Three-dimensional display apparatus using intermediate elemental images

• US 20080211737A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: kwangwoon university research institute for industry cooperation
• Original Assignee: Eun-Soo Kim, kwangwoon university research institute for industry cooperation
• Inventors: Shin, Dong-Hak, Kim, Eun-Soo, Hwang, Dong-Choon, Park, Jae-Sung, Kim, Seung-Chool
• Application Number:
  US12/004,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211737A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/6
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/232 using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/307 using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses

Abstract

A three-dimensional image display apparatus using an intermediate elemental image is disclosed. In one embodiment, the three-dimensional image display apparatus includes: i) an image input unit, generating a plurality of elemental images extracted from a three-dimensional object, the elemental images have different perspectives, ii) an image processing unit, generating an intermediate elemental image, using parallax information between the elemental images inputted from the image input unit and iii) an image reproduction unit, reproducing a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional object, using the elemental image and the intermediate elemental image. With the three-dimensional image display apparatus, and the method thereof, using an intermediate elemental image in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a high-resolution three-dimensional image can be outputted.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a three-dimensional image based on elemental images, the apparatus comprising:

an elemental image generator configured to generate a plurality of elemental images from a three-dimensional object, wherein the elemental images comprise different perspectives;

an intermediate elemental image generator configured to generate at least one intermediate elemental image, based on parallax information between the generated elemental images; and

an image reproducer configured to reproduce a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional object based on the elemental images and the at least one intermediate elemental image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elemental image generator comprises:

a first lens array configured to extract elemental images of different perspectives from the three-dimensional object; and

an image sensor configured to store the elemental images received from the first lens array.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image reproducer comprises:

an image display section configured to display the elemental images and the intermediate elemental image; and

a second lens array, comprising a plurality of convex lenses, configured to reproduce a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional object by projecting and overlapping and immersing the elemental images and the intermediate elemental image displayed on the image display section.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image reproducer comprises:

an image display section configured to display the elemental images and the intermediate elemental image; and

a second lens array, comprising a plurality of concave lenses, configured to reproduce a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional object by reflecting and overlapping and immersing the elemental images and the intermediate elemental image displayed on the image display section.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intermediate elemental image generator is further configured to perform a linear combination of two adjacent elemental images so as to generate the intermediate elemental image.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the intermediate elemental image generator is further configured to generate the at least one intermediate elemental image based on the following formula:

I_P(x,y)=(1−

α

)·

I_L(x+α

d(x,y),y)+α

·

I_R(x−

(1−

α

)d(x,y),y) 

 

(1)

whereas I_P is a pixel of an intermediate elemental image, I_L is a pixel of a left image of the two adjacent elemental images, I_R is a pixel of a right image of the two adjacent elemental images, d is a spatial difference between I_L and I_R, and 0≦

α

≦

1.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the three-dimensional image enlarges the three-dimensional object by n times, the number of the at least one intermediate elemental image generated between the adjacent elemental images is n−

1.

8. A method of generating a three-dimensional image based on elemental images, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of elemental images from a three-dimensional object, wherein the elemental images comprise different perspectives;

generating at least one intermediate elemental image, based on parallax information between the generated elemental images; and

reproducing a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional object based on the elemental images and the at least one intermediate elemental image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating of the plurality of elemental images comprises:

extracting elemental images of different perspectives from the three-dimensional object; and

storing the extracted elemental images.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the reproducing comprises:

displaying the elemental images and the intermediate elemental image; and

reproducing a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional object by projecting and overlapping and immersing the displayed elemental images and intermediate elemental image.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the reproducing comprises:

displaying the elemental images and the intermediate elemental image; and

reproducing a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional object by reflecting and overlapping and immersing the displayed elemental images and intermediate elemental image.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating of the intermediate elemental image comprises performing a linear combination of two adjacent elemental images so as to generate the intermediate elemental image.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating of the intermediate elemental image comprises generating the at least one intermediate elemental image based on the following formula:

I_P(x,y)=(1−

α

)·

I_L(x+α

d(x,y),y)+α

·

I_R(x−

(1−

α

)d(x,y),y) 

 

(1)

whereas I_P is a pixel of an intermediate elemental image, I_L is a pixel of a left image of the two adjacent elemental images, I_R is a pixel of a right image of the two adjacent elemental images, d is a spatial difference between I_L and I_R, and 0≦

α

≦

1.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein, if the three-dimensional image enlarges the three-dimensional object by n times, the number of the at least one intermediate elemental image generated between the adjacent elemental images is n−

1.

15. An apparatus for generating a three-dimensional image based on elemental images, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a plurality of elemental images from a three-dimensional object, wherein the elemental images comprise different perspectives;

means for generating at least one intermediate elemental image, based on parallax information between the generated elemental images; and

means for reproducing a three-dimensional image corresponding to the three-dimensional object based on the elemental images and the at least one intermediate elemental image.