METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR GENERATING STEREOSCOPIC IMAGE

• US 20100110068A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugita, Kaoru, Hirayama, Yuzo, Fukushima, Rieko, Yamauchi, Yasunobu, Doi, Miwako
• Application Number:
  US11/994,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/30 characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/349 Multi-view displays for displaying three or more geometrical viewpoints without viewer tracking for viewing without the aid of special glasses using fly-eye lenses H04N13/307

Abstract

A detecting unit detects at least one of a position and a posture of a real object located on or near a three-dimensional display surface. A calculating unit calculates a masked-area where the real object masks a ray irradiated from the three-dimensional display surface, based on at least one of the position and the posture. A rendering unit renders a stereoscopic image by performing different rendering processes on the masked-area from rendering processes on other areas.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating a stereoscopic image, comprising:

a detecting unit that detects at least one of a position and a posture of a real object located on or near a three-dimensional display surface;

a calculating unit that calculates a masked-area where the real object masks a ray irradiated from the three-dimensional display surface, based on at least one of the position and the posture; and

a rendering unit that renders a stereoscopic image by performing different rendering processes on the masked-area from rendering processes on other areas.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first specifying unit that receives a specification of a shape of the real object, wherein

the calculating unit calculates the masked-area further based on specified shape.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rendering unit renders the masked-area with volume data in a three-dimensional space.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rendering unit renders an area around the real object in the masked-area with volume data in a three-dimensional space.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rendering unit renders an area of a concave portion of the real object in the masked-area with volume data in a three-dimensional space.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a second specifying unit that receives a specification of an attribute of the real object, wherein

the rendering unit performs different rendering processes on the masked-area from rendering processes the other areas, based on specified attribute.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the attribute is at least one of thickness, transparency, and color of the real object.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rendering unit performs the rendering process on the masked-area based on the specified shape.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rendering unit performs a rendering process that applies a surface effect on the masked-area based on the specified attribute.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rendering unit performs a rendering process that applies a highlight effect on the masked-area based on the specified attribute.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rendering unit performs a rendering process that applies a crack on the masked-area based on the specified attribute.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rendering unit performs a rendering process that maps texture to the masked-area based on the specified attribute.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rendering unit performs a rendering process that scales the masked-area based on the specified attribute.

14. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rendering unit performs a rendering process of displaying a cross section of the real object with respect to the masked-area based on the specified attribute.

15. A method of generating a stereoscopic image, comprising:

detecting at least one of a position and a posture of a real object located on or near a three-dimensional display surface;

calculating a masked-area where the real object masks a ray irradiated from the three-dimensional display surface, based on at least one of the position and the posture; and

rendering a stereoscopic image by performing different rendering processes on the masked-area from rendering processes on other areas.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program codes embodied in the medium that when executed cause a computer to execute:

detecting at least one of a position and a posture of a real object located on or near a three-dimensional display surface;

calculating a masked-area where the real object masks a ray irradiated from the three-dimensional display surface, based on at least one of the position and the posture; and

rendering a stereoscopic image by performing different rendering processes on the masked-area from rendering processes on other areas.