IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD, AS WELL AS PROGRAM

• US 20110018968A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Junji, Yanagita, Satoshi, SHIKATA, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 10,080,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/139 Format conversion, e.g. of frame-rate or size
• 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 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/359 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

A stereoscopic image is generated by applying three-dimensional processing to two or more images, which are obtained through photographing from different positions. The stereoscopic image is stereoscopically displayed, and an instruction to start changing a parallax level of the stereoscopic image is received. In response to the instruction to start changing the parallax level, stereoscopic display of the stereoscopic image is switched into two-dimensional display of the two or more images overlapped with each other. An instruction to change the parallax level is received. In response to the instruction to change the parallax level, the two or more images are two-dimensionally displayed with the parallax level of the images being changed.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

display means capable of stereoscopically displaying a stereoscopic image generated from two or more images obtained through photographing from different positions;

three-dimensional processing means for applying three-dimensional processing for stereoscopic display to the two or more images to generate the stereoscopic image;

input means for receiving an instruction to start changing a parallax level of the stereoscopic image and an instruction to change the parallax level; and

display control means for switching stereoscopic display of the stereoscopic image into two-dimensional display of the two or more images overlapped with each other in response to the instruction to start changing the parallax level, and two-dimensionally displaying the two or more images with changing the parallax level of the images in response to the instruction to change the parallax level.

2. The image display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a case where the stereoscopic display is achieved using a backlight control system and the display means is a liquid crystal display means, the display control means drives backlights of the display means in a three-dimensional mode during the stereoscopic display and drives the backlights in a two-dimensional mode during the two-dimensional display.

3. The image display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the instruction to change the parallax level is received, the display control means displays a display range of the two or more images during the stereoscopic display in a visually recognizable manner on the display means according to an amount of change of the parallax level.

4. The image display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising notifying means for notifying, in a case where an area with substantially zero parallax between the two or more images is present, of the fact that the area with substantially zero parallax is present.

5. The image display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recording control means for recording an amount of change of the parallax level according to the instruction in a recording medium with the amount of change of the parallax level being associated with the two or more images.

6. The image display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display control means switches, after the switching into the two-dimensional display, the two-dimensional display into the stereoscopic display when a predetermined operation is received.

7. The image display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display control means switches, after the switching into the two-dimensional display, the two-dimensional display into the stereoscopic display when a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

8. The image display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display control means displays the parallax level during the two-dimensional display.

9. A photographing apparatus comprising:

two or more photographing means for obtaining two or more images for stereoscopic display through photographing from different positions; and

the image display device as claimed in claim 1.

10. An image display method implemented using a processor, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a stereoscopic image by applying three-dimensional processing to two or more images, the two or more images obtained through photographing from different positions;

stereoscopically displaying the stereoscopic image;

receiving an instruction to start changing a parallax level of the stereoscopic image;

switching stereoscopic display of the stereoscopic image into two-dimensional display of the two or more images overlapped with each other in response to the instruction to start changing the parallax level;

receiving an instruction to change the parallax level; and

two-dimensionally displaying the two or more images with changing the parallax level of the images in response to the instruction to change the parallax level.

11. A computer-readable recording medium containing a program for causing a computer to carry out an image display method comprising the steps of:

generating a stereoscopic image by applying three-dimensional processing to two or more images, the two or more images obtained through photographing from different positions;

stereoscopically displaying the stereoscopic image;

receiving an instruction to start changing a parallax level of the stereoscopic image;

switching stereoscopic display of the stereoscopic image into two-dimensional display of the two or more images overlapped with each other in response to the instruction to start changing the parallax level;

receiving an instruction to change the parallax level; and

two-dimensionally displaying the two or more images with changing the parallax level of the images in response to the instruction to change the parallax level.