Re: Stereo Camera Design Proposition

[T3D Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997  John Vala writes:
>  ....................  Do any of you
>think it would be possible to design a stereo camera and viewer in
>our virtual world here which we could ACTUALLY bring to market?
>
>   I am asking this as a very serious proposition.
>............. I have a preliminary design of my
>own for a camera, film mount and viewer for which I have applied for
>patents.  But as most of you know, the patents will get you nothing
>unless the device is actually made.

*****  Basic patent protection for your ideas and designs must be obtained
before you can persuade a manufacturer to consider the production of the
product. Getting any concept to market is the most complicated and least
predictable part of the job. Patent rights only provide you the right to sue
someone who uses your ideas without your permission. Manufacturers generally
don't like such accusations so they want you protected before they will talk
with you. Non-disclosure agreements serve the same ends during a concept's
development prior to actual patent applications.

>   My interest today is to find out if any of you would like to get
>involved in this design effort.  ........

*******  I definitely have an interest in such a project. I would be willing
to discuss possible arrangements for participation. Perhaps due to the legal
issues involved in such a project, a separate discussion process could be
put in place for those who become actual participants to the design process.
Open discussion on this forum might negate the patentability of any
specifics derived from the process, since the information would have been
freely distributed to others, in this case, what amounts to the general public.

>   The way I see it working is, we would figure out who's in and who's
> not,.....................
>and finally who can we get to actually manufacture and market the thing.
>This last item should actually be known or understood up front since we
>want to be sure we have someplace to sell it, but it's much easier to
>sell this product to a manufacturer/marketer if the design is far enough
>along (and we know it will work).

*******  Specifics about the camera and the whole system have to exist in a
specific form in order to evaluate any maunfacturing potentials. That is one
place where they like to see working models. It is virtually impossible to
obtain a promise to manufacture before the system is designed or built. That
is part of the risk involved in the patent process. Basically, there is no
way to specify a manufacturer up front unless by some stroke of lightning, a
manufacturer should offer to sponsor, or otherwise become involved in the
process. If you already have such a thing, great, if not, I wouldn't expect
to find such a thing till much later.

>   Several years ago I incorporated my one man operation here in an
>attempt to do what I proposed above, ........... It seems now though that
>the time is right and this "New Product" may have a spot in the Marketplace.
>...............................

*******  I don't know what an attorney will tell you about this, but perhaps
this group could engage in general *ideal stereo camera descriptions* and
build from that point. The ownership of the information would likely be
*public domain*. What a camera design group would do would be to extrapolate
from the generalized specs and develop an actual working system. That
discussion and design would have to be *private* and protected by
non-disclosure agreements and whatever else may be needed.

Since other groups have already started and published their discussions (on
the web) relating to a modern stereo camera, perhaps that discussion could
form the jumping off point for this group. We could read and comment on
their previous ideas with the idea of refining things to where it is more
usable. It may be that the previous specs are either not specific enough or
too involved and complex, or maybe we would see niches left unfilled. How
your existing work dovetails with this *idealized* discussion, would be
something not openly discussed until a patent has actually been applied for
or received. (consult an attorney for specifics of when it's OK to talk
about actual features)

I agree that perhaps the time is right for such a project to be undertaken.
Even if it is the right time, there are no guarantees for these processes,
only hopeful progress. I'm willing to get involved in the discussion aimed
at establishing such a group of persons who intend to design a marketable
product. Who really knows where such a thing might eventually lead?

Larry Berlin


------------------------------