IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20120147145A1
• Filed: 10/04/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: YAMAGUCHI, Tadashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,896,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/289 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes

Abstract

An image processing device includes a distance data analysis unit that analyzes subject distance information with the partial region units of captured images having different viewpoints, and a data generation unit that determines whether a recorded image or an output image is set to a two-dimensional image or set to a three-dimensional image depending on the analysis result, and generates the recorded or output image based on the determination result, wherein the data generation unit determines a recall level of stereoscopic vision in three-dimensional display based on the analysis result, and if it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision is low, generates a two-dimensional image as the recorded or output image, and if it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision is high, generates a three-dimensional image as the recorded or output image.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

a distance data analysis unit that analyzes subject distance information with the partial region units of captured images having different viewpoints; and

a data generation unit that determines whether or not a recorded image or an output image is set to a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image depending on the analysis result of the distance data analysis unit, and generates the recorded image or the output image based on the determination result,

wherein the data generation unit determines a recall level of stereoscopic vision in three-dimensional display based on the analysis result of the distance data analysis unit, and if it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision is low, generates a two-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image, and if it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision is high, generates a three-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the distance data analysis unit calculates difference data of distance measurement values which are distances to a subject of corresponding coordinate positions of each of an L image and an R image which are images having different viewpoints, and

wherein the data generation unit determines whether or not all pieces or a preset ratio or more pieces of the difference data of the distance measurement values which are distances to a subject of corresponding coordinate positions of each of the L image and the R image, obtained as a result of analysis of the distance data analysis unit, indicate differences smaller than a predefined threshold value, and if it is determined that the difference data indicates differences smaller than the predefined threshold value, it is determined that a recall level of stereoscopic vision in three-dimensional image display is low, generates a two-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image, and if it is determined that the difference data indicates differences which are not smaller than the predefined threshold value, it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision in three-dimensional image display is high, generates a three-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the distance data analysis unit obtains a plurality of pieces of distance data which are measurement values of a plurality of subject distance measurement points set in at least one of an L image and an R image which are images having different viewpoints,

wherein the data generation unit determines whether or not all pieces or a preset ratio or more pieces of the distance data have distance data equal to or more than a predefined threshold value indicating that a subject distance is long, and if it is determined that the distance data has distance data equal to or more than the predefined threshold value, it is determined that a recall level of stereoscopic vision in three-dimensional image display is low, generates a two-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image, and if it is determined that the distance data does not have distance data equal to or more than the predefined threshold value, it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision in three-dimensional image display is high, generates a three-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising two imaging units that capture images having different viewpoints,

wherein each of the imaging units includes an imaging element which obtains subject distance information with the partial region units of an image.

5. The image processing device according to claim 4, wherein each of the imaging units includes an imaging element having a pixel region which obtains subject distance information with the partial region units of an image according to a phase difference detection method.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the distance data analysis unit selects a partial image region of an image and analyzes subject distance information only for the selected region,

wherein the data generation unit determines whether a recorded image or an output image is set to a two-dimensional image or set to a three-dimensional image depending on the analysis result of only the selected region, and generates the recorded data or the output data based on the determination result.

7. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein the distance data analysis unit selects a focused image region and analyzes subject distance information only for the selected region,

wherein the data generation unit determines whether a recorded image or an output image is set to a two-dimensional image or set to a three-dimensional image depending on the analysis result of only the selected region, and generates the recorded data or the output data based on the determination result.

8. An image processing method executed in an image processing device comprising:

causing a distance data analysis unit to analyze subject distance information with the partial region units of captured images having different viewpoints; and

causing a data generation unit to determine whether a recorded image or an output image is set to a two-dimensional image or set to a three-dimensional image depending on the analysis result of the distance data analysis unit, and generate the recorded image or the output image based on the determination result,

wherein the generating of data includes determining a recall level of stereoscopic vision in three-dimensional display based on the analysis result of the distance data analysis unit, and if it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision is low, generating a two-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image, and if it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision is high, generating a three-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image.

9. A program enabling an image process to be executed in an image processing device, comprising:

causing a distance data analysis unit to analyze subject distance information with the partial region units of captured images having different viewpoints; and

causing a data generation unit to determine whether a recorded image or an output image is set to a two-dimensional image or set to a three-dimensional image depending on the analysis result of the distance data analysis unit, and generate the recorded image or the output image based on the determination result,

wherein the generating of data includes determining a recall level of stereoscopic vision in three-dimensional display based on the analysis result of the distance data analysis unit, and if it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision is low, generating a two-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image, and if it is determined that the recall level of stereoscopic vision is high, generating a three-dimensional image as the recorded image or the output image.