IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE

• US 20090128622A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Olympus Imaging Corporation (Olympus Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Olympus Imaging Corporation (Olympus Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Yasutaka, Mashitani, Ken, Uchiumi, Tadashi, Sekizawa, Hidehiko, Yoshida, Hideaki
• Application Number:
  US11/995,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/178 Metadata, e.g. disparity information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/183 On-screen display [OSD] information, e.g. subtitles or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

In 3D information creation means 102, 3D information including information on an image identifier and arrangement position of the image identifier is input from control means 101. According to the 3D information, which has been input, an identification mark is created and output together with the arrangement position information to image integration means 103. The image integration means 103 integrates a right-eye image and a left-eye image, which are input, and the identification mark according to the arrangement position information to create image data and outputs the same. Thus, an identifier indicating a stereoscopic image is provided in stereoscopic image data and observation is not disturbed when stereoscopically displayed.

Claims

1. An image processing device for creating stereoscopic image data composed of a plurality of images corresponding to each of a plurality of viewpoints, comprising:

information creation means including information indicating a stereoscopic image and information indicating a method of creating the stereoscopic image, for creating a stereoscopic image identifier visible as the image when displaying the stereoscopic image, wherein the stereoscopic image data includes the stereoscopic image identifier.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the stereoscopic image identifiers are arranged on two or more portions within the stereoscopic image data.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the stereoscopic image identifiers are arranged so as to be fused to each other when displaying the stereoscopic image data on a display device capable of stereoscopically viewing.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising arrangement position determination means for determining an arrangement position of the stereoscopic image identifier at an optional position within the stereoscopic image data.

5. The image processing device according to claim 4, further comprising attention image area setting means for setting an attention image area within the stereoscopic image data, wherein the arrangement position determination means arranges the stereoscopic image identifier outside the attention image area in the stereoscopic image data.

6. The image processing device according to claim 4, further comprising image display means for displaying the image, for displaying the image in a state in which the stereoscopic image identifier is arranged on a planned position by the arrangement position determination means on the image display means, wherein the arrangement position determination means determines the arrangement position of the stereoscopic image identifier according to arrangement position determination information indicating the arrangement position of the stereoscopic image identifier.

7. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein the arrangement position determination means is configured so as to be capable of varying the planned position on which the stereoscopic image identifier is to be arranged, when determining the arrangement position according to the arrangement position determination information.

8. The image processing device according to claim 4, further comprising reproduction position estimation means for estimating a reproduction position in depth of an optional area of the stereoscopic image data, wherein

the arrangement position determination means selects an area based on an estimation result of the reproduction position estimation means to determine the arrangement position of the stereoscopic image identifier.

9. The image processing device according to claim 8, wherein the arrangement position determination means determines the arrangement position of the stereoscopic image identifier on an area estimated that the stereoscopic image is reproduced behind a screen by means of the reproduction position estimation means.

10. The image processing device according claim 1, wherein the stereoscopic image identifier is arranged within a range not larger than (4/3)×

V/2 in a horizontal direction and not larger than (2/3)×

H/2 in a vertical direction from a central portion of the stereoscopic image data, wherein a size of the stereoscopic image data in the horizontal direction is H and a size in the vertical direction is V.