SYSTEM OF PROVIDING STEREOSCOPIC IMAGE TO MULTIPLE USERS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140285484A1
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Yang, Ung Yeon, Kim, Ki Hong, KIM, Yong Wan, Jo, Dong Sik, Lee, Gil Haeng
• Application Number:
  US14/217,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285484A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/368 for two or more viewers

Abstract

Provided are a system and method of simultaneously providing stereoscopic images to multiple users. The system includes at least one glasses unit, a stereoscopic image generating device configured to calculate spatial information of the at least one glasses unit, and generate the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit, and a stereoscopic image providing device configured to project the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit to provide the projected stereoscopic image to the at least one glasses unit. Thus, through lightweight glasses constituted of only simple optical elements without a separate electronic device such as a micro panel, stereoscopic information such as through an existing HMD may be provided to multiple users.

Claims

1. A system of providing a stereoscopic image to multiple users, comprising:

at least one glasses unit;

a stereoscopic image generating device configured to calculate spatial information of the at least one glasses unit, and generate the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit; and

a stereoscopic image providing device configured to project the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit to provide the projected stereoscopic image to the at least one glasses unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one glasses unit includes a semi-transmission mirror that semi-transmits and reflects the projected stereoscopic image, and a polarization filter that is mounted in a front surface of the semi-transmission mirror to reproduce a three-dimensional (3D) image.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one glasses unit generates information about a position or a direction of the at least one glasses unit using at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a depth map sensor, and an optical marker sensor to provide the generated information to the stereoscopic image generating device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the stereoscopic image generating device includes a glasses tracking unit that calculates the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit using information about a position or a direction of the at least one glasses unit, and a parameter extraction unit that extracts a projection parameter for generating the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the glasses tracking unit calculates the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit using an infrared camera or a depth camera.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the stereoscopic image generating device includes a stereoscopic image generating unit that generates the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit using the projection parameter, and a distortion correction unit that corrects image distortion that occurs in accordance with the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the stereoscopic image providing device includes a projector that projects the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit, and a display device that implements a 3D image.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the stereoscopic image generating device further includes a calibration unit that adjusts the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit so as to match images between at least two of the at least one glasses unit, the projector, and the display device that implements the 3D image.

9. A stereoscopic image generating device that provides a stereoscopic image to multiple users, comprising:

a glasses tracking unit configured to extract information about a position or a direction of at least one glasses unit to calculate spatial information of the at least one glasses unit;

a parameter extraction unit configured to extract a projection parameter for generating the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit; and

a stereoscopic image generating unit configured to generate the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit using the projection parameter.

10. The stereoscopic image generating device of claim 9, further comprising:

a distortion correction unit configured to correct image distortion that occurs in accordance with the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit.

11. The stereoscopic image generating device of claim 9, wherein the at least one glasses unit includes a semi-transmission mirror that semi-transmits and reflects a projected stereoscopic image, and a polarization filter that is mounted in a front surface of the semi-transmission mirror to reproduce a 3D image.

12. The stereoscopic image generating device of claim 9, wherein the stereoscopic image generating device transmits the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit to a projector so that the transmitted stereoscopic image is projected.

13. A method of providing a stereoscopic image to multiple users, comprising:

extracting information about a position or a direction of at least one glasses unit which is worn by a user to calculate spatial information of the at least one glasses unit;

generating the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit; and

projecting the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit to provide the projected stereoscopic image to the at least one glasses unit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one glasses unit includes a semi-transmission mirror that semi-transmits and reflects the projected stereoscopic image, and a polarization filter that is mounted in a front surface of the semi-transmission mirror to reproduce a 3D image.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the extracting of the information includes extracting the information about the position or the direction of the at least one glasses unit using at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a depth map sensor, and an optical marker sensor which are mounted in the at least one glasses unit.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the extracting of the information includes calculating the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit using an infrared camera or a depth camera.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating of the stereoscopic image includes

extracting a projection parameter for generating the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit,

generating the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit using the projection parameter, and

correcting image distortion that occurs in accordance with the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the projecting of the stereoscopic image includes

projecting the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit using a projector, and

providing a 3D image using a display device that implements the 3D image while projecting the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit using the projector.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the generating of the stereoscopic image further includes adjusting the stereoscopic image corresponding to the spatial information of the at least one glasses unit so as to match images between at least two of the at least one glasses unit, the projector, and the display device that implements the 3D image.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the projector is a short focus projector.