IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE

• US 20070097207A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Toriumi, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,106,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/218 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence

Abstract

An image processing method is provided. The method includes a process carried out by a pair of imagers to extract a parallax caused by a distance to an object of photographing as a positional shift between mutually corresponding pixels included in said imagers or between mutually corresponding image blocks included in the imagers as blocks conforming to the mutually corresponding pixels. The parallax is assigned to image data as a distance coefficient found on the basis of the positional shift between the mutually corresponding pixels or the mutually corresponding image blocks in the imagers.

Claims

1. An image processing method including a process carried out by a pair of imagers, the method comprising:

extracting a parallax, caused by a distance to an object of photographing, as a positional shift between mutually corresponding pixels included in said imagers or between mutually corresponding image blocks included in said imagers as blocks conforming to said mutually corresponding pixels; and

assigning said parallax to image data as a distance coefficient found on the basis of said positional shift between said mutually corresponding pixels or said mutually corresponding image blocks in said imagers.

2. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein assigning said distance coefficient to the image data includes normalizing said distance coefficient into a normalized coefficient proportional to said distance to said object of photographing.

3. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein image processing based on said distance coefficient is carried out to generate a pseudo three-dimensional image.

4. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein pixels or image blocks recognized such that said distance to said object of photographing is large on the basis of the assigned coefficient are shifted alternately to right and left in accordance with the distance with respect to each pixel or image block in the same horizontal coordinate.

5. The image processing method according to claim 1, wherein pixels or image blocks recognized such that said distance to said object of photographing is small on the basis of the assigned coefficient are shifted alternately to right and left in accordance with an inverse of the distance with respect to each pixel or image block in the same horizontal coordinate.

6. An image processing device comprising:

a pair of imagers for extracting pieces of image data with different parallaxes caused by a distance to an object of photographing; and

an image processing circuit for processing said pieces of image data,

wherein said imagers and said image processing circuit are constructed in the same integrated circuit chip.

7. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein each of the imagers include a plurality of horizontal registers, and wherein said image processing circuit compares image data output by every horizontal register employed in one of said imagers with image data output by a corresponding horizontal register employed in the other one of said imagers to extract parallaxes generated in a horizontal direction.

8. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein each of the imagers include a plurality of horizontal registers, and wherein said image processing circuit carries out image-taking and image-processing processes as parallel processing in said integrated circuit chip to compare image data output by every horizontal register employed in one of said imagers with image data output by a corresponding horizontal register employed in the other one of said imagers, extracts parallaxes generated in the horizontal direction as a result of said comparison and assigns information on said parallaxes to said image data.

9. An image processing device comprising:

a pair of imagers for generating pieces of image data with different parallaxes,

wherein a process is carried out to assign a distance coefficient to said pieces of image data, the coefficient obtained by extracting said parallaxes each according to a positional shift between a pixel or image block conforming to the pixel that generates said piece of image data on one of said imagers and a corresponding pixel or image block conforming to the corresponding pixel that generates said piece of image data on the other one of said imagers, and

wherein said image data is converted into output data in accordance with said assigned distance coefficients.

10. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein the conversion of said image data is carried out by enlarging or shrinking said image data in accordance with said assigned distance coefficients.

11. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein the conversion of said image data is carried out by extracting a portion of said image data in accordance with said assigned distance coefficient.

12. An image display apparatus comprising:

a pair of imagers for extracting pieces of image data with different parallaxes each caused by a distance to an object of photographing;

a coefficient assignment circuit for carrying out a process on pieces of image data with different parallaxes output by said imagers to assign a distance coefficient to said pieces of image data, the coefficient being obtained by extracting said parallaxes each according to a positional shift between a pixel or image block conforming to the pixel that generates said piece of image data on one of said imagers and a corresponding pixel or image block conforming to the corresponding pixel that generates said piece of image data on the other one of said imagers;

an image processing circuit for creating a pseudo three-dimensional image from image data output by said coefficient assignment circuit; and

an image display unit for displaying the pseudo three-dimensional image generated by said image processing circuit.

13. The image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said imagers and said coefficient assignment circuit are constructed in the same integrated circuit chip.

14. The image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said distance coefficient is normalized into a normalized coefficient according to the distance to said object of photographing.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, after said distance coefficient obtained by extracting said parallaxes is assigned to said image data, said coefficient assignment circuit carries out image processing on said image data including said distance coefficient in order to display a pseudo three-dimensional image on said display unit.

16. The image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein pixels or image blocks recognized such that said distance to said object of photographing is large on the basis of the assigned coefficient are shifted alternately to right and left in accordance with the distance with respect to each pixel or image block in the same horizontal coordinate.

17. The image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein pixels or image blocks recognized such that said distance to said object of photographing is small on the basis of the assigned coefficient are shifted alternately to right and left in accordance with an inverse of the distance with respect to each pixel or image block in the same horizontal coordinate.