Image generation system, image generation method, program, and information storage medium

• US 20040208358A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Atsushi, Tooyama, Shigeki
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/117 the virtual viewpoint locations being selected by the viewers or determined by viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

An image generation system includes a first image generation section for generating images IL1 and IR1 for the left eye and the right eye, a second image generation section for generating images IL2 and IR2 for the left eye and the right eye by performing correction processing to remove perspective of images in the IL1 and IR1 at a base surface, and a stereoscopic image generation section for generating a stereoscopic image based on the IL2 and IR2. It further includes an image generation section for generating an image IL for the left eye by rendering a projection of each point of a graphic object onto a base surface BS in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the left eye VPL to each point of the graphic object OB, and for generating an image IR for the right eye by rendering a projection of each point of the graphic object onto the base surface BS in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the right eye VPL to each point of the graphic object OB, and the stereoscopic image generation section for generating a stereoscopic image based on the IL and IR.

Claims

1. An image generation system which generates a stereoscopic image, the image generation system comprising:

a first image generation section which generates a first image for the left eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the left eye within an object space, and also generates a first image for the right eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the right eye within the object space;

a second image generation section which generates a second image for the left eye by subjecting the first image for the left eye to correction processing for removing perspective of an image at a base surface in the first image for the left eye, and also generates a second image for the right eye by subjecting the first image for the right eye to correction processing for removing perspective of an image at the base surface in the first image for the right eye; and

a stereoscopic image generation section which generates a stereoscopic image based on the second image for the left eye and the second image for the right eye.

2. The image generation system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the second image generation section:

generates the second image for the left eye by mapping a texture of the first image for the left eye onto a rectangular polygon; and

generates the second image for the right eye by mapping a texture of the first image for the right eye onto a rectangular polygon.

7. The image generation system as defined in claim 1,

wherein, when a distance between a graphic object and a viewpoint position has been extended, the image generation system extends a distance between the viewpoint position for the left eye and the viewpoint position for the right eye in accordance with the change in length of the distance between the graphic object and the viewpoint position.

10. The image generation system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the image generation system moves a viewpoint position along a line having a predetermined angle with respect to the base surface, when a distance between a graphic object and the viewpoint position is to be changed.

13. The image generation system as defined in claim 1,

wherein a display screen of a display section is set as the base surface, a stereoscopic image being displayed on the display screen.

16. The image generation system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the image generation system sets the viewpoint position for the left eye and the viewpoint position for the right eye based on a position and direction of a player which are detected by a sensor.

19. The image generation system as defined in claim 1,

wherein the image generation system displays a stereoscopic image for a first player and a stereoscopic image for a second player on a display section in different frames.

3. An image generation system which generates a stereoscopic image, the image generation system comprising:

a first image generation section which generates a first image for the left eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the left eye within an object space, and also generates a first image for the right eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the right eye within the object space;

a second image generation section which generates a second image for the left eye based on the first image for the left eye, and generates a second image for the right eye based on the first image for the right eye; and

a stereoscopic image generation section which generates a stereoscopic image based on the second image for the left eye and the second image for the right eye,

wherein the second image generation section;

generates the second image for the left eye by mapping a texture of the first image for the left eye onto a rectangular polygon; and

generates the second image for the right eye by mapping a texture of the first image for the right eye onto a rectangular polygon.

8. The image generation system as defined in claim 3,

wherein, when a distance between a graphic object and a viewpoint position has been extended, the image generation system extends a distance between the viewpoint position for the left eye and the viewpoint position for the right eye in accordance with the change in length of the distance between the graphic object and the viewpoint position.

11. The image generation system as defined in claim 3,

wherein the image generation system moves a viewpoint position along a line having a predetermined angle with respect to the base surface, when a distance between a graphic object and the viewpoint position is to be changed.

14. The image generation system as defined in claim 3,

wherein a display screen of a display section is set as the base surface, a stereoscopic image being displayed on the display screen.

17. The image generation system as defined in claim 3,

wherein the image generation system sets the viewpoint position for the left eye and the viewpoint position for the right eye based on a position and direction of a player which are detected by a sensor.

20. The image generation system as defined in claim 3,

wherein the image generation system displays a stereoscopic image for a first player and a stereoscopic image for a second player on a display section in different frames.

4. An image generation system which generates a stereoscopic image, the image generation system comprising:

an image generation section which generates an image for the left eye by rendering a projection of each point of a graphic object onto a base surface which is not orthogonal to a line-of-sight direction, in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the left eye to each point of the graphic object within an object space, and also generates an image for the right eye by rendering a projection of each point of the graphic object onto the base surface, in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the right eye to each point of the graphic object within the object space; and

a stereoscopic image generation section which generates a stereoscopic image based on the image for the left eye and the image for the right eye.

5. The image generation system as defined in claim 4,

wherein the graphic object projected onto the base surface is a graphic object which is disposed on the base surface.

6. The image generation system as defined in claim 4,

wherein the graphic object which is projected onto the base surface is a graphic object at least part of which is disposed at a further side from the base surface as seen from the viewpoint position for the left eye and the viewpoint position for the right eye.

9. The image generation system as defined in claim 4,

wherein, when a distance between the graphic object and a viewpoint position has been extended, the image generation system extends a distance between the viewpoint position for the left eye and the viewpoint position for the right eye in accordance with the change in length of the distance between the graphic object and the viewpoint position.

12. The image generation system as defined in claim 4,

wherein the image generation system moves a viewpoint position along a line having a predetermined angle with respect to the base surface, when a distance between the graphic object and the viewpoint position is to be changed.

15. The image generation system as defined in claim 4,

wherein a display screen of a display section is set as the base surface, a stereoscopic image being displayed on the display screen.

18. The image generation system as defined in claim 4,

wherein the image generation system sets the viewpoint position for the left eye and the viewpoint position for the right eye based on a position and direction of a player which are detected by a sensor.

21. The image generation system as defined in claim 4,

wherein the image generation system displays a stereoscopic image for a first player and a stereoscopic image for a second player on a display section in different frames.

22. An image generation method for generating a stereoscopic image, the image generation method comprising:

generating a first image for the left eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the left eye within an object space;

generating a first image for the right eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the right eye within the object space;

generating a second image for the left eye by subjecting the first image for the left eye to correction processing for removing perspective of an image at a base surface in the first image for the left eye;

generating a second image for the right eye by subjecting the first image for the right eye to correction processing for removing perspective of an image at the base surface in the first image for the right eye; and

generating a stereoscopic image based on the second image for the left eye and the second image for the right eye.

23. An image generation method for generating a stereoscopic image, the image generation method comprising:

generating a first image for the left eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the left eye within an object space;

generating a first image for the right eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the right eye within the object space;

generating a second image for the left eye based on the first image for the left eye;

generating a second image for the right eye based on the first image for the right eye; and

generating a stereoscopic image based on the second image for the left eye and the second image for the right eye,

wherein the method further comprises;

generating the second image for the left eye by mapping a texture of the first image for the left eye onto a rectangular polygon; and

generating the second image for the right eye by mapping a texture of the first image for the right eye onto the rectangular polygon.

24. An image generation method for generating a stereoscopic image, the image generation method comprising:

generating an image for the left eye by rendering a projection of each point of a graphic object onto a base surface which is not orthogonal to a line-of-sight direction, in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the left eye to each point of the graphic object within an object space;

generating an image for the right eye by rendering a projection of each point of the graphic object onto the base surface, in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the right eye to each point of the graphic object within the object space; and

generating a stereoscopic image based on the image for the left eye and the image for the right eye.

25. A program for generating an image, the program causing a computer to function as:

a first image generation section which generates a first image for the left eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the left eye within an object space, and also generates a first image for the right eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the right eye within the object space;

a second image generation section which generates a second image for the left eye by subjecting the first image for the left eye to correction processing for removing perspective of an image at a base surface in the first image for the left eye, and also generates a second image for the right eye by subjecting the first image for the right eye to correction processing for removing perspective of an image at the base surface in the first image for the right eye; and

a stereoscopic image generation section which generates a stereoscopic image based on the second image for the left eye and the second image for the right eye.

28. A computer-readable information storage medium storing the program as defined in claim 25.

26. A program for generating an image, the program causing a computer to function as:

a first image generation section which generates a first image for the left eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the left eye within an object space, and also generates a first image for the right eye as seen from a viewpoint position for the right eye within the object space;

a second image generation section which generates a second image for the left eye based on the first image for the left eye, and generates a second image for the right eye based on the first image for the right eye; and

a stereoscopic image generation section which generates a stereoscopic image based on the second image for the left eye and the second image for the right eye,

wherein the second image generation section;

generates the second image for the left eye by mapping a texture of the first image for the left eye onto a rectangular polygon; and

generates the second image for the right eye by mapping a texture of the first image for the right eye onto a rectangular polygon.

29. A computer-readable information storage medium storing the program as defined in claim 26.

27. A program for generating an image, the program causing a computer to function as:

an image generation section which generates an image for the left eye by rendering a projection of each point of a graphic object onto a base surface which is not orthogonal to a line-of-sight direction, in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the left eye to each point of the graphic object within an object space, and also generates an image for the right eye by rendering a projection of each point of the graphic object onto the base surface, in a projection direction linking a viewpoint position for the right eye to each point of the graphic object within the object space; and

a stereoscopic image generation section which generates a stereoscopic image based on the image for the left eye and the image for the right eye.

30. A computer-readable information storage medium storing the program as defined in claim 27.