optical axis and second objective lens means;   c. means for supporting graphical data;   d. means for supporting said first and second optical systems, said support means positioning one of said first and second objective lens means relative to a plane on which graphic data may be supported, said support means also positioning said graphical data supporting means relative to the other of said first and second objective lens means;   e. eyepiece means secured to said support means;   f. semireflective beam combiner means positioned across said first and second optical axes between said first and second objective lens means and said eyepiece means for transmitting and reflecting portions of rays directed along said first and second optical axes toward said eyepiece means; and   g. zoom means in one of said first and second optical systems between the corresponding one of said first and second objective lens means and said beam combiner means, said zoom means including a variable magnification system which is continuously variable over a range of magnification..]. .[.30. The apparatus as set forth in claim 29 wherein said support means includes means for variable positioning said graphical data supporting means relative to said other of said first and second objective lens means..]. .Iadd. 31. An instrument for use by an operator to simultaneously view at least first and second graphical representations to thereby facilitate the transfer of graphical data from said first graphical representation to said second graphical representation, as by tracing a portion of an image of a photograph on a map base, said instrument comprising:   (a) housing means;   (b) optical means supported by said housing means, said optical means including first and second image forming optical systems, eyepiece means and beam combiner means, said eyepiece means and said beam combiner means being common to both said first and said second optical systems, said first optical system having a first optical axis, a first object plane and a first image plane, said second optical system having a second optical axis, a second object plane and a second image plane, said second image plane being coincident with said first image plane whereby said first and second optical systems form superimposed images of said first graphical representation and said second graphical representation when said first graphical representation is positioned in said first object plane and said second graphical representation is positioned in said second object plane, at least one of said first and second optical systems including means for matching said first image with said second image, said image matching means including a continuously variable magnification means positioned along the corresponding one of said first and second optical axes; and   (c) means for positioning said housing means relative to a surface which is coincident with said second object plane and in which at least a portion of said second graphical representation may be positioned, at least a portion of said positioning means, at least a portion of said second optical system and at least a portion of said surface cooperating to define a work space between said second optical system and said second object plane in which said operator may record information on said second graphical representation. .Iaddend..Iadd. 32. The apparatus as set forth in claim 31 further including means, secured relative to said housing means, for positioning said first graphical representation in said first object plane. .Iaddend..Iadd. 33. The instrument as set forth in claim 32 wherein said means for positioning said first graphical representation in said first object plane is a photographic mounting stage. .Iaddend..Iadd. 34. The instrument as set forth in claim 33 further including means for varying the distance between said photographic mounting stage and said first optical system. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 35. An instrument for use by an operator to simultaneously view at least first and second graphical representations to thereby facilitate the transfer of graphical data from said first graphical representation to said second graphical representation, as by tracing a portion of an image of a photograph on a map base, said instrument comprising:   (a) housing means;   (b) optical means supported by said housing means, said optical means including first and second image forming optical systems, eyepiece means and beam combiner means, said eyepiece means and said beam combiner means being common to both said first and said second optical systems, said first optical system having a first optical axis, a first object plane and a first image plane, said second optical system having a second optical axis, a second object plane and a second image plane, said second image plane being coincident with said first image plane whereby said first and second optical systems form superimposed images of said first graphical representation and said second graphical representation when said first graphical representation is positioned in said first object plane and said second graphical representation is positioned in said second object plane, said first and second optical systems including means for matching said first image with said second image, said image matching means including a continuously variable magnification means and an anamorphic means, said continuously variable magnification means being positioned along one of said first and second optical axes, said anamorphic means being positioned along either said first or second optical axes; and   (c) means for positioning said housing means relative to a surface which is coincident with said second object plane and in which at least a portion of said second graphical representation may be positioned, at least a portion of said positioning means, at least a portion of said second optical system and at least a portion of said surface cooperating to define a work space between said second optical system and said second object plane in which said operator may record information on said second graphical representation. .Iaddend..Iadd. 36. The instrument as set forth in claim 35 wherein said continuously variable magnification means and said anamorphic means are both positioned along the same one of said first and second optical axes. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 37. The instrument as set forth in claim 36 wherein said anamorphic means is positioned between said continuously variable magnification means and said beam combiner means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 38. The instrument as set forth in claim 37 further including a collimating lens and a decollimating lens, said collimating lens being positioned along said same one of said first and second optical axes between said continuously variable magnification means and said anamorphic means said decollimating lens being positioned along said same one of said first and second optical axes between said anamorphic means and said beam combiner means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 39. The instrument as set forth in claim 38 wherein said image matching means further includes image rotation means, said image rotation means positioned along said same one of said first and second optical axes between said decollimating lens and said beam combiner means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 40. The instrument as set forth in claim 31 wherein said image matching means further includes image rotation means, said image rotation means being positioned along one of said first and second optical axes. .Iaddend..Iadd. 41. The instrument as set forth in claim 31 further including means, secured to said housing means, to permit transverse movement of a first portion of one of said first and second optical axes relative to the corresponding one of said first and second object planes. .Iaddend..Iadd. 42. The instrument as set forth in claim 41 wherein said means to permit transverse movement includes parallel reflective surfaces for imparting lateral offset to said one of said first and second optical axes and means to permit rotation of said reflective surfaces about an axis coincident with a second portion of said one of said first and second optical axes. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 43. The instrument as set forth in claim 31 wherein said eyepiece means includes right and left eyepieces and said beam combiner means includes means for combining and dividing the light rays incident from said first and second object planes into first and second portions, said first portion being directed to said right eyepiece, said second portion being directed to said left eyepiece. .Iaddend..Iadd. 44. The instrument as set forth in claim 43 wherein said beam combiner means is a beam splitter having a semireflective surface, said surface having a reflectance substantially equal to its transmittance. .Iaddend..Iadd. 45. The instrument as set forth in claim 44 further including means for moving said beam splitter out of both said first and said second optical systems whereby said image of said first graphical representation is viewed in one of said right and said left eyepieces and said image of said second graphical representation is viewed in the other of said right and said left eyepieces. .Iaddend..Iadd. 46. The instrument as set forth in claim 31 further including means, disposed between said beam combiner means and said eyepiece means, for permitting light rays incident from said first and second object planes to be directed either to said eyepiece means or a photographic means. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 47. The instrument as set forth in claim 31 wherein said optical means includes a third image forming optical system and wherein said eyepiece means included left and right eyepieces, said third optical system including a third optical axis, a third object plane and a third image plane, said beam combiner means including means for combining the light rays incident from said first and second object planes and directing at least a portion of said combined rays to one of said right and left eyepieces, said beam combiner means further including means for directing at least a portion of the light rays incident from said third object plane to the other of said right and left eyepieces. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 48. An instrument for use by an operator to simultaneously view at least first and second graphical representations to thereby facilitate the transfer of graphical data from said first graphical representation to said second graphical representation, as by tracing a portion of an image of a photograph on a map base, said instrument comprising:   (a) housing means;   (b) optical means supported by said housing means, said optical means including first and second image forming optical systems, eyepiece means and beam combiner means, said eyepiece means and said beam combiner means being common to both said first and second optical systems, said first optical system having a first optical axis, a first object plane and a first image plane, said second optical system having a second optical axis, a second object plane and a second image plane, said second image plane being coincident with said first image plane whereby said first and second optical systems form superimposed images of said first graphical representation and said second graphical representation when said first graphical representation is positioned in said first object plane and said second graphical representation is positioned in said second object plane, one of said first and second optical systems including means for matching said first image with said second image, said image matching means including a continuously variable magnification means positioned along the corresponding one of said first and second optical axes;   (c) means for positioning said first graphical representation in said first object plane; and   (d) means for suspending said housing means including both said first and second optical systems and said eyepiece means over a surface which is coincident with said second object plane and in which at least a portion of said second graphical representation may be positioned, at least a portion of said means for suspending, at least a portion of said housing means and at least a portion of said surface defining a space which allows said operator to record information on said second graphical representation. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 49. The instrument as set forth in claim 35 wherein said optical means includes a third image forming optical system and wherein said eyepiece means included left and right eyepieces, said third optical system including a third optical axis, a third object plane and a third image plane, said beam combiner means including means for combining the light rays incident from said first and second object planes and directing at least a portion of said combined rays to one of said right and left eyepieces, said beam combiner means further including means for directing at least a portion of the light rays incident from said third object plane to the other of said right and left eyepieces. .Iaddend.