3D IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD AND SYSTEM THEREOF

• US 20080291269A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: kwangwoon university research institute for industry cooperation
• Original Assignee: Dong-Hak Shin, Eun-Soo Kim, kwangwoon university research institute for industry cooperation
• Inventors: Shin, Dong-Hak, Kim, Eun-Soo, Oh, Yong-Seok, Hong, Suk-Pyo, Kim, Seung-Cheol
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,769 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/229 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/232 using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/307 using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/334 using spectral multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/346 using prisms or semi-transparent mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/354 for displaying sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/356 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes

Abstract

A three-dimensional image display method is disclosed. The three-dimensional image display method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: displaying an object image; displaying a background image by using a three-dimensional image display method; and disposing the object image at a close distance and the background image at a far distance such that the object image and the background image overlap inside a same viewing angle. By using images having a different sense of depth, a high-resolution image can be displayed while providing a sense of reality.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional image display method in a three-dimensional image display system, the method comprising:

displaying an object image;

displaying a background image by using a three-dimensional image display method; and

disposing the object image at a close distance and the background image at a far distance such that the object image and the background image overlap inside a same viewing angle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the disposing the object image and the background image, one of the object image and background image is formed as a real image and the other is formed as a virtual image, by using a half mirror, the half mirror permeating one of the object image and background image and reflecting the other.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the object image is reflected on the half mirror and is formed as a virtual image on an opposite side of the half mirror.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the displaying the background image, the background image is projected to a lens array and is displayed as an element image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

generating a mask image corresponding to the object image;

combining the background image with the mask image; and

projecting the combined image to a lens array and displaying the combined image as an element image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein an element image of the mask image is treated black.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

outputting the background image as a left image and a right image, the left image and the right image having complementary colors with each other; and

using a color difference method to display the background image, the color difference method comprising separating the left image and right image of complementary colors by using eye-glasses with color filters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the complementary colors of the left image and right image are red and green, respectively.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying uses a polarization method to display the background image, the polarization method separating a left image and a right image of the background image by using polarized eye-glasses, the polarized eye-glasses having a left lens and a right lens that have different polarizing directions from each other.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the polarized eye-glasses use the difference in oscillation direction of linear polarization or the difference in rotation direction of circular polarization.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

repeatedly outputting the background image periodically as a left image and a right image, the left image and the right image having different parallax; and

using a time-division method to display the background image, the time-division method comprising separating the left image and the right image through an electronic shutter synchronized with the repeated period.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises using a head mount display (HMD) method to display the background image, the HMD method providing three-dimensionality by placing a display device on the head and placing a screen right in front of the eye.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

outputting a left image and a right image alternately on a display panel of the background image; and

using a parallax barrier method to display the background image, the parallax barrier method comprising separating the left image and the right image through a barrier placed at a distance from the display panel.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

outputting a left image and a right image and arranging the left image and the right image alternately on a display panel of the background image; and

using a lenticular method to display the background image, the lenticular method comprising separating the left image and the right image through a half-round cylindrical shape lenticular placed at a distance from the display panel.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

outputting a plurality of pairs of left and right images by alternately arranging the left image and the right image on a display panel of the background image; and

using a multi-view method to display the background image, the multi-view method comprising separating the left image and the right image as a plurality of point-of-views through a barrier placed at a distance from the display panel.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the displaying the object image, the lens is a convex lens or a concave mirror.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the displaying the key image, the lens is a plurality of convex lenses or a plurality of concave mirrors.

18. One or more processor-readable storage devices having processor-readable code, the processor-readable code which, when executed by one or more processors, performs a three-dimensional image display method in a three-dimensional image display system, the method comprising:

displaying an object image;

displaying a background image by using a three-dimensional image display method; and

disposing the object image at a close distance and the background image at a far distance such that the object image and the background image overlap inside a same viewing angle.

19. A three-dimensional image display system, comprising:

an object image display system unit configured display an object image;

an integral image display system unit configured to display a background image as an element image; and

an optical unit configured to dispose the object image at a close distance and the background image at a far distance such that the object image and the background image overlap inside a same viewing angle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the integral image display system unit comprises a lens array, and wherein the integral image display system unit displays the background image by projecting the element image on the lens array.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the object image display system unit comprises:

a display panel configured to display the object image on a panel; and

a floating lens, which is a convex lens or a concave lens,

wherein an image displayed on the display panel is configured to be floating-displayed by being projected to the floating lens.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the floating lens is a plurality of convex lenses of a plurality of concave mirrors.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the floating-image display system unit comprises a lens, allowing an object image displayed on the display panel to be formed at a distance H, the distance H being computed through a formula

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the integral image display system unit comprises:

a display panel, on which a background image is displayed; and

a lens array, placed at the front of the display panel,

wherein the background image is projected to the lens array and displayed as an element image.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical means is a half mirror, the half mirror permeating one of the object image and background image and reflecting the other.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the half mirror reflects the object image, whereas the object image is formed as a virtual image on an opposite side of the half mirror.

27. A three-dimensional image display system, comprising:

means for displaying an object image;

means for displaying a background image by using a three-dimensional image display method; and

means for disposing the object image at a close distance and the background image at a far distance such that the object image and the background image overlap inside a same viewing angle.