IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM

• US 20130235036A1
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fukui, Koji
• Application Number:
  US13/988,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20130235036A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/00 Stereoscopic photography
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• 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

[Object] To realize a natural stereoscopic effect of a stereoscopic image even if the direction or the position of the stereoscopic image is changed.

[Solving Means] When at least one of a direction and a position of a stereoscopic image included in a display image is changed, a generator (2) extracts a stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change from a plurality of stereoscopic images included in stereoscopic image data (3) being data including a plurality of stereoscopic images different in at least one of a direction and a position of a viewpoint, and generates display image data being data of a display image including the extracted stereoscopic image.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a generator to generate display image data being data of a display image including a stereoscopic image; and

a read-out unit to read out stereoscopic image data from a storage unit storing the stereoscopic image data being data including a plurality of stereoscopic images different in at least one of a direction and a position of a viewpoint, the generator extracting, when at least one of the direction and the position of the stereoscopic image included in the display image is changed, a stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change from a plurality of stereoscopic images included in the stereoscopic image data read out by the read-out unit, and generating display image data of a display image including the extracted stereoscopic image.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the stereoscopic image included in the display image is arranged in the object included in the display image, and

the generator extracts, when at least one of the direction and the position of the stereoscopic image arranged in the object is changed with a change of at least one of a direction and a position of the object, the stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change from the plurality of stereoscopic images included in the stereoscopic image data read out by the read-out unit, arranges the extracted stereoscopic image in the object changed in at least one of a direction and a position, and generates display image data of a display image including the object.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the stereoscopic image data is data of a panoramic image obtained by connecting the plurality of stereoscopic images different in the at least one of the direction and the position of the viewpoint.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

a portion of the object, in which the stereoscopic image is arranged, is made transparent, and

the generator overlaps, when at least one of the direction and the position of the stereoscopic image arranged in the object is changed with a change of at least one of the direction and the position of the object, the panoramic image on the display image from below the display image such that a portion of the panoramic image, which corresponds to at least one of the direction and the position after the change, is located below the portion of the object changed in at least one of the direction and the position, which has been made transparent, to thereby extract, from the panoramic image, a stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change and arrange the stereoscopic image in the object.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the stereoscopic image data includes data for each of the plurality of stereoscopic images different in at least one of the direction and the position of the viewpoint.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the portion of the object, in which the stereoscopic image is arranged, is made transparent, and

the generator selects, when at least one of the direction and the position of the stereoscopic image arranged in the object is changed with a change of at least one of the direction and the position of the object, the stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change from the plurality of stereoscopic images included in the stereoscopic image data, to thereby extract the stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change and arrange the extracted stereoscopic image below the portion of the object changed in at least one of the direction and the position, which has been made transparent.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the generator extracts, when an operation input for changing at least one of the direction and the position of the stereoscopic image included in the display image is performed via an input unit, the stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change from the plurality of stereoscopic images included in the stereoscopic image data read out by the read-out unit, generates display image data of a display image including the extracted stereoscopic image, and causes a display unit to display the display image based on the display image data.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the generator generates, based on the stereoscopic image data read out by the read-out unit, moving image data of a moving image in which at least one of the direction and the position of the stereoscopic image included in the display image continuously changes.

9. An image processing method, comprising:

extracting, when at least one of a direction and a position of a stereoscopic image included in a display image is changed, a stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change from a plurality of stereoscopic images included in stereoscopic image data being data including the plurality of stereoscopic images different in at least one of a direction and a position of a viewpoint; and

generating display image data being data of a display image including the extracted stereoscopic image.

10. An image processing program for causing a computer to execute:

an extraction step of extracting, when at least one of a direction and a position of a stereoscopic image included in a display image is changed, a stereoscopic image corresponding to at least one of the direction and the position after the change from a plurality of stereoscopic images included in stereoscopic image data being data including a plurality of stereoscopic images different in at least one of a direction and a position of a viewpoint; and

a generation step of generating display image data being data of a display image including the extracted stereoscopic image.